Why start with "I took you out of Egypt"? Part 2

Hi,

"And it said, 'I took you out of the land of Egypt,' for taking them out demonstrated His existence and His will, for we left there with Divine knowledge and supervision. It also demonstrated that the world is new, for were the world eternal, none of its nature could change. It also demonstrated Divine power, which in turn demonstrated the uniqueness of Gd, as Shemot 9:14 says, 'So that you will know that there is none like Me in the entire land.'

"And this is the reason for 'I took you out of the land of Egypt,' for they know and are witnesses to all of this."

ואמר אשר הוצאתיך מארץ מצרים, כי הוצאתם משם תורה על המציאות ועל החפץ, כי בידיעה ובהשגחה ממנו יצאנו משם. וגם תורה על החדוש, כי עם קדמות העולם לא ישתנה דבר מטבעו. ותורה על היכולת, והיכולת תורה על הייחוד, כמו שאמר (לעיל ט:יד) בעבור תדע כי אין כמוני בכל הארץ. וזה טעם אשר הוצאתיך, כי הם היודעים ועדים בכל אלה:

(Ramban to Shemot 20:2)

Have a great day,

Mordechai

Why start with "I took you out of Egypt"? Part 1

Hi,

"Rabbi Yehudah haLevi, who rests in honour, asked me why it mentioned, 'I am HaShem your Gd who took you out of the land of Egypt,' and not, 'I made the heavens and the earth, and I made you'?

"I responded: Know that different levels of people have different beliefs in their heart, in their belief in the honoured Gd. Many believe in that which they hear, when their masters tell them so; higher than them are those who saw it recorded in the Torah that Gd gave to Moshe. And should a heretic come to challenge that there is no Gd, they would put their hands to their mouths, not knowing what to answer… But because of the sign that Gd performed in Egypt, Moshe declared, 'You have been shown, to know,' for all saw this, sages and non-sages, great and small. Moshe added in this vein at the Gathering at Sinai when they heard the voice of Gd…"

שאלני ר' יהודה הלוי מנוחתו כבוד, למה הזכיר אנכי ד' אלקיך אשר הוצאתיך מארץ מצרים, ולא אמר שעשיתי שמים וארץ ואני עשיתיך. וזאת היתה תשובתי אליו.

דע, כי אין מעלות בני אדם שוות באמונתם בלבם, שהם מאמינים בשם הנכבד. כי הרבים מאמינים להשמעות אזנים שיאמר להם אדוניהם ככה. ולמעלה מהם, שראו זה כתוב בדברי התורה שנתן ד' למשה. ואם יבוא אפיקורס לערער, כי אין אלקים, ישימו ידם לפיהם, כי לא ידעו להשיב... והנה בעבור האות שעשה ד' במצרים, אמר משה אתה הראת לדעת (דברים ד, לה). שהכל ראו זה, חכמים ושאינן חכמים, גדולים וקטנים. גם הוסיף עוד בדבר מעמד הר סיני ששמעו קול ד'... 

(Ibn Ezra to Shemot 20:1 [extended commentary])

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Don't forget Sinai!

Hi,

"Before the Torah mentions the commandments stated [at Sinai], it prohibits us from forgetting anything of that gathering, from removing it from our hearts forever. It commands us to inform our children, generation to generation, of all that we saw and heard there.

"The benefit of this mitzvah is very great. Were the words of Torah to come to us from Moshe's mouth alone, then even though his prophecy was verified via signs and wonders, still, if a prophet or dreamer would arise and instruct us the opposite of the Torah, providing signs and wonders, doubt would enter people's hearts. However, when Torah reaches our ears from the mouth of Gd, and our eyes see without intermediary, we can counter any who would disagree or challenge, and give him the lie."

והנה קודם שיזכיר הדברות שנאמרו שם, הזהיר במצות לא תעשה שלא נשכח דבר מן המעמד ההוא ולא נסירהו מלבנו לעולם, וצוה במצות עשה שנודיע בו לכל זרענו מדור לדור כל מה שהיה שם בראיה ובשמיעה.

והתועלת במצוה הזאת גדולה מאד, שאם היו דברי התורה באים אלינו מפי משה בלבד, אף על פי שנבואתו נתאמתה באותות ובמופתים אם יקום בקרבנו נביא או חולם חלום ויצונו בהפך מן התורה ונתן אלינו אות או מופת יכנס ספק בלב האנשים. אבל כשתגיע אלינו התורה מפי הגבורה לאזנינו ועינינו הרואות אין שם אמצעי, נכחיש כל חולק וכל מספק, ונשקר אותו. 

(Ramban to Devarim 4:9)

Have a great day,

Mordechai

Why do we trust Moshe?

Hi,

"The Jews’ trust for Moshe was not a result of the miraculous signs he performed. Belief in signs is defective at heart; signs could be performed via other agencies. Rather, all of the signs Moshe performed in the wilderness were performed for a particular need, not to prove the veracity of his prophecy. He needed to drown the Egyptians, and so he split the sea and sank them within. We needed food, and so he brought down the manna…

"When did they believe in Moshe? At Mount Sinai, when our eyes saw and there was no trick, and when our ears heard him and no other, and there was fire and there were sounds and flames, and Moshe went into the smoke, and the voice spoke to Moshe and we heard it directly saying, 'Moshe, Moshe! Go tell them such-and-such!'…

"And how do we know that only the gathering at Mount Sinai proved that his prophecy was true, without defect? Shemot 19:9 says, 'Behold, I will come to you in thick cloud, so that the nation will hear when I speak with you, and they will also believe in you forever.' We see that prior to this time they did not believe him with an eternal trust, but only a trust which would later give way to doubt."

משה רבינו לא האמינו בו ישראל מפני האותות שעשה, שהמאמין על פי האותות יש בלבו דופי שאפשר שיעשה האות בלט וכשוף, אלא כל האותות שעשה משה במדבר לפי הצורך עשאם, לא להביא ראיה על הנבואה. היה צריך להשקיע את המצריים קרע את הים והצלילן בתוכו, צרכנו למזון הוריד לנו את המן...

ובמה האמינו בו? במעמד הר סיני, שעינינו ראו ולא זר ואזנינו שמעו ולא אחר, האש והקולות והלפידים, והוא נגש אל הערפל והקול מדבר אליו ואנו שומעים "משה משה! לך אמור להן כך וכך!"...

ומנין שמעמד הר סיני לבדו היא הראיה לנבואתו שהיא אמת שאין בו דופי? שנאמר "הנה אנכי בא אליך בעב הענן בעבור ישמע העם בדברי עמך וגם בך יאמינו לעולם", מכלל שקודם דבר זה לא האמינו בו נאמנות שהיא עומדת לעולם אלא נאמנות שיש אחריה הרהור ומחשבה. 

(Rambam, Mishneh Torah, Laws of the Foundations of Torah 8:1)

Have a great day,

Mordechai

48 Ways: #6 - Reverence

Hi,

Pirkei Avot 6:5 teaches that Torah is acquired in 48 ways, which it lists for us. The sixth of the 48 is eimah, reverence.

Shemot 24:16 says that Moshe Rabbeinu remained in a cloud for six days before he could meet Gd atop Mount Sinai. At the start of Avot d'Rabbi Natan, Rabbi Matya ben Charash says that this was meant to intimidate Moshe; receiving the Torah required the awareness that he was encountering something larger than himself. This is true for us as well, when we wish to learn – one who approaches Torah with reverence will be able to learn far more.

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The Power of Sinai

Hi,

"All that we are careful to avoid, and all that we do, is only because of Divine commands conveyed by Moshe, and not because Gd instructed thus to prophets who preceded him… We don't circumcise because Avraham circumcised himself and his household, but because Gd instructed us via Moshe to circumcise, as Avraham did."

(Rambam, Commentary to Mishnayot, Chullin 7:6)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Our angelic commitment at Sinai

Hi,

On the Jews' promise at Mount Sinai of "Naaseh v'Nishma," "We will do and we will hear," in which they pledged loyalty to Gd even before they heard what Gd would instruct them:

"R' Elazar taught: When the Jews said 'We will do [whatever You say]' even before they said 'We will hear [whatever You instruct us],' a voice emerged from heaven and asked, 'Who revealed this secret of the angels to My children?'

"For it is written (Psalms 103), 'Bless Gd, mighty angels, who perform His words and heed His voice.'" [Again, doing precedes hearing.]

(Talmud, Shabbat 88a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The script on the Tablets, Part II

Hi,

"I cannot accept or bear that any tanna or amora [ie sage] would think that Assyrian script was entirely created in the days of Ezra. Rather, this is what happened: The aseret hadibrot were written on the tablets, according to everyone, in Assyrian. No one argues with this at all."

(Responsa of Radbaz 3:442)

Have a great Yom Tov,
Mordechai

The script on the Tablets, Part I

Hi,

"According to all, the script on the luchot was Assyrian, for we have already said that the debate was only regarding the script used by Israel, because it was appropriate that the script of Israel be Paleo-Hebrew."

(Maharal, Tiferet Yisrael 64)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

What happened atop Mount Sinai?

Hi,

[The Torah says regarding the luchot [tablets], ‘And He gave to Moshe, when He concluded speaking to him.’ (Shemot 31:18)]

“Rabbi Avahu said: All through the forty days when Moshe was up above, he studied Torah and forgot it. He said to Gd, ‘Master of the Universe, I have had forty days and I still don’t know anything!’

“What did Gd do? At the conclusion of forty days, Gd gave him the Torah as a gift, as it is written, ‘And He gave to Moshe.’

“But did Moshe learn the entire Torah? Job 11 says, ‘Its measure is longer than the land, and broader than the sea!’ Could Moshe have learned it in forty days?!

"Rather, Gd taught Moshe principles [כללים], as it is written, ‘When He concluded [ככלתו] speaking to him.’”

(Midrash, Shemot Rabbah 41:6)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Jews and Grapes

Hi,

"When the Jews stood on Har Sinai they were compared to grapes. Grapes are pretty outside and ugly inside, so Israel – when they stood on Har Sinai and answered, ‘We will do and we will hear,’ that was with their mouths. Their hearts were not aligned… Grapes contain food and drink, so Israel contains people of Torah and people of deeds."

(Midrash Tanchuma Lech Lecha 21)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Moshe receives the Torah in awe

Hi,

"R’ Natan asked: Why did Moshe need to wait for six days, without Gd’s communication? To clean out all eating and drinking from within him, until he could be sanctified and become like a ministering angel.

"R’ Matya ben Charash replied: My master! It was only to intimidate him, so that he would receive the words of Torah with intimidation, awe, trembling and shaking, as it is written, ‘Serve Gd with awe and rejoice with trembling.’"

(Avot d'Rabbi Natan 1:1)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Accepting the Torah on Purim

Hi,

"[Regarding the Jews at Sinai, the Torah says:] ‘And they stood at the bottom of the mountain’ – Rav Avdimi, son of Chama bar Chasa, said: This teaches that Gd overturned the mountain atop them, like a barrel. He said to them, ‘If you accept the Torah, good. If not, there will be your grave.’

"Rav Acha bar Yaakov said: This is a great response to the Torah [and its obligations]!

"Rava said: Despite this, they again accepted it in the days of Achashverosh. The megilah says: ‘The Jews upheld and accepted’ – They upheld that which they had already accepted."

(Talmud, Shabbat 88a)

Have an easy and meaningful fast,
Mordechai

Yom haMeyuchas

Hi,

Today [Monday] is a special day on the calendar: Yom haMeyuchas יום המיוחס.

"Yichus יחוס" is usually used in reference to lineage, but it means "association." Someone with "good yichus" is someone who has good associates. Similarly, a day that is "meyuchas" is a day with special associates.

There are two common explanations for why this day has special yichus:

1. One reading of the pesukim detailing the dialogue between HaShem and Moshe before Sinai shows that on this day Moshe conveyed HaShem's message, "You will be a kingdom of kohanim and a sacred nation," to the Jews. (Taamei haMinhagim)

2. This day has nothing inherently special, but it is the day after Rosh Chodesh and the day before the 3 days of preparation for the presentation of the Torah, and that gives it special status.

Either way, Happy Yom haMeyuchas!
Mordechai

"We will do and we will hear"

Hi,

On the value of our ancestral commitment to obedience to Gd, which preceded Gd's actual instructions:

"When the Jews said 'We will do' before 'We will hear,' a heavenly voice declared to them: Who has revealed this secret, which the angels use, to My children?

"It is written [regarding the angels], 'Bless Gd, His angels, mighty ones who perform His word, to hear the voice of his command.' First the angels commit to action, and only later do they hear the specific instruction."

(Talmud, Shabbat 88a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Moshe received the Torah with awe

Hi,

"Moshe was sanctified in a cloud and he received the Torah from Sinai, as it is written, ‘And the glory of Gd rested atop Mount Sinai’ – it was for Moshe, to purify him.

"This was after the Aseret haDibrot, according to R’ Yosi haGlili.

"R’ Akiva said, ‘And the cloud covered him for six days’ – This was Moshe, as it is written, ‘And Gd called to Moshe,’ to give honor to Moshe, ‘on the seventh day, from within the cloud.’

"R’ Natan asked: Why did Moshe need to wait for six days, without Gd’s communication? To clean out all eating and drinking from within him, until he could be sanctified and become like a ministering angel.

"R’ Matya ben Charash replied: My master! It was only to intimidate him, so that he would receive the words of Torah with intimidation, awe, trembling and shaking, as it is written, ‘Serve Gd with awe and rejoice with trembling.’"

(Avot d'Rabbi Natan 1:1)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

One more pre-Shavuot email

Hi,

"Rabbi Elazar said: When the Jews committed to fulfill the Torah before they had even heard what was in it, a voice emerged from Heaven and said to them, 'Who revealed to My children this secret of the angels?'

"For it is written [Psalm 103], 'Bless Gd, His mighty angels, who do His bidding, to hear His words.' First they do, and then they hear."

(Talmud, Shabbat 88a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai