The Torah and its Essence (1)

With this shiur, we begin a new topic in the teachings of the Maharal, moving from moral qualities (middot) and instruction (mussar) to the issue of the Torah and its essence. The Maharal addresses this issue in several key places in his writings: in Tiferet Yisrael, which deals entirely with the Torah; in the opening section of Netivot Olam, titled Netiv ha-Torah, "the Path of Torah"; in Derush al ha-Torah; and in many scattered places in Derekh Chaim, his commentary on tractate Avot. It would seem, however, that the most fundamental source for understanding the essence of the Torah is one we have already seen in regard to the definition of morality (shiur #7). I refer to the Maharal's introduction to Derekh Chaim, in which he distinguishes between morality, on the one hand, and Torah and mitzvot, on the other. The Maharal asserts that morality belongs to the realm of human reason, whereas Torah and mitzvot belong to the realm of the Divine that transcends reason. Let us reexamine this source, and this time focus on the definition of Torah and mitzvot:

The man whom God created on the earth – his tent is in cloud and mist, to the point that he sits in darkness without light, that is, in his impure body and the darkness that covers it, to the point that he is too weary to find the gate… that would be his path to the presence of God. And even if the radiance and spark of the intellect serve to guide him to the path that he should take, this is only with respect to what is fitting for a person to do by virtue of being a person to whom God has given the intellect, which is an illuminating light by means of which he knows what he should do as a person, but not by virtue of the fact that God has chosen him, as is the case with Israel, whom God chose from among all the nations, this being above human intellect. Regarding this, that he should follow his Creator and cleave to God, as it is written: "You shall walk after the Lord your God… and you shall serve Him, and cleave to Him" (Devarim 13:5), this light of his intellect does not have the power to illuminate the way he should take so that he will walk after His Creator. How is it possible that this would [come from] this light of the intellect, which chooses the things that are fitting for a person by virtue of his being a person? Rather, this [comes from] the deeds that are pleasing to God and that which distances man from God, who has chosen him, such that with this a person will be able to reach his ultimate success and to cleave to God. This is something that is above the intellect. Therefore, the light which is to illuminate the darkness of man is the Torah and mitzvot, as it is written: "For the commandment is a lamp, and the Torah is light" (Mishlei 6:23). That is to say, they alone illuminate man in the darkness until the night becomes as bright as day…. And it is stated further: "And admonitions of moral instruction (mussar) are the way of life (derekh chaim)" (ibid.). That is to say, nevertheless, admonitions of instruction, which are not the commandments of the Torah, but rather the instructions that the human intellect dictates that a person should do and live by them, are called the way of life. (Derekh Chaim, introduction)[1]

Simply put, it is clear that Torah is higher than human intellect, for Torah is the word of God, who is unlimited, while human wisdom of is limited by the very fact that he was created and is a material being. Thus, it is clear that the one is higher than the other. However, the Maharal, in his customary manner, defines the relationship between the Torah and human intellect on a more essential level.

The Maharal sets up a ladder of three levels: material, human-intellectual, and Divine.[2] The human intellect is indeed superior to material desires, and is capable of liberating man from the yoke of his passions, but it is incapable of elevating him from the human level to the Divine plane.

The Torah opens the path to a Divine life, which transcends the human life of this world. Man cannot reach the Divine dimension on his own, with his own tools alone. To reach the Divine dimension, one must have the Divine Torah. The verse that teaches: "For the commandment is a lamp, and the Torah is light" (which is not the case with morality) is not merely a poetic compliment to the Torah, but a statement that Torah and mitzvot are the only means for man to ascend to the Divine realm.

The Difference Between the Torah and the Mitzvot

In the continuation of his introduction, the Maharal explains the inner relationship between these two Divine components – the Torah and the mitzvot:

And in Sota (21a): "The following did Rabbi Menachem son of Rabbi Yose expound: 'For the commandment is a lamp and the Torah is light' – the verse connects the commandments with a lamp and the Torah with light: the commandment with a lamp to teach you that just as a lamp only protects temporarily, so the [fulfilment of a] commandment only protects temporarily; and the Torah with light to tell you that just as light protects permanently, so the Torah protects permanently." This means: A commandment is a human act, and man acts only by way of his body, and all bodies are subject to time, as it is known that everything which is a body is subject to time, and therefore a commandment that is fulfilled by way of a body only protects within time. This is the meaning of what is stated that a commandment is temporary. But the Torah, which is without a body, because it involves comprehension of the intellect, has no concern with the body, and anything that is not a body is not subject to time, and therefore the Torah protects permanently, when a person cleaves to the intellectual Torah which is not at all dependent on time. And therefore Scripture says that the commandment is a lamp and the Torah is light. They illuminate for a person to bring him to his ultimate purpose, the highest level, which is the quest and search of every living thing which is on the earth.

The verse compares the mitzva to a lamp, and the Torah to light. The lamp is a material means whose role is that the light should attach to it, and in contrast, there is the light itself. The mitzvot are like a lamp in that they are connected to matter – they are holy acts that are performed in this world by way of material means – whereas the Torah is the abstract content itself.

Mitzvot transport man out of the material realms of this world to a luminous and Divine realm. When a person performs a mitzva, he is not engaged in a material act, but in a spiritual one. In this way, the mitzvot bring a person to "the highest level which is the quest and search of every living thing which is on the earth." The mitzvot lead to the innermost purpose that is sought in the depths of every person – namely, deveikut (attachment, or cleaving) to God.

This conception of the Torah and mitzvot is not self-evident. A simpler understanding would be that man is interested in living in this world, and the mitzvot guide him how to do so in a proper manner. The Torah, according to this understanding, teaches man how to properly perform the mitzvot, and thereby live in this world in accordance with God's will. Elsewhere, the Maharal does indeed speak of the importance of learning practical halakha so that one may come to the proper observance of the mitzvot – but this is not the purpose of the Torah. The purpose of the Torah and mitzvot is deveikut, which involves belonging to a realm beyond the world. Man is not merely supposed to perform certain acts in accordance with the will of God, but to undergo an inner process that will lead him to the spiritual realm. The peak of this process is deveikut.

The Torah Emanates from the Creator

The Maharal delves more deeply into the essence of the Torah:

And it is stated further (ibid.): "And admonitions of instruction are the way of life." That is to say, nevertheless, the admonitions of instruction, which are not the commandments of the Torah, but are rather the instructions that the human intellect dictates that a person should do and live by them, are called the way of life. And in Midrash Vayikra Rabba (9): "'To guard the path to the tree of life' (Bereishit 3:24) – derekh eretz (civility; lit. “the way of the land”) preceded the Torah by twenty-six generations, as it is stated: 'To guard the path' – this is derekh eretz; '[to] the tree of life' – this is the Torah." The Torah is called a tree and derekh eretz is called a path, because it means to say that the Torah is a firm planting, like a tree that is planted firmly and has deep roots, so that even if all the winds in the world were to come, they would not move this tree from its place. So too the Torah is a firm planting, and the planting of the Torah is with God, from whom the Torah emanates, arranged by Him, as will be further explained in several places how this planting emerges from God just as a tree emerges from the place of its planting, i.e., the earth. And [even] if all the people in the world would come to uproot the Torah, they could not budge it even by one iota…

And it is called the tree of life, which indicates the eternity of the Torah in itself, and that you should not say that the Torah is temporary, heaven forfend, and that the Torah has an endpoint in itself. Therefore the Torah is called the tree of life, for that which is called life (chaim) has no endpoint, like a spring of living water (mayim chaim), which is a source that has no endpoint. It is not like a person who is called a living person (adam chai), for the term "adam chai" means a person who has life, as it is written: "And [He blew the breath of life into his nostrils and] man became a living soul" (Bereishit 2:7). Thus, man receives life, and it is possible for the life that he received to be removed. But the tree of life, where the tree is itself the life, has no endpoint. Therefore God is called the living God (Elo-him chaim), for He Himself is eternal life. And where it is stated: "Chai Hashem," it is as if it were written "Chaim," as is indicated by the patach. Regarding a person, it is relevant to say "Chei Pharaoh," with a tzerei, as in other construct forms, because he is not himself life, but rather he receives life and it is possible that it could be removed. These two words that are used in reference to the Torah, "tree of life," intimate to you that the Torah is not subject to abrogation, neither from the side of others nor from the side of the essence of the Torah.

We already saw these words when we studied the definition of morality (shiur #7), but now we can also learn from them the deeper definition of the Torah. The Maharal first presents the simple meaning of the metaphor comparing the Torah to a tree, that just as a tree is firmly rooted in the ground and thus it stands up to the wind, so too the Torah stands up against all the winds, currents, and movements that blow in the world. But he then moves on to a deeper level: Torah is a planting that comes from God. Its roots are Divine. Comparing the Torah to a tree teaches us not only who planted it, but also what is revealed in it – it is not only created by the Divine but reflects it.

Let us focus on a central definition that appears in the words of the Maharal: "God from whom the Torah emanates." The concept of "emanation" originates in the teachings of the kabbalists, who introduced the idea that the world was not only created by God but also emanated from Him. It was drawn directly from Him, and it cannot be separated from Him. One might imagine this as a person’s speech, which is not separate from the person himself but which issues from and reveals him. The word atzilut, "emanation," bears the sense of etzel, "beside," as in the verse: "And He took (vaye'etzal) of the spirit" (Bamidbar 11:25); the Torah is a world that is found, as it were, beside God.

An important question that has occupied scholars of the Maharal and generated debate among them is whether his thought in fact has roots that draw from Kabbala. A simple reading of the Maharal's writings reveals that his language is much more philosophical than kabbalistic. However, he chooses to use the term atzilut, which is entirely kabbalistic, to characterize the Torah, and thereby reveals kabbalistic roots. In the course of our study, we will encounter other topics where the Maharal’s roots in Kabbala are evident. His language and style are very different from those of the kabbalists, but when we listen to him carefully, we discover his deep sources. Indeed, Ravi Kook said of the Maharal: "He too is to be reckoned among the kabbalists, even though his style differs from that of most of his contemporaries." The external style may differ, but the content is closely related to the teachings of Kabbala. Regarding our current topic as well, it is clear that the Maharal follows the kabbalists' innovative conception that there is an existence that emanated directly from God and remains connected and bound to Him – and that is the Torah.

Cleaving to God is possible only by way of a Divine emanation. To escape the darkness of the material and reach the Divine realm, man cannot climb ladders of human making. He must grasp what emanates from the Divine realm itself, and that is the Torah.

In this sense, the Torah is eternal. It is eternal not only because God does not want to ever change it, but because it directly emanates from and reveals Divinity. Since God is eternal, the revelation emanating from Him is certainly eternal as well.

For this reason the Torah is called "the tree of life," because it comes from the source of life. Man has life, but he is not life itself, and life only appears in him for a limited time. The Torah, on the other hand, is life itself. When a person cleaves to the Torah, he cleaves to the source of life.

The Torah Has No Corporeal Element in It

In the course of his discussion, the Maharal cites Chazal’s statement that Torah is one of the gifts that are acquired through suffering:

This is also the meaning of the words of our Sages in the first chapter of tractate Berakhot (5a): "It was taught: Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai said: The Holy One, blessed be He, gave Israel three precious gifts, and all of them were given only through suffering. These are: the Torah, the Land of Israel, and the world to come. From where do we know this about the Torah? For it is written: 'Happy is the man whom You chasten, O Lord, [and teach out of your Torah]' (Tehillim 94:12). From where do we know this about the Land of Israel? For it is written: 'As a man chastens his son, so the Lord your God chastens you' (Devarim 8:5), and after that it is written: 'For the Lord your God brings you into a good land' (ibid. v. 7). From where do we know this about the world to come? For it is written: 'For the commandment is a lamp, and the Torah is light, and admonitions of instruction [or: sufferings] are the way of life.'" The meaning of this is that these three things were given through suffering, because all three of these things are holy. For the Land of Israel is the holy land, and it is distinguished, in that there is more intellect in this land than in other lands, for if the Land of Israel did not have this attribute, “the air of the Land of Israel” would not “make people wise” [Bava Batra 158b] more so than all other lands, and prophecy would not be limited to the Land of Israel, as we have explained in many places. And the Torah, which is Divine wisdom, has no corporeal element in it. And even more so the world to come, where there is no eating or drinking, and it is completely removed from corporeality. For this reason, these three things are called gifts, for a gift is that which does not belong to a person on his own but was given to him by another. And man has a material body, and from his part these things are not his, as they are Divine things that are separate from matter. And therefore they were given only through suffering, which diminishes the material and the human body, and remove its baseness, so that man may be fit for Divine things. And therefore, these three things were given to man only through suffering, which is a diminishment of the material body, and then man is fit for these holy things that are separate [from matter].

First, let us take note of the definition of Torah as Divine wisdom that "has no corporeal element in it." But the Torah is replete with corporeal matters! It contains laws of damage to people and animals, laws of acquisition, the laws of kosher food, and more. The Maharal emphasizes, however, that the Torah is in its essence totally abstract. The central point of Torah study is not the resolution of problems in the real world, but rather the pursuit of the underlying Divine logic and will. Even when one is engaged in the mundane matter of an ox that gored a cow, the goal is not to know how to resolve a practical earthly problem in order to adjudicate a dispute between neighbors and prevent strife and anarchy, but to touch the inner abstract idea at the foundation of the topic.

Why is Torah acquired through suffering? Because "man has a material body." By nature, he does not belong to the upper and exalted realm. In order to cleave to the Divine realm, one must free himself from the material world in which he is immersed. This is the function of suffering. As long as a person is comfortable in his material framework, he remains attached to it. Suffering creates a disjunction between the person and the world in which he is situated; it allows him to release himself from the grip of matter, and to be able to cleave to the Divine Torah.

Even though man exists in a dark and material world, he has a most exalted mission, to belong to the noble Divine realm, and the means to this is the Torah. We have not yet clarified how the Torah accomplishes this process in man, nor have we explained the meaning of the significant phrase used by the Maharal – "arranged (mesuderet) by Him." We shall address these questions in the next set of sources that we will see, especially Netiv ha-Torah, from which it becomes clear that the concept of "order" (seder) is a key word with regard to the Torah.

(Translated by David Strauss; edited by Sarah Rudolph)

[1] Editor’s note: Excerpts from Derekh Chaim were presented in shiur #7 with an explanatory translation. Here, we offer a translation that follows the words of the Maharal more closely.

[2] We can see an expression of these three levels at the beginning of the book of Bereishit, in the three sons of Noach. Cham is characterized by following after material lusts, Yefet has human-intellectual morality, and Shem ascends to the Divine level and therefore merits God's blessing: "Blessed be the Lord, the God of Shem" (Bereishit 9:26).