It was this light that the Holy One sowed in the Garden of Eden, and through the agency of the Righteous, who is the Gardener of the Garden, He set it in rows; and He took it and sowed it as the seed of truth in rows in the Garden, where it grew, multiplied, and brought forth fruit which has nourished the world, as it is written: “A light sown to the righteous” (Ps. 97, 11).
In that time one might think “the waters fail from the sea, and the flood decayeth and drieth up” (Job. 14, 11), so how can the world be sustained at all? Therefore it says that “a light is sown”, that is to say, continually sown. Now from the time when the stream was cut off from the Garden, the Gardener has ceased to visit it; but the light sows itself, bringing forth fruit out of itself, like a garden which brings forth without being sown, though it must be admitted that the issues and the fruit have no longer that perfection which they attained when the Gardener was present.
So the significance of the words “and the Torah is a light” is this, that the Torah, which emanates from the region of primordial light, is continually being sown in the world and sends forth fruit without ceasing, and the world is nourished by it. “And reproofs of instruction are the way of life.” There are two ways: a way of life and a way of death.
The way of life can be recognized by “reproofs of instruction”; for the Holy One, desiring to guard the way of life, sets on it one who chastises and gives “reproof of instruction” to the children of the world. Who is this? It is that “flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life” (Gen. 3, 24). He who has experience of the “reproofs of instruction” will certainly endeavour to walk in that way of life where dwell those “reproofs”.
At first sight it would seem that the words “the reproofs of instruction are the way of life” contradict the beginning of the verse, but, interpreted as above, they contain the whole mystery of Faith. “The commandment is a lamp” contains the mystery of “keep”; “the Torah is a light” contains the mystery of “remember”; while “the reproofs of instruction are the way of life” refers to the prohibitions and penalties contained in the Torah. And all forms one mystery of Faith, and each of them is necessary to the other to produce a proper synthesis.
הַאי אוֹר זָרַע לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּגִנְתָּא דְּעִדָּנוֹי, וְעָבִיד לֵיהּ שׁוּרִין שׁוּרִין, עַל יְדוֹי דְּהַאי צַדִּיק, דְּאִיהוּ גָּנָּנָא דְּגִנְתָּא, וְנָטִיל לְהַאי אוֹר, וְזָרַע לֵיהּ זְרוּעָא דִּקְשׁוֹט. וְעָבִיד לֵיהּ שׁוּרִין שׁוּרִין בְּגִנְתָּא וְאוֹלִיד וְאַצְמַח וְעָבִיד פֵּרִין, וּמִנַּיְיהוּ אִתְּזַן עָלְמָא, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (תהילים צ״ז:י״א) אוֹר זָרוּעַ לַצַּדִּיק וְגוֹ'.
It was this light that the Holy One sowed in the Garden of Eden, and through the agency of the Righteous, who is the Gardener of the Garden, He set it in rows; and He took it and sowed it as the seed of truth in rows in the Garden, where it grew, multiplied, and brought forth fruit which has nourished the world, as it is written: “A light sown to the righteous” (Ps. 97, 11).
וּכְתִיב (ישעיהו ס״א:י״א) וּכְגַנָּה זֵרוּעֶיהָ תַצְמִיחַ. מַאן זֵרוּעֶיהָ. אִלֵּין זְרוּעֵי דְּאוֹר קַדְמָאָה, דְּאִיהוּ זָרוּעַ תָּדִיר, הַשְׁתָּא אוֹלִיד וְעָבִיד אֵיבִין, וְהַשְׁתָּא זָרוּעַ אִיהוּ, בְּקַדְמִיתָא, עַד לָא יֵיכוּל עָלְמָא אִיבָּא דָּא, אוֹלִיד זְרוּעָא דָּא וְיָהִיב אִיבָּא וְלָא שָׁכִיךְ. וְעַל דָּא, כָּל עָלְמִין אִתְּזָנוּ בְּסִפּוּקָא דְּהַהוּא גָּנָּנָא, דְּאִקְרֵי צַדִּיק, דְּלָא שָׁכִיךְ וְלָא פָּסִיק לְעָלְמִין.
Thus all the worlds are nourished to repletion by that Gardener who is called “Righteous”. Only when Israel is in exile does this light cease.
בַּר בְּזִמְנָא דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל בְּגָלוּתָא. וְאִי תֵּימָא בְּזִמְנָא דְּגָלוּתָא כְּתִיב, (איוב י״ד:י״א) אָזְלוּ מַיִם מִנִּי יָם וְנָהָר יֶחרָב וְיָבֵשׁ, הֵיךְ עָבִיד תּוֹלָדִין. אֶלָּא כְּתִיב זָרוּעַ, זָרוּעַ אִיהוּ תָּדִיר, וּמִיּוֹמָא דְּאַפְסִיק הַהוּא נָהָר. בְּגִנְתָּא (ס"א בגנתא) לָא עָאל בֵּיהּ הַהוּא גָּנָּנָא. וְהַהוּא אוֹר דְּאִיהוּ זָרוּעַ תָּדִיר, עָבִיד אֵיבִין וּמִנֵּיהּ וּמִגַּרְמֵיהּ אִזְדְּרַע כְּקַדְמִיתָא, וְלָא שָׁכִיךְ תָּדִיר. כְּגִנְתָּא דְּעָבִיד תּוֹלָדִין, וּמֵהַהוּא זָרוּעַ נָפִיל בֵּיהּ בְּאַתְרֵיהּ, וּמִגַּרְמֵיהּ עָבִיד תּוֹלָדִין כְּדִבְקַדְמֵיתָא. וְאִי תֵּימָא, דְּאִינּוּן תּוֹלָדִין וְאֵיבִין הֲווֹ כְּמָה דְּהֲוָה בְּזִמְנָא דְּגָנָנָא תַּמָּן. לָאו הָכִי. אֲבָל לָא אִתְמָנַּע זָרוּעַ דָּא לְעָלְמִין.
In that time one might think “the waters fail from the sea, and the flood decayeth and drieth up” (Job. 14, 11), so how can the world be sustained at all? Therefore it says that “a light is sown”, that is to say, continually sown. Now from the time when the stream was cut off from the Garden, the Gardener has ceased to visit it; but the light sows itself, bringing forth fruit out of itself, like a garden which brings forth without being sown, though it must be admitted that the issues and the fruit have no longer that perfection which they attained when the Gardener was present.
כְּגַוְונָא דָּא וְתוֹרָה אוֹר, אוֹרַיְיתָא דְּאִתְיְהִיבַת מִסִּטְרָא דְּהַהוּא אוֹר קַדְמָאָה, הָכִי אִזְדְּרַע תָּדִיר בְּעָלְמָא, וְעָבִיד תּוֹלָדִין וְאֵיבִין, וְלָא שָׁכִיךְ לְעָלְמִין, וּמֵהַהוּא אִיבָּא דִּילֵיהּ אִתְּזָן עָלְמָא.
So the significance of the words “and the Torah is a light” is this, that the Torah, which emanates from the region of primordial light, is continually being sown in the world and sends forth fruit without ceasing, and the world is nourished by it. “And reproofs of instruction are the way of life.” There are two ways: a way of life and a way of death.
וְדֶרְךָ חַיִּים תּוֹכְחוֹת מוּסָר. תְּרֵין אָרְחִין אִינּוּן, חַד אֹרַח חַיִּים, וְחַד בְּהִפּוּכָא מִנֵּיהּ. סִימָנָא דְּאֹרַח חַיִּים מַאן אִיהוּ. תּוֹכְחוֹת מוּסָר. דְּכָד בָּעָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְנַטְרָא לְהַאי אֹרַח חַיִּים, שַׁוֵּי עָלֵיהּ הַהוּא דְּאַלְקֵי, וְעָבִיד תּוֹכְחוֹת מוּסָר לִבְנֵי עָלְמָא. וּמַאן אִיהוּ. הַאי דִּכְתִּיב, (בראשית ג׳:כ״ד) וְאֵת לַהַט הַחֶרֶב הַמִּתְהַפֶּכֶת לִשְׁמֹר אֶת דֶּרֶךְ עֵץ הַחַיִּים וְעַל דָּא, דֶּרֶךְ חַיִּים אִיהוּ תּוֹכְחוֹת מוּסָר. וּמַאן דְּאִית בֵּיהּ תּוֹכָחוֹת, וַדַּאי דְּמִתְעָרֵי לֵיהּ לְמֵהַךְ בְּהַהוּא אֹרַח חַיִּים, דְּשָׁארִי תַּמָּן תּוֹכְחוֹת מוּסָר.
The way of life can be recognized by “reproofs of instruction”; for the Holy One, desiring to guard the way of life, sets on it one who chastises and gives “reproof of instruction” to the children of the world. Who is this? It is that “flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life” (Gen. 3, 24). He who has experience of the “reproofs of instruction” will certainly endeavour to walk in that way of life where dwell those “reproofs”.
הַאי קְרָא לָאו רֵישֵׁיהּ סֵיפֵיהּ וְלָאו סֵיפֵיהּ רֵישֵׁיהּ. אֶלָּא כֹּלָּא רָזָא דִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא דְּהַאי קְרָא. כִּי נֵר מִצְוָה, דָּא רָזָא דְּשָׁמוֹר. וְתוֹרָה אוֹר, דָּא רָזָא דְּזָכוֹר, וְדֶרֶךְ חַיִּים תּוֹכְחוֹת מוּסָר, אִלֵּין גִּזְרִין וְעוֹנָשִׁין דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, וְכֹלָּא רָזָא דִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא. וְאִצְטְרִיךְ דָּא לְדָא, וּלְמֶהֱוֵי רָזָא דְּכֹלָּא כַּדְקָא יֵאוֹת.
At first sight it would seem that the words “the reproofs of instruction are the way of life” contradict the beginning of the verse, but, interpreted as above, they contain the whole mystery of Faith. “The commandment is a lamp” contains the mystery of “keep”; “the Torah is a light” contains the mystery of “remember”; while “the reproofs of instruction are the way of life” refers to the prohibitions and penalties contained in the Torah. And all forms one mystery of Faith, and each of them is necessary to the other to produce a proper synthesis.