וְכִי כָּל הַתּוֹרָה לָמַד משֶׁה, כְּתִיב בַּתּוֹרָה (איוב יא, ט): אֲרֻכָּה מֵאֶרֶץ מִדָּהּ וּרְחָבָה מִנִּי יָם, וּלְאַרְבָּעִים יוֹם לְמָדָהּ משֶׁה. אֶלָּא כְּלָלִים לִמְדָהוּ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְמשֶׁה, הֱוֵי: כְּכַלֹּתוֹ לְדַבֵּר אִתּוֹ.
But did Moses learn the entire Torah? It is written concerning the Torah, "It is broader than the earth and wider than the sea" (Job 11:9), and Moses learned it in 40 days?! Rather, the Holy One, who is blessed, taught Moses general principles [kelalim]. This is the meaning of "When he [God] finished [kekhalloto] speaking with him" [Exod 31:18].
Study Questions on Shemot Rabbah 41:6
**Background: Midrash Rabbah is one of the primary collections of Rabbinic Aggadah (a form of midrash), some of which was written in the land of Israel at the same time that the Talmuds were being written, and some of which was still being produced for centuries afterward. Shemot Rabbah is the collection of material that was generated through intense, creative study of the book of Exodus.**
1. What sense of "Torah" is this midrash probably referring to? (Keep in mind the various parts we've discussed.)
2. What kind of principles do you think God could have taught Moses according to what this passage imagines?
3. Look back at Berachot 5a (Unit 2F, Text #3). Carefully contrast the differing perspectives of that text and this one on the nature of Moses' experience on Mount Sinai.
דָּבָר אַחֵר, כְּתָב לְךָ, הִתְחִילוּ מַלְאֲכֵי הַשָּׁרֵת אוֹמְרִים לִפְנֵי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אַתָּה נוֹתֵן רְשׁוּת לְמשֶׁה שֶׁיִּכְתֹּב מַה שֶּׁהוּא מְבַקֵּשׁ, שֶׁיֹּאמַר לְיִשְׂרָאֵל אֲנִי נָתַתִּי לָכֶם אֶת הַתּוֹרָה, אֲנִי הוּא שֶׁכָּתַבְתִּי וְנָתַתִּי לָכֶם. אָמַר לָהֶם הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא חַס וְשָׁלוֹם שֶׁמּשֶׁה עוֹשֶׂה אֶת הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה, וַאֲפִלּוּ עוֹשֶׂה נֶאֱמָן הוּא, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (במדבר יב, ז): לֹא כֵן עַבְדִּי משֶׁה בְּכָל בֵּיתִי נֶאֱמָן הוּא.
Another interpretation: "[The Lord said to Moses,] 'Write these words for yourself...'" (Exod 34:27).
The ministering angels [who serve in heaven] began to say in the presence of God, "Are you giving Moses permission to write whatever he wants, so that he could say to Israel, 'I gave you the Torah; I'm the one who wrote it and gave it to you'?!"
The Holy One, who is blessed, said to them, "Moses would never do such a thing. But even if he did, he is trusted, as it is stated, '[God said to Miriam and Aaron:] Not so my servant Moses; he is trusted throughout my entire house'" (Num 12:7).
ואפילו עושה נאמן הוא.
פי' שאפילו אם יכתוב בתורה דבר מדעתו לא על דעת שיאמר חלילה הוא בעצמו כתב וחידש הדבר הזה אלא כי נאמן הוא בכל בית התורה ולו מסרתי כל כללי ודרכי התורה
But even if he did, he is trusted:
The meaning is that even if he [Moses] would write something in the Torah from his own mind, it would not be with the intention of saying, God forbid, that he himself wrote and invented that thing [all by] himself. Rather, "he is trusted throughout the entire house" of Torah, and I [God] have handed over to him all the principles and methods of the Torah.
Study Questions on Shemot Rabbah 47:9 and Maharzu
**Background: "Maharzu" is a Hebrew acronym for Rabbi Zev Wolf Einhorn, who lived during the 19th century in Grodno, Belarus (Eastern Europe). He wrote extensive commentaries on Midrash Rabbah and some other Midrash.**
1. First, what did the angels seem to be disturbed about? Second, what would seem to be a better concern for them to have about Moses writing Torah?
2. God says that Moses is "trusted"--even if Moses claims to have written the Torah! How does Maharzu explain what Moses would really mean if he were to say that he wrote some parts of the Torah himself?
3. How does Maharzu incorporate an idea from Text #1 into his interpretation of Text #3? What powerful ability does Moses now possess after encountering God?
וְקָרָאתָ אֵלֶיהָ לְשָׁלוֹם.
אָמַר רַבִּי לֵוִי, שְׁלֹשָׁה דְּבָרִים עָשָׂה מֹשֶׁה וְהִסְכִּים הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא עַל יָדוֹ. וְאֵלּוּ הֵן:
כְּתִיב: פּוֹקֵד עֲוֹן אָבוֹת עַל בָּנִים (שמות לד, ז). וּמֹשֶׁה אָמַר, לֹא יוּמְתוּ אָבוֹת עַל בָּנִים (דברים כד, טז). וּמִנַּיִן שֶׁהִסְכִּים הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא עַל יָדוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְאֶת בְּנֵי הַמַּכִּים לֹא הֵמִית, כַּכָּתוּב בְּסֵפֶר תּוֹרַת מֹשֶׁה, לֹא יוּמְתוּ אָבוֹת עַל בָּנִים וְגוֹ' (מל״ב יד, ו).
וְהַשְּׁנִיָּה, כְּשֶׁשָּׁבַר הַלּוּחוֹת.
וְאַחַת, בִּימֵי סִיחוֹן וְעוֹג. אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, לֵךְ הִלָּחֵם עִמּוֹ, סְכוֹר אַמַּת הַמַּיִם שֶׁלּוֹ. וּמֹשֶׁה לֹא עָשָׂה כֵן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וָאֶשְׁלַח מַלְאָכִים (דברים ב, כו). אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, חַיֶּיךָ, עָשִׂיתָ כָּרָאוּי, שֶׁאֲנִי מַסְכִּים עַל יָדְךָ. לְפִיכָךְ מֹשֶׁה מַזְהִיר אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאוֹמֵר לָהֶם, כִּי תִקְרַב אֶל עִיר לְהִלָּחֵם עָלֶיהָ וְקָרָאתָ אֵלֶיהָ לְשָׁלוֹם.
You shall offer it [any town in Canaan that you intend to conquer] terms of peace (Deut 20:10):
Rabbi Levi said, "Moses did three things [on his own] and the Holy One, who is blessed, agreed with him. And they are as follows:
It is written, "He [God] remembers the sin of ancestors against their children" (Exodus 34:7). But Moses said, "Parents shall not be put to death because of their children [and children shall not be put to death because of their parents]" (Deut 24:10). And how do we know that the Holy One, who is blessed, agreed with him? As it is stated, "But he [King Yehoash] did not put to death the children of the assassins [of his father], as it is written in the Scroll of the Torah of Moses [which the Lord commanded, saying:] 'Parents shall not be put to death for children [and children shall not be put to death because of their parents, rather a person shall be put to death for their own wrongdoing']" (II Kings 14:6).
And the second was when he broke the Tablets.
And [the other] one was in the days of Sichon and Og. The Holy One, who is blessed, said: Go forth and fight with him; close off his aqueduct. But Moses did not do so, as it is stated, "And I sent messengers [from the wilderness of Kedemot to Sichon, king of Cheshbon, with words of peace]" (Deut 2:26). The Holy One, who is blessed, said to him, "By your life, you did the right thing, for I agree with you!" Therefore, Moses warned Israel, saying to them, "When you approach a town to fight against it, you shall offer it terms of peace" (Deut 20:10).
Study Questions on Midrash Tanchuma
**Background: Tanchuma is another very important midrash collection which was put together in different stages and centuries (roughly 4th-9th CE). It contains--as we see in this passage--some truly radical and fascinating religious ideas.**
1. Notice where the verses mentioned here--in which Moses wrote what he wanted--are from in Chumash. How does that connect with what we've studied before in this unit?
2. What do you think motivated Moses to disagree with God's words in this text and to change them? Be specific about the two (written) cases involved.
3. Look back at the Siftei Chakhamim passage (2I, Text #7). How is the midrash here much bolder even than what S. C. wrote?
4. What characteristics would you say God displays according to this text? (If a person did what God does here in response to Moses, how would you describe them?) Try to name at least two things.