The Beginning; A Good Place to Start

The last letter of the Torah that we read on Simchas Torah this week is a Lamed.

The first letter of the Torah that we read on Simchas Torah this week is Beis.

Lamed and Bais spell Lev – Heart.

What meaning does that have for you?

For me the messaging is that everything about Judaism as rooted in Torah is ultimately about love.  Love of Hashem, Love of Torah and Love of our fellow.

As the Rebbe said in his first discourse in 1951 that in America people need to make a statement.  So the Rebbe said I’ll make a statement.  The statement is that one cannot have love of Hashem or of Torah without love for our fellow.

Or in the teachings of the Zohar, there are three bonds that are bonded together; Hashem, Torah and the Jewish People. That would seem to indicate that we are bonded to Hashem through Torah.  But there are actually three bonds, and that is the bond that we have directly with Hashem as a circle. Three knots, one between us and Torah, one between Torah and Hashem and one between us and Hashem.

So Lev = Love for me.

What does Lev = heart mean for you as we begin anew?

There is so much to learn, so much richness in Torah, “turn it over and turn it over for everything is in it (Avos)”. 

A New Year has begun, we read In the Beginning/Bereishis anew, this is a great time to connect with our rich tradition, renew your commitment for Torah study, capitalize on the opportunities.  

Check out what’s coming up at the Intown Jewish Academy here.

Good Shabbos!

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