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Supernal Speech
Concerning speech, it is taught by Rabbi

Schneur Zalman in the Tanya that the faculty of speech in the soul is analogous to the supernal speech referred to as “Malchuth” or “Shechinah.” Hence when speaking words of Torah, one arouses the supernal speech to unite the Shechinah. Lips preserve Torah knowledge, they transform theoretical Torah learning to practical Torah knowledge. 1 This is what one must strive for: bringing about this glorious unification. To help reach this goal, we learn from Rabbenu Bachyah, one should curb the movement of his limbs, beginning with his tongue, as the tongue’s sins are more numerous than those committed by other parts of the human frame as it moves more easily and rapidly. Only speak that which is indispensable in the furtherance of your spiritual and secular interests, and escape injurious results. This is why exhortations to limit speech occur so frequently in the Torah. It is good to review by night what one has spoken during the day to see what was necessary and what was perverse and defective, the tongue being the gate of the inner being. So guard this portal. By guarding it one guards the treasury and what is contained therein. When speech is employed in a constructive manor it is called דבור and it makes positive impact in the celestial regions 2
In tractate Avot d’Rabbi Nathan it is taught that a man should speak calmly and not in anger, so his words will not be forgotten.3 How carelessly do people speak, not giving so much as a thought to what it is they are saying. People little realize the potential impact of the power their speech holds. Rabbenu Bachyah teaches that everything is dependent on the tongue.
If a man has used his faculties in the study of the Torah, he has merited life, for the Torah is the Tree of Life. The Torah is the remedy for slander, as the wise King Solomon states:
“Death and life are in the power of the tongue” (Provo 18:21).
Hashem both loved and hated Israel because of her voice. The sin of speech is not limited to damage in the sphere of speech, but also in the sphere of deed. If you charge one of a crime punishable by death, your tongue acts like a sword.4 Not only is the damage of slander not limited to the sphere of speech, but its damages are beyond the immediate sphere from which the slander originates. It also brings condemnation down upon Israel, as Elijah the Prophet teaches that when slander spreads out on the earth and mounts up to the Throne of Glory, destroying angels descend at the command of Divine Power to seize the slanderers and throw them into Gehenom. But first the Mighty One sends out his arrows as stated in Psalms: “What shall be done to you false tongue,

Duties of the Heart 2:317.

Avot d’Rabbi Nathan 17a.

Kad HaKemach, chapter “Evil Speech.”
sharp arrows of the Mighty” (Ps. 120:3-4). Then
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Gehenom shall receive them.5 We see from this that all slander joins together collectively, and can, Heaven forbid, reach such a level that the severity of Divine intervention through destroy-ing angels may be brought upon the earth to rectify the damage created by the defilement of speech.
With this knowledge concerning the effect of evil speech, we can begin to understand why Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai in the Talmud (tractate Sotah) said that it is better for a man to cast himself into a fiery furnace than to shame his fellow in public.6 One must strive so that all his speech will eventually fall into the category of supernal speech and separate himself completely from defiling himself with evil speech.
We have reviewed a bit concerning the proper expression of speech in corrective rebuke and the destruction created by slander. Now let us look at other ways and places in which we must learn to sanctify our speech so as to be vessels for supernal speech-the purpose for which we are endowed with the ability to speak, and what separates us from other created beings. The sages teach us concerning proper conduct that one should never address a neighbor without calling him first. Also, what another tells you is to be held in confidence unless he tells you to “go and say”7 as seen so frequently in the Torah: “Said God to Moshe: Go tell the children of Israel” Only when this permission is given may one go and repeat what others have told him. We need to be ever so careful in what we say. Yosef never told his father his brothers sold him.
Rabbi Bachyah teaches us that if one states “no” or “yes” twice in succession, it is considered like an oath.8 One may think that a word uttered hastily, without thought, is insig-

Tanna d’Bei Eliyahu Rabbah. ch. 18.

Sotah lOb.

Yoma4b.

Kad HaKemach, chapter “Faith.”, Sni Luchot Vayashev
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nificant and of little importance, and that if no one seems directly hurt by the words they can have no adverse effect, but this is far from the truth. Rabbi Chayah teaches in the Holy Zohar that a man should never begin his speech with an ill-uttered omen, as he does not know who will be brought to grief by his words, but he should begin his discussion with words of peace.9
Just as our supernal speech rises above to join us with our Father in Heaven, accusers and angels of destruction are always there waiting for an ill utterance to act upon. Only by the tender mercies of the Holy Blessed One can we be spared from their scrutiny. This is illustrated when Rabbi Chiyah teaches that one who curses his neighbor in his presence is as if he spills blood; one who curses his neighbor not in his presence arouses emissaries of judgment until the place of the great Abyss is aroused. Woe to him who lets an evil word leave his mouth.10 Rabbenu Bachyah teaches that when speaking evilly concerning an individual, one may have merits to his credit taken from him and given to the one he slanders. Or, the one so slandered may be freed from some of his transgressions, as the Holy One removes them from his soul and places them on the slanderer. 11
So profound is Divine judgment concerning speech that the sages teach, in tractate Bava Metzia, that He Who punished the generation of the Flood and the generation of the Tower of Babel, the inhabitants of Sodom and Gemorrah, and the Egyptians at the Red Sea will exact vengeance on him who does not stand by his word. 12 From this, we see that God Himself Who brought us out of Egypt and parted the Red Sea, allowing us to walk on dry land while drowning the Egyp-

Zohar 1:195b.

Ibid. Kedoshim.

Duties of the Heart 2:107.

Bava Metzia 48a.
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tians, personally scrutinizes our word, and does not leave this function only to His angels. So many people will be negligent and blame their irresponsibility upon not thinking before they speak, thereby failing to fulfill obligations, but it is really something more than this, as Ravina explains in the Talmud (tractate Bechorot) that to retract one’s word indicates a lack of honesty. 13 If a person realizes that his life is hanging on his word, he will be sure to fulfill it just as one would never separate himself from his only source of water.
The great power unleashed by the tongue is symbolized by how different it is from other organs of the body. Its structure is as different from all other organs in the body as is its function. Rabbi Joseph ben Zimra teaches that all members of the body stand, while the tongue lies down, guarded by a wall of bone and flesh. All this guarding is necessary, as one who bears evil speech denies the root of faith, as his faith must be lacking to let such defilement affect him.
Resh Lakish teaches that one who slanders causes his sin to reach Heaven. Of him who slanders, the Holy One says, “He and I cannot live together in this world.” This is reflected in the words of King David in Psalms, who says in the Name of God, “He who secretly slanders, him will I cut off” (Ps. 10 I: 5). The Holy One says to the Prince of Gehenom, “I will be against him from above, and you from below, and we will condemn him.” It is taught in the school of Rabbi Yishmael that whoever speaks slander increases his sins up to the level of idolatry, shedding blood and incest as taught in the Talmud (tractate Arachin).14
Since we can now begin to see the gravity of the effect of one’s speech, we need to look closer into its many aspects so as to bring sanctification into it and keep ourselves far from defilement.

Bechorot 13b.

Arachin I5b.
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The sages teach in tractate Avot d’Rabbi Nathan that one should not speak before a person greater than himself. It must be noted here, as in all laws, that the proper context of expression is most important. The sages go on to teach that one should not interrupt the words of his fellow; one should always face the greater, but when in anger face the lesser; speak to the point; and acknowledge the truth. 15
One destructive act of speech we must avoid is slander, as Rabbi Huna teaches in the Midrash that slander brings consumption and inflammation to one’s bones and sinews and causes them to fail within him. 16 With this knowledge, it becomes obvious that we must distance ourselves far from words of slander. But why is slander so severely destructive? Rabbi Yochanan explains that a man does not utter a word of slander without denying God’s existence. 17 We see that slander reflects a great degree of corruption existing within the soul, corruption of the highest order of confusion. This corruption is so abhorrent because it creates separation of all of us from our Father in Heaven, as it is taught by Rabbi Huna in the Midrash that whoever speaks slander causes the Shechinah to rise from earth to Heaven. 18 This is reflected in the teachings of Rabbi Bachyah, that because of the severity of the sin of slander, those guilty will not be permitted to see the Shechinah, and those who slander are not fit to study the Torah. 19 For what is Torah study but receiving the Shechinah, and how can one expect his lips and breath to be a vessel for the Holy Words of the Torah if he just spoke words of slander?
The damage of slander is so great that the sages teach in the Talmud (tractate Kallah Rabbati) that there is no healing

Avot d’Rabbi Nathan 32b.

Midrash Rabba Kohelet 5:5.

Ibid. 9: 11.

Ibid. Devarim 5: 10.

Kad HaKemach, chapter “Evil Speech.”
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for one who slanders. 20 The power of the mouth is so great, as taught by Rabbi Bachyah, that a murderer spills blood outside a body, but by shaming another in public he does not actually spill his blood but stirs it to leave his body. It is by shaming that God disgraces the wicked.21
One should not slander another even when the person is not present; rather one should honor and not bring shame to another even if he is not present. A good guideline to follow In all cases is, as the sages teach in tractate Kallah Rabbati, that whenever you speak of your fellow man let his image be before you.22 This is especially true concerning men of holiness, .as Elijah the Prophet teaches that if you see a disciple of the Wise committing a transgression one day do not think evil of him the next as, most likely, he has repented that night. He who gossips about the failings of disciples of the wise is as one who gossips about the Shechinah,23 and the Holy One is deeply concerned with those close to Him, those who call upon Him in truth.
In Pesikta it is taught by Rabbi Kahana that the children of King David’s generation, before they knew sexual desire, knew the subtle distinctions of the criteria to distinguish the spiritually clean from the unclean, but because of their foul tongues they would perish in battle. Conversely, though King Ahab’s generation worshipped idols they would stand in battle as they did not inform upon each other.24 Here we see that death and life depend on the tongue.
One must walk in a way of righteousness toward being sanctified in each of his activities in order to be able to call upon God in truth, and it is unto these the Holy One

KaLLah Rabbati 53a.

Kad HaKemach, chapter “Shaming.”

Kallah Rabbati 53b.

Tanna d’Bei Eliyahu Rabbah, ch. 3.

Pesikta d’Rabbi Kahana, pesikta 4.
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turns. Rabbenu Bachyah teaches us that repentance is difficult when one has accustomed his tongue to tell lies, talk scandalously about people, and malign them; it is all held up against him, as evil speech is equal in heinousness to theft and adultery.25 Just as these transgressions require action below in their correction-for a thief must make payment according to the damages he has done, and the adulterer must be separated from his mate-so too one who trans-gresses with his speech is separated more from God, making his repentance more difficult.
Rabbi Avraham, in Meditation of the Sad Soul, teaches that no iniquity is greater before the King than lying, which is as grave as murder.26 Here we see abuses of the faculty of speech compared to theft, adultery, and murder. These expressions and others similar exist throughout the Torah. Such strong warning is not repeatedly given concerning any other single transgression. It does not state that one who does not make a fence upon his roof is as a murderer or adulterer; it is only speech that is so central to all our activities of holiness.
Rabbi Kahana teaches that whoever speaks up out of concern for Israel. God raises him up in the world. It was only when Moses spoke compassionately on behalf of Israel that he was called a man of God.27 We see that speech can make all the difference-either elevating or bringing one down, Heaven forbid, to the emptiness of shame.
Rabbi Chiyah taught in the name of Rabbi Chizkya that one who calls his neighbor wicked will be thrown into the very jaws of Gehenom, for the only people one may call wicked are those who speak impudently or blasphemously against the

Duties of the Heart 2: 169.

Meditation of the Sad Soul 126.
27 Pesikta d’Rabbi Kahana, supplement 133
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Torah. 28 The tongue is like a two-edged sword: It can be a tool for saving one’s life in this world, or if one is not careful, it can slay, Heaven forbid. Another evil speech one must avoid is quarreling, as Rav teaches in the Midrash that one should not persist in a quarrel as all who do transgress a command. Rashi adds to this that they are deserving of leprosy.29 One must build a fence around his speech, ever striving to make each word a vessel to attach himself to his Father in Heaven. We have already shown many places where one is to build this fence to protect the soul from damage or approaching harm. Concerning this, Rabbi Yochanan teaches that if one accustoms the tongue to speak against a brother who is not of his nation, in the end he will slander the son of his own nation.30
If one distances himself from sin he will not approach it on his way. So we must stay clear in our course of activities and not accustom ourselves in the least bit to these evil ways, to protect against them growing as habits. One habit of speech one must guard against is projecting one’s own failings onto others, rebuking them for these shortcomings when it is not even appropriate, as Rashi warns us, in the Book of Genesis (Parsha Vayara), that if one has a defect, he should not reprimand his fellow concerning the same.31 Rabbi Nachman teaches us from the commentary of Rashi that the difference between moral guidance and rebuke is shown by the fact that our father and teacher Moses did not rebuke the Children of Israel until immediately prior to his death32-and the differ-ence is that in Moses’ rebuke, he made mention of their sin.

Zohar2:122a.

Midrash Rabba Bamidbar 732.

Ibid. Devarim 126.

Rashi Vayara.

Advice 304.
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If one sees that he himself has a difficulty, he should be all the more considerate upon seeing another facing the same difficulty or shortcoming. In these circumstances, one can empathize and treat the other the way one would like to be treated, as this is the way the Holy Blessed One intended it to be. Rabbi Shneur Zalman teaches in the Tanya that all who are humiliated and do not humiliate others. and all who pass over their feelings, have all their sins forgiven.33 Just as we must see that our emotions do not get out of hand, leading to rebuking someone for something we do not like about ourselves and taking it out on the other, so we must not let our emotions send us to humiliate another especially out of anger even if we are humiliated by the other first. As stated in the Tanya, we must pass over our feelings and not become angry or saddened by another’s derogatory remarks. By passing over our feelings and seeing through the perspective of pure understanding, we are able to ascend from responding emotionally to responding calmly with proper balance.
Thus we have been given some guidelines from our sages on what to avoid concerning our speech, but Rabbenu Bachyah gives us an example of a good path of conduct when he teaches that on seeing the carcass of a dog a student remarked about its foul smell, whereas his teacher said. “But look at the whiteness of his teeth.” From here we see that it is not good to make a disparaging remark even concerning a dog; all the more so concerning another man.34 The Holy One’s kindness is upon all his works; thus we must deal accordingly.
Because so much is dependent on speech, one must beware of the evil wrought by association with fools-even

Tanya 385.

Duties of the Heart 2:99.
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the people one regularly associates with-enjoying their company when conversation is not urgent, as Rabbenu Bachyah teaches that one should bridle superfluous movement of the tongue and not talk about people, recall their failings. nor relate anything to their discredit. Of course, one must avoid falsehood, pride, scoffing, contemptuousness toward a portion of the group and indulgence in frivolity with groups. Mixing with people can, Heaven forbid, create the absence of fear of God in one’s heart because of frivolous conversation. If one is able to prevent wicked people from committing evil deeds it is a duty to do so, for the masses are not free from shortcomings. The Alshich HaKodesh HaKodesh teaches that when a Chuchum has to contend with a arrogant fool, who thinks he is wise. Putting on a pleasant face to humor the person will only backfire. As the fool will only think more highly of himself and will give the chuchum no relief. Therefore it is better for the chuchum to confront the evil directly. 35 It is only for these higher ends that man was given the faculty of speech, so he must be careful not to degrade it. It has been mentioned that we need to be moderate and not severe in our speech, to avoid quarreling or embarrassment, but Rabbi Bachyah teaches that it is permissible to slander quarrelsome people; one who does not discredit those who act improperly is liable for punishment. 36 Still one must beware of one’s speech, as the opening of the mouth can be the door of punishment.
As has been shown in the discussion above the various abuses of speech, or the opening of the mouth can be to one a gate of reward as so many blessings can be uttered, so many Divine Names may be spoken. Eliyahu Ha Navi teaches that if a man. as he prays, utters thanks for deliverance from lesser dangers, he will be regarded as one who offers thanks from great dangers.37 Just as the parting of the sea was deliverance from great danger and the people offered thanks, so too will God regard the thanks we offer Him for the small things He does for us, as Elijah the Prophet teaches that it will be accorded to them as if from great
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dangers.

Ibid. 237., Alshich HaKodesh on Mishle

Kad HaKemach, chapter “Evil Speech.”

Tanna d’Bei Eliyahu 256.
There is a brilliant closeness one achieves with the Holy Blessed One at such a time. He designates His personal Providence to disturb the laws of nature to miraculously facilitate one’s deliverance. “Nedarim” (vows) are rooted in Bina.. It translates to the “dwelling of 50”. The final redemption will be rooted in Bina (Divine understanding).
Alshich on Proverbs
Rabbi Avraham, in Meditation of the Sad Soul, teaches that the speech of a man’s mouth if sanctified in holiness, keeps him far from the pleasures of this world, which he has rejected and binds him to the World to Come which he has chosen and loves and he will be surrounded by peace on all sides and will not resemble anything of this world.38
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Alshich on Proverbs,
Meditation of the Sad Soul 65,
11
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Beginning and Upheaval Aor HaChyim Bishalach.
LEARNING
Rabbi Moshe Alshich teaches us that since God is totally abstract there needed to be a linkage between the spiritual to the physical. So the world was made with the word of God, which is his Torah. By neglecting and undermining Torah we sever the link between the spiritual and physical. Rabbi Chaim Zimmerman teaches us that the Creator has given us access to the total picture to Infinite knowledge to answers for all our questions via the Torah which includes aspects of the Infinite. We know that one who genuinely desires can know everything; all the mechanisms of creation, all the fifty gates of wisdom that exist in the world are to be found in the Torah. It is God’s knowledge, and it unlocks regions that man cannot reach with his own finite mind. The Aor haChym teaches that from God’s right hand flashed forth a fiery law to them. The sea saw God ‘s right hand and split. Any sadeek (righteous person) who lives after Yisrael received the Torah can present a copy of the agreement God made with his creation causing it to submit to instructions issued by those who have mastery of the Torah. They can effect changes in the laws of nature and inflict penalties if nature refuses to obey.l Elijah the Prophet explains concerning the nature of this Divine Knowledge the nature of the Torah as he teaches that the Holy One. Blessed be He said to Israel, “Come my children enter deep within the Torah, and see what I wrote
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for you to do so as to enable Me to bear your transgressions, to put away your iniquities, and to have your sins pass out of My sight. Now come to Me with words of Torah and you will find yourself face to face with Me” 2 This is the purpose and ultimate goal of the Torah: face-to-face revelation. This is not to be confused with a simply intellectual pursuit because learning Torah is not learning in the· sense of pursuit of wisdom. Wisdom is only used as a vessel for revelation in Torah learning, as Rabbi Shneur Zalman explains in the Tanya that in the Torah it says, “Know God.” However, the essence of this knowledge is not merely knowing from an intellectual awareness gained from books. The essential thing is to immerse one’s mind deeply into the greatness of God, fixing one’s thought on the Blessed One with all one’s strength and vigor of heart and mind until one’s thought is bound to God with a strong and mighty bond as one is bound to a material thing he sees with his eyes and concentrates his thoughts on it. 3 Gaining this strong and mighty bond of face- to- face revelation is the purpose of our Torah study. To achieve this end, Elijah teaches us that blessed is the man who makes himself submit like an ox to the yoke and a donkey to the burden.
The man who makes himself sit and meditate every moment of every day upon words of the Torah will cause Ruach haKodesh (the Holy Spirit) to suffuse him when Torah has taken deep root within him. A man should read Chumash (the five books of Moses), the Prophets. the Writings (the other books of the Hebrew Scriptures), Midrash, Halachah, and Aggadah (the homiletical teachings of the Talmud), so that Ruach haKodesh will suffuse within him to his very depths, and God’s word will come readily to his tongue. Both Halachic studies and immersion in Kaballah are desirable, One must not neglect one
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aspect of the Torah. The book of proverbs helps the clever person to unlock meanings of the Torah as David and Soloman did, unraveling its hidden meanings in both the Written and Oral Torah4

Tanna d’Bei Eliyahu Zuta, ch. 9.

Tanya 217.
Tanna d’Bei Eliyahu Rabbah., ch. 2, Alshich on proverbs
If the only thing one saw in this writing was this order of learning I would say it was sufficient. I personally follow this method of learning and have found that its order provides a vibrancy to the words of the Holy Torah. As one goes around the wheel of Torah learning from Chumash to Midrash Aggadah the Torah is always fresh, new, and exciting.
The sages teach in the Jerusalem Talmud (tractate Peah) that if the Torah’s laws are a trifling thing to one, it is because he does not labor devotedly in the Torah. As mentioned above, diversity in learning provides a great balance, for each area of the Torah strengthens different aspects of the soul.
Within each of the five divisions of the Torah one can study one or all four levels of pardes (an acronym for pshat, remez. drush, and sod-the simple means, hints, homiletical teachings. and secrets of the Torah), depending on what one wants to learn. Under the category of halachah (Jewish law), I begin with Mishnah, learn Gemora, and then Shulchan Arukh and discourses concerning legal decisions.
Under the category of Midrash Aggadah are included Aggadah and its commentaries. Chassiduth, Kabbalah and other writings concerning the secrets of the Torah. In this category is a book to which one should pay special attention, as Rabbi Nachman teaches that study of the Zohar can give one enthusiasm in all his sacred studies.5 This is by no means a strict rule that one must always follow as a course in learning, but only a guideline to enhance the Torah experience. One really should learn where
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he finds joy, but be aware that the greatest joy can sometimes come after one forces himself to learn areas of the Torah, such as Halachah, that one might think he really does not want to. This can be a most rewarding process, yielding great unexpected joy
4.Advice 272
through revelation. One must always have joy in one’s learning and it should never be seen as a burden. It is said that one should fulfill the Torah as an ox carries a burden. This is not to say the Torah, Heaven forbid, is as a burden, but that one should be like an ox that has no options, completing whatever task is assigned. Similarly, we must strive to rise higher and higher in holiness and purity. Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish teaches in the Midrash that if one’s discourse of Torah is not as pleasant to hear as the bride is pleasing to her spouse, then it is best not said at all. 6
Elijah the Prophet teaches us that the Holy One for nine hundred seventy-four generations before the world was created sat analyzing, testing, and refinning the words of the Torah-every one of them. 7 The Torah is so deep because of God’s nurturing of it. It yields endless delights from its mysteries that are waiting to be explored. Rabbi Elazar in the Holy Zohar gives a little insight into what God created by examining, analyzing, testing, and refining the Torah when he teaches us that anything that is included in a general proposition and then made the subject of a specific statement is not to be understood as limited to itself, but is applied to the whole of the general proposition. 8 In an even more general sense, each word is in specific context of the words surrounding it, and so for each letter. There is nothing arbitrary in the Torah. Each letter holds many lessons. Each letter, law, and idea can be understood on all four levels of pardes- pshat, the, simple; remez, intimated; drush, expounded; and sod, secret. Pshat is the superficial meaning. Remez is that to which the
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Torah alludes but does not directly state, the idea being obvious in context. Drush brings forth the meaning in a

Midrash Rabba Shemot 41 :5.

Tanna d’Bei Eliyahu Rabbah., p. 61.

Zohar 3: 149a.
less obvious way and must be expounded upon to be understood. Sod is the secret hidden meaning that generally is an explanation concerning explicit flow mechanisms of the Di-vine Energy. Together these are the pardes, the holy orchard of fruit of the sweetest taste. One’s attainment in the orchard, the level of revelation, depends on the preparation one has for his Torah learning.
In the Book of the Prophet Jeremiah, the prophet states, “They have forsaken my Torah.” Concerning this, the sages tell us that during Jeremiah’s time obviously the Torah was studied, yet they did not learn with the proper intention. One must truly learn Torah with proper devotion. To open one’s heart is to realize the awesome unique nature of God’s will in the earth, which is the Torah, With this, one will be provided with proper devotion and be moved to teshuvah, to truly begin the return to the Father in Heaven. Torah study must be such that a person is prepared to endure death in order to acquire its insights. He is even to study Torah at the point of death in order to acquire its insights.9 When one learns, one must put oneself into a state similar to the beginning of creation-that is, a state of “nothingness” then grow, occasionally reflecting on past conceptions. Learning is like the creation. One step builds on the previous steps, similar to the growth of a tree, which may start out with only a few branches that branch off into a few more branches. As the tree continues to grow the trunk itself may branch off into two, and accordingly, there may be produced twice as many branches and leaves and fruit.
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Likewise is the learning of the Torah. The more one learns, the more rewarding and less difficult the learning becomes.
Rabbi Kahana, in tractate Shabbat, teaches that a man should learn even if he does not understand, for soon he will. Rabbi Levi warns us that in the process of learning, one should be careful not to teach Torah before a sage, as he who does goes down to the Sheol childless, as is taught in tractate

Jeremiah 86, Aor HaChym Yitro
Eruvin. 10 This is not to say that one is always to remain silent before those greater than himself, for there are times when our words are necessary and needed to clarify a Torah matter. With the proper intent in Torah study one can reach great heights, but one must always strive to learn the Torah purely for its own sake.
Torah is called “beginning” for in the beginning it weakens a man’s strength; he must do battle with his evil inclination and crush the inclinations of his body in the House of Study, till he has accustomed himself to learning, it becoming his great joy and might-and there is certainly no lack of material to cover in the Torah, no matter what level one is on.
Everything in the Torah holds deep secrets. Rabbi Yochanan teaches that all fixed measures used in the Torah were revealed to “Moses on Mount Sinai.” Know, Shabot is 1/60 of Olam Haba. Forbidden foods mixed with that which is permitted containing less then 1 part of the forbidden food to 60 of the permitted food is Kosher. Many secrets are hidden in these laws called to “Moses on Mount Sinai.” Rabbi Isa ben Yehuda teaches in tractate Yoma (l0a) that there are only five verses in the Chumash where there is a question as to grammatical meaning. 12 This lets one know that when learning, one need not ascribe new meaning to verses, for the meaning of the Torah is understood and can be found in the tradition as explained to our teacher Moses by God, as we find in the Talmud, Midrash, and other sources.
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There are those who have implied meanings other than those intended to the words of the Torah, saying, “We believe this to be the true meaning,” as they understand it, but their words are far from the truth. As Isa showed us above, it is all understood except five verses. This is not to say one cannot learn innovative teachings through the letters and vowels-even permuting the letters of words can reveal wonders-but they err who imply a meaning that is contradictory to the simple meaning

Eruvin 63a.

Yerushalmi Chagigah.

Yoma 52b.
known to be true. These false scholars thus bring to error others who hear their teachings.
The Torah has many levels of understanding, as it bridges fifty gates, but this is not to say that the simple meaning is left purely to our interpretation or whims. One must be careful to share only the true meaning of the Torah. We have a rule that a word which is capable to be interpreted in 2 ways, we give equal weight to both explanations. If the fulfillment of a commandment is involved the requirements of both interpretations must be met.
Even if much responsibility is involved in teaching Torah, one cannot be dissuaded from doing so, as the purpose of learning the Torah is to be able to share it, as Rabbi Yochanan in tractate Rosh Hashanah teaches, that one who studies the Torah but does not teach is like a hadas (myrtle) in the wilderness whose scent is wasted. 13 If one finds himself overwhelmed and perplexed by the many explanations of the Torah, some of which seem contradictory, he need only recall the teaching in tractate Chagigah, where we learn that all seemingly contradictory opinions were given by the one shepherd, from the mouth of God, as it says, “God spoke all these words.” Make your ear as a grinder and get a perceptive heart to understand
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the words.14 It is from this perspective that one is to share the Torah with others, thus unifying the words of the Torah, for the Torah is one. One must be careful not to make the mistake, so commonly made, that when hearing an explanation different from that which one has learned, to think it incorrect and discard the wisdom, as such a person loses much. One should always strive to get and give the most from the Torah that they can. Rabbi Shetiah teaches in the name of Rabbi Yochanan that if one reads Chumash without a melody or Mishnah without a tune, the Torah says of him, “I made statutes that are not good” (Ezek. 2:25).15
The ways to acquire the Torah are many and as diverse as

Rosh Hashanah 23a, Oar ha Chym Bishalach

Chagigah 3b.

Megillah 32a.
its revelation. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi teaches that all manner of service a slave renders to his master must be rendered by a student to his teacher. Rabbi Chiyah bar Abba adds that one should not deprive his student of the opportunity of doing an act of kindness. We also learn in tractate Ketubot from Rabbi Nachman ben Yitzchak that a teacher depriving his student of a chance to do acts of kindness deprives him of the fear of Heaven. 16 By learning the proper traits needed to learn the Torah, and then acquiring them, one can then see them realized, as Rabbi Shimon teaches that through each discovery in the Torah a new Heaven is made. 17
Elijah the Prophet teaches, concerning new ideas in the Torah, that blessed is he whose mouth gives words of Torah within the yeshivahs that have grown numerous in Israel. as such a man is permitted to hear the Holy One speaking to him from Heaven. 18 Yet let one beware, as Rabbi Shimon teaches, that one must not derive any new doctrine that he has not
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learned or heard from his teachers. Such a neshama (soul) is cast away from the “bundle of Life” when he passes on, as God is a jealous God. 19
From meditation on the Torah one can come to have revealed to them, with the help of the Holy One, the Torah’s secrets. But the law of the Torah is clear and determined. The law is recorded in the tradition of our sages in the Shulchan Arukh, and its simple meaning is not open to interpretation, being clearly defined. One cannot deduce any new laws, but only apply the law Moses received from the Holy One at Sinai. When one comes to understand a part of the
Torah that gives him delight he should share it, as Rabbi Meir teaches that it is said of him who learns the Torah but does not teach that he despises the Word of God.
To find great insights in the Torah, we learn from Rabbi Yehoshua ben Karcha that whoever studies and does not review is like one who sows without reaping. One must go over the words repeatedly till they speak, revealing their secret. Rabbi Akiva teaches us concerning the Torah itself that when a word is repeated, it is for the purpose of encompassing another matter?20 Rabbi Yehoshua teaches that one who studies and forgets is as a woman who bears a child and then buries it. When one reviews what he learns, the Torah will not be forgotten but will become a revealed part of him.
Rabbi Yitzchak ben Avdimi teaches that for one who toils at one place in his learning, the Torah toils in another. It is as if by gaining a

Ketubot 63a.

Zohar 1:4b.
18Tanna d’Bei Eliyahu Rabbah. p. 55.
19Zohar 2:87a
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depth of understanding in anyone area of the Torah, one will be equally exposed to other areas of the Torah. Secrets of the Torah can come from the least expected places, as Rav teaches that all human bodies are vessels.
From Rabbi Alexandri we learn that he who learns Torah for its own sake makes peace in the upper and lower family. Rav adds that it is as if he built the Heavenly and earthly Temples. Rabbi Yochanan teaches that he shields the whole world and hastens the redemption. Toward these things we must go and we will merit, as Rabbi Eliezer describes in tractate Sanhedrin, being joyous, worthy receptacles of the Torah?21 Once one is a receptacle of the Torah, he can, like any receptacle, be filled and refilled, as Elijah teaches us that when a man has words of Torah within him he is to feed others, so that the wisdom he already has will increase

Yerushalmi Yebamot.

Ibid. Balak.
And even more will be given to him.22 The more one gives, the more he receives.
The sharing of Torah is a very personal thing between the individuals who are learning and the Holy Blessed One. One who shares the Torah in a correct manner, sensitive to the souls in the group learning with him, will be able to speak to each soul individually with words of Torah. Such an individual transcends worlds and can bring great holiness down to illuminate even the darkest places in this lowly corporeal world-but also, Heaven forbid. one who lacks sensitivity to sense the awareness of those around him finds it difficult to share the appropriate Torah, especially for the specific given situation. One must try to reveal the Torah needed by the souls that are present to hear it, so that they may be elevated, receiving the correction they need, and then the Holy One can dwell in greater revelation in this lower world, as the sages state that since the Temple has been destroyed. the Holy One dwells in the four cubits of halachah
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(Jewish law) alone, as mentioned in tractate Berachot. The 16 weekly temple offerings correspond to the 16 reading from the Torah each week.
When revealing God through halachot beware as Elijah the Prophet teaches, that one who teaches halachah without reasoning is among those who bring destruction to the world.23 Only when one brings halachah relevant for the group of people learning, revealing the specific aspect of the Torah for the situation is the optimum result achieved. The reasons for the halachah, the way they are explained can if improperly revealed, such as in strictest severity push people away from the Torah, Heaven forbid. Conversely, the same halachot with the right perspective can draw others near to the Torah. To help us bring others closer to the Torah. Rashi teaches
22 Tanna d’Bei Eliyahu Rabbah, p. 137
23 Ibid. 475
that we should begin teaching Aggadah (expounded teachings, stories, etc.) as this draws out and attracts the heart. 24 The Malbim teaches us that sometimes Aggadah is not to be understood literally.25 The deep meanings that are hidden under the surface of Aggadah help one get engaged in learning Torah, as it takes the depth of one’s being to penetrate into these mysteries. The Aggadah also makes us aware of the many levels at which the Torah can be learned and the multitude of secrets hidden within. Aggadah gives us a glimpse of the nature of the Torah. Its transcendent nature will open one’s eyes to the wonders of the Torah filling one with awe. This is the level of Torah learning we should strive for, seeing each lesson as part of the Torah being the blueprint of the creation the voice of Elokim Chaim (the Living God).
In achieving this depth of revelation, we can learn from the descendants of Moses’ father-in-
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law Yithro. The Zohar explains to us that Yithro’s descendants made a nest in the wilderness to study Torah for there one does not require luxuries nor merchandise but need only labor day and night.26 In the wilderness one is free from distractions and can reach the heights of concentration. Such meditation on the Torah can give new breadth to Torah learning. So many never see past the surface of the Torah, but Elijah the Prophet teaches us that the Torah is like a hide given to a man who would tan it. smooth it out, and stretch it until he brings it to a delicate fmish.27 For one to be accustomed to this level of probing into the Torah, one needs to learn to direct his undivided attention to each subtlety-just as a tanner in doing a perfect job must pay attention to each fold and crease in the hide, as it is very easy for one to go unnoticed.

Rash! Shemot.

Malbim parsha Bereshith.

Yerushalmi Sotah.

Zohar 3:9a.
To miss such a point in the Torah can leave so much obscured from sight.
In order to uncover these things, the search begins with the Holy Blessed One, as Elijah the Prophet explains it is He Who reveals the Torah to those who merit Her. Elijah tells us a man should do good deeds first and only then ask for Torah from Him Whose Presence is everywhere.28 A man should first emulate the lives of those who are righteous and spotless and only then ask for a grasp of reasoning in the Torah from Him Whose Presence is everywhere. A man should first hold fast to the ways of humility and only then ask for understanding from Him Whose Presence is everywhere. It was from God that we received the Torah and it is from God that we receive the Torah. This is made clear by Rabbi Chiyah, as he teaches in the Zohar that if a man cannot find a proper teacher, yet because of his love for the Torah he pours
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over it, God rejoices in his words and plants them around the river, where they grow into mighty trees and are called willows of the brook. 29 These willows relate to the gates of prophecy.
One should always turn to God and ask Him to reveal His Torah, as its revelation is the desire of God. Rabbi Yehuda teaches in the name of Rav, in tractate Sanhedrin, that whoever withholds a halachah from his disciple is as if he robbed him of his ancestral heritage.3o Such ideas exist only because God wants to bestow upon his children their heritage, the inheritance that is rightfully theirs. Concerning this, Rabbi Eliezer teaches that he who withholds the Torah from Israel is like one withholding the good from

Tanna d’Bei Eliyahu Rabbah, ch. 3.

Ibid. p. 31.

Zohar 3:85a.
Heaven. 31 As the Torah is the good from Heaven, so one must always concentrate upon it, revealing it in this lowly physical world and illuminating it, and to this end we should direct all our might day and night. If sleep tries to overcome one in his learning and yet he is ready to go on, it is known that the High Priest on the night of Yom Kippur reads the Hebrew Scrip-tures in order to stay awake32 the Scriptural teachings being Song of Songs, Proverbs, Psalms, etc. These will help one to make it through the night to the morning, enabling him to unify the Holy Name with the first rays of light of a new rising sun. Each part of the Torah has its time, as shown earlier by the instructions of Elijah in his order of learning. One should try to learn regularly from each aspect of the Torah, as each brings different strengths to the soul.
The sages teach us in tractate Bava Metzia that one should always run to Mishnah more than
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Gemora (Talmudic explanations of the Mishnah). 33 Concerning the learning of the different aspects of the Torah, the sages teach us in tractate Bava Batra that being rich in fields and vineyards and cattle grazing in public view, this is the Master of Aggadah; rich in money and oil, this is the Master of Wisdom who is always seeing new ideas; rich in storehouses and products, this is the Master of Ready Advice. Yet, all depend on the Master of Wheat, one in possession of Gemora.34
It is taught in Gemora that a child does not have understanding till he has tasted wheat-yet wheat, fields, vineyards, cattle, storehouses, and products can be purchased with money, and money is the possession of the Master who is always seeing new ideas, as new ideas are a revelation of the

Sanhedrin 91 b.

Zohar 3:268b.

Mishnah Shabbat.

Bava Metzia 33a.
Torah itself from God. To such a one God comes to reveal all aspects of His Torah revealing all secrets, as King David said, “Open my eyes that I may see the wonders from Your Torah” (Ps. 119: 18). The wonders of the Torah make all things of mundane matters fall into their proper place of insignificance.
Rabbi Abba teaches us in tractate Sanhedrin that even anxiety has no effect on Torah study for its own sake as King David states, “The counsel of God shall stand forever.”35 This is because the Torah is of a supernal nature, and truly not of this world. Its contemplation bonds one to a level of supernal thought that transcends the things that so needlessly trouble our minds and are of little concern, with ultimately little effect on our lives. Yet, we allow ourselves to be troubled by these mundane. futile matters needlessly.
In order to hear the voice of Torah clearly one
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must clear his mind of all futile matters so as to direct himself completely to God’s Torah. As a result of learning Torah for its own sake one can clear his mind from preoccupation with apparent problems and other distractions, freeing the way to contemplation of higher things.
It is from the Torah that all things are brought into order reflecting the Divine Will. As Resh Lakish teaches in tractate Avodah Zarah, one who learns at night will find grace over him during the day, as King David states in Psalms, “God will command His kindness and at night His song is with me, my prayer to the God of my life” (Ps. 42:9).
The contemplation of the Torah late at night is profound even if one can do so only for a short while. Rabbi Pinchas explains that at night, wisdom walks below the firmament. 36 To aid us in our learning. Rabbi Abba ben Mari teaches us

Bava Batra 145b.

Sanhedrin 26b.
tractate Makkot that studying within a multitude brings increase. Rabbi Yose bar Hanina adds a warning that one who sits and studies alone waxes foolish and becomes a real sinner. Rebbe said, “I learned much from my masters, more from my fellow students, and from my disciples most of all.” It is the Torah that binds all of Israel together- how beautiful this is. It is further taught that Israel has a foothold in war because of the students engaged in study of the Torah. Better is one day of Torah study than a thousand sacrifices.37 It is when Israel gathers together to study the Torah that the Divine Will of God in giving the Torah to Israel is fulfilled. This coincides with the teaching of Rabbi Shmuel ben Unyah in the name of Rav, that study of the Torah is more important than the daily offering. 38 Just as the daily offering was offered for each day, so too must one learn his portion of the Torah for each day.
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Rabbi Amram teaches in the name of Rav that happy is he who does teshuvah (repentance) in the vitality of his youth, ruling over his evil inclination. Rabbi Avraham ben Adimi ben Chanah teaches that one should be like a servant who serves his Master, delighting in His commandments and not in the reward for his labor. By following our delight in the Torah, one may always serve God with the vitality of one’s youth. This is in accordance with the teaching of Rebbe that a man can only learn well that part of the Torah that is his heart’s desire. If one finds his desire in God’s Torah, his desires will be fulf1lled, as is taught by Rabbi Avraham.
Rabbah teaches that one should always study that part of the Torah that his heart desires. One should study the Torah first. then meditate upon it; even if he does not understand

Makkot lOa.

Sefer Shnei Luchot HaBrit 191a.
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studies, let him learn. Rabbah teaches in the name of Rabbi Saschorah in the name of Rabbi Huna that he who studies heaps will gain little, but one who gathers little will gain much. Rabbi Acha bar Adah teaches in the name of Rav that even the ordinary talk of scholars demands studying. We learn from Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi that whoever studies the Torah, his possessions shall prosper, as it says in the Torah:
“Keep, therefore, the words of this covenant and do them so
That you may prosper in all that you do” 39
.
In tractate Horayot, we learn from Rabbi Masharshyah that one should review his subject first, then come to the master. When one sits with him, look at his mouth, as it says in Isaiah: “Your eyes shall see your teacher” (Is. 3:20).
Practice your lessons by a river of water. As the waters advance continually, so may your acquired knowledge.4o By doing these things, one can always learn with a excitement unsurpassed. This is the way one should learn, as in tractate Menachot a Tanna of the school of Rabbi Yishmael teaches that words of Torah should not be to one as a debt, where one’s whole desire is to discharge his duty and be free from it.41
Rabbi Yochanan teaches that one who studies the Torah at night is credited as if he were occupied with the Temple service. One who occupies himself with laws of the Holy Temple is considered as one in whose days the Temple was built. Resh Lakish teaches that whoever occupies himself with the study of the Torah is as though he were offering the burnt offering, meal offering, and guilt offering, and yet needs none of these.
Rabbi Yitzchak teaches that if one studies the laws of a sin

Avodah Zarah 19a.

Horayot 12a.

Menachot 99b.
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or guilt offering, it is as if he is offering it.42 It is by learning the laws of the Torah that for some reason such as the exile we are unable to do, they become fulfilled.
In tractate Chullin, Rabbi Yehuda teaches in the name of Rav that a wise man must learn safrut (scribal arts), schechitah (ritual slaughtering of animals), and milah (circumci-sion). Rabbi Shalomyah adds in the name of Rav: tying the knot of tefillin, blessings for marriage, and tying tzitzith.43 When we learn these complicated halachic matters, we must always avoid learning them as if being engaged in secular academic matters. One way to remember the holiness of what we learn is by remembering the teaching of Rabbi Yehuda in the name of Rav that when we recite a tradition in a scholar’s name in this world, his lips murmur in the grave.44 This is a selfless type of learning with no room for arrogance, as Elijah the Prophet teaches that one must be willing to endure humiliation when asking questions so he will be lifted up, otherwise he will never understand the Torah.45 One must put himself aside when he learns.
The sages teach in tractate Temurah that if a student asks a question of his teacher and the teacher teaches him, God enlightens the eyes of both.
He who can make one wise can make him a fool, and he who can make one a fool can make him wise. It is likewise with giving assistance to the poor.46 By understanding these thoughts, one can see that Torah knowledge is nothing to wax arrogant about, as it is not one’s own but revealed by God.

Ibid. 1l0a.

Chullin 9a.

Bechorot 31b.

Tanna d’Bei Eliyahu Rabbah, p. 64.

Temurah.
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In the Midrash, the sages state that a man pours forth wisdom from his heart,47 and this is good to contemplate.
A sharp difference between learning Torah and secular learning can be seen in the teaching of Rabbi Yitzchak, where we learn that it is good that a man learns and forgets, for because of this he ,will never forsake Torah study.48
In pursuing the Torah, the sages teach us in tractate Soferim. one should not skip Chumash and Mishnah and come directly to Gemora, but one should learn Chumash and Mishnah with the idea of approaching Gemora.49 One of the great steps in acquiring the Torah is acquiring a teacher, and this is no easy matter as there are many ways and paths within the Torah.
As a general rule, we learn in the Midrash, if your study has been hard as iron and your teacher does not come to you to make it clear to you, denounce him with all your might. 50 It is your teacher who helps to open or close, Heaven forbid, the Torah to you, so in this matter you must be careful and beware. Do not be mistaken in denouncing your teacher because of your lack in understanding, as the Torah is deep and requires much work to acquire. Only after much work can much be accomplished-and this level of work is not easy, as Rabbi Levi teaches us in the Midrash that a man will sit and talk all day without growing tired, but as soon as he gets up to pray or study he becomes tired.51 One must go beyond all of this. If one stays at this level, finding learning a burden, he has not truly begun to see the Torah, and such can lead to grave consequences, as Rabbi Betzazel teaches that when those versed in Torah despise it, common people

Midrash Rabba Kohelet 1:7.

Ibid. 1: 13.

Soferim 41a.

Midrash Rabba Kohelet 10:10.

Ibid. 1:16.
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despise the Torah and see its words as a harlot. 52 This does not have to be the case, as the Torah is an endless resource of delight and its many secrets are waiting to be revealed, as Rabbi Shimon teaches us in the name of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi and Rabbi Chamah. Rabbi Chamah, father of Rabbi Hosea, teaches in the name of Rebbe that the Book of Chronicles was given only for the purpose of the midrashic interpretation. 53 To reach such a level of vision in the Torah revealing its innermost meaning found underneath its external garment, takes great devotion. One needs to begin by having set times for learning, day and night. One should learn as much as possible, but always keep set times for learning without fail. From regular study, this dedication allows one to be free when he meditates on the Torah, and his connection with it is as with an ever flowing brook. Such a man is a free man.54 To such a man the secrets of God are revealed, as Rabbi Levi teaches in the name of Rabbi Chama ben Hanina that from the beginning of the Book of Genesis to the thirty-first verse, it is the glory of God to conceal a thing; from there onward, it is the glory of kings to search out a matter. All decisions by kings in earth are approved in Heaven. 55
To find God’s secrets, one need not look at the Book of Chronicles or the works of creation, but one should know that the whole Torah is full of God’s secrets.
In Midrash Pesikta, we learn that a wise man ponders the order of the Torah’s precepts, the way they are arranged. It will help you not to depart from Hashem’s words. Once you inquire how one commandment is connected to another. A paragraph that starts אלה represents a contrast and criticism to what was previous, ואלה suggests a continuation. זה and זאת refer to the Written and Oral Torah. The word אם designates something as optimal except in ex. 22:24, then it means when. Debor involves stern warnings, amor is friendly speech.56 There are so many ways of looking into the Torah and so much to be seen. The Torah is a world in itself as one goes from
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wonder to wonder. As we learn in Pesikta, one who

Ibid. Ruth 1 :2.

Ibid. 2: 1.

Kallah Rabbati 54b.

Ibid., Alshich HaKodesh on Proverbs

Midrash Rabba Bereshith 9: 1, Sni Luchot Vayashev, Sni Luchot Pekudy, Alshich on Proverbs
engages in the Torah while in exile, whose feet are worn from travel in order to study, does not have imposed upon him the yoke of the kingdom of exile.
One can go so far into the Torah that from looking out, worldly burdens seem of little concern. Thus one is deeply absorbed in the Torah, which is ageless and removed from the burden of exile. 57 Another way to explore the Torah is through the secrets of Masorah (traditions of the scribes).
Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar tells us in the Midrash that when more letters are dotted than plain interpret the dotted letters, but if most are plain, interpret the plain letters only.58 This refers to the dots found above some words in the original Hebrew text of the Torah. This is just one of the infinite ways of understanding the Torah. These revelations of infinite understanding of the Torah are given to us by God. This is why we must revere our teachers, as we learn in the Midrash that God told to Moses that Aaron would be his spokesman to the people, and to Aaron that Moses shall be to him in God’s stead.59
When the Torah is being revealed we are merely conduits for the voice of Elokim Chaim (the Living God). In the Midrash, the sages teach that there are auspicious times when God
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reveals the Torah, and that we should learn new Torah by day and revise at night.60 Of all the aspects of Torah, Rabbi Huna teaches that the exiles will be gathered up only through the merit of the study of the Mishnah, as this is building the house and offering the sacrifices.61 It is by this learning that great light is revealed. This learning is an act of revealing the Divine Will as found in the Mishnah. Even if one

Pesikta d’Rabbi Kahana. pesikta 23.

Midrash Rabba Bereshith 48: 15.

Ibid. 10:7.

Ibid. Shemot 47:5.

Ibid. Vayikra 7:3.
does not remember what he has learned, as Rabbi Levi teaches, even if one forgets what he learns, the Holy One rewards him for his labor.62
Rabbi Banah teaches that a man should always plunge deeply into study of the Mishnah, because if he knocks, the gates of knowledge will open for him. If he desires Talmud or Aggadah then this will open them for him. Concerning the Mishnah, Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi describes it as a pillar of iron.63 Just as a pillar of iron is made to stand upright and hold its place, not yielding to pressure, so will be one who is full of Mishnah.
One’s intent while learning is so important, Rabbi Acha teaches, that he who learns with the intent to practice will be privileged to receive Ruach haKodesh (the Holy Spirit), 64 but this happens only when one learns with the intent to practice. One can easily fall into the trap of learning Torah as if it were any secular learning if he does not see God before himself continually. This is the learning that yields the greatest result. When one learns it must be the labor of Love. As long as you do not abandon Torah and its ways it all ways guards you. But if you display a active love for Torah it will not only guard you, but it will protect you actively at all times. Torah study saves one from the
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evil urge not only when one is actively learning but even when on is doing something else. Rabbi Nachman teaches us that one who loves the Torah cannot have a sufficient amount of it because of being intensely eager to accumulate learning. The true love of the Torah is selfless. It is for this reason that Rabbi Acha teaches that there is no greater vanity than a disciple who learns but does not raise disciples to teach.65 If one truly loves the Torah, he will enjoy sharing Torah with as many people as possible, since it is the center and greatest joy in life. This is joy that increases and is without end, as the sages teach in the Midrash that the Torah produces fruit as a fig tree. A little is harvested today and

Ibid. 19:2.

Ibid. 21 :5.

Ibid. 35:7.

Ibid. Devarim 2:25, Alshich on Proverbs
much tomorrow,66 as is shown to us by King Solomon in the Song of Songs: “The fig tree puts forth her green figs” (Song 2: 13). Eating these new figs, sharing new ideas in the Torah, brings healing to the tongue, helping the tongue-tied speak easily, and aids digestion, as the sages teach in Deuteronomy.67 Further explanation of the eating of these precious fruits is explained in the holy teachings of the Tanya, where Rabbi Shneur Zalman teaches that when meditating on knowledge of the Torah the mind encompasses a concept, it being enclothed within the intellect at the time the mind grasps and comprehends fully and clearly, although no one can grasp the Holy One, except when He is clothed in a law of His Torah that is grasped by the intellect. Thus one grasps the Will of the Holy Blessed One, and when the Torah is clothed in the soul and the intellect of a person is absorbed in it, it is called food for the soul by which the soul is nourished by the Giver of life, as one becomes united and
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one with the Torah. 68
By studying haLachot (laws) of the Oral Torah, which is a level surpassing even the Chachmah (Wisdom) of the Holy Blessed One, being the level called Supreme Will, one gives Netzach (Victory) and Hod (Splendor) to the loins to support and sustain the power of the head and arms, the loins being girded and embodied in this Will, fortifying the “arms,” namely, natural awe and love, and sustaining the head, the intellect that contemplates.69 To reach this end, when learning for a number of consecutive hours one should hourly take time to reflect upon the idea being learned for the sake of uniting the Holy Blessed One and His Shechinah, so that one may be blessed with the optimum revelation of the Torah in

Ibid. Bamidbar21:15.

Ibid. Devarim 1: 1.

Tanya 21.

Ibid. 391.
that hour, as each hour is permeated by a different radiance of Divine Energy. 70 All of these things will set one upon a path of revelation in Torah learning so that the teaching of Rashi-if one does not see a good sign in his Torah learning after five years, he never will-does not apply to him.71 Anyone who follows the prescribed ways that God has taught our sages to learn the Torah will find himself upon the Great Mountains of Torah. It is his right by inheritance.
In Rashi’s commentary on the Chumash, he describes these mountains when discussing what is the way of the wise man versus the man of understanding. Just as mountains have peaks, so is the wise man to all others, as King David reveals in Psalms when he states. “Lift me on a rock; my head is lifted high above my enemies” (Ps. 27:6). With his wisdom the wise man sees over the head of others. Rashi compares this to the difference between a wealthy money changer and a merchant money changer. The wealthy
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money changer waits for people to bring him money to exchange, and when they bring it he considers, but when no one comes to transact, he sits and gazes. The merchant money changer, like the man of understanding, when he has no business he tries to bring it out of his own. 72 The wise man, when the Torah is not being shared with him will in the wealth of the Torah he has already acquired gaze, meditate, and contemplate till a new idea comes, instead of merely continually reviewing that which he already knows. Yet one can never review the Holy Words of Torah enough.
We learned before that each law is given a specific order and there is a reason why this order is given to the unfolding of the Torah. Rashi also teaches us that the sections of the

Ibid. 215.

Rashi Bamidbar.

Ibid. 215.

Rashi Bamidbar.
Torah are joined because in fulfilling one commandment one is given the opportunity to go on to the next.73 Thus we have many holy writings that teach the commandments in the order in which they appear in the Chumash. It is good to adjust one’s learning around the commandments that are discussed in the weekly parsha, sometimes learning a Mishnah because it coincides with the Halachah taught in that week’s portion of the Torah as this is the backbone of the Torah.
Learning Halachah will allow one to have the ability to become a vessel to receive illumination of the great lights the inspiration of the Holy Blessed One, revealing insights deep into the hidden places of the Torah. Yet in this one must be careful, as Rabbi Yitzchak teaches not to err concerning words of the Torah, not to derive any doctrine that he has not learned from books or his teachers, for one should not give
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his own interpretations to the Torah, as he who does so is as one who is making another Torah, and this is the making of a graven image.74 Here lies the wisdom the ability to discern truth from falsehood. Moshe received the Torah and ex-plained its meaning to us as we wandered forty years in the desert. This tradition has been passed down through each generation; likewise the teachings of the prophets. So many others have forged their own interpretations and have thus fallen into error-and even worse, have led others astray into confusion and folly. The halachah of the Torah are all clear and established forever, as truth is eternal. Only in some minor areas have the sages told us we are unsure. Everywhere else there is no question as to the proper path, and the minor points that have been left in dispute will be resolved when Elijah the Prophet reveals himself to us, settling these

Ibid.
74.Zohar 2:87a
halachic matters once and for all. All this negates the idea of creating new Halachah as folly. But God is always ready to bestow the warm embrace of a new creative thought, as Rabbenu Bachyah explains in Duties of the Heart that if one studies a science, working zealously and industriously to understand its fundamentals, the Creator will teach him the abstract and his knowledge becomes an ordered system so that he can do the most difficult work resembling prophecy.
If the pupil studies zealously, he will feel a higher spiritual power, which no man can give him. If this applies to the study of the truth in science, which is such a diminished light compared to the Torah’s revelation, how much greater closeness and revelation of truth will come from diligent study of the Torah? The Torah is the blueprint of creation and encom-passes all truth, as Rabbi Bachyah teaches in
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KadHaKemach that the seven lamps of the menorah symbolize seven types of wisdom: wisdom of constellations, measurements, the ways of the soul, nature, expression, math, and the wisdom of values. One should not be mistaken: Divine Light may be drawn when seeing truth in scientific disciplines. yet this must be seen without absorbing the impurity of falsehood that is mingled in secular thought.75 As Rabbi Bachyah teaches, other wisdoms are not considered refined silver because of their dross, but with Torah knowledge one can understand rational principles and not be led astray in his thinking.76 One needs first to be firmly rooted in the wisdom of the Torah before delving into Divine secrets that can be seen through science, as the misunderstandings one can reach could, Heaven forbid, attach one to empty, false concepts that do not give life but may hinder one in truly seeing the Torah in the purest light.

Kad HaKemach. chapter “Chanukah Lamp.”

Ibid., chapter “Passover.”
Do not tarnish your vessel with impure thought. Rabbenu Bachyah tells one to imagine standing in front of a certain spot, above which and behind you is a figure you cannot see with your eyes. Take a plate of wrought iron and polish it till its dullness disappears, then place it in front of you. Now you will be able to see the high figure you could not see. This wisdom that you could not see with your eyes is the wisdom of the Exalted Creator, the steel plate is the human soul, and the polishing represents its training and instruction.77 We see that impurity must be elevated so that the light of wisdom may shine through.
Rabbi Schneur Zalman teaches us in the Tanya. Concerning this purification, that the celestial beings are not able to disencumber and elevate sparks that fall into the klippah nogah, “the hide of the snake,” but we, by crushing passions, suppressing the sitra achra, cause the
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klippot to be dispersed. This is why celestial beings come to terrestrial beings to hear novelties in the Torah, when they reveal secrets of wisdom that until then were in bondage and exile, and why everyone in Yisrael is able to reveal secrets of wisdom, to discover new insights each according to the level of the soul’s root. Indeed, one is obligated to do so in order to perfect his soul by elevating the sparks that fell to his lot. 78 Each one of us must learn his portion of the Torah so that we may make our corrections in this world, removing the obscurity from our eyes so that it is like navigating with a map that has been used many times to an area we often go, where our treasure is before us.
To gain such a familiarity with the Holy One requires, like in any relationship, considerable time and commitment, but through this work one will reach the place where he will
77.Duties of the Heart 2:281
78.Ibid. 359.
acquire the Torah at all times. This is so beautiful that Rabbi Eleazer teaches that students who come later into the world and find the Torah clearly expounded, yet manage to find new expositions everyday, the Shechinah rests upon them and listens to their words. 79 In these later generations we can see the love God has shown to our sages in their teaching, and grow from their teachings and the love within them, and rise to reach our vision of our portion of the Torah-that the Torah of all the previous generations reveals to us.
We have so much before us in this generation and so far we can go in the Torah, but do not think for a minute that this is the end we strive for. As God gave us the Torah because God wanted to bestow good on His creations, so too our desire to learn is so that we elevate our souls to be vessels for revelation so that others near us may also benefit. We learn so that we may share
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the benefits of the Torah, as Rabbi Bachyah teaches that it is our duty to contemplate the manifold aspects of the Divine Commandments, thereby attaining a conception of God so that we may attract others to love Him.8o
This love has many faces of revelation, depending on the aspect with which one is occupied. Rabbenu Bachyah teaches that from the chukim (statutes) one may learn the secrets of the Torah, the hidden teachings of wisdom, the knowledge of the Creator.81 As the statutes are beyond normal rational understanding, they require a Divine Perception to really penetrate them. It was from contemplating the statute of the Red Heifer that King Solomon, the wisest of men, realized how limited his knowledge was. The statutes are a gateway to Divine Consciousness. One should not be
79.Zohar 3:197b.

Kad.HaKemach Chapter love “Love.”
81 Ibid chapter”Blessing.”
misled into believing that such great depth can be found only in the statutes of the Torah, because the whole Torah has hidden aspects. Rabbenu Bachyah teaches that most of the words of the Talmud are covert and concealed.82 In many parts of the Talmud the discussion is so bizarre that this should be obvious, yet so many pass over the Agaddah so quickly, though this is some of the most wondrous Torah. God should open all our eyes.
Another indication of a hidden teaching is revealed by Rabbenu Bachyah: The more esoteric the subject, the shorter the account that is given of it in the Torah. This is true so that true knowledge is reserved only for erudite individuals. 83
If one is occupied in the Torah with proper intention, he will find wonders in these matters and God will show him secrets; if one does not have this awe, there is something wrong at the foundation of his learning-and this is dangerous
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for the soul, as Rabbi Banah said that whoever occupies himself with the Torah not for its own sake it becomes a deadly poison to him, as taught in tractate Tynis,84 but if one learns with proper intention the doors of the Torah will open to him so many wonders.
Elijah the Prophet teaches that Makom revealed to Daniel the depths of the Merkavah, from which he could look out over all the world to provide for it. 85 All these wonders are there just waiting for us to explore them; what is there to compare to these? Let us take the advice of the wise King Solomon as he says in the Song of Songs: “Come my beloved, let us go forth into the field, let us lodge in the villages, let us get up early to the vineyard” (Song 7: 12 -13). To each of us is this quest, and a grand portion it is to all who truly desire.

Ibid., chapter “Atonement.”

Ibid., chapter “Rosh Hashanah.”

Taanit 7a.

Tanna d’Bei ELiyahu Rabbah, p. 64.
Elijah the Prophet teaches that a nut has four segments, so each and every sage in Yisrael who truly has words of Torah within him comes to have wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and insight within him. 86 This is not to be accomplished alone; there are at times a need for seclusion from others for deep contemplation and meditation, but Eliyahu teaches that even if a man sits privately and occupies himself with the mysteries of God’s Merkavah and all His beneficent ways in the world, occasionally he should put aside his own occupation to go to the Synagogue or to the House of Study any place new insights into the Torah are discovered. Because of a man’s presence in the Synagogue or House of Study, joy is renewed for him every day without fai1.87 We cannot go further without noting Eliyahu Ha Navi’s teaching that one who recites Chumash and Mishnah in a secluded place abides with the Holy One.88 Shabot is a aspect of
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the completion of the creation. So a Talmud Chuchum (Great student of Torah) is called Shabot. When a man sanctifies himself from endless Torah study and prayer. He becomes totally subservient to Torah. His body is likened to parchment of the Torah. His prayers and learning is like its letters. One should never become arrogant over how much they have learned. As the Alshich HaKodesh on Mishle teaches that if a person refuses to hear words of Torah saying they already learned it. Hashem will reciprocate by not listening to his prayer saying He already has heard that.
The path of the Torah has many diverse ways, but the key to it is balance, harmony, and beauty in all its ways together. One must always remember that the Torah is an oral tradition and has been learned this way since the beginning. Rabbi Eleazer teaches that whoever contemplates what he learns from his master while at the same time seeing the wisdom reflected in his face can thereby obtain an additional portion of spirit.89 Here we see an additional bit of the advantage of learning with others, as our spirits can then combine in searching of the Torah, allowing thereby to be revealed that which none of those learning would have seen on his own. In further explanation, Rabbi Shneur Zalman in the Tanya teaches that a man’s very descent into this world is for the purpose of his ascent, of which there is none higher-

Ibid .. ch. 18.

Ibid .. p. 137.

Ibid. 339.

Zohar 1:192a.
this being the in-dwelling of his might, which is in the heights of the upper realms and becomes magnified through ten people learning the Torah, causing an in-dwelling of Holiness, an lmmense, radiation without limit or end. So it cannot be vested In a finite vessel but surrounds
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a group of ten.90 The Oar Hachym teaches that the final redemption will be in Mose’s merit. This is evoked by dedication to Torah study. Thus the long wait for the final redemption is do to a lack of vigor and diligence in Torah study. May we soon see many such yielding to us Messianic revelation.

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