Make it Relevant
I recently heard a young entrepreneur share his experiences and struggles which he faced while launching his startup.
He had invested a significant amount of seed money to create a great product, but, for some reason, he had failed to attract enough interest from potential customers to remain sustainable.
After seeking advice from a mentor, he recognized his issue. The problem had never been his product, or even his business model. It was his pitch. While he was primarily focused on expressing the great quality of his product and his knack for entrepreneurship, he had failed to convey to his potential partners and customers how useful and beneficial the product was for their particular needs and interests.
After changing his approach, his pitch worked and he went on to establish many meaningful and successful partnerships.
Seasoned journalists, master communicators, marketing experts, and influencers understand that in order to convey a message effectively, it must be relevant to their audience.
This lesson, of course, applies to all areas of life. We may have a moment of great inspiration or we may learn a wonderful insight, but if we fail to apply its lessons in practice and make it relevant to our daily lives, it will have very limited impact on our surroundings.
This week, we begin reading a new book of the Torah, Sefer Devarim (Deuteronomy), which records Moses's speech to the Jewish people before his passing. As a devoted leader, he addresses their past behavior by sharing constructive criticism and loving guidance to prepare them to enter and settle the land of Israel.
As the verse states, “On that side of the Jordan, in the land of Moab, Moses commenced [and] explained this Law, saying (-Deuteronomy 1:5)”.
The Midrash comments on the words, “explained this law”, and describes how Moses explained the Torah to the Jewish people in 70 languages.
All the Jews at that time understood the Hebrew in which the Torah was written. So what purpose was achieved by Moses translating the text into 70 languages?
On a deeper level, this oral translation of the Torah had a more profound, spiritual purpose. G‑d's intent in giving the Torah is that it permeate mortal thought and thus elevate our understanding. Whenever a person studies Torah, regardless of one's spiritual level, they are making its infinite truth part of their personal nature.
To translate means to make something that is inaccessible accessible. Moses translated the entire Torah into the 70 languages of the world to teach a fundamental lesson before his death—that the teachings and lessons of the Torah were relevant to all people, at all times, in all situations. He was showing, too, that the wisdom of the Torah is applicable and relevant in all areas of our world, and should serve as a source of light and illumination.
By being the first one to translate the Torah into a secular tongue, Moses made it easier for the Jewish people of future generations to continue this process. We can “translate” Torah's ideals and principles to affect every arena in our dealing with the world—from politics to earning a living to interpersonal relationships—and thereby elevate them to holiness.
This includes even the most esoteric concept in Kabbalah or a seemingly abstract argument in the Talmud, every nuance and statement in the Torah serves as a blueprint and guide on how to live meaningful lives today.
In Ethics of our Fathers, our Sages state, “Everything which G‑d created in His world, He created solely for His glory.” No entity, be it a language, a precious metal, or an invention has a separate, independent identity. It was created by G‑d from absolute nothingness for a purpose: to reveal His glory and transform the world for good.
Never before in history has the teachings of the Torah been so accessible to each and every individual. At our fingertips, literally, we have the opportunity to learn and share the timeless inspiration and relevance of the Torah to the world.
By harnessing the powerful capabilities entrusted to us, we express the inherent purpose for which it was created: to make a home for G‑d in our mundane, physical world, and illuminate it with the light of Torah and Mitzvot.
This Shabbat is customarily called the Shabbat of the Vision (Shabbat Chazon). It refers to the vision of Isaiah mentioned in this week's Haftorah regarding the ultimate destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem thousands of years ago, a moment which we mourn this Sunday through the fast of Tishah B'av.
On a positive note, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev (1740-1810) explains that on this Shabbat G-d shows each of us a vision of the future Third Temple. While we may not see it physically, our soul senses it and it impacts our behavior.
The Jewish people have continuously prayed and hoped for the rebuilding of the Third Temple in Jerusalem with the coming of Moshiach for almost two thousand years, but, at times, the concept may seem to remain an abstract idea in our minds.
By showing us a vision of the Third Temple, even spiritually, the concept becomes relevant and realistic and it motivates us to do our part to usher in the era of redemption!
