Making Sense of the Sedra: Shavuot

Moshe took the book of our covenant (Sefer haBrit) with Hashem and read it to Bnei Yisrael. They said in response: “Everything Hashem has said we shall do and listen to (Naaseh VeNishmah)” (Shemot 24:7).

This seems a counterintuitive sequence; if we do not first listen, we cannot understand what we are doing, and surely there is no virtue in just doing things mindlessly. Is it not the difference between us and angels, that we have the choice to choose Hashem and do His bidding?

Rabbi Chanina ben Dossa teaches us that our awe of Hashem is what precedes true wisdom. He explains that anyone whose actions are greater than their wisdom, their wisdom will endure, as it says (Exodus 24:7): “We will do, and then we will listen” (Pirkei Avot 3:9). Meaning, we first ‘did’/actioned because of our knowledge of Hashem rather than ‘doing’ based on our calculated logic. This is therefore true wisdom.

In Daniel Kahneman’s book Thinking Fast and Slow he explores the driving forces in our decision-making. His research has proven the uncontrollable impact of our subconscious on our decision- making, even when we believe our decisions to be completely rational and logical. Our decision- making is inevitably based on things other than our logic, such as our biases, familiarity, inherent laziness, and so on.

Making a decision will always be subject to unconscious bias. Our decision to receive the Torah, if thoroughly analysed, would have been altered by factors we would not have chosen to take into account. For example, we would automatically calculate the cost-benefit analysis of receiving the Torah and weigh up other values equally to our value of wanting to serve Hashem.

Accepting the Torah and keeping our covenant with Hashem is not a logical or rational decision, it is hard work! However, despite this, the decision was not thoughtless. Rabbi Chanina is saying that the reason our awe for Hashem precedes wisdom, is that in order to have awe for Hashem, we must understand His greatness; to know Hashem. If this knowledge guides us in our decision-making, then our decisions will be wise and right.

We recognised the truth of Hashem, His word and His Torah. Our desire to emanate His values and to live a life that is most meaningful spiritually, outweighed all other considerations. Entering the covenant with Hashem and accepting the Torah, are decisions for which our knowledge/ understanding of Hashem was the most paramount and overpowering factor. It could not be outweighed by other factors; we became biased towards serving Hashem. This decision elevated us and widened our horizon of potential and meaning, on account of its illogical nature. Our decision was not based on what we heard or calculated regarding all material pros and cons, but based on our understanding of Hashem, this made all the difference.

May we all be blessed this Shavuot to choose as naturally and inherently as at Har Sinai, to re-enter the Brit between us and Hashem and therefore keep His Torah with conviction.