We continue with our Na’aseh V’Nishma Bitachon/Shavuot connection. The Mishna in Pirkei Avot tells us that whoever has more wisdom than actions is compared to a tree that has a lot of branches but not a lot of roots. If you have a lot of branches and not a lot of roots, then, when a wind comes, you get blown over. On the other hand, someone that has more deeds than he has wisdom is like a tree that has strong roots and not a lot of branches and all the winds in the world won't blow him over. The first question we have to ask ourselves is, How can you have more deeds than knowledge? If I don't know the laws of Shabbat, how can I possibly do them? If I don't know the laws of Succah, how can I possibly do them? Furthermore, the Avot D’Rebbi Natan, chapter 22, says that when it says someone who has more knowledge than he has deeds it’s referring to the Jewish people, who said Na’aseh V’Nishma. How does Na’aseh V’Nishma give you more deeds than knowledge? Rabbenu Yona, in Shaare Teshuva (second gate, 10th letter) explains that when a person commits himself to the Torah and says, “ Whatever I learn I'm going to do,” even before he learned it, at that moment he gets the reward of all the Mitzvot, before he did them, because he's ready to go. He just needs to learn about it, he needs to know about it, and therefore he has the reward right away. And that's what happened at Na’aseh V’Nishma. When they said Na’aseh V’Nishma, they already had more deeds than they knew. And that's the meaning of our Mishna. A person who has more knowledge than he has deeds means he learns and then he does, so he always has more knowledge than deeds. That person's weak. He's not rooted. You know how you root yourself? You root yourself with that commitment, you root yourself with the bitachon commitment. I'm relying on God that I can do what He gives me. So I'm in. I'm going to learn about it, and I'll read the contract, but I'm in. To prove this point that it's Bitachon, there’s a beautiful hiddush. The Tanna wants to prove the point that you're well rooted when you commit, and the pasuk that he uses to prove It is from Yirmiyah, “ So says God, Cursed is the man that relies on a human and puts his strength in his own arm and removes himself from God . (And who is this guy?) He's like a cactus in the desert. He's in salty land; he's not rooted. The fellow who commits himself first and then does, on him we say, “Blessed is the man that relies on God. He's like a tree that's strongly rooted by the waters. He's not worried about anything.” So, the Tanna brings down a pasuk that talks about a strongly rooted tree, referring to the man that has bitachon, and he is the man that has more deeds than knowledge. So again, we see clearly that the more we commit ourselves, it really is an indication of the bitachon that we have. If I'm fully committed, that means I know this is good for me. We have to reiterate this every single year, because the purpose of accepting of the Torah was to fix Adam HaRishon’s sin of listening to the snake, which was the cause of mankind’s decline. What did the snake tell him? The snake said, “ Eat from that tree because that tree is good for you. God doesn't want you to eat from it because He’s afraid that you're going to eat from it and get the wisdom that He had to create the world. I want what's good for you,” said the snake. “ God doesn't.” Man bought into that lie. And we still buy into that lie. We think that the outside world is offering us all these great things. The teenagers think the bad guy is the guy who comes to school to install filters on the phones. He's the bad guy. Who's the good guy? The guy that helps me remove my filter so I can enjoy technology. That’s what they think, but it’s the opposite. The guy that wants to install the filters is trying to save your life. It’s like a drug dealer. Who's the good guy? The drug dealer that's giving you free drugs? He wants to kill you. Your parents, who are telling you, Stay away- they're the good guys. We have to believe that Torah, mitzvot and religion, with their challenges and difficulties, is the best thing for us-everyone on their own level. For some people it's a challenge to eat kosher, they think it’s a hindrance. For other people, the challenge is modesty. But whatever our challenge is, we have to believe that it's the best possible thing for us. And that's what our bitachon is. Our bitachon is to rely and believe, This Torah system works, and it's the only thing that works. I'm happy and delighted to commit to it, even though I don't understand it necessarily, so I'm relying on God. I'm relying on God that this is good for me. Na’aseh V’Nishma. Have a wonderful day.