We now find ourselves in the month of Sivan. As usual, our goal is to discover the unique avodah which we are supposed to focus on for these 30 days. On first thought, it would seem pretty easy. Sivan is the month of the Torah, so ostensibly our goal should be acquiring the Torah. However, I think there are two fair objections to this suggestion. First, we just spent the entire month of Iyar preparing for matan Torah. The entire Sefira is essentially a 49-day lead-up to acquiring the Torah. So who needs another month? Second, Shavuos is on the 6th of Sivan. If the month’s work is to lead up to this goal, what are we to do for the remaining 24 days of the month? Thus, our question remains: what is the avodah of Sivan?
Let’s adopt the Jewish technique of answering a question with a question. It is well known that each month is associated with one of the twelve tribes, with Sivan being associated with Zevulun. Why is this so? One would have thought that Zevulun would be the least likely candidate. Sivan is the month of the Torah, while Zevulun was not a scholar but rather a sea merchant. His brother Yissachar would have been a better choice; Yissachar was the Torah scholar. Even if one would argue that Zevulun earned reward equal to Yissachar (as the former supported the latter), we still don’t see why Zevulun is a better candidate than his brother. So why is Sivan associated with Zevulun?
Let’s throw in one last question. The month of Sivan is aligned with the mazel of Gemini – the Twins. In what way can this be understood? What do twins have to do with the month of the Torah?
In order to answer these questions, let’s cite a Midrash (Tanchuma, Tzav). “In the future, Hashem will come to judge Edom. Esau (the progenitor and personification of the kingdom of Edom) will wrap himself in a tallis (as if to portray himself as righteous) and sit beside Yaakov.” The Midrash describes how Hashem will see through the façade, judge Esau for the wicked man that he is, and condemn him to the nethermost pit. Isn’t this an enigmatic Midrash? What does Esau hope to accomplish by dressing himself up like Yaakov? Does he really think he can fool the Almighty into thinking that he is equally righteous? What type of game is this?
I would like to suggest the following explanation. Esau is not claiming a foolish or juvenile claim. Rather, his argument is as follows: “Master of the world! Why should Yaakov be granted eternal reward and not me? Are we not basically the same? Most people do mostly the same things most of the time. Jews, gentiles, we’re pretty much the same. We both get up in the morning, wash up, eat breakfast, and head out to work. We both work most of the day, we take our lunch and coffee breaks, and come home. We both get married and raise families. We spend time with our kids and work to pay the bills. We both do our daily exercises and go to sleep at night. So if we basically live the same life, why should he get eternal reward and not me?”
Now, this is a much harder argument to refute. Why isn’t Esau correct? The answer is as follows. Esau lives his life this way because he wants to. He is serving himself. But Yaakov is serving Hashem. When Yaakov gets up in the morning he doesn’t wash up because his hands are dirty, he washes netilas yadayim because Hashem told him to. He doesn’t eat breakfast because he’s hungry, he eats so he can have koach to accomplish whatever Hashem sends his way that day. He doesn’t go to work because he wants cash, rather because he wants to be able to do what Hashem wants him to do – pay tuition and other bills, give tzedakah, buy mitzvah objects, etc. He doesn’t marry because he wants a pretty wife; he marries because he wants to raise a family of Torah-true Jews. And finally, he doesn’t sleep at night because he’s tired; rather, he goes to sleep so he can be refreshed to serve Hashem the next day! So while Esau and Yaakov may appear to be identical, they are in reality as different as can be.
This is the reality of twins as well. While twins may be identical in outward appearances, they are almost invariably of different mindsets and outlooks. It would be a great mistake to assume that twins are the same person. Let’s apply this idea to Zevulun. He is a sea-merchant. Every day he goes to work with his friend Bob the sea merchant. They do the same thing all day every day. So what’s the difference between Zevulun and Bob? Zevulun will bask eternally in the radiance of the Shechina and Bob won’t. How does Zevulun accomplish this? The answer is – through the Torah. This is the great trick of the Torah. Through it one can change his life from being mundane to holy.
Perhaps this is the avodah of Sivan. We already acquired the Torah. Now let’s use it for what it was intended. Living life for the Torah doesn’t happen automatically. On the contrary: without the proper intent every step of the way, a Jew’s life can look identical to the life of his gentile neighbor. Zevulun and Bob are twins. They lead identical lives. But Zevulun is the greatest representative of Sivan because he uses the Torah to direct his kavana towards Hashem, thereby making his mundane life one of holiness and virtue. If we work to actually have the proper intent in all that we do, we can achieve a life of holiness. Have an accomplishing Sivan.
