Еврейская мысль к Дварим 10:16

"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.

Here is a parable regarding a commandment that is considered as two, such as "Remember" and "Keep" the Sabbath, and sanctifying the Sabbath, and finding pleasure, and making preparations, and acquiring desired items, and refraining from speaking mundane matters. These are many commandments, but the essence is "You shall not do any work" (Exodus 20:10). And behold, one is obligated to remember throughout the week which day is the seventh day, and it shall be kept for him. And "remember" means like "keep" and sanctify, that one should not engage in work on that day, as stated by Jeremiah. And the pleasure is the rest from physical labor, and finding desired items and refraining from doing anything related to work. And within these warnings, "circumcise the foreskin of your heart" (Deuteronomy 10:16) is included in the positive commandments, and "do not be stiff-necked" (Numbers 31) is included in the negative commandments. I asked the great scholars of the generation for the interpretation, and their response was to reject it, holding firmly to their established positions, along with their disciples who lack the discernment to distinguish between truth and falsehood.

Politeness is another virtue promoted by the Law. Man shall listen to the words of his neighbour; he shall not be obstinate, but shall yield to the wish of his fellow-men, respond to their appeal, act according to their desire, and do what they like. Thus the Law commands, “Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiff-necked” (Deut. 10:16); “Take heed and hearken” (ibid. 27:9). “If you be willing and obedient” (Isa. 1:19). Those who listen [to the words of others] and accept as much as is right are represented as saying, “We will hear and do” (Deut. 5:24), or in a figurative style, “Draw me, we will run after thee” (Song 1:4).