Save "Torah miSinai
"
Torah miSinai
Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: When Moses ascended on High to receive the Torah, the ministering angels said before the Holy One : Sovereign of the Universe, what is one born of a woman doing here among us? The Holy One said to them: He came to receive the Torah. The angels said before God: The Torah is a hidden treasure that was concealed by you 974 generations before the creation of the world, and you seek to give it to flesh and blood? “What is man that You are mindful of him and the son of man that You think of him?” (Psalms 8:5). Rather, “Adonai our God, how glorious is Your name in all the earth that Your majesty is placed above the heavens” (Psalms 8:2). The rightful place of God’s majesty, the Torah, is in the heavens.
The Holy One said to Moses: Provide them with an answer as to why the Torah should be given to the people. Moses said before God: Master of the Universe, the Torah that You are giving me, what is written in it? God said to him: “I am the Eternal your God Who brought you out of Egypt from the house of bondage” (Exodus 20:2). Moses said to the angels: Did you descend to Egypt? Were you enslaved to Pharaoh? Why should the Torah be yours? Again Moses asked: What else is written in it? God said to him: “You shall have no other gods before Me” (Exodus 20:3). Moses said to the angels: Do you dwell among the nations who worship idols that you require this special warning? Again Moses asked: What else is written in it? The Holy One, Blessed be He, said to him: “Remember the Shabbat day to sanctify it” (Exodus 20:8). Moses asked the angels: Do you perform labour that you require rest from it? Again Moses asked: What else is written in it? “Do not take the name of the Eternal your God in vain” (Exodus 20:7), meaning that it is prohibited to swear falsely. Moses asked the angels: Do you conduct business with one another that may lead you to swear falsely? Again Moses asked: What else is written in it? The Holy One, Blessed be He, said to him: “Honour your father and your mother” (Exodus 20:12). Moses asked the angels: Do you have a father or a mother that would render the commandment to honour them relevant to you? Again Moses asked: What else is written in it? God said to him: “You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal.” Moses asked the angels: Is there jealousy among you, or is there an evil inclination within you that would render these commandments relevant? Immediately they agreed with the Holy One that God made the right decision to give the Torah to the people, and as it is stated: “Adonai our God, how glorious is Your name in all the earth” (Psalms 8:10), because the angels agreed with God that it is appropriate to give the Torah to the people on earth.
(ג) וּמֹשֶׁ֥ה עָלָ֖ה אֶל־הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים וַיִּקְרָ֨א אֵלָ֤יו יְהוָה֙ מִן־הָהָ֣ר לֵאמֹ֔ר כֹּ֤ה תֹאמַר֙ לְבֵ֣ית יַעֲקֹ֔ב וְתַגֵּ֖יד לִבְנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ (ד) אַתֶּ֣ם רְאִיתֶ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר עָשִׂ֖יתִי לְמִצְרָ֑יִם וָאֶשָּׂ֤א אֶתְכֶם֙ עַל־כַּנְפֵ֣י נְשָׁרִ֔ים וָאָבִ֥א אֶתְכֶ֖ם אֵלָֽי׃ (ה) וְעַתָּ֗ה אִם־שָׁמ֤וֹעַ תִּשְׁמְעוּ֙ בְּקֹלִ֔י וּשְׁמַרְתֶּ֖ם אֶת־בְּרִיתִ֑י וִהְיִ֨יתֶם לִ֤י סְגֻלָּה֙ מִכָּל־הָ֣עַמִּ֔ים כִּי־לִ֖י כָּל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃ (ו) וְאַתֶּ֧ם תִּהְיוּ־לִ֛י מַמְלֶ֥כֶת כֹּהֲנִ֖ים וְג֣וֹי קָד֑וֹשׁ אֵ֚לֶּה הַדְּבָרִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר תְּדַבֵּ֖ר אֶל־בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ (ז) וַיָּבֹ֣א מֹשֶׁ֔ה וַיִּקְרָ֖א לְזִקְנֵ֣י הָעָ֑ם וַיָּ֣שֶׂם לִפְנֵיהֶ֗ם אֵ֚ת כָּל־הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֔לֶּה אֲשֶׁ֥ר צִוָּ֖הוּ יְהוָֽה׃ (ח) וַיַּעֲנ֨וּ כָל־הָעָ֤ם יַחְדָּו֙ וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ כֹּ֛ל אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּ֥ר יְהוָ֖ה נַעֲשֶׂ֑ה וַיָּ֧שֶׁב מֹשֶׁ֛ה אֶת־דִּבְרֵ֥י הָעָ֖ם אֶל־יְהוָֽה׃

(3) and Moses went up to God. The Eternal called to him from the mountain, saying, “Thus shall you say to the house of Jacob and declare to the children of Israel: (4) ‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Me. (5) Now then, if you will obey Me faithfully and keep My covenant, you shall be My treasured possession among all the peoples. Indeed, all the earth is Mine, (6) but you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the children of Israel.” (7) Moses came and summoned the elders of the people and put before them all that the Eternal had commanded him. (8) All the people answered as one, saying, “All that the Eternal has spoken we will do!” And Moses brought back the people’s words to the Eternal.

(טז) וַיְהִי֩ בַיּ֨וֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֜י בִּֽהְיֹ֣ת הַבֹּ֗קֶר וַיְהִי֩ קֹלֹ֨ת וּבְרָקִ֜ים וְעָנָ֤ן כָּבֵד֙ עַל־הָהָ֔ר וְקֹ֥ל שֹׁפָ֖ר חָזָ֣ק מְאֹ֑ד וַיֶּחֱרַ֥ד כָּל־הָעָ֖ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר בַּֽמַּחֲנֶֽה׃ (יז) וַיּוֹצֵ֨א מֹשֶׁ֧ה אֶת־הָעָ֛ם לִקְרַ֥את הָֽאֱלֹהִ֖ים מִן־הַֽמַּחֲנֶ֑ה וַיִּֽתְיַצְּב֖וּ בְּתַחְתִּ֥ית הָהָֽר׃
(16) On the third day, as morning dawned, there was thunder, and lightning, and a dense cloud upon the mountain, and a very loud blast of the horn; and all the people who were in the camp trembled. (17) Moses led the people out of the camp toward God, and they took their places at the foot of the mountain.
Shabbat 88a

(Shemot 19:17) "They stood at the bottom of the mountain." Rav Avdimi bar Chama bar Chasa said: This teaches that the Holy One, Blessed be God, covered them with the mountain like an [overturned] vat. And God said to them, "If you accept the Torah, good. And if not, there will be your burial." Rav Acha bar Yaakov said, from here is a strong signal [of coercion] regarding [acceptance of] the Torah.

אני מאמין באמונה שלמה שכל התורה המצויה עתה בידינו היא הנתונה למשה רבנו עליו השלום
I believe with perfect faith that all of the torah which is in our hands today was given to Moses (at Sinai)
Maimonides 13 Principles of Faith #8
(מו) אֵ֠לֶּה הַֽחֻקִּ֣ים וְהַמִּשְׁפָּטִים֮ וְהַתּוֹרֹת֒ אֲשֶׁר֙ נָתַ֣ן יְהוָ֔ה בֵּינ֕וֹ וּבֵ֖ין בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל בְּהַ֥ר סִינַ֖י בְּיַד־מֹשֶֽׁה׃ (פ)

(46) These are the laws, rules, and instructions that the Eternal established, through Moses on Mount Sinai, between Himself and the Israelite people.

והתורות - מלמד ששתי תורות ניתנו להם לישראל אחד בכתב ואחד בעל פה
The Torot - we learn that there were two torot given to them, to Israel. One Written, one Oral
(sifra bechukotai)
Rabbi Yoḥanan and Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish used to read from a scroll of aggada containing the words of the Sages on Shabbat. But such a scroll may not be written, for in principle, the statements of the Oral Law may not be committed to writing. Rather, since it is not possible to remember the Oral Law without writing it down, it is permitted to violate the halakha, as indicated by the verse: “It is time to act for the Eternal; they have nullified your Torah” (Psalms 119:126). ...Abaye raised a dilemma before Rabba: What is the halakha with regard to whether it is permitted to write a scroll containing only one portion of the Torah for the purpose of enabling a child to study it? The Gemara notes: Let the dilemma be raised according to the one who says that the Torah was given from the outset scroll by scroll, meaning that Moses would teach the Jewish people one portion of the Torah, and then write it down, and then teach them the next portion of the Torah, and then write that down, and continue in this way until he committed the entire Torah to writing. And let the dilemma also be raised according to the one who says that the Torah was given as a complete book, meaning that the Torah was not written down incrementally, but rather, after teaching the Jewish people the entire Torah, Moses committed it to writing all at once. (Talmud: Gittin 60a)

The gemara gives two opinions: that Torah was written in installments, or that Torah was written at the end of the 40 years. There is no opinion that Moses had a fully written Torah at Mt Sinai.

(ו) דבר אחר: ויתן אל משה אמר ר' אבהו: כל מ' יום, שעשה משה למעלה, היה למד תורה ושוכח. אמר לו: רבון העולם! יש לי מ' יום ואיני יודע דבר. מה עשה הקב"ה? משהשלים מ' יום, נתן לו הקב"ה את התורה מתנה, שנאמר: ויתן אל משה. וכי כל התורה למד משה?! כתיב בתורה (איוב יא): ארוכה מארץ מדה ורחבה מני ים, ולארבעים יום למדה משה?! אלא כללים למדהו הקב"ה למשה. הוי, ככלותו לדבר אתו.

Another interpretation: 'And God gave to Moses...' (Exodus 31:18) Rabbi Abahu said: All forty days that Moses was up there, he would learn Torah and then forget. He said to Him: Master of the Universe! It's been forty days and I don't know a thing! What did The Holy One do? When forty days were up, The Holy One gave him Torah as a gift, as it says, "And He gave to Moses..." And did Moses really learn the whole Torah? It's written in the Torah (Job 11): Her measure is longer than the Earth and broader than the sea. And Moses learned it in forty days?! Rather, The Holy One taught him the general principles. Hence, '...when He had finished speaking with him.'

. וא"ר לוי בר חמא אמר ר' שמעון בן לקיש מאי דכתיב (שמות כד, יב) ואתנה לך את לוחות האבן והתורה והמצוה אשר כתבתי להורותם לוחות אלו עשרת הדברות תורה זה מקרא והמצוה זו משנה אשר כתבתי אלו נביאים וכתובים להורותם זה גמרא מלמד שכולם נתנו למשה מסיני:

And Rabbi Levi Bar Chama said that Rabbi Shimon Ben Lakish said: Why does it say 'And I will give you the tablets of stone and the Torah and the Mitzvah that I have written to teach them.' (Exodus 24;12) The tablets- these are the ten utterances. Torah- this is the chumash. And the Mitzvah- this is the Mishna. That I have written- these are the Prophets and the Writings. To teach them--This is the Gemara This teaches you that all of them were given to Moses on Sinai.

אמר רב יהודה אמר רב בשעה שעלה משה למרום מצאו להקב"ה שיושב וקושר כתרים לאותיות אמר לפניו רבש"ע מי מעכב על ידך אמר לו אדם אחד יש שעתיד להיות בסוף כמה דורות ועקיבא בן יוסף שמו שעתיד לדרוש על כל קוץ וקוץ תילין תילין של הלכות אמר לפניו רבש"ע הראהו לי אמר לו חזור לאחורך הלך וישב בסוף שמונה שורות ולא היה יודע מה הן אומרים תשש כחו כיון שהגיע לדבר אחד אמרו לו תלמידיו רבי מנין לך אמר להן הלכה למשה מסיני

Rav Yehuda said that Rav said: When Moses went up to the heights, he found The Holy One sitting and attaching crowns to the letters. He said before Him, "Master of the Universe, who is delaying your hand?" He said to him, "There is one man who will come in the future, after a number of generations, and his name is Akiva Ben Yosef, who will ​drash each and every tittle mounds and mounds of halachot.". He said before Him, "Master of the Universe, show him to me!" He said, "Turn around!" He went and he sat in the eighth row and he didn't know what they were saying. He was upset. When they arrived a certain point, his students said to him, "Rabbi, where did you get this from? ". He said to them, "It's a halacha [given] to Moses on Sinai." His mind was put at ease.

For just as in natural science a person produces innovations with his intelligence and understanding based on old principles, so too with the science of our holy Torah. As Chazal say, "if you hear the old, you will hear the new." The intent is that one who incessantly occupies himself with the Torah that is with us of old and "kills himself over it", can derive totally new insights which were never (apprehended) before; it is in this sense that Chazal said that "the Holy One, blessed be He, showed Moses all that an experienced disciple would in future times innovate (in Torah)," for all that is destined to be innovated in Torah was inherent in potentia1 (from the beginning)
(from the Introduction to Dor Revi’i by R’ Moshe Glasner (1856-1924)

(יא) כִּ֚י הַמִּצְוָ֣ה הַזֹּ֔את אֲשֶׁ֛ר אָנֹכִ֥י מְצַוְּךָ֖ הַיּ֑וֹם לֹֽא־נִפְלֵ֥את הִוא֙ מִמְּךָ֔ וְלֹ֥א רְחֹקָ֖ה הִֽוא׃ (יב) לֹ֥א בַשָּׁמַ֖יִם הִ֑וא לֵאמֹ֗ר מִ֣י יַעֲלֶה־לָּ֤נוּ הַשָּׁמַ֙יְמָה֙ וְיִקָּחֶ֣הָ לָּ֔נוּ וְיַשְׁמִעֵ֥נוּ אֹתָ֖הּ וְנַעֲשֶֽׂנָּה׃ (יג) וְלֹֽא־מֵעֵ֥בֶר לַיָּ֖ם הִ֑וא לֵאמֹ֗ר מִ֣י יַעֲבָר־לָ֜נוּ אֶל־עֵ֤בֶר הַיָּם֙ וְיִקָּחֶ֣הָ לָּ֔נוּ וְיַשְׁמִעֵ֥נוּ אֹתָ֖הּ וְנַעֲשֶֽׂנָּה׃ (יד) כִּֽי־קָר֥וֹב אֵלֶ֛יךָ הַדָּבָ֖ר מְאֹ֑ד בְּפִ֥יךָ וּבִֽלְבָבְךָ֖ לַעֲשֹׂתֽוֹ׃ (ס)

(11) Surely, this Instruction which I enjoin upon you this day is not too baffling for you, nor is it beyond reach. (12) It is not in the heavens, that you should say, “Who among us can go up to the heavens and get it for us and impart it to us, that we may observe it?” (13) Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, “Who among us can cross to the other side of the sea and get it for us and impart it to us, that we may observe it?” (14) No, the thing is very close to you, in your mouth and in your heart, to observe it.

(א) משֶׁה קִבֵּל תּוֹרָה מִסִּינַי, וּמְסָרָהּ לִיהוֹשֻׁעַ, וִיהוֹשֻׁעַ לִזְקֵנִים, וּזְקֵנִים לִנְבִיאִים, וּנְבִיאִים מְסָרוּהָ לְאַנְשֵׁי כְנֶסֶת הַגְּדוֹלָה. הֵם אָמְרוּ שְׁלשָׁה דְבָרִים, הֱווּ מְתוּנִים בַּדִּין, וְהַעֲמִידוּ תַלְמִידִים הַרְבֵּה, וַעֲשׂוּ סְיָג לַתּוֹרָה:

(1) Moses received the Torah from Sinai, and transmitted it to Yehoshua, and Yehoshua to the Elders, and the Elders to the Prophets, and the Prophets transmitted it to the Men of the Great Assembly. They said three things: Be deliberate in judgment, and establish many students, and make a fence for the Torah.

Louis Jacobs states that he doesn’t believe that God dictates every word of the Pentateuch to Moses, and that he does believe in Torah from Heaven.
When defining the terms of the expression Torah min hashamayim, ‘Torah from Heaven’, he notes that nowhere in the Pentateuch is the word ‘Torah’ used to refer to the five books of Moses. Such a designation, as a matter of fact, dates back to the rabbinic period. Similarly, the statement traditionally recited after the reading of the Torah in synagogue – ‘And this is the Torah which Moses placed before the children of Israel, according to the word of God and the hand of Moses’ – is a medieval amalgamation of two biblical verses, which taken separately do not convey such an idea.
The rejection of Torah min HaShamayim leaves a massive challenge. If the Torah is a human book, why give it any special importance in our lives? Why read it in synagogue? Why attach any more significance to Torah than to Shakespeare? This is a real challenge, but one with an answer:
For many of us, questions of authorship – or, indeed, of historicity – are irrelevant to our relationship with Torah. This is our people’s story, our literature, our poetry, our law. This is the formative stuff of our religious and cultural lives. The relationship with Torah is a deeply intimate, and particularistic one because it is ours. Like all good relationships, for Reform Jews it can be a critical relationship, too. (J.Levy)
“The idea of ‘Torah from Heaven’ was, even before it was explicitly formulated, far more than a belief about the origin of a text. It was a belief about the origin of a destiny. ‘Torah from Heaven’ did more than negate the idea that a people was the author of its own texts. It reversed it. It suggested that the text was the author of the people. ”Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, Crisis and Covenant p209