הִנֵּ֣ה ׀ נָתַ֣תִּֽי לְךָ֗ לֵ֚ב חָכָ֣ם וְנָב֔וֹן
Hinay natati lach lev chacham v’navon
Behold, I give you a wise and understanding heart
הַבּוֹטֵ֥חַ בַּֽיהֹוָ֑ה חֶ֝֗סֶד יְסוֹבְבֶֽנּוּ
The one who trusts in YHVH will be surrounded with loving-kindness.
(א) יֹ֭שֵׁב בְּסֵ֣תֶר עֶלְי֑וֹן בְּצֵ֥ל שַׁ֝דַּ֗י יִתְלוֹנָֽן׃
Yoshayv b'sayter Elyon, b'tzayl Shaddai yitlonan
Whoever sits in the secret of the Highest will abide in the shade of Shaddai
Heavenly Torah, Abraham Joshua Heschel, p. 667
The language “Torah from Heaven” is formulated for the human ear, but it is of no use if the ear is sealed off to its import. The sanctity of the Torah lies in its secrets. And a person cannot recognize that sanctity without first understanding that just as mortals can sink to the lowest depths, so can they rise to sublime heights.
The gift of Torah is a gift of heaven. And the way to faith in the “Torah from Heaven” is the preparation of the heart to perceive the heavenly in the Torah. Such a life is scarcely worth that momentary gift of heaven.
Having journeyed from Rephidim, they entered the wilderness of Sinai and encamped in the wilderness. Israel encamped there in front of the mountain,
ויחן שם ישראל. כְּאִישׁ אֶחָד בְּלֵב אֶחָד, אֲבָל שְׁאָר כָּל הַחֲנִיּוֹת בְּתַרְעוֹמוֹת וּבְמַחֲלֹקֶת:
ויחן שם ישראל AND THERE ISRAEL ENCAMPED as one person and with one heart — but all their other encampments were made in a murmuring spirit and in a spirit of dissension (Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 19:2:10).
"וַיִּחַן שָׁם יִשְׂרָאֵל". כָּל מָקוֹם שֶׁהוּא אוֹמֵר "וַיִּסְעוּ", "וַיַּחֲנוּ", נוֹסְעִין בַּמַּחְלֹקֶת וְחוֹנִין בַּמַּחְלֹקֶת. אֲבָל כָּן הוּא אוֹמֵר: (שמות יט,ב) "וַיִּחַן שָׁם יִשְׂרָאֵל", הִשְׁווּ כֻלָּם לֵב אֶחָד. "שָׁם", מַגִּיד שֶׁאָמַר לָהֶם: זְמַן הַרְבֵּה אַתֶּם עוֹשִׂים שָׁם! וְכֵן מָצִינוּ, שֶׁהֲרֵי הָיוּ שָׁם שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר חֹדֶשׁ חָסֵר עֲשֶׂרֶת יָמִים. "נֶגֶד הָהָר", לְצַד מִזְרָחוֹ שֶׁלָּהָר. כָּל מָקוֹם שֶׁאַתְּ מוֹצֵא "נֶגֶד", פָּנִים לַמִּזְרָח.
(Exodus 19:2) "And Israel encamped there": Elsewhere it is written "and they journeyed," "and they encamped" — they journeyed in quarrel and encamped in quarrel. Here, they were of one heart — wherefore it is written "and (it) encamped." "and Israel encamped there": He said to them, you will be there for a (relatively) long time. And, indeed, we find that they were there for twelve months less ten days. "opposite the mountain": to the east of the mountain. "opposite" always signifies to the east.
אָנֹכִי ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (דברים ד, לג): הֲשָׁמַע עָם קוֹל אֱלֹהִים, הַמִּינִין שָׁאֲלוּ אֶת רַבִּי שִׂמְלָאי אָמְרוּ לוֹ אֱלֹהוֹת הַרְבֵּה יֵשׁ בָּעוֹלָם, אָמַר לָהֶם, לָמָּה, אָמְרוּ לוֹ, שֶׁהֲרֵי כְּתִיב: הֲשָׁמַע עָם קוֹל אֱלֹהִים, אָמַר לָהֶם, שֶׁמָּא כָּתוּב מְדַבְּרִים, אֶלָּא (דברים לד, ג): מְדַבֵּר. אָמְרוּ לוֹ תַּלְמִידָיו, רַבִּי, לָאֵלּוּ דָּחִיתָ בְּקָנֶה רָצוּץ, לָנוּ מָה אַתָּה מֵשִׁיב, חָזַר רַבִּי לֵוִי וּפֵרְשָׁהּ, אָמַר לָהֶם: הֲשָׁמַע עָם קוֹל אֱלֹהִים, כֵּיצַד, אִלּוּ הָיָה כָּתוּב קוֹל ה' בְּכֹחוֹ, לֹא הָיָה הָעוֹלָם יָכוֹל לַעֲמֹד, אֶלָּא (תהלים כט, ד): קוֹל ה' בַּכֹּחַ, בַּכֹּחַ שֶׁל כָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד, הַבַּחוּרִים לְפִי כֹּחָן וְהַזְּקֵנִים לְפִי כֹּחָן וְהַקְּטַנִּים לְפִי כֹּחָן. אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, לֹא בִּשְׁבִיל שֶׁשְּׁמַעְתֶּם קוֹלוֹת הַרְבֵּה תִּהְיוּ סְבוּרִין שֶׁמָּא אֱלֹהוֹת הַרְבֵּה יֵשׁ בַּשָּׁמַיִם, אֶלָּא תִּהְיוּ יוֹדְעִים שֶׁאֲנִי הוּא ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים ה, ו): אָנֹכִי ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ.
“I am the Lord your God, who took you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of slavery” (Exodus 20:2).
“I am the Lord your God” – that is what is written: “Has a people heard the voice of God [speaking [medaber] from the midst of the fire, as you heard, and lived?]” (Deuteronomy 4:33). The heretics asked Rabbi Simlai, they said to him: ‘Are there many gods in the world?’ He said to them: ‘Why?’ They said to him: ‘As, it is written: “Has a people heard the voice of God [Elohim]?”’ He said to them: ‘Does it say medaberim? Rather, it says medaber.’ His disciples said to him: ‘Rabbi, you rebuffed them with a smashed reed; what do you respond to us?’ Rabbi Levi then interpreted it, he said to them: ‘“Has a people heard the voice of God” – how so? Had it been written: “The voice of the Lord is with His might,” the world would have been unable to survive. Rather, “the voice of the Lord is with might” (Psalms 29:4) – with the might of each and every individual, the lads in accordance with their might, the elders in accordance with their might, and children according to their might. The Holy One blessed be He said to Israel: Do not believe that because you heard many voices, perhaps there are many gods in the heavens, but rather, know that I am the Lord your God, as it is stated: “I am the Lord your God”’ (Deuteronomy 5:6).
Derech Etz Chaim, Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzatto
However there is another matter that we find, namely that there are many sides (faces, levels of understanding) to the Torah. And the early ones already received (from Sinai) that for each root of the souls of Israel they are in the entire Torah, therefore there are 600,000 explanations of the Torah (corresponding to the 600,000 root souls). And this is what is meant by the Torah "splits to many sparks", because at first it flames and then all the lights in it become visible on that matter. And those lights, themselves, enlighten to 600,000 ways in the 600,000 (souls) of Israel. And this is the secret meaning of "Is not My word like as fire? says the L-ORD; and like a hammer that smashes the rock in pieces?" (Yirmiya/Jeremiah 23:29) It comes out from this, that even though the Torah is endless, and even each letter from it is like this, however one needs to ignite it, and then it flames. For this, the intellect of man was made. Because it also has the power of great attainment, but when it flames (the intellect of man) it is through the power of contemplation.
וַתֹּ֤אמֶר נׇעֳמִי֙ לִשְׁתֵּ֣י כַלֹּתֶ֔יהָ לֵ֣כְנָה שֹּׁ֔בְנָה אִשָּׁ֖ה לְבֵ֣ית אִמָּ֑הּ (יעשה) [יַ֣עַשׂ] יְהֹוָ֤ה עִמָּכֶם֙ חֶ֔סֶד כַּאֲשֶׁ֧ר עֲשִׂיתֶ֛ם עִם־הַמֵּתִ֖ים וְעִמָּדִֽי׃
But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Turn back, each of you to her mother’s house. May the LORD deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me!
יַעַשׂ ה' עִמָּכֶם חֶסֶד, רַבִּי חֲנִינָא בַּר אָדָא אָמַר, יַעֲשֶׂה כְּתִיב, כַּאֲשֶׁר עֲשִׂיתֶם עִם הַמֵּתִים, שֶׁנִּטְפַּלְתֶּם בְּתַכְרִיכֵיהוֹן, וְעִמָּדִי, שֶׁוִתְּרוּ לָהּ כְּתֻבּוֹתֵיהֶן. אָמַר רַבִּי זְעֵירָא, מְגִלָּה זוֹ אֵין בָּהּ לֹא טֻמְאָה, וְלֹא טָהֳרָה, וְלֹא אִסּוּר, וְלֹא הֶתֵּר, וְלָמָּה נִכְתְּבָה לְלַמֶּדְךָ כַּמָּה שָׂכָר טוֹב לְגוֹמְלֵי חֲסָדִים.
“May the Lord perform [ya’as] kindness with you” – Rabbi Ḥanina bar Ada said: It is written “ya’aseh.” “As you performed with the dead” – that you tended to their shrouds; “and with me” – that you relinquished your marriage contracts. Rabbi Ze’eira said: This scroll does not contain [the laws of] purity or impurity, and not prohibitions or allowances. Why was it written? It is to teach you the extent of the good reward for those who perform kindness.
דָּרַשׁ רַבִּי שִׂמְלַאי: תּוֹרָה תְּחִלָּתָהּ גְּמִילוּת חֲסָדִים, וְסוֹפָהּ גְּמִילוּת חֲסָדִים. תְּחִילָּתָהּ גְּמִילוּת חֲסָדִים — דִּכְתִיב: ״וַיַּעַשׂ ה׳ אֱלֹהִים לְאָדָם וּלְאִשְׁתּוֹ כׇּתְנוֹת עוֹר וַיַּלְבִּשֵׁם״, וְסוֹפָהּ גְּמִילוּת חֲסָדִים — דִּכְתִיב: ״וַיִּקְבֹּר אוֹתוֹ בַּגַּי״.
Rabbi Samlai taught: With regard to the Torah, its beginning is an act of kindness and its end is an act of kindness. Its beginning is an act of kindness, as it is written: “And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skin, and clothed them” (Genesis 3:21). And its end is an act of kindness, as it is written: “And he was buried in the valley in the land of Moab” (Deuteronomy 34:6).