(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 Torah at Sinai and transmitted it to Joshua, Joshua to the elders, and the elders to the prophets, and the prophets to the Men of the Great Assembly. They said three things: Be balanced in judgment, raise many disciples and make a fence for the Torah.
§ Rav Yehuda says that Rav says: When Moses ascended on High, he found the Holy One, Blessed be He, sitting and tying crowns on the letters of the Torah. Moses said before God: Master of the Universe, who is preventing You from giving the Torah without these additions? God said to him: There is a man who is destined to be born after several generations, and Akiva ben Yosef is his name; he is destined to derive from each and every thorn of these crowns mounds upon mounds of halakhot. It is for his sake that the crowns must be added to the letters of the Torah. Moses said before God: Master of the Universe, show him to me. God said to him: Return behind you. Moses went and sat at the end of the eighth row in Rabbi Akiva’s study hall and did not understand what they were saying. Moses’ strength waned, as he thought his Torah knowledge was deficient. When Rabbi Akiva arrived at the discussion of one matter, his students said to him: My teacher, from where do you derive this? Rabbi Akiva said to them: It is a halakha transmitted to Moses from Sinai. When Moses heard this, his mind was put at ease, as this too was part of the Torah that he was to receive. Moses returned and came before the Holy One, Blessed be He, and said before Him: Master of the Universe, You have a man as great as this and yet You still choose to give the Torah through me. Why? God said to him: Be silent; this intention arose before Me. Moses said before God: Master of the Universe, You have shown me Rabbi Akiva’s Torah, now show me his reward. God said to him: Return to where you were. Moses went back and saw that they were weighing Rabbi Akiva’s flesh in a butcher shop [bemakkulin], as Rabbi Akiva was tortured to death by the Romans. Moses said before Him: Master of the Universe, this is Torah and this is its reward? God said to him: Be silent; this intention arose before Me.
(א) וַיִּתֵּן אֶל מֹשֶׁה כְּכַלֹּתוֹ לְדַבֵּר אִתּוֹ (שמות לא, יח). אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקִישׁ: אָדָם שֶׁלִּמְּדוֹ רַבּוֹ אֶת הַתּוֹרָה, עַד שֶׁלֹּא לִמְּדוֹ, הָיָה הָרַב לוֹמֵד וְתַלְמִידוֹ עוֹנֶה אַחֲרָיו. מִשֶּׁלִּמְּדוֹ, אוֹמֵר לוֹ רַבּוֹ: נֹאמַר אֲנִי וְאַתָּה. כָּךְ כְּשֶׁלָּמַד מֹשֶׁה אֶת הַתּוֹרָה אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא: בֹּא וְנֹאמְרָהּ אֲנִי וְאַתָּה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: כְּכַלֹּתוֹ לְדַבֵּר אִתּוֹ.
(ג) וַיִּתֵּן אֶל מֹשֶׁה כְּכַלֹּתוֹ. אָמַר רַבִּי אַבָּהוּ: כָּל אַרְבָּעִים יוֹם שֶׁעָשָׂה מֹשֶׁה מִלְּמַעְלָן, הָיָה לוֹמֵד תּוֹרָה וְשׁוֹכֵחַ. לַסּוֹף, אָמַר לוֹ: רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, הֲרֵי בָּאוּ אַרְבָּעִים יוֹם וְאֵינִי יוֹדֵעַ דָּבָר. מֶה עָשָׂה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא? מִשֶּׁהִשְׁלִים אַרְבָּעִים יוֹם נָתַן לוֹ אֶת הַתּוֹרָה בְּמַתָּנָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיִּתֵּן אֶל מֹשֶׁה כְּכַלֹּתוֹ. וְכִי כָּל הַתּוֹרָה לָמַד מֹשֶׁה, וַהֲלֹא כְּתִיב אֲרֻכָּה מֵאֶרֶץ מִדָּה (איוב יא, ט). אֶלָּא כְּלָלִים כְּלָלִים לִמְּדָהּ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְמֹשֶׁה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: כְּכַלֹּתוֹ.
וְהַלֻּחֹת מַעֲשֵׂה אֱלֹקִים (שמות לב, טז). אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי: בְּכָל יוֹם בַּת קוֹל יוֹצֵאת מֵהַר חוֹרֵב וְאוֹמֶרֶת: וַי לָכֶם הַבְּרִיּוֹת מֵעֶלְבּוֹנָהּ שֶׁל תּוֹרָה. שֶׁכָּל מִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ תָּדִיר לַתּוֹרָה, נָזוּף הוּא לִפְנֵי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְהַלֻּחוֹת מַעֲשֵׂה אֱלֹקִים. כְּאָדָם שֶׁאוֹמֵר לַחֲבֵרוֹ, מַה מְּלַאכְתּוֹ שֶׁל זֶה? כֶּסֶף נִבְחָר. כָּךְ מְלַאכְתּוֹ שֶׁל מֶלֶךְ מַלְכֵי הַמְּלָכִים עוֹסֵק בַּתּוֹרָה.
(1) And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of speaking with him (Exod. 31:18). R. Simeon the son of Lakish said: This may be compared to a man whose teacher is instructing him in the law. While the student is still learning, the master recites the law and the student repeats it after him, but when the student has learned the law, the teacher says to him: “Let us say it together.” Similarly, after He had taught Moses the law, the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: Come, let us say it together, you and I, as it is said: When He had made an end of speaking with him.
(3) And He gave unto Moses when He made an end, etc. R. Abahu said: During the forty days Moses remained on the mountain, he would study the law and then forget it. Finally, he said: Forty days have passed and I still know nothing. What did the Holy One, blessed be he do? After the fortieth day, He gave him the Torah as a gift, as it is said: And He gave unto Moses when He made an end of speaking. Could Moses have possibly learned the entire Torah in forty days, since it is written: The measure thereof is longer than the earth (Job 11:9)? No. It was only the basic principles (kelalim)23A play on the words kelalim (basic things) and kekhalto (made an end of). that the Holy One, blessed be He, taught Moses, as it is stated: When he made an end of speaking.
(5) And the tablets were the work of God (Exod. 32:16). R. Joshua the son of Levi declared: Every day a heavenly voice reverberates from Mount Horeb exclaiming: “Woe unto you creatures for neglecting (lit. insulting) the Torah,” for whosoever is not constant in his study of the Torah is rebuked by the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is said: And the tablets were the work of God.
(ט) טוֹבִ֥ים הַשְּׁנַ֖יִם מִן־הָאֶחָ֑ד אֲשֶׁ֧ר יֵשׁ־לָהֶ֛ם שָׂכָ֥ר ט֖וֹב בַּעֲמָלָֽם׃ (י) כִּ֣י אִם־יִפֹּ֔לוּ הָאֶחָ֖ד יָקִ֣ים אֶת־חֲבֵר֑וֹ וְאִ֣יל֗וֹ הָֽאֶחָד֙ שֶׁיִּפּ֔וֹל וְאֵ֥ין שֵׁנִ֖י לַהֲקִימֽוֹ׃
(9) Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labor. (10) For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow; but woe to him that is alone when he falls, and there isn't another to lift him up.