Thus said the LORD of Hosts: If you walk in My paths and keep My charge, you in turn will rule My House and guard My courts, and I will permit you to move about among these attendants. (Zacharia 3:7)

As we prepare for Shavuos and think about the situation when klal Yisrael encamped while receiving the Torah, we see it as something awesome. A mountain above their head, thunder and lightning, the sound of the shofar, etc. Chazal tell us that each Jew had a specific place – his exact place within the realm of klal Yisrael – where he stood to receive the Torah, representing his closeness to Hakadosh Baruch Hu. This situation is called “Maamad har sinai”. The word “maamad” implies a majestic event.

The commentators point out that this word “maamad” is rooted in the word “Emdah” – stance”, as in one who takes a stance. There is a concept in Judaism that even though a Jew may sin and even if he takes on a different religion, G-d forbid, “Once a Jew, always a Jew”, and his station and status are fixed forever. Each and every member of Klal Yisrael at Har Sinai had an indelible imprint on his soul irreversibly making him a Jew.

The verse in Zachariah (3:7) “I am giving you a pathway amongst those who stand still”, refers to the supremacy of humans over angels. An angel, as celestial as it may be, has no ability to be “upwardly mobile”. Its connection to Hashem is fixed. However, as humans with free choice, we have the ability to grow and become closer to Hashem. At first glance, this seems to contradict the idea that we mentioned before, that at Har Sinai we had a “fixed” relationship with Hashem. I believe the explanation is rather obvious. This fixed relationship is the starting point for all Jews. However, the relationship can grow from that starting point.

One can compare this to the relationship between a father and a son. This is a natural love that will never go away, as wayward as the son may become. Though there may be times that the son misbehaves and the father must punish him – at those times the quality of the relationship is not apparent. However, internally the father is in pain, not only for his son’s lowly position, but that he must now afflict him with a punishment. That same basic love is there as is when the son goes in his father’s ways.

As we travel around town, we will often see companies with names such as “Cohen and Son, Inc.” I marvel at the blessing that not only do the father and son get along well at home, but they can even work together and have their relationship flourish on multiple levels and in different spheres. We all understand that those great relationships are built on a bedrock that is immovable.

In this week’s parsha of Nasso, we see many different aspects of growth in our relationship with Hashem. We have the Nazir who swears off pleasures in this world in order to excel in his relationship with Hashem. We have Hashem commanding the Kohen to give the priestly blessings to Klal Yisrael so that Hashem himself will come and bless us. We even have the fatherly aspect of Hashem involving himself in the alleged Sotah, in order to ensure that all of his children’s relationships are harmonious.

As we celebrate Shavuos, we celebrate the bond that we have with Hashem – this irreversible relationship. We should try to find something in our relationship, which is our personal bedrock, and build and grow our relationship with Hashem from there. For example, one who finds his special connection to Hashem in davening, should find another mitzvah to attach to that davening, in order to bring that connection to another mitzvah. May we all merit to use our elevated feelings on Shavuos and take practical steps to bring us closer to Hashem.