Do you need to understand before you will believe? The midrash says that God offered the Torah to each the 70 nations, but each nation first asked to understand what was required, and then rejected the offer... Finally God approached Israel and asked: Will you accept my Torah? And they replied, kol asher dibber Adonai naaseh (כּל אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּר יְהוָה נַעֲשֶׂה), all that the LORD has spoken we will do (Exod. 19:8). In other words, Israel was willing to accept the Torah even before they understood what was required of them. Later they reaffirmed their simplicity of heart by saying naaseh venishma: We will do and then we will understand (Exod. 24:7). Faith is first of all a matter of heart, of gratitude, and responding to Gods invitation. All the externals of the Sinai experience - the fire, the smoke, the blasts of the shofar - were known in the deeper fire, smoke, and soundings of the heart of faith...
Posted on: Thu, 16 Jan 2014 10:31:31 +0000