Naaseh V'Nishma: To Do and To Hear

Picture this: you are one of thousands of men, women, and children huddled by a

mountain in the middle of the desert. You had just escaped a lifetime of misery,

saved by a mysterious G-d, and now you are about to embark on an unknown

journey. Trembling in fear, as lightning and thunder overtake you, you hear the

booming voice of G-d Himself. The laws are transferred to the people and

immediately you all recite the famous phrase:

“Naaseh v'nishma”, we will do and we will hear.

This phrase has sparked endless discussion throughout commentary and

responsa. What does it mean to do and then hear? What does this signify?

According to Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, this idea of doing and hearing is integral to

the Jewish nation. We “do” G-d’s will together, yet we “hear” it in all different ways.

While we respond to G-d “with one voice” we each encounter G-d in our own way.

The books of Torah, the Tanach, itself reflects the multiplicity of voices in

Judaism. The book of Bereshit does not resemble the book of Vayikra, and Sefer

Yechezkel is nothing like Megillat Ruth. The Torah contains prophecy and history,

mysticism and philosophy, prayer and Halacha. Yet, the books of Tanach are

meticulously interwoven to reveal a cohesive text for us to embrace. While some

characters in Tanach reach G-d through sacrifice, others reach Him through

prayer. While some encounter Him in the midst of their times of despair, crying

and screaming to G-d, others cleave to Him in their moments of euphoria,

infusing spirituality in their dancing and singing. No two people exhibited the

same normative action of closeness to G-d, and in return, G-d’s presence was

manifested in different forms for each person.

While it is encouraged to follow the guided steps of Jewish law, the Halacha, our

hearts, minds, and souls are unique. Therefore, the experience of hearing the

word of G-d is personal to each and every person.

Going back to that desert scene:

This was the first moment that the Jewish people officially became a nation. They

united in this monumental time in history, receiving the word of G-d, the very

same words we study and recite every week. And while they trembled and reacted together, they each had their own experience of becoming one with G-d. This group of people set the record for Jews of the future by vowing to “do” and to “hear”.

While we may understand what it means to abide by Halacha, we must strive to grasp how to "hear” G-d in our everyday life. Everyone is created in the Image of G-d, with a personalized set of tools to achieve our unique goals and missions. We can find G-d in our heights and depths, in loneliness and unity, in happiness and grief, in gratitude and emptiness, in the bright light and in the deep darkness. We can actively seek G-d or He can happen upon us when we least expect it. We can feel insignificant when surrounded by G-d’s breathtaking creations of nature and we can feel important when G-d blesses us with endless gifts and berachot.

The phrase of Naaseh v’nishma is a challenge to each and every Jew to find a

structured way to be loyal to the Torah while simultaneously reaching G-d in

whatever way we desire. Shavuot is the holiday that marks the promising chapter

of Jewish history where we unified with G-d. In that moment, we swore to

accomplish the Divine goal of becoming the leading nation of the world, the one

set apart from the rest. The way we must achieve this goal is by finding Hashem,

though prayer, study, chesed, and mitzvot. Find Him in your relationships, your

job, your children, your home.

The challenge for this holiday is to embody the nation on the day they received

the Torah. Feel the unity of the Jewish people, feel that you are part of a larger,

beautiful whole. And embrace your path to bringing G-d into your life.