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June 01, 2006
Learning & Remembering
Tonight begins the holiday of Shavuos. We celebrate G-d's giving of the Torah to the Jewish people. It is Jewish tradition to sit up all night, usually in the synagogue, and study Torah until dawn.
To learn Torah in this way is to put yourself in the frame of mind of those Jews who waited and prepared themselves all night at the foot of Mt. Sinai to receive the Torah.
Ariel ZT'L took Shavuos learning with his customary piety and joy.
Tonight, I will learn Torah as a Jew whose soul was at Sinai, for the Sages us teach that all Jewish souls, past present and future, were gathered at Sinai to accept the Torah. Tonight, I will learn Torah as a Jew whose soul was at Sinai; and my soul will be gathered together with Ariel's at the foot of Sinai as the heavens opened and the holy Torah was delivered.
Seraphic Secret will be off-line until the end of Shabbos. Karen and I wish all our Seraphic friends a lovely and meaningful Shavuos and Shabbos.
Posted by Robert J. Avrech at June 1, 2006 06:33 PM
Comments
Seraphic Secret is private property, that's right, it's an extension of our home, and as such, Karen and I have instituted two Seraphic Rules and we ask commentors to act respectfully.
1. No profanity.2. No Israel bashing. We debate, we discuss, we are respectful. You know what Israel bashing is. The world is full of it. Seraphic Secret is one of the few places in the world that will not tolerate this form of anti-Semitism. That's it. Break either of these rules and you will be banned.
Some posts here are deafening, like this one. After reading it, everything around the computer screen fades or stands still or flits by irrelevantly.
That old cliche describes a son who follows in a father's footsteps. Yet included in being gathered together, in this mighty transcendece, I sense somehow one man's undying longing to "walk side by side" his son, and even, where appropriate, "in his footsteps". But I don't claim any of this speculative babble applies; am just leaving some trace of a response (since you say you value it).
Shavuous's legend and observance awe-inspiring. I confess to having had no idea about this holiday before last week.
(From someone recently stopped in his tracks in a desert (of sorts), at the gift of reading that his soul, too, was gathered at Sinai.)
Posted by: Jeremiah at June 4, 2006 10:38 PM
Have to agree. With the war in Iraq, we have recently started to hear more fathers talking about how they really admire their sons in combat. I mean "admire" not in the "all dad's are proud of their sons way," but in true admiration that they would have for anyone, son or not.
One of the most extraordinary things about this blog is that Robert expresses his admiration for Ariel and what he accomplished and who he was. I really know of no other father who feels that way about his children and can express it, let alone well. I'm very thankful that Ariel was born to a man with great writing skills who had the talent to express these feelings in a way others could understand. And I don't have the slightest doubt Robert made those feelings clear to Ariel numerous times before he passed away.
If I am very, very lucky, I will be able to express my feelings about my child to her in some meaningful way while I'm still on this planet.
Posted by: Jake at June 5, 2006 08:00 AM
Jeremiah:
Value it very much. Thanks.
Posted by: Robert Avrech at June 5, 2006 08:24 AM
Jake:
You are quite right. I never let an opportunity pass without letting any of my children know how much I admire them.
Posted by: Robert Avrech at June 5, 2006 08:26 AM
Jake
I'd like to add my thoughts.
How a parent chooses his or her words is one thing, but what that parent does with the love from which those words emanate is another thing.
Robert exemplifies, as you say, both: a master of words and of fatherly love.
Posted by: Pearl at June 5, 2006 08:47 AM