In Parshat Mishpatim, the Torah tells us that Moshe called out the Torah to Bnei Yisrael, to which they famously replied, “na’aseh v’nishmah.” – Vayomru kol asher diber Hashem naaseh v’nishmah. The Gemara in Shabbos (88a) says that at the time that when Bnei yisrael said this, “b’sha’ah she’hikdimu,” 600,000 angels came down and placed two crowns on every person; one for “na’aseh” and one for “nishmah.” The Beit HaLevi writes that it was only through the hakdama of “na’aseh” to “nishmah” that Bnei Yisrael were worthy of all of this. Why is this so? Furthermore, why did Bnei yisrael not say “nishmah v’na’aseh?
The Zohar HaKodesh teaches that “na’aseh” was a kabbalah for Kiyum HaMitzvot, while “nishmah” was a kabbalah for Limud HaTorah. We know that there are two levels to learning Torah. The first is learning in order to know the mitzvot and how to perform them; this is relevant to everyone. After that, men have a mitzvat aseh to learn Torah for the sake of learning, not simply as means to Kiyum HaMitzvot. Had B”Y replied to Moshe with “nishmah v’na’aseh,” it would have seems like they were accepting the mitzvot, but that they were simply forced to learn Torah in order to know how to perform them; nishmah would merely be a means to na’aseh and it would be only one kabbalah. In replying the way they did, they said that first of all “na’aseh,” we will do the mitzvot, including necessary learning of the Torah, and then “nishmah,” we will learn the words of Torah for the sake of Talmud Torah. It is now clear that as a result of this hakdama, Bnei yisrael actually created two kabbalot and thus merited the adornment of two crowns.
Today, we still carry the Kabbalat HaTorah that we accepted thousands of years ago. Every morning we recite the Birchot HaTorah and say “asher kidishanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu la’asok b’divrei Torah,” and “asher bachar banu mikol ha’amim v’natan lanu et Torato.” An inherent part of this is to realize the two factors in this. We accept upon ourselves to learn in order to fulfill the mitzvot properly and to learn Torah for the sake of learning. However, this requires us to properly devote ourselves, not simply to superficial learning, but to a Limud HaTorah through which we understand the word and will of Hashem. As Rashi writes in the beginning of the Parshah, “V’eileh hamishpatim asher tasim lif’neihem”- Moshe did not simply teach the Torah two or three times so that Bnei Yisrael were familiar with it, but many times that it was set before them with proper understanding “like a table prepared to be eaten from.” Through proper ameilut and dedication to our kabbalah, we can attain the highest level of na’aseh v’nishmah and bring ourselves closer to HaKadosh Boruch Hu.
The Slonimer Rebbe writes that a person constantly has times of aliyah and yeridah throughout his life; there is rising followed by falling, followed by yet another rising. But a Jew must keep himself clinging to Hashem even when he is in a state of yeridah. This was the main part of Kabbalat HaTorah; that Bnei Yisrael would remain attached to Hashem even when they were in a lowly state. They therefore preceded “na’aseh” to “nishmah” to say that even when they didn’t understand and were in a lowly state, they would remain close to HaKadosh Boruch Hu. After this, when Bnei Yisrael have a time of aliyah, they reach the level of “nishmah” and attain the highest level cleaving to Hashem.
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