For this is why we exist!”
Considering the frequency with which I write about Eretz Yisrael, Yom HaAtzmaut, Yom Yerusahalayim, Aliya, living in Israel, the other meanings of Shavuot, and other such topics, it is no wonder that someone approached me recently to ask, “What about Torah? Isn’t that more important?”

Of course it is. It is the reason that we exist. Individually, as Jews.

Collectively, as the Jewish People. Torah is the reason G-d took us out of Egypt. Torah is the reason a Jew was born.

Eretz Yisrael without Torah is like a body without a soul. That’s not an original way of putting it. It is a song I remember from childhood. That’s exactly one of the reasons (religious) Jews should come to Israel. There is an amazing amount of Torah being learned and practiced in Eretz Yisrael today. And this will continue to grow in quantity and quality with more sensitive, serious, sincere Jews in Israel.

Perhaps, the reason Shavuot is mostly associated with Torah is due to its all- encompassing nature. Remember that the Torah does not identify Shavuot as the time of the receiving of the Torah. It does refer to the Two Loaves offering at the culmination of the counting of the Omer. It relates Shavuot to the bringing of Bikurim (Shavuot is actually the beginning of “Bikurim season”). It gives Shavuot the agricultural aspect of Chag HaKatzir.

But for us, Shavuot is primarily the anniversary of our receiving the Torah, receiving the purpose of our nation- hood. The purpose of our Judaism.
Let’s take another look at the “whole” Shavuot picture. Torah, in Eretz Yisrael, with the Beit HaMikdash. We lost the Beit HaMikdash. We lost Eretz Yisrael for a long time. We held fast to the Torah. And the Torah held fast to us. Eretz Yisrael “spit us out”, but the Torah went into Exile with us.
Because of this, we developed an attitude that with the Torah, we can survive anything. Including no Beit HaMikdash. Including no Eretz Yisrael.

Including terrible conditions in our countries of Exile. As long as Eretz Yisrael was inaccessible to us, we needed to be able to survive - and even thrive - without it. With just its memory. With just the prayer of Next year in Eretz Yisrael. Next year in Jerusalem. But B”H & BE”H, E.Y. is accessible today. One no longer has to “be in the west with his heart in the east”. We can - and should - prepare to take our Torah back to the place it was meant to be lived. Then, Shavuot will be a major step closer to being complete.