Keeping the line open

My late mother-in-law was slow to adapt to the technology of mobile telephony. After much persuasion, she agreed to have a cellphone and would occasionally even use it to call us. But when we tried to call her on it, we usually unsuccessful. Why? Because she had not put her phone on. “We tried to call you”, we explained, “but you haven’t put your phone on”.  Her response? “I didn’t put it on because I didn’t know that you would be phoning me”.

At Avot 6:2 Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi teaches:

בְּכָל יוֹם וָיוֹם בַּת קוֹל יוֹצֵאת מֵהַר חוֹרֵב וּמַכְרֶֽזֶת וְאוֹמֶֽרֶת: אוֹי לָהֶם לַבְּרִיּוֹת מֵעֶלְבּוֹנָהּ שֶׁל תּוֹרָה

[Translation] Every day, a heavenly voice resounds from Mount Horeb (Sinai) proclaiming and saying: "Woe is to those creatures who insult the Torah”.

The question has often been asked: if a heavenly voice is emanating from Mount Sinai on a daily basis, why doesn’t everyone hear it? My mother-in-law provides the answer. If the line is open, if the potential recipient is prepared to receive a message, that message will get through. If not, however great the effort that goes into its the transmission, the message will vanish into the ether and no-one will ever know it existed.

We may think that we know all that we need to know in terms of Torah; we lead good Jewish lives and that’s quite enough for us, thank you. But this should not lead us to assume that we can turn off our receptors. The Torah may remain constant and unchanging through the generations, but each generation faces its own challenges. That’s why Torah teachers have to rise to the occasion and show how Torah remains relevant, indeed vital, in any period of change.

We must remain receptive if we are not to miss the messages that speak to the relevance of Torah. If we fail to keep our line open, we may miss the chance to appreciate how ancient wisdom and tradition can reasserts their values in the space we currently occupy. And that would be an insult.