OSTT –NS Pirke Avot Shuir May 4 2013.
Pirke Avot 1:1
Moshe received Torah from Sinai and transmitted it to
Joshua, Joshua to the Elders, the Elders to the Prophets, and the Prophets
transmitted it to the Men of the Great Assembly.
Ruach HaChaim:
Why does it say that Moshe ‘received’ and with regard to
Joshua and afterwards ‘transmit?’
Shouldn’t the text say ‘Moshe received… and Joshua received from Moshe’
or ‘The Holy One Praised be G-d transmitted Torah to Moshe and Moshe
transmitted it to Joshua…?” In
order to respond to this question, we can also explain what was taught in Sifre
and mentioned by Rashi that all prophets prophesied with the word ‘Thus says
G-d’ while Moshe was more advanced and prophesied with ‘This is the thing G-d
commands.’ What was the
advancement that allowed Moshe to prophecy so?
We can understand this question about Moshe’s prophecy
according to the story in Numbers 12.
“Miriam and Aharon spoke about Moshe… Does G-d only speak to Moshe? Doesn’t he also speak to us?” Following that “G-d descended and said,
‘Hear my words, if there be your prophets … “ The phrase “If there be your prophets” is problematic. “I will make myself known to him (אליו) in a vision; I speak to/within (בו)
him in a dream” is strange.
Why does it say ‘to him’ and them ‘to/within him.’
It also says “I speak with/in (בו) him face to face.” Shouldn’t the text be ‘with him (עמו)? The phrase ‘in/with my servant Moshe is
also difficult.
Behold we know what is taught in Talmud Yevamot, and in the
Midrash, that all prophets prophesied with a unclear glass, while Moshe
prophesied with a clear glass. It
also says that the Shechina spoke from Moshe’ throat.
In the Zohar, it points out that in the Torah (Genesis
22:11) ‘Avraham -Avraham’ has an interruption within it, while (Exodus 3:4) ‘Moshe
Moshe’ does not. That hints at to Moshe’s level, how exalted he was compared to
our Father Avraham. It says in
Talmud Chullin, ‘What was said of Moshe was greater than that said of Avraham,
for scripture says of Avraham, “I am dust and ashes” while it says of Moshe
‘What are we?”’ By means of this
specifically Moshe merited that the Torah would be given by his hand.
In order to explain Moshe’s greatness related to the fact
that there is no interruption in ‘Moshe Moshe’… the name is the essence of a
person’s soul. Evidence for this
is (Genesis 2:18) ‘The Man gave names… whatever the Man called a living soul
was its name.” The language ‘called a living soul’ is difficult,
for it should have said ‘called the living soul.’ This can be explained that naming is not mere utterance, but
rather Adam saw the source of each living thing in the upper world, and
according to this source gave a name by means of combinations of letters of
that upper world that binds that living thing. Thus ‘Whatever the Man called the living soul was its name’
the essential appropriate thing by combination of letters from the part of the
upper world binding its soul. So
too with people, the name is the soul essence of its biding upper source.
This is the matter of the double names. With regard to “Avraham-Avraham” the
first name relates to the upper soul essence that is the most important part of
the soul, only a small part of which flows to the body. The body is just a sandal for the
soul. Just as the sandal only
dresses a small lower part of the body, so too the body only garbs a small
lower part of the soul. The body
is like a sandal on the end of the soul’s feet. Thus it says (Exodus 3) ‘Take your sandals from your feet,”
that is the body. The second ‘Avraham’
refers to small lower part of the soul that flows to the body. This is the meaning of
‘Avraham-Avraham’ with an interruption in the middle, that is between the upper Avraham which is the
soul in its source of the upper world and the lower Avraham whose lowest small
part is dressed in the body. The
interruption is present between the words because the body interrupts between
the two parts of the soul. However
there is no interruption in “Moshe Moshe” because Moshe’ body was so pure that
there was no separation between the parts of his soul in the upper world and
the body. This is because of the Moshe’
great humility, for Moshe thought of himself as having no body, and said, “What
are we.” Avraham thought of
the body as ‘dust and ashes.’ Thus
we learn that the Shechina spoke in Moshe’ throat for his body was no
interruption, thus the Shechina literally spoke through his throat.
This is the matter of Aharon and Miriam speaking regarding Moshe,
for they thought that they too were pure like Moshe, and thus they said ‘It is
true that G-d only speaks within Moshe’ that is to say literally from within
his throat, for they thought they were on the same level. G-d replied with ‘If there be your
prophets of Hashem’ that is to say
actual prophets of G-d. All names
of G-d are nicknames, but Hashem is the proper name. Thus, G-d said to them, don’t imagine that your prophecy is
on such an exalted level like Moshe, whose prophesy came from the level of
Hashem directly. For your prophecy
is not always on this level. “If
there be your prophets of Hashem’ that is to say if sometimes it happens that
there is prophesy among you on that level.
Then it will be ‘I will make myself known to him in a
vision.’ … A ‘vision’ is like perception through a glass wall… thus scripture says ‘I make myself known
in a vision’ that is from a distance.
This is a glass that does not shine, like an image in glass that does
not shine, its manner is to show the shadow only. Thus Ezekiel said, ‘I heard someone speaking to me,’ that is
a voice was speaking and he heard it, but the voice did not actually reach
him. “I speak to him in a dream”
because in dreams the body does not interrupt between the soul in its upper
source because during sleep the soul arises from the body and not a single
trace of the soul is left in the body.
At such a time the rest of the prophets are, like Moshe, able to have
the word within their throats.
‘Not so with my servant Moshe, face to face I speak within him’ that is
with Moshe’ voice and vision, not with an image, as our sages said a clear
glass, like simple glass that shows the actual thing and not an image, not like
other prophets who (Ezekiel 17)
‘propound a riddle and relate an allegory.’
This is why the rest of the prophets spoke with a ‘Thus says
G-d.’ ‘Thus’ is like an image of
the essential thing, and they were not able to say that was the actual word
that they heard, the word without change heard from the mouth of G-d. However the prophesy of Moshe was so
elevated that G-d spoke to him as one does to a companion, in a clear
manner. Thus Moshe could say ‘This
is was G-d commanded, saying.”
This is the word I heard clearly and I speak it to you This is because of his great purity, he
was able to see the source… all of this was due to his great humility.
… One can further explain the matter of Moshe receiving and
transmitting to Joshua through consideration of (B Talmud Sotah 49a) ‘When Yose
ben Yoezer died, the grapes were annulled; he was a man that contained
everything.’ The meaning of
this is like (Midrash Leviticus Rabba) on ‘Your breasts are grapes.’ Just as a grape that is larger than its
neighbor on the vine is lower than it, so too a scholar that is greater than
his neighbor is humbler. A person
merits everything through humility, and even though Moshe was the lord of
prophets and father of the wise, he was only praised for this humility and
achieved everything through it. If
there were now a person as humble as Moshe he would surely merit the Torah in
its entirety. This is as our Sages
say (B Talmud Ta’anit 7a) ‘Why are words of Torah like water? Just as water leaves a high place and
travels to a low place so too words of Torah only stay in one who is very
humble.’ The Torah migrated to
Moshe who was extremely humble.
Just as a vessel, as its walls become thinner it holds more, and if its
walls become like an onion skin it is almost completely a receptacle, so too
the more humble a person is more space is available and open to receive
Torah. (Deuteronomy 8) “Lest your
heart be elevated and you forget.”
When one raises oneself up automatically there is less room available
for Torah and thus the Torah, G-d forbid, flees. (Isaiah 11) “For the land will be full of knowledge of G-d
like the water covers the sea.”
Just as water covers the sea, in places that are deeper more water
flows.
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