Commitment

 It's Shavous tonight and I have been thinking about what it means to accept the Torah. And what it means to accept life. And those around us.

It makes me think of this video of someone asking Charlie buttons, "whats the most important thing in life"? And he replied, "show up. Maybe a little late, but you gotta show up." 

I grew up always hearing Naaseh Vnishma. We will do and then we will listen. I always learned it as the jews accepted the Torah and then they said we will listen to whats inside it. 

 The Midrash writes that Hashem asked the other nations if they want the Torah and they all said "No thank you for Torah theres no time." 

Ok well thats the preschool song. What they really said was, well what's in this Torah. So G-D told them and they were like ughmmm that's a looot of work. No thanks! They read the terms and conditions and did not agree. And we did the real jewish thing and just signed at the bottom. 

I always heard this. And never really internalized it's message. Oh so first you just do the things even if its hard and then understand it because maybe you never will understand it but is still important to do it.  

Did we really just not know what we were getting ourselves into? Just blind faith we said ok I geuss well just like do the things. 

Well it was more then that.

It's way more then just doing without understanding. It's doing BEYOND understanding. Its more then doing. Its more then acceptance. Its Commitment and commitment takes trust. We trusted that If G-D Who took us out of Egypt is giving us a gift then it's good for us. We don't need to read the contract. We don't need a lawyer. We don't need proofs. 

Commitment  fuels everything. Without Commitment you can understand and enjoy something but not stick with it. Because it doesn't really matter to you. The jews said, This matters to us! 

And Nishma comes from Shema-to hear. Not just passive hearing but listening. Internalizing. We can't always understand. But we can always listen. 

After Naaseh we can have Nishma. But without Naaseh, there is no Nishma. Without Commitment there is no listening, no learning. There is no growing. At least not something that will last. 

So I stand to hear the ten commandments. I show up.  I commit, to commit I trust. I trust that everything G-D gives me is a gift. Is good for me. And so I commit to the Torah. Commit to life. Commit to my relationships. 

And then Nishma.  I will hear, I will listen.  Listen to what the world has to offer. Really listen. Because now I am commited.