Rabbi Yehoshua Ben Levi Said: "Each And Every Day A Heavenly Voice Goes Forth From Mount Choreb, Proclaiming And Saying: 'Woe To The Created Beings Because Of [Their] Affront To The Torah!' For Whoever Does Not Occupy Himself With Torah Is Called Censured, As It Is Stated:[9] '[Like] A Golden Ring In A Swine's Snout Is A Beautiful Woman Who Lacks Discretion.'
And It Is Further Stated:[10] 'The Tablets Were The Work Of G-D, And The Writing Was The Writing Of G-D, Charut (Engraved) On The Tablets.' Do Not Read Charut But Cherut (Freedom), For There Is No Free Man Except One Who Occupies Himself With The Study Of Torah.
"And Anyone Who Occupies Himself With The Study Of Torah Becomes Elevated, As It Is Stated:[11] 'From Mattanah [The Gift] To Nachaliel [The Heritage Of G-D], And From Nachaliel To Bamos [High Places].' "
Our souls exist on several planes simultaneously. This Heavenly Voice reverberates, and is "heard" by our souls as they exist in the spiritual realms. And this causes our souls as they are enclothed within our bodies to be aroused to
teshuvah.[12]
(Likkutei Sichos, Vol. IX, p. 25)
One might think that a more effective way of motivating people to study Torah would be to emphasize the positive qualities it possesses. But this call is addressed to "created beings"
[13] - people who have no redeeming quality other than the fact that they are G-d's creations. Such people may be too crass and materially oriented to be able to appreciate the Torah's positive virtues.
Nevertheless, all people possess a soul which is "an actual part of G-d from above,"[14] and thus share an inherent connection to the Torah. Hearing this stiff rebuke may stagger their crass tendencies and awaken their inner bond with the word of G-d.
(Likkutei Sichos, Vol. XV, p. 123)
Again, the word is used. Based on the explanation given above, this teaching can be interpreted as applying not only to a person who does not study Torah at all, but to one who does not study with the all-encompassing commitment that a businessman brings to his commercial interests.
(Likkutei Sichos, Vol. IV, p. 1228)
Whenever our Sages offer an extended meaning for a word, they do not thereby nullify its simple interpretation.
[15] Instead, the two reinforce each other. The freedom generated by Torah study results from the fact that the letters of the Torah are engraved.
The difference between letters engraved onto stone and letters written with ink is that engraved letters are part and parcel of the substance onto which they are written. When the Torah is engraved within an individual's personality, it makes a permanent impression on every dimension of his being. This liberates a person's conduct, enabling him to express G-dly truth in all aspects of his life.
(Sichos Shabbos Parshas Balak, 5745)
The Torah is called service. Thus when G-d promised Moshe that He would give the Jews the Torah, He said:[16] "When you bring the people out of Egypt, you will serve G-d on this mountain." But unlike human bondage, this servitude gives expression to the inner G-dly nature which every Jew possesses. Therefore it represents true freedom.
(Likkutei Sichos, Vol. XVII, p. 75)
The Torah's ability to elevate a person to a higher and more refined plane of conduct (the "high places" mentioned in the verse) comes as a result of the concepts implied by the previous two locations.
The Torah is "the heritage of G-d" - an eternal Truth that could not be conceived by man alone. This unlimited Truth - a "gift" freely granted to us by G-d - enables us to rise above our individual nature and elevate our conduct.
(Sichos Shabbos Parshas Re'eh, 5740)
Notes:
- (Back to text) Mishlei 11:22.
- (Back to text) Shmos 82:16.
- (Back to text) Bamidbar 21:19. The Beraisa is offering a homiletic interpretation of the Hebrew names of these places.
- (Back to text) See Likkutei Torah, Seitze 36d; Ha'azinu 71d.
- (Back to text) See the notes to ch. 1, mishnah 12.
- (Back to text) Tanya, ch. 2.
- (Back to text) See Halichos Eli, sec. 3.
- (Back to text) Shmos 3:12.
Chapter Six - Mishna 1