Spiritual Eating

By Rabbi Eli Glaser, CNWC, CWMS

Ready to Embrace the Change, Whatever It Takes

This is where our greatness lies

“When Hashem was ready to give the Torah, He first went to all the nations of the world and offered it to them. One after another, the nations all asked, ‘What’s written in the Torah?’ Finally, Hashem went and offered the Torah to the Jewish people. They accepted it sight unseen, as the Torah says (Shemos 24:7): ‘We will first do the Torah, and then we will understand it’” (Midrash Sifri, Devarim 33).

A common misconception is that the Yidden accepted the Torah on blind faith: “Na’aseh venishma — We will do and [then] we will understand.” However, shortly before Klal Yisrael uttered these awe-inspiring words, Hashem began His proposal by saying, “You have seen what I did to Egypt, and that I have borne you on the wings of eagles and brought you to Me. And now, if you listen well to Me and observe My covenant, you shall be to Me the most beloved treasure of all people, for Mine is the entire world” (Shemos 19:4–5).

In their recent past, the Yidden had clearly grasped the omnipotence of Hashem as He overturned every aspect of the natural world, demonstrating His sole control of the universe while executing the ten plagues on the Mitzriyim. There was absolutely no doubt that the Almighty was the Infinite Creator and Sustainer of the universe, who put all things into being, wrote the rules of nature, and had constant supervision over the biggest and smallest elements of creation.

The Yidden’s acceptance of the Torah was based on firsthand experience and immutable evidence that Hashem is their Creator. Therefore, anything He told them to do was, by definition, in their best interest. They did not have to investigate the Torah’s contents in order to validate its worthiness. There was no blind faith involved whatsoever. The information

they were lacking, however, was how—not if—a particular mitzvah would be a tool for growth in this world and connection to Hakadosh Baruch Hu; this was something they could understand only by experiencing it. Hence, the second half of the phrase, “We will do and [then] we will understand.”

But what aspect of this acceptance really distinguished the Yidden from the other nations of the world? For, in fact, didn’t everyone on the planet witness Hashem’s sole supremacy?

The events in Mitzrayim were played out on “center stage” for the whole world to see. Every body of water—even in a person’s cup—split as Klal Yisrael traversed the Yam Suf.

Granted, the Yidden’s connection was more personal and perhaps more intense. But the other nations had more than sufficient evidence. They saw with their own eyes. So, how could they rationalize to themselves that Hashem’s Torah was true only upon their inspection? Why did they need to know the contents before making a decision?

The answer to that is cognitive dissonance: being confronted with uncomfortable information and ignoring its reality for fear of having to change behavior.

The Torah was dismissed because one nation rejected the prohibition against immoral conduct, while another nation wasn’t ready to stop stealing. They simply didn’t want to change their behavior, so they rationalized an excuse—even in the face of absolute truth. They feared changing more than they feared rejecting what was right.

But not so with Klal Yisrael—and therein lies our true greatness. We are willing to change behaviors if we have to. We are willing to grow, no matter how hard it might be. Because, at our core, we value truth and a meaningful relationship with Hashem more than our own desires. Clinging to truth gives us true joy and pleasure that no immediate gratification can match—and therefore, nothing tastes as good as doing the right thing feels.

Rabbi Eli Glaser is the founder and Director of Soveya. He is certified as a Nutrition/Wellness Consultant and Weight Management Specialist, with 25 years of coaching and counseling experience, and is maintaining a 130-pound weight loss for more than 16 years.

Soveya has offices in Lakewood and Brooklyn, and works with clients via phone and Skype around the world. For more information or to make an appointment, contact Soveya at 732-578-8800, info@soveya.com, or www.soveya.com.