וְלֹ֣א תָס֗וּר מִכָּל־הַדְּבָרִים֙ אֲשֶׁ֨ר אָנֹכִ֜י מְצַוֶּ֥ה אֶתְכֶ֛ם הַיּ֖וֹם יָמִ֣ין וּשְׂמֹ֑אול לָלֶ֗כֶת אַחֲרֵ֛י אֱלֹהִ֥ים אֲחֵרִ֖ים לְעָבְדָֽם׃ (ס)
Y no te apartes de todas las palabras que yo os mando hoy, ni á diestra ni á siniestra, para ir tras dioses ajenos para servirles.
Haamek Sheilah
VARIOUS SCRIPTURAL AND AGGADIC SOURCES SUGGEST THAT A PERSON’S INTELLECTUAL AND SPIRITUAL GROWTH IS LIMITED BY HIS INNATE ABILITIES
WHEN [GOD GAVE the Torah to the Jewish people,] “He came with some of the sacred myriads, and in His right hand was eish-das, a fire of law, for them [Israel].”1See the Sifrei quoted in Part 1, chapter 1, footnote 32. Applicable to this section, the Sifrei expresses how the Torah sustains the world, while danger awaits those who use the Torah for personal gain. In addition, the Sifrei compares the properties of the Torah to a flame: just as a flame originates from heaven and returns to its source when it is not being “held” by an item such as a wick, so a person who lifts himself above the physical realm by cleaving to the fire of Torah becomes lifted heavenward beyond the barriers of the physical realm. It was then that each one of Israel received his portion, [that is, his] strength of prophecy and power in Torah.2The phrase “power in Torah” may refer to the ability to grasp its concepts and originate novel law. This is stated in Shemos Rabbah, parashah 28: “God spoke all these words, saying.”3Ex. 20:1. [Why does the Torah include the word “all?”] R. Isaac said: “The prophets received from Sinai the message they were to prophesy to subsequent generations. Moshe told Israel: ‘But with him that is standing here with us this day before the Lord our God, and also with him who is not here with us this day, etc.’ (Deut. 28:14). It does not say ‘who is not here standing with us this day,’ but just ‘not with us this day.’ [This verse is referring to] the future people to be created; and because there is not yet any substance to them, [they were not yet in human form], the word ‘standing’ is not used [when referring to] them. Although they did not yet exist, each one received his share [of the Torah], as it says, ‘The burden of the word of God to Israel by the hand of Malachi’4If “be-yad” is read as “ba’yad” it is to be translated as “in the hand.” In that case it would mean it was already possessed by Malachi. (Mal. 1:1). It does not say ‘in the days of Malachi,’ but ‘by the hand of Malachi,’ for the power of his prophecy was already within him since Sinai, but he was not granted permission to prophesy…Not only did all the Prophets receive their [power of] prophecy from Sinai, but each of the Sages who arose in each generation received [his wisdom] from Sinai, as it says, ‘God spoke these words unto all of your assembly… with a great voice, without cessation” (Deut. 5:19)…. R. Shimon ben Lakish said: “[It was the voice] from which all subsequent prophets received their [power of] prophecy.”5This is the Soncino translation with minor changes.
WHEN [GOD GAVE the Torah to the Jewish people,] “He came with some of the sacred myriads, and in His right hand was eish-das, a fire of law, for them [Israel].”1See the Sifrei quoted in Part 1, chapter 1, footnote 32. Applicable to this section, the Sifrei expresses how the Torah sustains the world, while danger awaits those who use the Torah for personal gain. In addition, the Sifrei compares the properties of the Torah to a flame: just as a flame originates from heaven and returns to its source when it is not being “held” by an item such as a wick, so a person who lifts himself above the physical realm by cleaving to the fire of Torah becomes lifted heavenward beyond the barriers of the physical realm. It was then that each one of Israel received his portion, [that is, his] strength of prophecy and power in Torah.2The phrase “power in Torah” may refer to the ability to grasp its concepts and originate novel law. This is stated in Shemos Rabbah, parashah 28: “God spoke all these words, saying.”3Ex. 20:1. [Why does the Torah include the word “all?”] R. Isaac said: “The prophets received from Sinai the message they were to prophesy to subsequent generations. Moshe told Israel: ‘But with him that is standing here with us this day before the Lord our God, and also with him who is not here with us this day, etc.’ (Deut. 28:14). It does not say ‘who is not here standing with us this day,’ but just ‘not with us this day.’ [This verse is referring to] the future people to be created; and because there is not yet any substance to them, [they were not yet in human form], the word ‘standing’ is not used [when referring to] them. Although they did not yet exist, each one received his share [of the Torah], as it says, ‘The burden of the word of God to Israel by the hand of Malachi’4If “be-yad” is read as “ba’yad” it is to be translated as “in the hand.” In that case it would mean it was already possessed by Malachi. (Mal. 1:1). It does not say ‘in the days of Malachi,’ but ‘by the hand of Malachi,’ for the power of his prophecy was already within him since Sinai, but he was not granted permission to prophesy…Not only did all the Prophets receive their [power of] prophecy from Sinai, but each of the Sages who arose in each generation received [his wisdom] from Sinai, as it says, ‘God spoke these words unto all of your assembly… with a great voice, without cessation” (Deut. 5:19)…. R. Shimon ben Lakish said: “[It was the voice] from which all subsequent prophets received their [power of] prophecy.”5This is the Soncino translation with minor changes.
Ibn Ezra
they turned to This is the greatest of all evils, as I have explained [comment on 28: 14].