In this week’s Parshah Ki-Setzei, Hashem reminds Klall Yisrael to keep themselves and their camp ("Machaneh") holy and pure, because He is with them at all times. This is a message for all generations: Remain holy and pure, for Hashem is with us wherever we go.
There is a question raised in the Gemarah regarding one who becomes impure: is he allowed to learn Torah or not? The answer is no. The Gemarah explains that just as Klal Yisroel had to remain pure for the three days preceding Matan Torah, so too must every Jew establish his purity before learning Torah.
Why is learning Torah on an average day paralleled with the momentum of Matan Torah? The Noam Elimelech says that one needs to learn anew each day – each time you learn, it should be like the first time you’re learning. In fact, he continues, the world is created anew each second. As we say each day in Davening, “Hamechadesh b’tuvo b’chol yom tamid – Who renews…every day, always.”
In this vein, we can understand the correlation between Matan Torah and our day-to-day learning. At Matan Torah, the Jews stood ready and waiting, sure in their belief that anything was possible – even though they did not know what the future held. The entire world was upheld by that very powerful moment when Hashem gave the Torah. The Noam Elimelech explains that Hashem is constantly being Mechadesh the Torah, every single second. That is what holds up the world. So in fact, we are standing at that moment, at the giving of the Torah, every day. Everything we learn really is new, because the world is not the same as it was a day ago, or even a moment ago.
We must approach our days the same way that Klal Yisrael stood at that mountain - pure and steadfast in the belief that anything is possible. Every second brings renewal; every second brings new creation from Hashem. And every second can potentially bring change. If we believe in the words we say each day, there is no reason why our problems should follow us from one second to the next. After all, it’s a new world.
Have a wonderful Shabos
