The Torah commands, "Three times a year, shall your menfolk appear before the face of the Adon | Hashem (Mishpatim 33:17)." All three times the Torah enjoins us to participate in this national pilgrimage - festival at the holy Temple in Jerusalem, there is a pesik line | that separates between the word "Adon" and "Hashem". HaGaon Rav Joseph B. Soloveitchik zt"l explains the implied dichotomy. There are two distinct pilgrim personalities. The first focuses on the glory of the Temple edifice, the inspiration of the music and song of the Leviim, and all the sundry external manifestations of the Bais Hamikdash. The second is primarily interested in viewing Hashem and cleaving to the Divine Presence. Thus, the pesik line delineates between the one that only seeks the face of the Adon, i.e. the externals of the Temple and the one that yearns for Hashem Himself. The difference between the two is highlighted after the destruction of the Bais Hamikdash. Although there is no longer an external edifice with all its pomp and circumstance, one still has the opportunity to unite with the Divine Presence itself. Our Chachomim tell us, "From the day the Temple was destroyed, the Divine Presence is found in the four amos of Halacha (Brachos 8a)".

According to HaGaon Rav Moshe Shmuel Shapiro shlita, this concept is poignantly expressed in the poetic words of the Yom Kippur Neilah service. "The holy city and its suburbs have become a disgrace and her treasures buried and hidden. There is nothing left but this Torah." Although the "face of the Adon" is no longer manifest, the spirit of the Divine still pulsates in our holy Torah, which represents the "shirayim" i.e. the residual essence of the Bais Hamikdash. Our anticipation of Shavuos and Kabbalas HaTorah mimics the lofty desires of the pilgrim who did not merely seek the external facade but yearned for the true essence of Hashem and the Divine Presence.

The middle two words of the Torah are "Darosh darash Moshe (Shemini 10:16)". There is a halachic tradition that the first word, "darosh", should be written at the end of a line in a Sefer Torah and the second word, "darash", should be the first word written on the next line. The "Megaleh Amukos" in Parshas Va’eschanan explains the implications of this tradition. After one has exhausted all of his analytical capacity and has "darshined" a particular Torah topic to the limit of his ability, one must be confident that the Almighty will continue to enlighten him and reveal new insights beyond his limited ken. The "darosh" at the end of the line represents coming to the end of one's limited abilities, while the implication of the second "darash", at the beginning of the next line, implies Hashem's promise to reveal fresh new ideas and insights. Torah is not like other wisdoms where one analyzes a "static concept", and the reality of limited understanding is reasonable. Torah study initiates a relationship between Hashem - the Teacher, and us - the learner. After one has expended his intellectual abilities, the "Nosen HaTorah", the Teacher of Torah, raises us to the next level, by revealing broader vistas and wider horizons of knowledge. Indeed, the Torah is described as "Its measure is longer than the earth and wider than the sea (Job 11:9)". The Diniver Rebbe in his "Bnei Yissaschar" suggests that this is alluded to in the words of the sweet singer of Israel, Dovid Hamelech. "And those who know Your name (i.e. the holy Torah) will trust in You (i.e. that You will continuously reveal to them the secrets of Torah), for You have not forsaken those who seek You (i.e. even after they have achieved their finite intellectual capacity), Hashem (Tehillim 9:11)." It is this dynamic relationship of mentor and protégé that we yearn for as we anticipate Kabbalas HaTorah. May we merit this never-ending adventure of discovery into the secrets of the Torah and its wisdom.

*** Robert & Rita Galbut upon the engagement of their daughter, Erica to Ari Neuman.
*** Freddie & Pearl Ezekiel upon the Bar-Mitzvah of their grandson, Yitzchak.
*** Jeff & Randi Gordon upon the Bar-Mitzvah of their son, Zachary.
*** Rav Yisroel & Rochel Niman upon the Bar-Mitzvah of their son, Dovid Kalman.
*** Avi & Sharon Rosenberg upon the Bar-Mitzvah of their son, Naftali.
*** Gary & Elanna Rosenbaum upon the Bas-Mitzvah of their daughter, Ayelet.
*** Rav Kalman & Rucha Baumann
upon the birth of a grandson, Shmuel Moshe.
The proud parents are Micha & Michal Segelman.
and the birth of a granddaughter, Pesha.
The proud parents are Yaakov & Adina Dreyfuss.
*** Joseph & Sheila Bistritsky upon the birth of a granddaughter.
The proud parents are Shloimi & Devorah Brociner.
*** Rick & Bonnie Lang upon the birth of a grandson, Shlomo.
The proud parents are Shoshie & Moishe Abramson.
*** Jack & Sorah Levine upon the birth of a grandson, Dovid.
The proud parents are Dov & Tova Singer.
*** Barry & Mindy Robbin upon the birth of a granddaughter, Orly Ahuva.
The proud parents are Shlomo & Joanna Stauber.
*** Thomas & Rhonda Weiss upon the birth of a granddaughter, Shaindee.
The proud parents are Abby & Tuly Weisz.
Barry & Mindy Robbin upon their son Daniel graduating
from the University of Medicine & Dentistry of NJ

Condolences to...

Rhoda Lipton upon the loss of her mother, Mrs. Raizel (Teresa) Zukerman.
Fred Mingel upon the loss of his mother, Mrs. Regina Mingel.
Amalia Rosin upon the loss of her sister, Mrs. Simcha Yona.

Miriam Baron, Rachel Brecher, Mark Dunaevsky, Loren Cohen, Daniella Frohlinger, Justin Gordon, Droma Gringarten, Esti Herman, Zisel Lampert, Joshua Manaster,
Aviva Peppard, Yocheved Peppard, Avi Pomper, Phyllis Kissel, Ari Koenigsberg,
Irit (Gurfinkel) Kerstein, Jonathan Rubin, Zachary Rubin, Shimon Singer,
Abigail (Weiss) Weisz, Thomas Weiss, David Yarus.

Sharon Brecher, Ari Gold, Eitan Gross, Avraham Lampert, Jacob Manaster,
Joshua Rubin, Rebecca Sova, Matthew Turetsky & Angel Tropp