We receive the Written Torah through our soul’s highest and most comprehensive conduit. Within it, we sense the radiant beauty of the living, universal illumination of all existence. With this Torah, we glide above and transcend human logic and intellect. We sense an elevated Godly spirit that hovers over us, touching and yet not touching, soaring above our lives and illuminating them with its light. This light is brilliant and sparkling, penetrating all things. As the verse says, “[God] directs it under the entire heaven and His light, to the ends of the earth” (Job 37:3). This great light was not fashioned by the nation’s spirit. It was formed directly by the spirit of God, the Creator of all. This Torah of life is the foundation for the formation of all worlds. With the Oral Torah, we descend to everyday life. We perceive that we receive this supernal enlightenment through the second conduit of the soul, a conduit that is closer to practical life. We sense that it is the nation’s spirit, with its distinctive character — bound to the light of the Torah of truth the way that a flame is tethered to a burning ember — that gave the Oral Torah the particular form in which it was forged. This Torah of man is certainly included in the Torah of God. It, too, is God’s Torah. It is impossible that the penetrating eye of Moses, whose prophetic vision was like a clear lens and who was “the faithful one in all of God’s house” (based on Numbers 12:7), would fail to see this flow of life in all of its future developments. “Even what an accomplished student will propound to his teacher was already told to Moses at Sinai” (Jer. Talmud, Pei’ah 2:6). Together, these two lights — the Written and Oral Torahs — form a complete world, where heaven and earth meet.
The Oral Torah is rooted in the essential character of the Jewish people, a nation that found its blessing via the Written Torah’s revelation from Heaven. Outwardly, the Oral Torah is lower than the Written Torah. After all, the Written Law was the primary impetus for the Oral Torah to discover its path. The Torah’s revelation at Sinai initiated the nation’s lofty connection with supernal Divinity, with the highest of goals, with the eternity and the majesty of all worlds, transcending their entire totality. But, in a deeper sense, was not the Torah given to Israel due to their lofty inner essence? This Godly quality secreted in Israel’s soul is, in fact, what caused the Torah to be revealed to them from Heaven. Therefore, the root of the Oral Torah is higher than the root of the Written Torah. As the Talmud states, “The words of the scribes are more beloved than the words of the Torah” (Jer. Talmud Avodah Zarah 2:7).
The Oral Torah is nourished secretly from heaven and overtly from the earth. For the Oral Torah to be in full force, the Land of Israel must be built and all of the Jewish people dwelling in it, organized with all of its institutions: the Temple and monarchy, the priesthood and prophecy, judges and court officers, and all of their arrangements. Only then will the Oral Torah be alive in its magnificent splendor. It will flourish and bloom, fully integrating with the Written Torah. During the exile, the twins were separated. The Written Torah ascended to the heights of its holiness, while the Oral Torah plummeted to the deepest depths. Nonetheless, even in exile, the Oral Torah is secretly nourished by the light of the Written Torah, from the aftergrowth of past generations. This suffices to preserve it, albeit in a limited state. Every day, the Oral Torah continues to descend and decline, “until the daybreak” of Israel’s national rebirth. At that time, a vibrant light will emerge from the storehouse of eternal redemption. Israel will prosper; the nation will be planted on its soil and will thrive in the beauty of its national institutions. Then the Oral Torah will begin to flourish from the depths of its roots, ascending higher and higher. And the light of the Written Torah will once again shine its rays of light over the Oral Torah, a new light each morning. The lovers will reunite in their nuptial canopy, the Land of Israel. And the light of the Godly Soul, the Life of the universe, revealed in Israel’s national revival and its glory, will shine with the pristine light of the Seven Days of creation, the combined light of the sun (the Written Torah) and the moon (the Oral Torah). Their light will be direct and penetrating; they will draw radiance from each other, answering the needs of the Land and the people of Israel in the nobility of life. “And the light of the moon will be like the light of the sun; and the light of the sun will be sevenfold, like the light of the Seven Days, on the day that God will bind the breach of His people and heal the stroke of their wound” (Isaiah 30:26).
תּוֹרָה שֶׁבִּכְתָב וְתוֹרָה שֶׁבְּעַל פֶּה
תּוֹרָה שֶׁבִּכְתָב אָנוּ מְקַבְּלִים עַל יְדֵי הַצִּיּוּר הַיּוֹתֵר עֶלְיוֹן וְיוֹתֵר מַקִּיף שֶׁבְּנִשְׁמָתֵנוּ. אָנוּ מַרְגִּישִׁים מִקִּרְבָּהּ אֶת הַבְהָקַת תִּפְאֶרֶת הָאוֹרָה הַחַיָּה הַכְּלָלִית שֶׁל כָּל הַיְקוּם. דָּאִים אָנוּ עַל יָדָהּ לְמַעְלָה מִכָּל הִגָּיוֹן וְשֵׂכֶל, חָשִׁים אָנוּ רוּחַ אֱלֹהִים עֶלְיוֹן מְרַחֶפֶת עָלֵינוּ, נוֹגַעַת וְאֵינָהּ נוֹגַעַת, טָסָה עַל פְּנֵי חַיֵּינוּ מִמַּעַל לָהֶם וּמַזְרַחַת אוֹתָם בְּאוֹרָהּ. הָאוֹר מַבְהִיק, נוֹצֵץ וְחוֹדֵר בַּכֹּל, תַּחַת כָּל הַשָּׁמַיִם יִשְׁרֵהוּ. לֹא רוּחַ הָאֻמָּה חוֹלְלָה אוֹר גָּדוֹל זֶה - רוּחַ אֱלֹהִים יוֹצֵר-כֹּל יְצָרָהּ, תּוֹרַת חַיִּים זֹאת יְסוֹד יְצִירַת כָּל הָעוֹלָמִים כֻּלָּם. בַּתּוֹרָה שֶׁבְּעַל פֶּה אָנוּ יוֹרְדִים כְּבָר אֶל הַחַיִּים. אָנוּ חָשִׁים שֶׁהִנְנוּ מְקַבְּלִים אֶת הָאוֹרָה הָעֶלְיוֹנָה בַּצִּנּוֹר הַשֵּׁנִי שֶׁבַּנְּשָׁמָה, בַּצִּנּוֹר הַמִּתְקָרֵב לְחַיֵּי הַמַּעֲשֶׂה. אָנוּ חָשִׁים, שֶׁרוּחַ הָאֻמָּה, הַקְּשׁוּרָה כְּשַׁלְהֶבֶת בְּגַחֶלֶת בְּאוֹר תּוֹרַת אֱמֶת, הִיא גָּרְמָהּ בְּאָפְיָהּ הַמְיֻחָד, שֶׁתּוֹרָה שֶׁבְּעַל פֶּה נוֹצְרָה בְּצוּרָתָהּ הַמְיֻחָדָה. וַדַּאי כְּלוּלָה הִיא תּוֹרַת הָאָדָם הַזֹּאת בְּתוֹרַת ד', - תּוֹרַת ד' הִיא גַּם הִיא. הָעַיִן הַפְּקוּחָה שֶׁל צוֹפֶה בָּאַסְפַּקְלַרְיָה הַמְאִירָה, הַנֶּאֱמָן בְּכָל בֵּית ד', לֹא אֶפְשָׁר שֶׁמִּמֶּנָּה תִּהְיֶה נֶעֱלֶמֶת שִׁפְעַת-חַיִּים זֹאת לְכָל פִּתּוּחֶיהָ. גַּם מַה שֶּׁתַּלְמִיד וָתִיק עָתִיד לְחַדֵּשׁ הַכֹּל נֶאֱמַר לְמֹשֶׁה מִסִּינַי. וּשְׁנֵי אוֹרִים הַלָּלוּ עוֹשִׂים עוֹלָם שָׁלֵם, שֶׁשָּׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ יִשְּׁקוּ בְּתוֹכוֹ.
We receive the Written Torah through our soul’s highest and most comprehensive conduit. Within it, we sense the radiant beauty of the living, universal illumination of all existence. With this Torah, we glide above and transcend human logic and intellect. We sense an elevated Godly spirit that hovers over us, touching and yet not touching, soaring above our lives and illuminating them with its light. This light is brilliant and sparkling, penetrating all things. As the verse says, “[God] directs it under the entire heaven and His light, to the ends of the earth” (Job 37:3). This great light was not fashioned by the nation’s spirit. It was formed directly by the spirit of God, the Creator of all. This Torah of life is the foundation for the formation of all worlds. With the Oral Torah, we descend to everyday life. We perceive that we receive this supernal enlightenment through the second conduit of the soul, a conduit that is closer to practical life. We sense that it is the nation’s spirit, with its distinctive character — bound to the light of the Torah of truth the way that a flame is tethered to a burning ember — that gave the Oral Torah the particular form in which it was forged. This Torah of man is certainly included in the Torah of God. It, too, is God’s Torah. It is impossible that the penetrating eye of Moses, whose prophetic vision was like a clear lens and who was “the faithful one in all of God’s house” (based on Numbers 12:7), would fail to see this flow of life in all of its future developments. “Even what an accomplished student will propound to his teacher was already told to Moses at Sinai” (Jer. Talmud, Pei’ah 2:6). Together, these two lights — the Written and Oral Torahs — form a complete world, where heaven and earth meet.
תּוֹרָה שֶׁבְּעַל פֶּה מֻנַּחַת בְּעֶצֶם אָפְיָהּ שֶׁל הָאֻמָּה, שֶׁמָּצְאָה אֶת בִּרְכָתָהּ עַל יְדֵי הַגִּלּוּי הַשָּׁמַיְמִי שֶׁל תּוֹרָה שֶׁבִּכְתָב. בְּהִתְגַּלּוּתָהּ נְמוּכָה הִיא תּוֹרָה שֶׁבְּעַל פֶּה מִתּוֹרָה שֶׁבִּכְתָב. כִּי הֲרֵי הַגּוֹרֵם הָרָאשִׁי לִמְצֹא אֶת נְתִיבָתָהּ הִיא הַתּוֹרָה שֶׁבִּכְתָב, הַיַּחַשׂ הָעֶלְיוֹן שֶׁל הָאֻמָּה עִם הָאֱלֹהוּת הָעֶלְיוֹנָה, עִם הַמְגַמָּה שֶׁל הַמְגַמּוֹת, עִם הַנֵּצַח וְהַהוֹד שֶׁבָּעוֹלָמִים וּמִלְמַעְלָה שֶׁל כָּל כְּלָלוּתָם. אֲבָל בַּצּוּרָה הַפְּנִימִית הֲלֹא הַתּוֹרָה נִתְּנָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל בִּשְׁבִיל סְגֻלָּתָם הַפְּנִימִית הָעֶלְיוֹנָה, הֲרֵי גָּרְמָה סְגֻלָּה אֱלֹהִית גְּנוּזָה זוֹ לְהוֹפָעַת תּוֹרָה מִן הַשָּׁמַיִם עֲלֵיהֶם, וְנִמְצֵאת עֶלְיוֹנָה תּוֹרָה שֶׁבְּעַל פֶּה בְּשָׁרְשָׁהּ מִשֹּׁרֶשׁ תּוֹרָה שֶׁבִּכְתָב, "חֲבִיבִין דִּבְרֵי סוֹפְרִים יוֹתֵר מִדִּבְרֵי תּוֹרָה".
The Oral Torah is rooted in the essential character of the Jewish people, a nation that found its blessing via the Written Torah’s revelation from Heaven. Outwardly, the Oral Torah is lower than the Written Torah. After all, the Written Law was the primary impetus for the Oral Torah to discover its path. The Torah’s revelation at Sinai initiated the nation’s lofty connection with supernal Divinity, with the highest of goals, with the eternity and the majesty of all worlds, transcending their entire totality. But, in a deeper sense, was not the Torah given to Israel due to their lofty inner essence? This Godly quality secreted in Israel’s soul is, in fact, what caused the Torah to be revealed to them from Heaven. Therefore, the root of the Oral Torah is higher than the root of the Written Torah. As the Talmud states, “The words of the scribes are more beloved than the words of the Torah” (Jer. Talmud Avodah Zarah 2:7).
יְנִיקַת תּוֹרָה שֶׁבְּעַל פֶּה הִיא בִּגְנִיזוּ מִן הַשָּׁמַיִם וּבְגִלּוּי מֵהָאָרֶץ. וּצְרִיכָה אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל לִהְיוֹת בְּנוּיָה וְכָל יִשְׂרָאֵל יוֹשְׁבִים עָלֶיהָ מְסֻדָּרִים בְּכָל סִדְרֵיהֶם, מִקְדָּשׁ וּמַלְכוּת, כְּהֻנָּה וּנְבוּאָה, שׁוֹפְטִים וְשׁוֹטְרִים וְכָל תַּכְסִיסֵיהֶם, אָז חַיָּה הִיא תּוֹרָה שֶׁבְּעַל פֶּה בְּכָל זִיו תִּפְאַרְתָהּ, פּוֹרַחַת וּמַעֲלָה נִצָּהּ וּמִתְחַבֶּרֶת לַתּוֹרָה שֶׁבִּכְתָב בְּכָל שִׁעוּר קוֹמָתָהּ. בַּגָּלוּת נִפְרְדוּ הַתְּאוֹמִים, נִתְעַלְּתָה תּוֹרָה שֶׁבִּכְתָב לִמְרוֹמֵי קְדֻשָּׁה, וְיָרְדָה תּוֹרָה שֶׁבְּעַל פֶּה בְּעֹמֶק תַּחְתִּית, וּמִכָּל מָקוֹם הִיא מְקַבֶּלֶת יְנִיקָה חֲשָׁאִית מֵאוֹר תּוֹרָה שֶׁבִּכְתָב מִסְּפִיחַ הֶעָבָר, הַמַּסְפִּיק לְהַעֲמִידָהּ בְּחַיִּים מְצֻמְצָמִים. וְהִיא יוֹרֶדֶת וְנוֹפֶלֶת בְּכָל יוֹם וָיוֹם עַד אֲשֶׁר יָפוּחַ הַיּוֹם וְאוֹר חַיִּים יָבוֹא מֵאוֹצַר גְּאֻלַּת עוֹלָמִים, וְיִשְׂרָאֵל יַעֲשֶׂה חַיִל, יִנָּטַע עַל אַרְצוֹ וִישַׂגְשֵׂג בְּכָל הֲדַר סְדָרָיו. אָז תָּחֵל תּוֹרָה שֶׁבְּעַל פֶּה לִצְמֹחַ מֵעֹמֶק שָׁרְשָׁהּ, תַּעֲלֶה מַעְלָה מַעְלָה, וְאוֹר תּוֹרָה שֶׁבִּכְתָב יַזְרִיחַ עָלֶיהָ קַרְנֵי אוֹרָה מֵחָדָשׁ, חֲדָשִׁים לַבְּקָרִים. וְהַדּוֹדִים יִתְאַחֲדוּ בִּנְוֵה אַפִּרְיוֹנָם, וְאוֹר נִשְׁמַת אֵל חֵי הָעוֹלָמִים, הַמִּתְגַלֶּה בִּתְחִיַּת יִשְׂרָאֵל וּבְרוּם קַרְנוֹ, יָאִיר בְּאוֹר שִׁבְעַת הַיָּמִים שֶׁל אוֹר הַחַמָּה וְאוֹר הַלְּבָנָה גַּם יַחַד, וְהָיָה אוֹרָם יָשָׁר חוֹדֵר וּמוֹשֵׁךְ מִזֶּה לְזוֹ, וְעוֹנֶה אֶת הָאָרֶץ וְאֶת הָעָם בְּכָל יִפְעַת חַיִּים. וְהָיָה אוֹר הַלְּבָנָה כְּאוֹר הַחַמָּה, וְאוֹר הַחַמָּה יִהְיֶה שִׁבְעָתַיִם כְּאוֹר שִׁבְעַת הַיָּמִים, בְּיוֹם חֲבֹשׁ ד' אֶת שֶׁבֶר עַמּוֹ וּמַחַץ מַכָּתוֹ יִרְפָּא.
The Oral Torah is nourished secretly from heaven and overtly from the earth. For the Oral Torah to be in full force, the Land of Israel must be built and all of the Jewish people dwelling in it, organized with all of its institutions: the Temple and monarchy, the priesthood and prophecy, judges and court officers, and all of their arrangements. Only then will the Oral Torah be alive in its magnificent splendor. It will flourish and bloom, fully integrating with the Written Torah. During the exile, the twins were separated. The Written Torah ascended to the heights of its holiness, while the Oral Torah plummeted to the deepest depths. Nonetheless, even in exile, the Oral Torah is secretly nourished by the light of the Written Torah, from the aftergrowth of past generations. This suffices to preserve it, albeit in a limited state. Every day, the Oral Torah continues to descend and decline, “until the daybreak” of Israel’s national rebirth. At that time, a vibrant light will emerge from the storehouse of eternal redemption. Israel will prosper; the nation will be planted on its soil and will thrive in the beauty of its national institutions. Then the Oral Torah will begin to flourish from the depths of its roots, ascending higher and higher. And the light of the Written Torah will once again shine its rays of light over the Oral Torah, a new light each morning. The lovers will reunite in their nuptial canopy, the Land of Israel. And the light of the Godly Soul, the Life of the universe, revealed in Israel’s national revival and its glory, will shine with the pristine light of the Seven Days of creation, the combined light of the sun (the Written Torah) and the moon (the Oral Torah). Their light will be direct and penetrating; they will draw radiance from each other, answering the needs of the Land and the people of Israel in the nobility of life. “And the light of the moon will be like the light of the sun; and the light of the sun will be sevenfold, like the light of the Seven Days, on the day that God will bind the breach of His people and heal the stroke of their wound” (Isaiah 30:26).