 One of the central tenets of our faith is the eternal relevance and unchanging nature of our Torah. The Torah is not only Divinely authored but is actually a description of G-d Himself and hence by following it we are emulating G-d. Clearly it would be foolhardy for humans to tamper with a guidebook written by G-d Himself. And surely a book authored by G-d must be relevant for every circumstance that may possibly arise. As each and every law is an expression of the Divine will our Sages admonish us to be as careful with a "light" mitzvah as with a "heavy" mitzvah as they are all part of the same system. Just as a misapplied two-dollar part can cause an airline to crash so can neglect of even a minor mitzvah impinge on the entire structure of Torah.
On a theoretical level all mitzvoth are equally important at all times; after all a Divine system is not constrained by the limits of time. However on the practical earthly level, where the Divine Torah is actually implemented, certain mitzvoth gain importance due to the different historical climate. Thus in our generation the mitzvah to settle the land of Israel has taken on crucial significance. While from a technical point of view it is the same mitzvah today as it was 300 years ago, the mitzvah today affords so many opportunities unavailable to our ancestors. Setting up and properly running a Jewish state just was not a possibility until our own times.
That certain mitzvoth serve crucial historical functions well beyond their technical observance was already noted by the Midrash. So asserts the Meshech Chochma (Dvinsk 1843-1926) in explaining the well-known midrash that it was due to our fidelity to our native tongue, dress and names that we were redeemed from Egypt. It is well known that many of our great Sages were known by non-Hebrew names, not to mention the fact that the language of conversation of the Jew has rarely been Hebrew. While in modern times distinctive Jewish dress, language and names may not be crucial to our survival as a nation, in Egypt it was precisely these external symbols of Judaism that guaranteed our survival. The Torah had yet to be received, there was no shabbat, no kashrut, no holidays no mikvah, not even brit milah was observed in Egypt. And truth be told, the midrash suggests that eighty percent of Jews were not redeemed, they apparently assimilated into the allure of Egyptian culture. Yet by clinging to those elements which define a nations' identity a small element managed to keep their historical roots alive though G-d was practically unknown to them.
The M eshech Chochmah goes on to suggest that in exile it is often these peripheral mitzvoth, fences as he calls them, that play a far greater significance in preserving Jewish identity. It is precisely those practices that the Jewish people adopt in their various homelands that serve as the barrier to assimilation often more so than the technical observance of the "meat and potatoes" of Judaism. The Magen Dovid that a non-observant Jew wears around their neck can be that link that preserves their Jewish identity.
The Torah tells us that one-day "your children shall say to you, What is this service to you?" ( 12:26). The anonymous author of the Pesach Hagadah takes this as a reference to the "bad" child. The Torah does provide an answer to this question. "You must answer it is the Passover service to G-d, He passed over the houses of the Israelites. (12:27)." Yet the author of the hagadah deviates from that answer and suggests a different response. "It is because of this that G-d acted for me when I left Egypt (13:8)." How could the hagadah change the answer provided by G-d Himself? What happened to "You must answer?" Apparently the author of the hagadah is telling us that our approach to the challenges we face, symbolized by the mocking attitude of the rasha must be amenable to change. What worked in Eastern Europe will not necessarily work (and may even be counter productive) in America or Israel. Even the answer provided by G-d may not be 'sufficient'. It appears obvious to me that today our answer to the scoffers of the day must be one of inclusion and openness. Their neglect of Torah is not a rejection of Torah but rather stems from a misunderstanding of what Torah is all about. We must seriously engage them and show them the beauty of Torah. Let our behavior be the best example of that beauty. Shabbat Shalom!
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