Torah
Na'aseh V'nishma
By: Eliana Ogorek and Emily Lederman
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This week’s parsha focuses on the mitzvot that Hashem gave to Bnei Yisrael. These include laws concerning slavery, murder, kidnapping, violence, bribes, loans, justice, damages, holidays, kashrut and more. Hashem promises Bnei Yisrael that He will guard and protect them and bring them to Eretz Yisrael. He also tells them that they have to listen to Him and that they cannot do avodah zara. Bnei Yisrael answer “נעשה ונשמה ” which means “We will do and we will hear.” Why would they say “we will do” before saying “we will hear”? It doesn’t make sense that someone can do something before hearing it.
Bnei Yisrael say it in this order to show that they are devoted and willing to do whatever Hashem says without even having to hear it first. They will do whatever Hashem tells them to do. According to Rabbi Lamm, the mitzvot that Hashem just gave to Bnei Yisrael are the tools they need in order to hear. Once they got the tools, a.k.a. the mitzvot, Bnei Yisrael were then able to listen, hear, and understand such divine things that we would not be able to hear or understand without the mitzvot.
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| Uploaded: | Thursday, January 23, 2014 |