Torah

The Aseres HaDibros are an expression of the oneness of Torah and the root of our connection to Hashem in this world. As we mentioned in our previous article, there is a powerful connection between the specific commandments on each side, as well. Each individual dibrah on the right parallels the corresponding dibrah on the left. Together, they make up a unified whole of connection to both Hashem and one’s fellow man. While we already explained the unique connection between the first four pairs of dibros, we still need to understand the deep and unique connection between the last pair.

On Chol HaMoed Sukkos, I took my family to visit an old neighbor – in fact, a very old neighbor. I had never met the neighbor before, but my wife and I felt it was worth a visit. Although the neighbor doesn’t say anything and just stands around staring into space, people travel from far and wide to see her. The fact that she’s completely green doesn’t seem to deter them at all.

The Luchos are an expression of the oneness of Torah and the root of our connection to Hashem in this world. As we previously mentioned, Rashi explains that the Aseres HaDibros include the rest of the mitzvos within them (Sh’mos 24:12). These Ten Commandments are the fundamental root mitzvos, and the other 603 mitzvos emanate from these ten root categories. An obvious question then arises: Why are the Dibros split into two separate groups, the right side and the left side? Why fragment the ultimate expression of oneness into two separate pieces?

I will never forget what happened that night. After going to hundreds of lectures, and giving quite a few myself, I thought I’d seen it all. But I had never seen anything quite like this. To give you a little background, there are protocols for the introductory process of a speech. At major events, like the one taking place that night, there are always two microphones. The first is for the person who gets up to introduce the main speaker. After finishing his introduction, he walks off with his microphone, and the second microphone is waiting on stage for the main speaker.

One night, four students stayed out late, completely disregarding the test they had the next day. Before school the next morning, they hatched a brilliant plan to avoid taking the test. They covered themselves with grease and dirt and went to the principal’s office. They told him all about how their car had gotten a flat tire the previous night on their way home from a wedding, and how they had to spend the whole night pushing it home.

As we begin the new Torah cycle, let’s take a moment to contemplate the deeper purpose of Torah. Some may refer to the Torah as a history book; others may think of it as a book of law or a source of Jewish wisdom. While these are all true, they only scratch the surface of the Torah’s true nature. Torah is not simply a guide to living a life of truth within this world; it is the blueprint and DNA of the world itself. Our physical world is a projection and emanation of the deep spiritual reality described in the Torah. This is the meaning behind the famous midrash, “Istakel b’Oraisa u’vara alma – [Hashem] looked into the Torah and used it to create the world” (B’reishis Rabbah 1:1). Torah is the spiritual root of existence; the physical world is its expression.