"These are the days of Sefira," are the opening words of HaRav Arye.
They are days of introspection of how to mend the accusation against the disciples of Rabbi Akiva "who lacked mutual respect due to one another." There are at times certain points which are not at all incidental but actually very inherent, if they are examined closely, and will surely uplift and clarify the concept of 'mutual respect.'
I will explain what I mean: Every person has an area in which he excels and has the power to affect others singly as well as his surroundings. This is true regarding the creation of Man: that each individual is unique in a particular capacity, either through his grasp on life or through his special strengths. No two people are alike.
The advantage of a yeshiva is that it unifies many different students and gives them the opportunity to learn from one another and complement each one with what he lacks. If it can be maintained that this may cause a crisis to a student for not being on a par with his fellow student, the answer is the very opposite. It comes from his not appreciating his own merits and strengths. We are speaking about an intelligent student who is aware of his advantages.
The Alter of Slobodka stressed these very points. He educated his students in this very approach, maintaining that this is the very advantage of a yeshiva, to see the good aspects of one another and, accordingly, try to emulate them and incorporate them within himself.
There is no possibility that one has more and the other less. Each person is an individual creation and each one has what to learn from his fellow. If one sees a good aspect by another and remains indifferent, if he feels that it does not impact him at all, one can almost say that he didn't even touch the doorknob of the beis medrash. He is still on the outside.
When a promising student sees the good aspects of another, it should herald to him a call not to remain stagnant but on the contrary, to learn from him. No matter which yeshiva or kollel, each member has Something to contribute to the other, to influence and benefit the next person. This comprises the idea of a yeshiva, a composite of all that is good in its members.
If he remains a single entity, set apart, he is not regarded as part of a yeshiva but merely someone in a shul. Not in a yeshiva nor in a kollel. The greatness of a person lies in his recognizing the positive aspects of the other. In contemplating this, he will grow accordingly. If he sees the greatness of the next person, he will improve himself and also contribute to the growth of yeshiva/kollel as a whole. But if he does not appreciate this dynamic and remains an individual, he is not a real 'ben yeshiva'.
Any aspiring student should take advantage of these days, which are times conducive to receiving the Torah. There is no greater 'mutual respect' than appreciating one's fellow students' achievements. Herein, truly, lies the greatness of man and of genuine self-perfection.
Why is the reproach of 'not respecting one another' considered a preparation for the giving of the Torah?
HaRav Arye Levi: This question is in point. We all know what Klal Yisroel intuited and performed collectively, as a prerequisite to the giving of the Torah was their unity, as is written, "And Yisroel encamped [in the singular form] before the mountain." Chazal interpreted this as being "like one person with one heart."
This is not a metaphor nor a mere form of praise for Israel but a description of a necessary preparation for receiving the Torah which demands unity within the people.
Why, indeed, is this the form of accepting the Torah?
The answer is that the Torah was not given to individuals. It was given to the Jewish People as a unified entity. We know that the Torah contains 600,000 letters, corresponding to the 600,000 souls of the nation. "And the nation answered all-together and they said: All that Hashem said, we will do."
It is not incidental that they all replied in unison. It is a result of their high spiritual level of being in unity, as one heart. And again, this is not a condition for their receiving the Torah, rather this is the veritable kabbolas haTorah. Hashem gave the Torah to Klal Yisroel as a whole, a unit, and not to individuals.
