Pt2 Conditionality of Creation, Crowns, and Commitment: the Cosmic Significance of the Giving of the Torah and the Revelation at Sinai (Shabbat 88a-89a)

This is the second part of a three-part series. Part 1 is here; the outline for the series can be found there.

Israel’s Commitment and Its Symbolism

R’ Elazar - A bat kol praised Israel for acting like angels by saying “We will do” before “We will hear” (Psalms 103:20)

אמר רבי אלעזר:

בשעה שהקדימו ישראל ״נעשה״ ל״נשמע״

יצתה בת קול ואמרה להן:

מי גלה לבני רז זה

שמלאכי השרת משתמשין בו?!

דכתיב:

״ברכו ה׳, מלאכיו

גברי כח

עשי דברו

לשמע בקול דברו״ —

• ברישא —

  • ״עשי״,

• והדר —

  • ״לשמע״

R' Elazar said:

When the Jewish people accorded precedence to the declaration “We will do” over “We will hear,”

a Divine Voice emerged and said to them:

Who revealed to my children this secret

that the ministering angels use?!

As it is written:

“Bless YHWH, you angels of His,

you mighty in strength,

that fulfill His word,

hearkening unto the voice of His word” (Psalms 103:20).

• At first —

  • the angels fulfill His word,

• and then afterward —

  • they hearken.

R’ Ḥama bar Ḥanina - Israel is likened to an apple tree because its fruit (action) comes before its leaves (understanding) (Song of Songs 2:3)

(It's worth noting that this fact of the Talmud is not scientifically accurate; apple trees in fact develop leaves before their fruit, as is typical for fruit trees.)

אמר רבי חמא ברבי חנינא:

מאי דכתיב ״כתפוח בעצי היער וגו׳״?

למה נמשלו ישראל לתפוח?

לומר לך:

• מה תפוח זה —

  • פריו קודם לעליו,

• אף ישראל —

  • הקדימו ״נעשה״ ל״נשמע״

R' Ḥama, son of R' Ḥanina, said:

What is the meaning of that which is written: “As an apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons. Under its shadow I delighted to sit and its fruit was sweet to my taste” (Song of Songs 2:3)?

Why were the Jewish people likened to an apple tree?

It is to tell you that

• just as this apple tree —

  • its fruit grows before its leaves,

• so too, the Jewish people —

  • accorded precedence to “We will do” over “We will hear.”

Preceding Action to Understanding: A Debate over “Na’aseh ve-Nishma”

Rava’s Intense Study and the Heretic’s Rebuke

A heretic sees Rava so absorbed in halakhic study (מעיין בשמעתא) that he injures his own fingers—pressing them under himself until they bleed—without noticing.

The heretic uses this as indicative, and a jumping-off point to broadly critique Israel’s behavior at Sinai: “impulsive (פזיזא) nation” that “put your mouth before your ears” (i.e., said “na’aseh ve-nishma”—“we will do” before “we will hear”).

The heretic goes on to argue that one should understand a command before accepting it.

ההוא מינא דחזייה לרבא דקא מעיין בשמעתא,

ויתבה אצבעתא דידיה תותי כרעא

וקא מייץ בהו,

וקא מבען אצבעתיה דמא.

אמר ליה:

עמא פזיזא!

דקדמיתו פומייכו לאודנייכו,

אכתי בפחזותייכו קיימיתו.

ברישא איבעיא לכו למשמע,

• אי מציתו —

  • קבליתו,

• ואי לא —

  • לא קבליתו

The Gemara relates that a heretic saw that Rava was immersed in studying halakha,

and his fingers were beneath his leg

and he was squeezing them,

and his fingers were spurting blood. Rava did not notice that he was bleeding because he was engrossed in study.

The heretic said to Rava:

You impulsive nation!

who accorded precedence to your mouths over your ears.

You still bear your impulsiveness, as you act without thinking.

You should listen first.

• Then, if you are capable of fulfilling the commands —

  • accept them.

• And if not —

  • do not accept them.

Rava - Response to Heretic: Defending Israel’s behavior, saying they act with integrity, unlike deceitful nations (Proverbs 11:3)

Rava answers by invoking Proverbs 11:3. He asserts that Israel’s trustful acceptance reflects integrity (שלימותא): “The integrity of the upright will guide them.”

In contrast, the heretic’s demand for full foreknowledge is rooted in duplicity (עלילותא): “the perverseness of the faithless will destroy them.”

אמר ליה:

• אנן —

  • דסגינן בשלימותא

  • כתיב בן: ״תמת ישרים תנחם״,

• הנך אינשי —

  • דסגן בעלילותא

  • כתיב בהו: ״וסלף בוגדים ישדם״

He said to him:

• About us —

  • who proceed wholeheartedly and with integrity,

  • it is written: “The integrity of the upright will guide them” (Proverbs 11:3),

• whereas about those people —

  • who walk in deceit,

  • it is written at the end of the same verse: “And the perverseness of the faithless will destroy them.”

R’ Shmuel bar Naḥmani (in name of R’ Yonatan) - Spiritual Growth: Israel's initial acceptance is likened to one eye; full observance is like using both eyes (Song of Songs 4:9)

אמר רבי שמואל בר נחמני, אמר רבי יונתן:

מאי דכתיב

״לבבתני אחותי כלה

לבבתני באחת מעיניך״ —

• בתחילה —

  • באחת מעיניך,

• לכשתעשי —

  • בשתי עיניך

R' Shmuel bar Naḥamani said that R' Yonatan said:

What is the meaning of that which is written:

“You have ravished my heart, my sister, my bride;

you have ravished my heart with one of your eyes, with one bead of your necklace” (Song of Songs 4:9)?

• At first when you, the Jewish people, merely accepted the Torah upon yourselves —

  • it was with one of your eyes;

• however, when you actually perform the mitzvot —

  • it will be with both of your eyes.

The Sin of the Golden Calf and Divine Love

Ulla - Israel’s sin with the Golden Calf is like a bride being unfaithful under her wedding canopy (Song of Songs 1:12)

אמר עולא:

עלובה כלה מזנה בתוך חופתה.

אמר רב מרי ברה דבת שמואל:

מאי קרא?

״עד שהמלך במסבו

נרדי וגו׳״.

Ulla said with regard to the sin of the Golden Calf:

Insolent is the bride who is promiscuous under her wedding canopy.

Rav Mari, son of the daughter of Shmuel, said:

What verse alludes to this?

“While the king was still at his table

my spikenard gave off its fragrance” (Song of Songs 1:12).

Its pleasant odor dissipated, leaving only an offensive odor.

Rav - Despite the sin, God’s love remains—shown by the use of gentle language: “gave fragrance”, not “reeked” (Song of Songs 1:12)

אמר רב:

ועדיין חביבותא היא גבן,

• דכתיב —

  • ״נתן״,

• ולא כתיב —

  • ״הסריח״

[...]

Rav said:

Nevertheless, it is apparent from the verse that the affection of the Holy One, Blessed be He, is still upon us,

• as it is written euphemistically as —

  • “gave off its fragrance,”

• and the verse did not write —

  • “it reeked”

[...]

The Universality and Power of Torah

R’ Yoḥanan - Each divine utterance split into 70 languages (Psalms 68:12)

אמר רבי יוחנן:

מאי דכתיב

״ה׳ יתן אמר

המבשרות צבא רב״ —

כל דיבור ודיבור שיצא מפי הגבורה,

נחלק לשבעים לשונות

With regard to the revelation at Sinai, R' Yoḥanan said:

What is the meaning of that which is written:

“YHWH gives the word;

the women that proclaim the tidings are a great host” (Psalms 68:12)?

It means that each and every utterance that emerged from the mouth of the Almighty

divided into seventy languages, a great host.

R’ Yishmael’s School - Torah is like a hammer shattering rock—each utterance has many facets (Jeremiah 23:29)

תני דבי רבי ישמעאל:

״וכפטיש יפצץ סלע״,

• מה פטיש זה —

  • נחלק לכמה ניצוצות

• אף כל דיבור ודיבור שיצא מפי הקדוש ברוך הוא —

  • נחלק לשבעים לשונות

And, similarly, the school of R' Yishmael taught

with regard to the verse: “Behold, is My word not like fire, declares YHWH, and like a hammer that shatters a rock?” (Jeremiah 23:29).

• Just as this hammer —

  • breaks a stone into several fragments,

• so too, each and every utterance that emerged from the mouth of the Holy One, Blessed be He —

  • divided into seventy languages.

Rav Ḥananel bar Pappa - Power of Torah: Torah has the power to give life or death like a king (Proverbs 8:6); Rava - For those who approach Torah sincerely, it is life-giving; for others, it’s deadly

אמר רב חננאל בר פפא:

מאי דכתיב

״שמעו

כי נגידים אדבר״ —

למה נמשלו דברי תורה כנגיד?

לומר לך:

• מה נגיד זה —

  • יש בו להמית ולהחיות,

• אף דברי תורה —

  • יש בם להמית ולהחיות.

היינו דאמר רבא:

• למיימינין בה --

  • סמא דחיי,

• למשמאילים בה --

  • סמא דמותא

The Gemara continues in praise of the Torah. Rav Ḥananel bar Pappa said:

What is the meaning of that which is written:

“Listen,

for I will speak royal things, and my lips will open with upright statements” (Proverbs 8:6)?

Why are matters of Torah likened to a king?

To teach you that

• just as this king —

  • has the power to kill and to grant life,

• so too, matters of Torah —

  • have the power to kill and to grant life.

And that is what Rava said:

• To those who are right-handed in their approach to Torah, and engage in its study with strength, good will, and sanctity —

  • Torah is a drug of life,

• and to those who are left-handed in their approach to Torah —

  • it is a drug of death.

Each utterance received two crown (Proverbs 8:6)

דבר אחר:

״נגידים״ —

כל דיבור ודיבור שיצא מפי הקדוש ברוך הוא

קושרים לו שני כתרים

Alternatively,

why are matters of Torah referred to as royal?

Because to each and every utterance that emerged from the mouth of the Holy One, Blessed be He,

two crowns are tied.

Divine Presence Despite Suffering (Song of Songs 1:13-14)

R’ Yehoshua ben Levi - God still “rests between my breasts” despite suffering; He forgives the sin of the Golden Calf (Song of Songs 1:13)

אמר רבי יהושע בן לוי:

מאי דכתיב:

״צרור המור דודי לי

בין שדי ילין״ —

אמרה כנסת ישראל לפני הקדוש ברוך הוא:

רבונו של עולם!

אף על פי שמיצר ומימר לי דודי —

״בין שדי ילין״

R' Yehoshua ben Levi said:

What is the meaning of that which is written:

“My beloved is to me like a bundle of myrrh

that lies between my breasts” (Song of Songs 1:13)?

The Congregation of Israel said before the Holy One, Blessed be He:

Master of the Universe!

even though my beloved, God, causes me suffering and bitterness,

He still lies between my breasts.

God forgives the sin of the Golden Calf (Song of Songs 1:14)

R’ Yehoshua ben Levi homiletically reinterprets the verse from Song of Songs — “My beloved is to me like a cluster of henna in the vineyards of Ein Gedi” — as a pun-filled theological claim:

• “Eshkol hakofer” (a cluster [אשכל] of henna [כפר]) is reimagined as “shehakol shelo” (שהכל שלו - “He to whom everything belongs”) and “mekhapper” (מכפר - “who atones”).

• “Ein Gedi” is taken as a reference to the sin of the “egel” (“calf”), via the phonetic similarity to “gedi” (גדי - “kid goat”).

• “Karmei” (כרמי - “vineyards”) is interpreted as a term for “gathering” (specifically the sinful act of collecting wealth or sin for oneself).

To justify the reading of “karmei” as a term of gathering, the Talmud cites a mishnaic usage: a launderer’s chair upon which garments are “koremim”.¹

״אשכל הכפר דודי לי

בכרמי עין גדי״ —

מי שהכל שלו

מכפר לי על עון גדי

שכרמתי לי.

מאי משמע דהאי ״כרמי״ לישנא דמכנש הוא?

אמר מר זוטרא בריה דרב נחמן:

כדתנן:

כסא של כובס שכורמים עליו את הכלים.

And R' Yehoshua ben Levi interpreted the verse:

“My beloved is to me like a cluster [eshkol] of henna [hakofer]

in the vineyards of [karmei] Ein Gedi” (Song of Songs 1:14).

He, Whom everything [shehakol] is His,

forgives [mekhapper] me for the sin of the kid [gedi], i.e., the calf,

that I collected [shekaramti] for myself.

The Gemara explains: From where is it inferred that the word in this verse, karmei, is a term of gathering?

Mar Zutra, son of Rav Naḥman, said that

it is as we learned in a mishna:

A launderer’s chair upon which one gathers [koremim] the garments.

1. כורמים - “piled up”; this backs the interpretive move that links “karmei” to personal accumulation, framing the speaker’s past sin as acquisitive and selfish.