Once every seven years, on the first day of Chol Hamoed that followed the Shemittah year, all of Klal Yisrael was enjoined to gather together at the Bais Hamikdash to listen to the king read from Sefer Devarim. He would read pesukim that dealt with our allegiance to Hashem, the Covenant, and reward and punishment. The primary doctrine of Jewish life is the Torah. Without it, we are nothing. With it, we have the capacity for attaining the greatest spiritual rewards. Consequently, it is only proper that all Jews stand in affirmation of the Torah. Chazal infer from the Torah‘s emphasis upon “so they hear” that a person who is W”X deaf in one ear is exempt from appearing during Hakhel. The phrase “in their ears,” stated in the plural, implies that the Torah must be heard with both ears. In order for the Torah to permeate one’s entire essence, he must be listening with both ears.
Why is the mitzvah of Hakhel the only mitzvah which demands that one pay undivided attention to the reading — to the point that — he whose hearing is impaired is exempt from the mitzvah? There is a mitzvah to “hear” the sound of the shofar. Yet, no rule exempts one who does not hear with both ears. Indeed, one who is hearing-impaired is not exempt from the mitzvah of tekias shofar.
The mitzvah of Hakhel addresses the area of Jewish education and the need to inspire all Jews with Torah knowledge. In order to be successful in reaching out to the masses, it is inherent that people are listening with both ears, giving their undivided attention to the speaker. The question arises: Do we reach out to all Jews? What are the priorities in Jewish education? What about Jewish outreach? Are we to concern ourselves with those who listen with only one ear, or with those who permit the message to enter one ear and let it exit the other ear? Some Jews would like to hear, but ignorance prevents them. Others think they know everything so they are unable to hear the Torah’s message. They turn a deaf ear to anything which is remotely religious. It is difficult to reach out to the individual who has no interest in listening. It is even more difficult to teach the one who blatantly refuses to listen. These people are spiritually hearing-impaired. When transmitting Torah to others, our priorities should focus upon those whose hearing is acute, whose “ears” are open to the sound of Torah knowledge, whose hearts and minds are open to inspiration.
