Pemikiran Yahudi Imamat 19:26: Yesod Mora VeSod HaTorah, Nineteen Letters & Guide for the Perplexed

"And there are others who constantly engage in the study of the Torah, the Prophets, and the Writings, including their translation into Aramaic. They ponder in their hearts, striving to uncover the deeper meanings according to their abilities, reaching higher levels. The truth is that the Torah is a source of life and the foundation of all the commandments. However, the discerning one lacks the power to fully grasp the essence of a single commandment from the written Torah alone unless they also delve into the words of the Oral Torah. As it is written in the Sabbath commandment (Exodus 20:10), 'But the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God; on it you shall not do any work.' "You shall not do any work..." Who will explain to us the various types of work and their derivatives? And the measurements of the Sukkah, and how much is the required size? And the general principles that apply to all the commandments require interpretation based on the traditions passed down from the Patriarchs. Even all the festivals, whether they depend on the appearance of the middle or corrected moon, or according to the position that the moon is correctly aligned to show, or according to the visible appearance and the many variations due to the length and width and the arch of the appearance, corresponding to the expanse of the earth and the deviation of the moon's path to the right or left of the line of the zodiac. And on which location the calculation of the moon is based, for between Jerusalem and this island there is a difference of four straight hours where the sun rises on them initially as clear evidence from the wisdom of the lunar phenomena. And there are still many commandments whose interpretations are not known from the Torah itself but require reasoning, as stated in Deuteronomy 10:16. "You shall not eat upon the blood..." from the words of Shaul (Deuteronomy 24:16), and fathers shall not be put to death for their children from the words of Amatzia. But the main benefit is in relation to the effort exerted to know the names of the cities of Israel, the words of the judges and kings, the construction of the First Temple and the future one, and the words of prophecy that have passed, some of which are future and can be studied, while others have been examined like blind men feeling a wall, one saying this and another saying that. If only we knew the Book of Psalms, which is all songs and prayers, even though it is said that it does not contain future prophecies. The same applies to Job and the books of Solomon, and the Scrolls and Ezra. And we cannot know the timing of the end from the Book of Daniel, for it is not known as I have explained in its place. And if we observe day and night in all these matters, we will not have the knowledge of a commandment that enables us to attain eternal life in the world to come. Therefore, it is said (Baba Metzia 31a). The study of Scripture is an immeasurable quality; it is only beneficial for the discerning individual who delves into the secrets of the Holy Language from the Scriptures. For from it come life's outcomes, understanding the foundation of the Torah and the secret of reverence. Even the translation is beneficial, even though it is not entirely based on the literal meaning.

Toroth. — Instruction or doctrines. — Manifold are the lessons which these important constituents of the Divine system teach us. They comprise the instructions derived from the historically-revealed manifestations of Divine truth and which it is our duty to elevate into principles of our life. They teach us to know God in his unity and as summoning us to comprehend our existence in all its many-sidedness and to unite all our powers, abilities, and conditions in subordination to the One. They teach the active service-duty of all beings, including man, who must learn to look upon himself as one of the host of ministering attendants of Deity and willingly join their ranks. His will in this respect is revealed as unchangeable for all ages. Our experience is to serve us as education; the fear of God is to be taught us by the recognition of His illimitable greatness, the love of God by consideration of His unending mercy and kindness, unshakeable trust in Him by appreciation of His eternal faithfulness.

Although blood was very unclean in the eyes of the Sabeans, they nevertheless partook of it, because they thought it was the food of the spirits; by eating it man has something in common with the spirits, which join him and tell him future events, according to the notion which people generally have of spirits. There were, however, people who objected to eating blood, as a thing naturally disliked by man; they killed a beast, received the blood in a vessel or in a pot, and ate of the flesh of that beast, whilst sitting round the blood. They imagined that in this manner the spirits would come to partake of the blood which was their food, whilst the idolaters were eating the flesh: that love, brotherhood, and friendship with the spirits were established, because they dined with the latter at one place and at the same time; that the spirits would appear to them in dreams, inform them of coming events, and be favourable to them. Such ideas people liked and accepted in those days; they were general, and their correctness was not doubted by any one of the common people. The Law, which is perfect in the eyes of those who know it, and seeks to cure mankind of these lasting diseases, forbade the eating of blood, and emphasized the prohibition exactly in the same terms as it emphasizes idolatry: “I will set my face against that soul that eateth blood” (Lev. 17:10). The same language is employed in reference to him “who giveth of his seed unto Molech”; “then I will set my face against that man” (ibid. 20:5). There is, besides idolatry and eating blood, no other sin in reference to which these words are used. For the eating of blood leads to a kind of idolatry, to the worship of spirits. Our Law declared the blood as pure, and made it the means of purifying other objects by its touch. “And thou shalt take of the blood . . . and sprinkle it upon Aaron, and upon his garments, and upon his sons, and upon the garments of his sons with him. And he shall be hallowed, and his garments, and his sons,” etc. (Exod. 29:21). Furthermore, the blood was sprinkled upon the altar, and in the whole service it was insisted upon pouring it out, and not upon collecting it. Comp. “And he shall pour out all the blood at the bottom of the altar” (Lev. 4:18); “And the blood of thy sacrifices shall be poured out upon the altar of the Lord thy God” (Deut. 12:27). Also the blood of those beasts that were killed for common use, and not for sacrifices, must be poured out, “Thou shalt pour it upon the earth as water” (ibid. ver. 24). We are not allowed to gather and have a meal round the blood, “You shall not eat round the blood” (Lev. 19:26). As the Israelites were inclined to continue their rebellious conduct, to follow the doctrines in which they had been brought up, and which were then general, and to assemble round the blood in order to eat there and to meet the spirits, God forbade the Israelites to eat ordinary meat during their stay in the wilderness: they could only partake of the meat of peace-offerings. The reason of this precept is distinctly stated, viz., that the blood shall be poured out upon the altar, and the people do not assemble round about. Comp. “To the end that the children of Israel may bring their sacrifices, which they offer in the open field, even that they may bring them unto the Lord. . . . And the priest shall sprinkle the blood upon the altar, . . . and they shall no more offer their sacrifices unto the spirits” (Lev. 17:5-7).