민수기 9:6의 유대 사상

The stories told in the Torah, while true, do not constitute the entire teaching their text is meant to convey. One needs to be endowed with an understanding heart in order to penetrate via the story to the more profound teachings the Torah conveys by means of it. The Jewish people have been so endowed, as is pointed out by the Midrash above, from which we have quoted only a brief excerpt. We are thus able to unravel the hidden meanings which lie beyond the superficial aspects relayed in the story. The story of the garden of Eden is a case in point. One must not make the mistake of relegating the vehicle, i.e. the story, to insignificance just because it has been the carrier of more profound insights. Just as he who has intimate knowledge of the body does not deny or ignore the clothing the body is wrapped in, so the student of Torah must not ignore the plain meaning of the story. This is so regardless of the fact that the immediate interest in the story has long since been exhausted. Moses warns the people (Deut. 32,46) not to think that the Torah is only a garment for deeper truths. "Take to heart all the words with which I have warned you this day. Enjoin them upon your children that they may observe faithfully all the terms of this teaching...for it is not a vain thing." The essential difference between all other writings and Torah is that the other writings are either to be taken at face value or are only to be judged by the message hidden in the text; the text itself becoming insignificant. Not so Torah. Both the text and what is hinted at are relevant. Although in ancient times, as per statements recorded in the Talmud (Chagigah 11), matters such as the story of creation were taught only on an individual basis from teacher to pupil, our situation has long since deteriorated to the point that many Torah sages, in accordance with the principle "When it is time to act on G-d’s behalf, fracture your Torah" (Psalms 119,26), have seen fit to write at length about these subjects. We therefore feel justified in adding our own comments about this subject.