“These are the words .…” (Devarim, 1:1) It is written in the Midrash (Sochar Tov, 39), “The Torah was only given to Israel so they would not occupy themselves with idle words.” This is the meaning of (Tehilim, 58:2), “will indeed the mute speak righteousness?” For all the powers that were created in man, the Holy One, blessed be He, gave a commandment with which to serve God. Man was created with the power of speech, and he was given words of Torah with which to occupy himself.
אֵלֶּה הַדְּבָרִים. אִיתָא בַּמִּדְרָשׁ [שוחר טוב פרק ל"ט] לֹא נִיתַּן לָהֶם תּוֹרָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל אֶלָּא כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יַעַסְקוּ בִּדְבָרִים בְּטֵלִים. וְזֶה פֵּירוּשׁ (תהלים נ"ח,ב') "הַאֻמְנָם אֵלֶם צֶדֶק תְּדַבֵּרוּן", כִּי לְכָל הַכֹּחוֹת שֶׁנִּבְרְאוּ בָּאָדָם נָתַן הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מִצְוָה שֶׁיּוּכַל הָאָדָם לַעֲבוֹד בּוֹ הַש"י, וְהָאָדָם נִבְרָא בְּכֹחַ הַדִּבּוּר וְנִיתַּן לוֹ דִּבְרֵי תּוֹרָה לַעֲסוֹק בָּהֶם.
“These are the words .…” (Devarim, 1:1)
It is written in the Midrash (Sochar Tov, 39), “The Torah was only given to Israel so they would not occupy themselves with idle words.” This is the meaning of (Tehilim, 58:2), “will indeed the mute speak righteousness?” For all the powers that were created in man, the Holy One, blessed be He, gave a commandment with which to serve God. Man was created with the power of speech, and he was given words of Torah with which to occupy himself.