“Vayiten el Moshe ke’chaloto ledaber ito beHar Sinai sh’nai luchot ha’edut luchot even ketuvim b’etzba Elokim –—And [Hashem] gave Moshe, when He finished speaking to him on Mount Sinai, two tablets of the Testimony, they were stone tablets, written with Hashem’s finger” (Shemot 31:18). The structure of the verse here is curious. It would seem to read more smoothly had it said, “When Hashem finished speaking to Moshe… He gave him…” Why the more cumbersome articulation?
Rashi (ibid.) notes that the word “ke’chaloto –—when He finished” is written without a vav and can also be read as “ke’kalato — like His bride,” as if to say, Hashem gave the Torah as a gift like a bride is gifted to her groom. Rashi further explains that Moshe Rabbeinu was unable to learn the entire Torah in such a limited time (40 days), so Hashem presented him with the Torah, including its wisdom and the capacity to understand it, as a gift. Therefore, this verse reflects the manner in which the Torah was given and can be understood as, “And [Hashem] gave the Torah as a gift to Moshe when He finished speaking to him.”
Rav Pincus in “Tiferet Shimshon” learns a tremendous lesson from Rashi’s comment. It is impossible for the human mind to truly comprehend Torah as it is Divine wisdom, beyond mortal understanding. Our ability to learn and understand Torah is a gift from Above. This highlights how truly precious Torah learning is; it is an opportunity to learn, ka’viyachol, with Hashem as a chavruta. Each morning, when we say birkat HaTorah, “hamelamed Torah le’amo Yisrael,” we express our gratitude to Hashem for teaching us Torah directly every day.
Similarly, Rav Schwab in “Ma’ayan Beit Hasho’eva,” understands the word “ke’chaloto” as a descriptive, and offers a fascinating interpretation of the dialogue between Moshe Rabbeinu and the angels when he was in shamayim. “Mah le’yelud isha beineinu —what is a human being doing among us?” (Shabbat 88b). The angels protested, “Hashem, You have kept Your Torah here in the heavens for 974 generations. Why are You now giving it to people on earth?” How could the angels even consider that Torah is relevant to them? Clearly, they have no parents to honor, no creative work to cease on Shabbat, and they have no yetzer hara to steal or commit murder! There is so much in Torah that doesn’t apply to them! Notes Rav Schwab, Torah can be understood on myriad levels, from the most basic to the most sublime. Take the prohibition of murder, for example. On the most elemental level, we are admonished not to take another human life. On a deeper level, we are enjoined not to embarrass another, causing the blood to drain from their face. Yet a more abstract level is cautioning us not to cause others to sin. On a more metaphysical level, one who should teach and does not, is also considered a “murderer.” There is still a more exalted, pristine level of Torah that is appropriate for the angels.
Hashem taught Moshe Rabbeinu every mitzvah with its multiple nuances, from the most transcendent to the most concrete level, which was conveyed as Torah she’bichtav at Har Sinai. This insight allows us to appreciate the vast depth and consciousness embedded in Torah and that it is possible to connect to the devar Hashem at any level, from any place.
Mrs. Shira Smiles, a lecturer, author and curriculum developer, is a member of the Mizrachi Speakers Bureau (www.mizrachi.org/speakers).
