There’s a beautiful midrash that prompts even the most cynical among us to smile. But I invite even the most ardent cynic to read this column and then tell me if this midrash does not reflect today’s reality as it unfolds before our eyes.
It is written that before Hashem was about to give the Torah at Sinai, He asked for “guarantors.” Who would sign on for the loan of the Torah to mankind? The Torah had until then been in the Heavens, within the reach of angels. But giving the Torah to men? Surely they would transgress it, violate it, defile it. How could the Torah be entrusted to men?
Therefore Hashem asked for “guarantors” who would be responsible in the event the buyer defaulted. Am Yisrael held a conference. What guarantor would Hashem consider acceptable? The people agreed that our Patriarchs, the avos, would be the best representatives. But Hashem did not accept that. The avos had kept the Torah. They’d locked it in the chambers of their hearts. They saturated their souls with the holy words.
So Am Yisrael made other suggestions, including the Prophets and even the hills and mountains, Hashem’s powerful creations. But those offers were likewise turned down.
Finally someone came up with a novel idea – let’s guarantee our children. People were shocked. What do children know? They are naïve and immature and can be easily duped. Surprisingly, though, Hashem accepted it. Yes, children would be the perfect guarantors to ensure the observance of Torah for all eternity.
Fast-forward thousands of years. A couple of weeks ago, in Bensalem, Pennsylvania, I was addressing a standing-room-only audience in a community of dedicated and devoted Jews. The audience was comprised of young and old, Jews and non-Jews, government officials and elected representatives. The words of Torah can cut through all barriers and unite people from diverse backgrounds.
Following my address people came over for blessings, advice, or just to share thoughts. I looked up and saw two sweet little boys standing before me. The older one, who was 12, told me of his concern about being accepted by fellow students in his school.
“I want to observe the mitzvot,” he confided, “but I’m worried the other boys will make fun of my tzitzit, my yarmulke, and my keeping kosher and Shabbos. I don’t want to ever give up any of our mitzvot. Every word you said went straight to my heart. ”
His younger brother agreed and said, “I’m going tell all my friends all the things I learned from you tonight..”
So tell me, can anyone doubt the veracity of the midrash that tells us about children being our surety, our guarantors?
“Do you go to public school?” I asked the boys.
“Yes, we do,” they responded.
I asked to speak with their parents, who quickly came over to me.
“Do you realize what a gift G-d gave you?” I asked them. “What treasures He imparted to you? Your sons are sons of Am Yisrael who stood at Sinai and swore to be guarantors of the Torah. Thousands of years have passed since that day. We’ve traversed many continents, crossed many oceans. You yourselves came from Russia – a communist country where the words of G-d were taboo – but nevertheless even there your children were guarantors.
“The deal that was sealed at Sinai has proved more powerful than armies, weapons, culture, and society. That spark of Hashem, the light of Torah, can never be extinguished by any power on earth. Here we are entering 5775 and the brightness of our flame shines more powerfully than ever, its brightness penetrating every nook and cranny of our hearts, energizing our Jewish souls.”