 FEBRUARY 4 • 2021 | 27

SPIRIT

A Forced Judaism?
T

he newly liberated 
band of Jews just left 
Egypt and are now 
marching toward Mt. Sinai. 
They would finally meet 
their God and enter into a 
relationship with Him by 
accepting the Torah 
and the historic 
Jewish mission. As 
the Jews camped, they 
proclaimed their com-
mitment to the Torah, 
pledging “We will do 
and we will hear.”
But the Talmud 
reports of something 
quite mystifying. 
Before actually giving 
the Torah, God lifted 
the mountain and held 
it over the Jews’ heads, forcing 
them to accept the Torah.
The teachings of Chassidus 
illuminate this mysterious tale: 
At Mt. Sinai, the Jews experi-
enced the ultimate revelation 
of divine inspiration, love and 
truth. Witnessing this left 
them with no other choice but 
to say “Yes.
”
Our sages asked if the expe-
rience was forced upon us, can 
we really claim to have made 
the commitment to the Torah 
by our own volition? 
Then in 357 B.C.E., almost 
1,000 years after the giving of 
the Torah, the quintessential 
antisemite Haman decreed 
the global annihilation of the 
Jewish people.
With the threat of looming 
death, the Jews were given 
the opportunity to renounce 
their faith and thus be saved. 
But amazingly, inspired by the 
fearless leader Mordechai, the 
entire Jewish people held onto 
their faith, proclaiming their 
relationship with God more 
important than physical life 

itself. Then, God, in a miracu-
lous turn of events, saved the 
Jewish people, giving rise to 
the Purim holiday.
While at Mt. Sinai, the Jews 
felt the inspiration and con-
nection. At the Purim decree, 
the Jews were living in 
dark and uninspiring 
times, with a prevailing 
sense of God’s absence. 
It was at this opportunity 
that the Jews chose, by 
their own volition, that 
they want to be Jews.
This was the Judaism 
history has been waiting 
for. A Judaism that flows 
from the core of the soul.
We, too, have our 
own Mt. Sinai moments. 
That is when we feel inspired, 
when it feels easy to “get in the 
groove” of Judaism. While this 
may feel liberating, it is in fact 
the opposite; it is a temporary 
and forced Judaism, an inspi-
ration thrusted upon us from 
above, not one emerging from 
our own choice.
The ideal model is a 
Judaism and commitment that 
flows from within, a choice 
that we make, not from an 
external force or influence. 
This is the real Judaism, the 
way it is meant to be lived. 
Don’t wait for inspiration; 
create your inspiration. Don’t 
wait for the light; be the light. 
When you feel uninspired, 
realize that it is a challenge 
for deeper connection and 
commitment. It is specifically 
in the uninspiring moments 
when we have the opportunity 
to own our Judaism. 

Rabbi Levi Dubov directs the 

Chabad Jewish Center of Bloomfield 

Hills and teaches adult-education 

courses. He can be reached at 

rabbi@bloomfieldhillschabad.org.

TORAH PORTION

Rabbi Levi 

Dubov

Parshat Yitro: 

Exodus 

18:1-20:23; 

Isaiah 

6:1-7:6; 9:5-6.

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