I have often wondered why the Torah was given from a mountaintop. There appears to be compelling reasons why it should have been given around a body of water. Just as water flows down to the lowest level, so too the Torah can only reside with humble people, people who are not absorbed with their own grandeur. Additionally, just as we cannot live without water (our bodies are actually made up of up to 60% water, our brain and heart are 73%), so too a Jew cannot live without Torah. Just as the world would cease to exist without water, so too the world would cease to exist without Torah. Interestingly, the words of Torah are compared to water, as it is written Isaiah 55:1, “Let all who thirst come for water,” which is a hint to Torah (Bereishis Rabbah 66:1).

I would like you to imagine for a moment that you are standing around a lake, and you decide to walk around its perimeter. You could walk for hours, but ultimately you would end up exactly where you started. Now picture yourself at the foot of a mountain. The mountain beckons, “Climb me, climb me,” and you feel challenged to climb it. That is what Torah is all about. It’s about climbing, moving up from the horizontal to the vertical plane. It is not about staying at the same level, not about doing mitzvos merely by rote — in the same old manner— but rather by infusing them with greater enthusiasm, with greater joy and with greater appreciation of Hashem who gave us the mitzvos for our own benefit.

My teacher, Rabbi Shlomo Twerski, zt”l, once told me that someone asked him, “What is Shabbos?” To which he answered, “Which one?” implying that if we live Shabbos with enthusiasm, the following Shabbos will be on a higher level: more spiritual and more holy.

Torah is about growth. We must fight the danger of complacency which leads to stagnation. It is so easy to perform mitzvos by rote without actually growing. However, if we keep in mind that the Torah was given from a mountain, we will remember that the purpose of a Jew is to continually grow, learn and refine our character.

In order to grow we have to leave our comfort zone. This can be scary. It calls for courage.

I am reminded of Yaakov Avinu’s famous dream, which has implications for all of us. On his way to Charan, Yaakov Avinu dreamt about a ladder standing on the ground, its top reaching Heaven, and Hashem, as it were, standing at the top of the ladder. Yaakov was afraid. He was leaving his comfort zone, leaving Eretz Yisroel and his family and going into exile. He was afraid: Would he be able to grow in exile, in wicked Lavan’s house? Hashem showed him a ladder with angels going up and down, thereby giving him the message: “Have no fear, you will be able to continue to grow, as long as you keep the image of the ladder in front of you.” The danger is fear, fear of leaving our comfort zone. Hashem is, as it were, encouraging us and saying, “Have no fear, there are angels helping you move even higher on your ladder. With this in mind, there is no need to fear.”

Sarah Berkovits is a clinical psychologist, and international speaker. She is the author of Guided Imagery with Children: Successful Techniques to Improve School Performance and Self-Esteem, and Gratitude with Grace: An Inspirational and Practical Approach to Living Life as a Gift. She can be reached at ssb316@msn.com