אמרו המלאכים לפני הקב"ה אתה נותן רשות למשה לכתוב הוא יכתוב כל מה שירצה אמר להם ח"ו שמשה עושה כן ואפילו עושה נאמן הוא שנאמר בכל ביתי נאמן הוא (ילקוט) ודבר זה קשה מאוד אם עושה כן איך נאמן הוא.
אך הענין שאמרו רבותינו זכרונם לברכה (ב"ר ח) התורה קדמה לעולם אלפים שנה והוא ידוע שקודם הבריאה לא היה זמן כלל ואיך שייך אלפים שנה אך הכוונה שהתורה קדמה תחלה במחשבה של הבורא ברוך הוא וב"ש כאשר היא כתובה כולה מבראשית ועד לעיני כל ישראל הי' גנוזה בחכמתו ובינתו היא מחשבתו ב"ה וכתיב (איוב לג, לג) ואאלפך חכמה ואאלפך בינה אלוף חכמה אלוף בינה והם הם אלפים שנה הנרמז בדבריהם שני אלפין חכמה ובינה שהתורה יצאה מהם כי אורייתא מחכמה נפקת וחכמה ובינה נקראים ריעים דלא מתפרשין.
כדכתיב (משלי לא, כו) פיה פתחה בחכמה ותורת חסד על לשונה כי העולם התחלתו מז' ימי הבנין כדכתיב (תהלים פט, ג) עולם חסד יבנה וקודם לזה היה גנוז במחשבה וזהו פיה פתחה בחכמה שההתחלה היה בחכמה הגנוזה תורה הקדומה אך ותורת חסד על לשונה כדי שיתגלה התורה ותצא מן המחשבה ויתגלה בדבור היה על ידי חסד שנתלבש ונתגלה בלבוש ויצא אל התגלות הדבור ואותיות אמנם באמת היא היא מה שהיה ברצון ומחשבה תחלה.
ר"ל שבודאי לא ישנה משה מן הרצון כפי התורה הקדומה ויביא הכל אל הרצון כי חפץ חסד הוא שנאמר בכל ביתי נאמן הוא ואיך כתב זה על עצמו עם גודל הענוה שהיתה בו רק מפני שכך כתוב ורשום בתורה קדומה ברצון ולכן נתתי לו רשות לכתוב צירופי האותיות כי כל מגמתו כפי התורה הקדומה ולצרף אל הטוב והבן.
The angels said in front of The Holy Blessed One, “You give permission to Moshe to write, he will write what he wants.” The Divine said to them, “Chas VeShalom (mercy and peace), that Moshe would do this. And even if he did, I trust him. For it is written, “[He] is trusted throughout My household” (Number 12:8). But this thing is very challenging – if [Moses] did this, how would he be trustworthy?
This relates to the topic that was said by our sages of blessed memory (in Bereishit Rabah) that the Torah preceded the world by 2,000 years. And it is known that before creation there was no time at all, how is this connected to 2000 years? Rather the intention is that the Torah began in the thoughts of the Blessed Creator, and even so, when it was fully written, from “In the beginning…” to “...in the eyes of Israel”, it was hidden in his Chochmah and his Bina, which are his thoughts. As it is written (in Job), “I will teach you (a’alephcha) wisdom (Chochma),” Bina is a prince (aluph) and Chochma is a prince (aluph), and these are hinted to in “2,000 years” (alpayim), the two princes (alphin) Chochma and Bina that the Torah emerged from them. Because Torah emerged from Chochma and Chochma and Bina are described as two friends/lovers who can't be separated.
As it is written (in Proverbs), “Her mouth opens in Chochma, and the Torah of Chesed is on her tongue.” …Before [creation], the Torah was hidden in thoughts. And this is “Her mouth opens in Chochma”, that the beginning was in Chochma that hid the Torah HaKedumah. As to “the Torah of Chesed is on her tongue,” so that the Torah can be revealed and emerge from thought and be revealed by speech. This is by Chesed (kindness), that clothes and reveals with garb, and emerges into the revealing of speech and letters. This in truth was the initial [Divine] will and thought….
The rabbis said that of course Moshe would not change the [Divine] will, he is following the Torah HaKedumah, and he will bring all to the will because he desires Chesed, as it is written “He is trusted throughout My household.”... Thus I gave him permission to write combinations of letters because all of his assembling is according to the Torah Kedumah and combines toward the good.
Does "Torah from Heaven" mean that the Torah in the form in which we have it (i.e.,
from Genesis 1:1 to Deuteronomy 34:12] is entirely "from Heaven"? That the words and
letters descended from heaven to the ears of Moses? Does this expression mean that the
Torah is in every respect a creature of the supernal realm, and that mortals have no part
in its creation? Does "Heaven" mean to denote a place, or is it a way of referring to the
divine will?
A penetrating study of the original sources has opened my eyes to the fact that the understanding of the principle "Torah from Heaven" given by Maimonides (i.e., that all words and letters came directly to Moses) was not always fixed and unchallenged. Since time immemorial two different ways of understanding this important principle have coexisted. One is extreme and unyielding; the other is moderate and has give. One closes the door in the face of questioners, and the other offers an open hand to sincere seekers. In the course of the generations, the extreme approach gained the upper hand, and the views of the moderates were suppressed.
אמ' הקב"ה לתורה נעשה אדם בצלמנו כדמותינו אמרה לפניו רבון כל העולמים האדם שלך לעשות קצר ימים ושבע רוגז ובא לידי חטא ואם אין אתה מאריך את אפך עמו ראוי הוא כאילו לא בא לעולם אמר לה ועל חנם נקראתי ארך אפים ורב חסד
The Holy Blessed One to the Torah: "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness" (Gen. 1:26). [The Torah] spoke before [the Holy Blessed One]: Sovereign of all the worlds! The human whom you would create will be limited in days and full of anger; and they will come into the power of sin. Unless you will be long-suffering with them, it would be better for them not to have come into the world. The Holy Blessed One responded: And is it for nothing that I am called "slow to anger" and "abounding in love"?
דְּאָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקִישׁ שְׁנֵי אֲלָפִים שָׁנָה קָדְמָה הַתּוֹרָה לִבְרִיָּתוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (משלי ח, ל): וָאֶהְיֶה אֶצְלוֹ אָמוֹן וגו', וְיוֹמוֹ שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אֶלֶף שָׁנִים, דִּכְתִיב (תהלים צ, ד): כִּי אֶלֶף שָׁנִים בְּעֵינֶיךָ כְּיוֹם אֶתְמוֹל, הֱוֵי הֲזֹאת יָדַעְתָּ מִנִּי עַד וגו', הַתּוֹרָה יוֹדַעַת מַה קֹּדֶם לִבְרִיָּתוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, אֲבָל אַתָּה אֵין לְךָ עֵסֶק לִדְרשׁ אֶלָּא (איוב כ, ד): מִנִּי שִׂים אָדָם עֲלֵי אָרֶץ. רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בְּשֵׁם בֶּן סִירָא אָמַר בְּגָדוֹל מִמְךָ אַל תִּדְרשׁ, בְּחָזָק מִמְךָ בַּל תַּחְקֹר, בְּמֻפְלָא מִמְּךָ בַּל תֵּדָע, בִּמְכֻסֶּה מִמְךָ אַל תִּשְׁאַל, בַּמֶּה שֶׁהֻרְשֵׁיתָ הִתְבּוֹנֵן, וְאֵין לְךָ עֵסֶק בְּנִסְתָּרוֹת.
As Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said, 'The Torah preceded the world by two thousand years.'" "And I was with him an artisan, etc., and the day of the Holy One, blessed be He, is one thousand years, as it is written (Psalms 90:4): 'For a thousand years in Your sight are like yesterday when it is past.' You knew this from me until [the end]. The Torah knows what came before the creation of the world, but you have no business to inquire except (Job 20:4): 'Do you not know this of old, since man was placed on earth?' Rabbi Elazar said in the name of Ben Sira: 'Do not inquire into things that are too great for you, do not search out things that are hidden from you, do not try to unravel things that are too difficult for you, keep your mind on what has been ordained for you, and do not worry about mysteries.'"
וְהָיָה אִם שָׁמוֹעַ תִּשְׁמַע... שֶׁאָמַר בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי אַבָּא, לֹא הָיְתָה הַתּוֹרָה צְרִיכָה לִינָּתֵן לְיִשְׂרָאֵל בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה. לָמָּה, שֶׁהַכֹּל עֲתִידִין לִהְיוֹת לְמֵדִין תּוֹרָה מִפִּי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא. לָמָּה נִתְּנָה לָהֶם בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה. שֶׁכְּשֶׁיָּבֹא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְלַמְּדָם בָּעוֹלָם הַבָּא, יִהְיוּ הַכֹּל יוֹדְעִין בְּאֵיזֶה פָּרָשָׁה הוּא עָסוּק. ... אִם זָכִיתָ לִשְׁמֹעַ דִּבְרֵי תּוֹרָה שֶׁנִּתְנָה בְּקוֹלֵי קוֹלוֹת, תִּזְכֶּה לִשְׁמֹעַ אוֹתוֹ הַקּוֹל שֶׁכָּתוּב בּוֹ, קוֹל שָׂשׂוֹן וְקוֹל שִׂמְחָה (ירמיה ז, לד).
And it shall be if you listen to listen (Deuteronomy 28:1): As was said by Rabbi Abba, "The Torah was not supposed to have been given to Israel in this world. Why? Because everyone will learn it from the mouth of the Holy Blessed One in the future, in the world to come. [So] why was it given to them in this world? So that when the Holy Blessed One comes to teach them in the world to come, everyone will know in what section [the Holy Blessed One] is occupied." If you merited to listen to words of the Torah that were given with many voices, you will merit to hear that voice about which it is written (Jeremiah 7:34), "the voice of gladness and the voice of joy."
(א) רַבִּי הוֹשַׁעְיָה רַבָּה פָתַח, (משלי ח, ל): "וָאֶהְיֶה אֶצְלוֹ אָמוֹן וָאֶהְיֶה שַׁעֲשֻׁעִים יוֹם יוֹם וְגוֹ'".... "אָמוֹן", פַּדְגּוֹג – הֵיךְ מָה דְאַתְּ אָמַר (במדבר יא, יב): "כַּאֲשֶׁר יִשָּׂא הָאֹמֵן אֶת הַיֹּנֵק"...."דבר אחר: אמון – אומן. התורה אומרת: אני הייתי כלי אומנותו של הקב"ה. בנוהג שבעולם, מלך בשר ודם בונה פלטין, אינו בונה אותה מדעת עצמו אלא מדעת אומן, והאומן אינו בונה אותה מדעת עצמו, אלא דיפתראות, ופינקסאות יש לו, לדעת היאך הוא עושה חדרים, היאך הוא עושה פשפשין, כך היה הקב"ה מביט בתורה, ובורא את העולם, והתורה אמרה בראשית ברא אלהים, ואין ראשית אלא תורה, היאך מה דאת אמר (משלי ח, כב): "ה' קָנָנִי רֵאשִׁית דַּרְכּוֹ"...
(ד) "בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים" ששה דברים קדמו לבריאת העולם יש מהן שנבראו ויש מהן שעלו במחשבה להבראות. התורה והכסא הכבוד נבראו תורה מנין שנאמר (משלי ח, כב): "ה' קנני ראשית דרכו"
(1) The great Rabbi Hoshaya opened [with the verse (Mishlei 8:30),] "I [the Torah] was an amon to Him and I was a plaything to Him every day." ...Amon means "nanny," as in (Bamidbar 11:12) “As a nanny (omein) carries the suckling child." ... Alternatively, amon means "artisan." The Torah is saying, "I was the artisan's tool of Hashem." In the way of the world, a king of flesh and blood who builds a castle does not do so from his own knowledge, but rather from the knowledge of an architect, and the architect does not build it from his own knowledge, but rather he has scrolls and books in order to know how to make rooms and doorways. So too Hashem gazed into the Torah and created the world. Similarly the Torah says, "Through the reishit G-d created [the heavens and the earth]," and reishit means Torah, as in "G-d made me [the Torah] the beginning (reishit) of His way" (Proverbs 8:22)...
(4) "In the beginning of God's creating..." - Six things preceded the creation of the world; some of them were created and some of them were decided to be created. The Torah and the Throne of Glory were created. How do we know the Torah was? As it says (Proverbs 8:22): "God made me at the beginning of his way."
קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִסְתָּכַּל בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, וּבָרָא עָלְמָא. בַּר נָשׁ מִסְתַּכֵּל בָּהּ בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא וּמְקַיֵים עָלְמָא. אִשְׁתְּכַח דְּעוֹבָדָא וְקִיּוּמָא דְּכָל עָלְמָא, אוֹרַיְיתָא אִיהִי. בְּגִין כַּךְ זַכָּאָה אִיהוּ בַּר נָשׁ דְּאִשְׁתָּדַּל בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, דְּהָא אִיהוּ מְקַיֵּים עָלְמָא.
The Holy Blessed One gazed into the Torah and created the world. A person gazes into the Torah and preserves the world. We find that the creation and the preservation of the entire world is Torah, and as a result of this, fortunate is the person who involves himself with Torah, because he preserves the world.
One of the thoughts of G–d prior to the creation of the universe focused on those select human beings that would become בני עליה. With such people G–d could afford to be more exacting than with the rest of mankind. As far as they were concerned, G–d had no reason to reconsider creation of a universe dominated by the attribute of Justice. G–d intended the תורה הקדומה for that very category of people.
Why does this [Oral Torah] arise? One reason is surely the perceived need to understand and explain the Written Torah. But then the Oral Torah would only be a series of glosses and meager annotations. So something "more" must occasion this massive achievement. Put theologically, I would say that this "something more" is God's illimitable investiture of Being, the far-flung vastness of divine effectivity, pressing upon human consciousness on a daily basis.
This divine reality precedes the Written Torah, as said earlier, and may be designated as the torah kelulah," the Torah of All-in-All -- an infinite enfoldment of all that could ever be in our world. Only this Torah truly comes from the mouth of God, forever and ever, as the kiss of divine truth upon the vastness of world-being. This kiss seals all existence with the touch of divine presence; and it breathes into existence something of the actuality and effectivity of God, for this kiss and this breath are, so to speak, the primordial and ever-happening saying of God's ineffable Name: a saying that is an actualizing and effectuating of the Illimitable. Only those who can hear an imaginable echo of that Name (and Naming) resounding silently through all the orders of Being, and who bend their hearts to it in attentive love, can sense an imaginable something of God's true Torah and witness to it with their lives. Such masters may perceive in the divine Name some imaginable something of all the sounds and shapes that resound throughout existence, and may thereby reveal, through their attentive hearts, such sounds and shapes as may guide human life. These formulations are revealed out of the cloud of Sinai as a Torah from God. But it is not the absolute Torah of God, the torah kelulah, whose reality throbs around the letters and words of the Torah from Sinai -- and reminds those with ears to hear that the immense "Shall-Be" of God ever exceeds the written "just this" of scripture. "This" artifact may indeed be something like "the Torah which Moses placed before the Israelites" in a time long past (Deut. 4:44); but it is not God's primordial Torah, the torah kelulah.
Moses our master knew this when he first shaped the Torah of All-in-All for the specifics and values of earthly life; and he never forgot this theological truth in his lifetime, as he repeatedly reformulated his initial instructions, variously attuning the Torah of Sinai to this quintessential reality -- as he grew in wisdom and experience, and as times and circumstances changed. Thus the torah kelulah preceded Sinai (it being an expression of the utmost divine primordiality); and it pulses throughout Being as a whole. This is also the theological reality to which the disciples of Moses respond, knowingly or not, when they bring the exigencies of life into the domain of the Written Torah, and transform both scripture and life reciprocally. The result of such attentiveness is the Oral Torah --ever changing and ever expanding, because it is ever lived in the depths of the torah kelulah.
This is covenant living, the product of covenant theology. Jewish theology thus begins at Sinai -- but it is hermeneutically so much more.