The Midrash (Midrash Rabbah, Song of Songs 1:3,1) relates that when the Jewish people stood at Mount Sinai to receive the Torah, God asked for a guarantee that they would keep it.
They replied, “Our ancestors will be our guarantors.” When this was not accepted, they offered, “Our prophets will be our guarantors.” Finally they said, “Our children will be our guarantors.” God replied, “Indeed these are good guarantors. For their sake I will give it to you.”
It has become a widespread custom in Israel and around the world to hold an ice cream party to encourage children to attend Synagogue for the reading of the Ten Commandments on Shavuot, when we stand around the Torah and listen to its message as we did at Mt. Sinai.
It is not a message of days gone by (it was never content with the status quo), but a radical vision of freedom, justice, kindness, and holiness. It is a calling from the future that our children will build.
Rambam at the end of Hilchos Talmud Torah rules that a talmid chacham is not allowed to forgo his honour when it is challenged in public - he must pronounce "nidui" (a harsh punishment) on the one who belittled him, because his honour is the honour of the Torah.
Now, what would Rambam rule in a case where the belittler - for whatever reason - was unable to control his speech, and involuntarily blurtted out an insult?
A container is defined by its contents: A pitcher of water is water. A crate of apples is apples. A house, too, is defined by what it contains.
Fill your house with books of Torah, and your house becomes a Torah. Affix charity boxes to its walls, and your house becomes a wellspring of charity. Bring those who need a warm home to your table, and your house becomes a lamp in the darkness.
Swedish police authorize protest by man who plans to burn Torah, Bible outside Israeli Embassy | AP News
>Israeli officials called on the Swedish government to stop the protest, which is scheduled to take place Saturday outside the diplomatic mission.
>Stockholm police on Friday said they have authorized a protest this weekend by a man who has stated that he wants to burn the #Torah and the #Bible outside the Israeli Embassy in Stockholm. #Sweden#Israel
The man who vowed to burn the Torah and the Bible outside the Israeli embassy in Sweden's capital Stockholm said Saturday he had chosen not to set light to the religious scriptures.
Despite being given permission by Stockholm police to hold a three-person protest, the man said he had no intention of burning any books and instead threw a lighter to the ground.
"I never thought I would burn any books. I'm a Muslim, we don't burn," broadcaster SVT cited the man as telling those gathered for the planned desecration.
The unnamed man in his 30s said the real reason for the protest was to draw attention to the difference between freedom of speech and offending other ethnic groups.
The planned Torah burning was due to take place just days after another man set fire to pages of the Quran, Islam's holy book, drawing widespread condemnation from Muslims worldwide.