* Translation by Yehoshua Siskin
“I feel helpless,” “I can’t connect,” “I’ve lost all motivation.” These are expressions that describe what all of us sometimes feel. But in this week’s Torah portion, we read about how to live and persevere despite such feelings.
“And they said: Everything that the Lord spoke — na’aseh v’nishma (we will do and we will hear/understand).”
The nation of Israel receives the Torah on Mount Sinai and its two word response — na’aseh venishma — become words by which we will live throughout the generations.
Our sages say that our endlessly enduring strength derives from these two words. Action, followed by understanding. The positive mitzvahs (Shabbat, tefillin, holidays, kashrut and so many others) have defined who we are for three millennia. Wherever we went, in the face of every challenge, our response was to do what needed to be done and only afterwards search for the full meaning of our deeds.
Na’aseh venishma. We will do and we will understand. All are invited, right now, to start doing.
