The Significance of Receiving the Torah – Shabbat 88a-89a – Eight Theologically Provocative Talmud Sugyot By Rabbi Mordechai Silverstein

Shabbat 88a-89b

Selection 1

1. [Verse from Scripture]

And they stood under the mount (Exodus 19:17):

2. [Meimra which interprets the verse]

R. Abdimi b. Hama b. Hasa said: This teaches that the Holy One, blessed be He, overturned the mountain upon them like an [inverted] cask, and said to them, ‘If ye accept the Torah, ’tis well; if not, there shall be your burial.’

3. [Meimra which speaks of the significance of this interpretation]

R. Aha b. Jacob observed: This furnishes a strong protest against the Torah.

4. [Another meimra on the subject]

Said Raba, Yet even so, they re-accepted it in the days of Ahasuerus, for it is written, [the Jews] confirmed, and took upon them [etc.] (Esther 9:27): [i.e.,] they confirmed what they had accepted long before.

5. [Another related midrash on a different verse]

Hezekiah said: What is meant by, (Psalm 76:9) Thou didst cause sentence to be heard from Heaven; The earth feared, and was tranquil: if it feared, why was it tranquil, and if it was tranquil, why did it fear? But at first it feared, yet subsequently it was tranquil,

6. [Shealah]

And why did it fear?

7. [Teshuvah]

— Even in accordance with Resh Lakish. For Resh Lakish said: Why is it written, (Genesis 1:31) And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day; What is the purpose of the additional ‘the (the letter ‘hey’)’? This teaches that the Holy One, blessed be He, stipulated with the Works of Creation and said thereto. ‘If Israel accepts the Torah, ye shall exist; but if not, I will turn you back into emptiness and formlessness.’

Selection 2

1. [Meimra]

R. Simla lectured: When the Israelites gave precedence to ‘we will do’ over ‘we will hearken,’ six hundred thousand ministering angels came and set two crowns upon each man of Israel, one as a reward for ‘we will do,’ and the other as a reward for ‘we will hearken’. But as soon as Israel sinned, one million two hundred thousand destroying angels descended and removed them, as it is said, (Exodus 33:6) And the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments from mount Horeb.

2. [Meimra]

R. Hama son of R. Hanina said: At Horeb they put them on and at Horeb they put them off. At Horeb, they put them on, as we have stated. At Horeb they put them off, for it is written, And [the children of Israel] stripped themselves, etc.

3. [Meimra]

R. Johanan observed: And Moses was privileged and received them all, for in proximity thereto it is stated, (Exoduss 33:7) And Moses took the tent.

4. [Meimra]

Resh Lakish said: [Yet] the Holy One, blessed be He, will return them to us in the future, for it is said, 9Isaiah 35:10) and the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; – the joy from of old shall be upon their heads.

Selection 3

1. [Meimra]

R. Eleazar said: When the Israelites gave precedence to ‘we will do’ over ‘we will hearken,’ a Heavenly Voice went forth and exclaimed to them, Who revealed to My children this secret, which is employed by the Ministering Angels, as it is written, (Psalm 103:20) Bless the Lord, ye angels of his. Ye mighty in strength, that fulfill his word, That hearken unto the voice of his word: – first they fulfil and then they hearken?

2. [Another Meimra on the subject]

R. Hama son of R. Hanina said: What is meant by, (Song of Songs 2:3) As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, [So is my beloved among the sons]: – why were the Israelites compared to an apple tree? To teach you: just as the fruit of the apple tree precedes its leaves, so did the Israelites give precedence to ‘we will do’ over ‘we will hearken’.

3. [A Maaseh– anecdote]

There was a certain heretic who saw Raba engrossed in his studies while the finger[s] of his hand were under his feet, and he ground them down, so that his fingers spurted blood. ‘Ye rash people,’ he exclaimed, ‘who gave precedence to your mouth over your ears: yet still persist in your rashness. First ye should have listened, if within your powers, accept; if not, ye should not have accepted.’ Said he to him, ‘We who walked in integrity, of us it is written, (Proverbs 11:3) The integrity of the upright shall guide them. But of others, who walked in perversity, it is written, (Ibid.) but the perverseness of the treacherous shall destroy them.

Selection 4

1. [Meimra]

R. Joshua b. Levi also said: When Moses ascended on high, the ministering angels spoke before the Holy One, blessed be He, ‘Sovereign of the Universe! What business has one born of woman amongst us?’ ‘He has come to receive the Torah,’ answered He (God) to them. Said they to Him, ‘That secret treasure, which has been hidden by Thee for nine hundred and seventy-four generations before the world was created. Thou desirest to give to flesh and blood! (Psalms 8:5) What is man, that thou art mindful of him, And the son of man, that thou visitest him? O Lord our God, How excellent is thy name in all the earth! Who hast set thy glory [the Torah] upon the Heavens!’ ‘Return them an answer,’ bade the Holy One, blessed be He, to Moses. ‘Sovereign of the Universe’ replied he (Moses), ‘I fear lest they consume me with the [fiery] breath of their mouths.’ ‘Hold on to the Throne of Glory,’ said He (God) to him, ‘and return them an answer,’ as it is said, (Job 26:9) He maketh him to hold on to the face of his throne, And spreadeth [PaRSHeZ] his cloud over him, whereon R. Nahman observed: This teaches that the Almighty [SHaddai] spread [Pirash] the lustre [Ziv] of His Shechinah and cast it as a protection over him. He (Moses) [then] spoke before Him: Sovereign of the Universe! The Torah which Thou givest me, what is written therein? (Exodus 20:2) I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the Land of Egypt. Said he (Moses) to them [the angels], ‘Did ye go down to Egypt; were ye enslaved to Pharaoh: why then should the Torah be yours? Again, What is written therein? (Ibid. 3) Thou shalt have none other gods: do ye dwell among peoples that engage in idol worship? Again what is written therein? (Ibid. 8) Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy: do ye then perform work, that ye need to rest? Again what is written therein? (Ibid. 7) Thou shalt not take [tissa] [the name … in vain]: is there any business [massa] dealings among you? Again what is written therein, (Ibid. 12) Honour thy father and thy mother; have ye fathers and mothers? Again what is written therein? (Ibid. 13) Thou shall not murder. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou Shall not steal; is there jealousy among you; is the Evil Tempter among you? Straightway they conceded [right] to the Holy One, blessed be He, for it is said, (Psalms 810) O Lord, our Lord, How excellent is thy name in all the land, etc. whereas ‘Who has set thy glory upon the heavens’ is not written. Immediately each one was moved to love him [Moses] and transmitted something to him, for it is said, (Psalms 68:19) Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast taken spoils [the Torah]; Thou hast received gifts on account of man: as a recompense for their calling thee man [adam] thou didst receive gifts. The Angel of Death too confided his secret to him, fo
r it is said, (Numbers 17:12) and he put on the incense, and made atonement for the people; and it is said, and he stood between the dead and the living, etc. Had he not told it to him, whence had he known it?

Selection 5

1. [Meimra]

R. Joshua b. Levi also said: When Moses descended from before the Holy One, blessed be He, Satan came and asked Him (God), ‘Sovereign of the Universe! Where is the Torah? ‘I have given it to the earth.’ answered He (God) to him. He (Satan) went to the earth and said to her, ‘Where is the Torah?’ (Job 28:23) ‘God understands the way thereof, etc.’ she replied. He went to the sea and it told him, ‘It is not with me.’ He went to the deep and it said to him, ‘It is not in me,’ for it is said. (Job 28:14) The deep said, It is not in me: And the sea saith, It is not with me. Destruction and Death say, We have heard a rumor thereof with our ears. He went back and declared before Him, ‘Sovereign of the Universe! I have searched throughout all the earth but have not found it!’ ‘Go thee to the son of Amram. answered He (God). [So] he went to Moses and asked him, ‘Where is the Torah which the Holy One, blessed be He, gave unto thee?’ ‘Who am I then,’ he (Moses) retorted, ‘that the Holy One, blessed be He, should give me the Torah?’ Said the Holy One, blessed be He, to Moses, ‘Moses, art thou a liar!’ ‘Sovereign of the Universe!’ he replied, ‘Thou hast a stored-up treasure in which Thou takest delight every day: shall I keep the benefit for myself?’ ‘Said the Holy One, blessed be He, to Moses, ‘Moses, since thou hast [humbly] disparaged thyself, it shall be called by thy name, as it is said, (Malachi 3:22) Remember ye the law of Moses my servant.