Page 2 - The Jewish Voice - June '21

Page 2, The Jewish Voice

From the rabbis

The Source of Judaism A little-known fact of the ultra-Orthodox yeshivah yourself may be the Torah’s overarching message, it is not
world is that not a lot of time is spent on study of the text of one that can be understood in isolation from the vast body
By Rabbi Paul Arberman the Torah itself. The stories and even simple commentary of learning and practice that surrounds it.
The typical Jew knows are covered in the lowest grade levels. Of course, they The phrase “What is hateful unto yourself, do not
that the Torah is the source hear part of the parsha on Monday and Thursday and the unto your neighbor” is NOT exactly what the Torah says.
book of our religion. Yet entire parsha on Shabbat morning and it is referenced in Hillel’s reply is therefore a great example of an ancient
it’s interesting to note that drashot/sermons. But the majority of time spent in middle rabbi developing the Torah law by taking it to a higher
one cannot read the Torah school and certainly high school age is spent on Talmud level needed in his day. Hillel was saying that “Love thy
in order to understand study with commentary, halakha/Jewish law, and “mussar” neighbor as thyself” might be a good starting point, but it is
Judaism. Judaism has been teachings of moral conduct or discipline. NOT enough! Shammai, after all, can’t really be expected
molded and developed by The Talmud tells the story of two first-century-BCE to love this non-Jew who is making fun of him, nor can
generations of rabbis who rabbinic sages, Hillel and Shammai, who are approached the non-Jew expect to be loved by him. But he can expect
have interpreted and re- by a non-Jew who comes to both and asks to be taught Shammai, who would not like to be hit with a measuring
interpreted the Torah. It is the whole Torah while standing on one leg. Shammai is rod himself, to know better than to strike someone else
only through their explanations over two thousand years provoked and gives the man a whack with a measuring rod. (even a mocker).
that we come to understand what God expects of us. Hillel re-works the famous “Love thy neighbor as thyself” Then Hillel adds the second half of the statement that
and says: “That which is hateful to you, do not do unto cannot be separated from the first: “The rest is commentary;
another: This is the whole Torah. The rest is commentary now go study.” He is making a strong two-part statement:
— now go study it.” Treating each other fairly, together with studying rabbinic
Advertise! Check out our website! You might think that “the rest is commentary” means that commentary, are the sources of our religion.
the rest is not as important or that all the laws lead to how you Rabbi Paul Arberman is spiritual leader at Temple Beth
www.seabreezepublications.com should treat others. I don’t agree. I think Hillel is purposefully David in Palm Beach Gardens.
adding that commentary is crucial and that ultimate wisdom
lies in it. Although not doing to others what is hateful to From the Rabbis on page 3

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