Happy Torah Day?

Question

I know that Shavuot is the holiday of cheesecake. I also remember from Hebrew school that it’s the day God gave the Torah at Sinai. Why would I celebrate the Torah today if I’m a non-observant Jew? 

Answer

Personally, I think cheesecake is more than enough of a reason to celebrate any day.

But yes, Shavuot is special, and we do celebrate the momentous event when God gave the Torah to the Jewish people at Mount Sinai. You ask, what’s so great about that? Especially if Torah doesn’t seem to affect your life all that much. But the truth is, the Torah is likely affecting your life in profound ways which you may not even be aware of. 

Many people who are not personally acquainted with the contents and depth of the Jewish Bible tend to think it’s just a book of stories and rules. Abraham went here and went there, the Jews sinned, don’t eat lobster. If that was the case, I’m totally with you -- there wouldn’t be all that much to celebrate. The Torah’s actually a lot more than that, though. Those who have studied it, who have plumbed its depths and analyzed its verbiage, will likely portray it very differently. 

Torah scholars, who study Torah purely for the sake of understanding its messages, will tell you that when they look into the Torah, they see a vibrant, detailed manual for how to be the best person you can be. Its wisdom is ancient, yet timeless; highly relevant in any country, culture or era. Its depth is staggering. They will tell you that studying it is an intellectual challenge like no other, and yields an equally profound sense of insight and fulfillment. They’ll tell you that from what they’ve seen and experienced, studying, understanding, and upholding Torah values will yield the most intellectually, emotionally and behaviorally refined human being possible. 

Have you ever thought about why killing is bad? Why, as a whole, the human race values freedom so much? I always found it fascinating that while so many people disagree about so many things in the world, there are some values that seem globally, and almost universally, sacrosanct. Respect for human life, justice and equality, peace, education, social responsibility… Most people, at least in Western societies, would agree that an ideal society couldn’t function without those ingredients. Most of those people will also instinctively associate these values with democracy. They’d probably assume that these values actually originated with democracy in ancient Greece, since across much of the preceding world civilizations, these values didn’t exist. 

Well, didn’t exist… Except for within one particular group. You guessed it! The Jews. Because the Jewish people had the Torah, which has taught us, and, over time, the rest of humanity, that human life is sacred. That every person is fundamentally free to actualize himself and make his unique impact on the world. That no race is superior to any other, and that all people should be treated fairly by the law. That every person should have access to education. That we have to take care of each other and the world. Fun fact: the Torah is the most ancient known advocate of women’s rights, too. 

So, while you may not necessarily feel the effects of Torah on your life through studying it or practicing it, you can celebrate it on Shavuot anyway. Celebrate the values that the Torah has been championing for millenia, that may be very deeply embedded in your life. Respect for others, critical thinking, gratitude, concern for society, compassion, discipline, the importance of family, of honesty, of self-awareness, of aiding the disadvantaged, of diversity and unity…

It’s all embedded in the ancient wisdom that is Torah. But, you don’t have to take my word for it. You can become a scholar of ancient, super-relevant wisdom, too.