Part 12 (1/2)

The sages taught (the following) in the language of the _Mishnah_--blessed be He that made choice of them and their _Mishnah_.

1. R. Meir (2) said, ”Whosoever labors in the _Torah_ for its own sake merits many things; and not only so, but the whole world is indebted to him: he is called friend, beloved, a lover of the All-present, a lover of mankind: it clothes him with meekness and reverence; it fits him to become just, pious, upright, and faithful; it keeps him far from sin, and brings him near to virtue; through him are enjoyed counsel and sound knowledge, understanding and strength, as it is said, 'Counsel is mind, and sound knowledge; I am understanding; I have strength' (3). It gives him sovereignty and dominion and discerning judgment; to him the secrets of the _Torah_ are revealed; he is made like a never-failing spring and like a river that flows on with ever-increasing vigor; he becomes modest, long-suffering, and forgiving of insults; and it magnifies and exalts him above all things.”

(2) Chapter III, n. 32.

(3) Prov. VIII, 14. Wisdom, representing the _Torah_, utters these words.

2. R. Joshua, the son of Levi (4), said, ”Every day a _bat-kol_ (5) goes forth from Mount h.o.r.eb, proclaiming and saying, 'Woe to mankind for contempt of the _Torah_, for whoever does not occupy himself in the _Torah_ is said to be under the divine censure, as it is said, 'As a ring of gold in a swine's snout, so is a fair woman who turneth aside from discretion' (6); and it says, 'And the tables were the work of G.o.d, and the writing was the writing of G.o.d, graven upon the tables' (7). Read not _charut_ (8), but _cherut_ (9), for no man is free but he who occupies himself in the learning of _Torah_. But whosoever labors in the _torah_, behold he shall be exalted, as it is said, 'And from _Mattanah_ to _Nachaliel_, and from _Nachaliel_ to _Bamot_'” (10).

(4) R. Joshua lived about the middle of the third century.

(5) _Bat kol_ (lit., ”daughter of a voice” or ”daughter-voice”), ”a small voice,” ”sound,” ”resonance,” not ”echo,” as it is often translated. The expression _bat kol_ was used in place of the longer one _bat kol min ha-shamayim_, which is ”a heavenly or divine voice which proclaims G.o.d's will or judgment, His deeds, and His commandments to individuals or to number of persons, to rulers, countries, and even to whole nations.” This celestial voice was a means of divine revelation lower than that of prophecy. According to Schechter, it has two peculiar features: first, its messages are reproductions of verses or sentences from the Old Testament or from the Apocrypha, and secondly, ”it is audible only to those who are prepared to hear it.” See Weber, _Altsynag. Theol._, pp. 187-189; Low, _Gesammelte Schriften_, II, p. 58, n. 1; Kitto's _Cyclopedia of Biblical Lit._, art.

_Bath Kil_, and _Ludwig Blau_, art. _Bat Kol_, in _Jewish Encyclopedia_.

(6) Proberbs XI, 22. The word [nazaf (nun-zayin-fey)]

”censured,” ”placed under ban,” by a form of Rabbinical interpretation known as _notarikon_ (stenographer's method, abbreviation), is connected with the words of this verse in Proverbs: [Nezem Zahav b'aF (NUN-zayin-mem(sofit) ZAYIN-hey-bet bet-alef-FEY(sofit), capitals indicating larger case Hebrew letters)]. Another instance of this kind of interpretation is in connecting the word [anochi] ”I,” the first word of the Decalogue, with the phrase: [Ana Nafs.h.i.+ Catvit Yehavit (ALEF-nun-alef NUN-pey-s.h.i.+n-yud CHOF-tof-bet-yud-tet YUD-hey-bet-yud-tet)] ”I (G.o.d) myself have written (the Torah), and delivered it,” or with the words [Amirah N'imah K'tivah Y'hivah (ALEF-mem-yud-resh-hey NUN-ayin-yud-mem-hey CHOF-tof-yud-bet-hey YUD-hey-yud-bet-hey)] ”a pleasant saying, written and delivered” (_Shabbat_, 105a). See art. _Notarikon_, in the _Jewish Encyclopedia_, and Strack, _Einleitung_, p. 130.

(7) Ex. x.x.xII, 16.

(8) Graven. The phrase [al tikri . . . ele] ”do not read . .

. but” followed by a suggested reading different from the original, does not mean that the Rabbis offered an emendation of the biblical text. It was merely a change of the text for homiletical purposes. See Bacher, _Die alteste Terminologie der judischen Schriftauslegung_, p. 175 _et seq._; Friedlander, _Jewish Religion_, p. 204, and Talmudical dictionaries, _s.v._

(9) Freedom.

(10) Num. XXI, 19 _Mattanah_, ”gift”; _Nachaliel_, ”the heritage of G.o.d”; _Bamot_, ”high places.” The names of these three encampments of the Israelites in the wilderness are interpreted according to their literal meanings.

3. He who learns from his companion a single chapter, a single rule, a single verse, a single expression, or even a single letter, ought to pay him honor, for so we find with David, King of Israel, who learned only two things from Ahitophel (11), and yet regarded him as his master, his guide, and familiar friend, as it is said, ”But it was thou, a man, mine equal, my guide, and my familiar friend” (12). Now, is it not an argument from minor to major (13), that if David, the King of Israel, who learned only two things from Ahitophel, regarded him as his master, guide, and familiar friend, he who learns from his fellow a chapter, rule, verse, expression, or even a single letter, is bound to pay him honor. And ”honor” is nothing but _Torah_, as it is said, ”The wise shall inherit honor (14) and the perfect shall inherit good” (15). And ”good” is nothing but _Torah_, as it is said, ”For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my _Torah_” (16).

(11) Ahitophel deserted David to take up the cause of his rebellious son, Absalom. See II Sam. XVI, 15; XVII, 1 _et seq._

(12) See Ps. LV, 14. The two things David learned are hinted at in Ps. LV, 15.

(13) See chapter I, n. 17.

(14) Prov. III, 35.

(15) _Ibid._, XXVIII, 10.

(16) _Ibid._, IV, 2.

4. This is the way that is becoming for the study of the _Torah_: a morsel of bread with salt thou must eat (17), ”and water by measure thou must drink” (18), thou must sleep upon the ground, and live a life of trouble the while thou toilest in the _Torah_. If thou doest thus, ”Happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee” (19), ”happy shalt thou be” in this world, and ”it shall be well with thee”

in the world to come (20).

(17) Even he who has only bread and salt to eat must busy himself with the study of the _Torah_.

(18) Ezek. IV, 11.

(19) Ps. CXXVIII, 2.