Parshas Emor

After discussing the festival of Shavuos, the Torah warns us about some matnas aniyim, some of the mitzvos involving providing for the poor (23:22). The seems a little strange. What is the connection between Shavuos and taking care of the needy? The simple answer may be that Shavuos is the time when the fields were harvested and so we are told not to harvest the whole field, but rather we should leave a corner of the field for the poor. Similarly, we should not gather the gleanings of the harvest. Rather they should be left for the poor.

But there is more to it. Shavuos is the time when the Torah was given (and in a certain way, every year during this time, it is given again). A person may think that the only aspects of the Torah that were given on Shavuos were the mitzvos that are not normal human behaviour, but mitzvos that are common decency such as providing for the poor, were not given then. If this were the case, the ramifications could be disastrous. The attitudes of people change and what was once considered to be common decency can easily become obsolete. Just take a look at the world around us. Honouring parents was once upon a time ingrained in every child and now for many, it is out the window! Morals without an absolute rule book will not last and will change to meet the needs and desires of society.

Therefore the Torah linked providing for the poor with Shavuos to teach us that all the mitzvos were given on Shavuos, even the common decency mitzvos. And that is why the verse concludes, “I am Hashem, your G-d.” Even if the mitzvos make sense that is not why we do them. We do them because Hashem commands us to do them. And therefore even if the moral standards of the world around us change, we will still be faithful to the values set out by our Book of Life, the Torah. (Meshech Chochmah)