Devarim Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the book of Deuteronomy, opens up this very question for us. It begins with the verse, "This is the blessing," and then delves into Jewish law, or halakha, surrounding the reading of the Torah. Here's the thing: We don't just jump right into the text. There's a ritual, a moment of preparation.
The text tells us that when a person from Israel goes up to read from the Torah scroll, they must first recite a blessing. Only then can they begin reading the sacred words. It's a moment of acknowledging the Divine source, a pause to set the stage.
And it makes you wonder: did Moses, our great teacher, do the same when he received the Torah? The Rabbis in Devarim Rabbah believe he did.
Rabbi Elazar even asks: What was the blessing that Moses recited? He answers, "Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the world, who chose this Torah, sanctified it, and desired those who fulfill it."
Notice something crucial here. The blessing emphasizes those who fulfill the Torah's teachings, not just those who toil over it or contemplate it. It's about action, about bringing the words to life. This isn’t just about intellectual understanding; it’s about living a life guided by Torah.
But what about those of us who feel inadequate? The text anticipates our anxieties. What if you feel like you've mastered other forms of wisdom but haven't dedicated yourself to Torah study? Or what if you struggle with the complexities of Torah and feel like you can't grasp it? What then?
This is where the teaching becomes truly beautiful. The Holy One, blessed be He, assures Israel that wisdom and Torah are, at their core, one and the same. Anyone who fears God – meaning, anyone who has a deep reverence for the Divine and strives to live according to His will – and fulfills the words of the Torah, carries all the wisdom and all the Torah within their heart.
It's a radical idea, isn't it? That fulfilling the commandments, acting with kindness and justice, embodies the very essence of Torah wisdom.
So, where does this idea come from? The text provides scriptural support, pointing us to Psalms 111:10: "Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who perform it have a good understanding." Similarly, Psalms 19:10 states, "Fear of the Lord is pure, and endures forever." And in Job 28:28, we find, "Behold, the fear of the Lord, it is wisdom…"
These verses paint a clear picture: Yirat Hashem – fear of the Lord, or perhaps more accurately, awe and reverence for the Divine – is the foundation upon which wisdom is built. It’s not just about intellectual prowess, but about living a life infused with meaning and purpose. It’s about action informed by faith. As Ginzberg retells it in Legends of the Jews, this interconnectedness highlights that Torah isn’t just a set of rules, but a pathway to profound understanding and connection with the Divine.
So, maybe the question isn't how much we know, but how we live. Are we striving to fulfill the teachings, to act with kindness, to live with integrity? Perhaps that's where the real blessing lies.