In last week’s parsha, Bamidbar, we learned the Levi’im were rewarded with the right to carry the vessels of the Mishkan. The most praiseworthy jobs went to the sons of Kahas, which included carrying the Aron, Shulchan, Menorah, the altars, and other holy vessels. There was one problem. The children of Kahas recognized the Aron HaKodesh was the holiest item and therefore they all wanted to take part in carrying this item. When the signal came to leave, all of them ran for the Aron and began to argue with each other for rights to carry it. Eventually, it got so bad that each of the families of the children of Kahas were assigned particular items for them to carry so the fighting would stop.

In the mornings after Shacharis, I learn Hilchos Tefillin with a few of my friends. We recently learned the halachos of wearing Tefillin on Chol Ha’Moed and how there are a few different customs (some wear them while some don’t). One of my friends told me a story that he once wore Tefillin in a shul that had the custom not to wear Tefillin during Chol Ha’Moed. He did not realize this shul had this custom and certainly would not have worn them there if he had known that. Two people from the shul, after seeing him davening in his Tefillin, picked him up off his feet, and threw him out the door. They screamed at him “Don’t you know that our custom is not to wear Tefillin on Chol Ha’Moed!” As you can probably guess, my friend was extremely embarrassed. According to halacha, a person should not wear Tefillin in a minyan that has a custom not to wear Tefillin on Chol HaMoed, so in actuality, these two people were correct. But the way they told my friend was one hundred percent incorrect. Unfortunately, people become so over zealous about performing halachos properly that they forget it is a halacha to treat other people properly. Instead of embarrassing him for a simple mistake he made, it would have been much better if he spoke softly to him and said “Sorry to bother you, but it is not our custom to wear Tefillin on Chol Ha’Moed. Therefore, we need to ask you to please go to a different minyan or to remove them.”

I feel this is a great lesson for Shavuos. Shavuos is the day we received the Torah and the lesson we need to remember is that we received ALL of the Torah. In the Torah there are two types of commandments: those between a person and G-d and those between a person and another person. It is very easy to become very emotional and zealous about commandments between a person and G-d and perform these mitzvos L’shaim Shamayim (for the sake of Heaven). At the same time, though, we must remember to also properly fulfill the commandments between a person and another person; we are not allowed to start arguments nor embarrass other people. This Shavuos when we accept the Torah, let’s accept all of it. Let’s be zealous to fulfill the commandments between ourselves and G-d but at the same time, be careful not to transgress any commandments in our zealousness against our fellow neighbors.

Good Shabbos and Good YomTov!
-yes
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