Parshat Shoftim 5769

Rabbi Ari Kahn

Whither Truth?

At times of indecision, when ambiguity reigns and man does

not know what the Divine Law expects of him, the Torah
offers a path out of the darkness:

‫דברים פרק יז‬

‫דין ובֵין נֶג ַע לָנֶג ַע‬ ִ ְ‫דין ל‬ ִ ‫דם בֵין‬ ָ ְ‫דם ל‬ ָ ‫שפָט בֵין‬ ְ ִ‫דבָר לַמ‬ ָ ָ ‫(ח) כ ִי יפָלֵא מִמְך‬
)‫ (ט‬:‫חר ה’ אֱלֹהֶיך ָ בו‬ ַ ְ‫שר יב‬ ֶ ֲ‫עלִיתָ אֶל הַמָקום א‬ ָ ְ ‫ער ֶיך ָ ו ְק ַמְתָ ו‬
ָ ‫ש‬ְ ִ‫דבְר ֵי ר ִיבֹת ב‬
ִ
‫שתָ וְהִג ִידו‬ְ ַ ‫דר‬
ָ ְ ‫שר יהְי ֶה בַיָמִים הָהֵם ו‬ ֶ ֲ‫ובָאתָ אֶל הַכֹהֲנ ִים הַלְו ִי ִם וְאֶל הַשֹפֵט א‬
‫שר יַג ִידו לְך ָ מִן הַמָקום‬ ֶ ֲ‫דבָר א‬ ָ ַ‫על פִי ה‬ַ ָ‫שית‬ִ ‫ע‬ ָ ְ ‫(י) ו‬:‫שפָט‬ ְ ִ‫דבַר הַמ‬ ְ ‫לְך ָ אֵת‬
:ָ ‫שר יורוך‬ ֶ ֲ‫עשות כְכֹל א‬ ֲ ַ‫שמַרְתָ ל‬ ָ ְ ‫חר ה’ ו‬ ַ ְ‫שר יב‬ֶ ֲ‫הַהוא א‬

If there arises a matter of judgment that eludes you,

between blood and blood, between plea and plea, and
between plague and plague, being matters of
controversy inside your gates; then shall you arise, and
go to the place which the Eternal, your God, shall
choose; And you shall come to the priests the Levites,
and to the judge who shall be in those days, and
inquire; and they shall declare to you the ruling of
judgment; And you shall do behave according to the
ruling which they shall pronounce from that place which
the Lord shall choose; and you shall take care to do
according to all that they instruct you; D’varim 17:8-10

This passage presents the problem, as well as a seemingly

straightforward and reasonable solution: A multi-tiered
system of jurisprudence is established to resolve disputes
and clarify the law. The sentence which immediately follows
this passage, though, is potentially troublesome:

‫דברים פרק יז‬

‫שה לֹא‬
ֶ ‫ע‬
ֲ ַ‫שר יֹאמְרו לְך ָ ת‬
ֶ ֲ‫שפָט א‬
ְ ִ‫על הַמ‬ַ ְ ‫שר יורוך ָ ו‬ֶ ֲ‫על פִי הַתור ָה א‬ ַ )‫(יא‬
:‫שמֹאל‬ְ ‫שר יַג ִידו לְך ָ יָמִין ו‬
ֶ ֲ‫דבָר א‬
ָ ַ‫תָסור מִן ה‬

According to the sentence of the Torah which they shall

teach you, and according to the judgment which they
shall tell you, you shall do; you shall not stray from the
sentence which they shall declare to you, to the right,
nor to the left. D’varim 17:11

The judges in this system possess absolute authority; we are

not to deviate from their rulings “to the right or left”. Rashi
felt this phrase requires some explanation:

‫רש"י דברים פרק יז פסוק יא‬

‫ וכל שכן‬,‫ אפילו אומר לך על ימין שהוא שמאל ועל שמאל שהוא ימין‬- ‫(יא) ימין ושמאל‬
:‫שאומר לך על ימין ימין ועל שמאל שמאל‬

Right and left – even if they say to you that right is left
and left is right, certainly if they tell you right is right
and left is left. Rashi D’varim 17:11

Rashi's comments take the authority of the judges even

further, to an almost unthinkable extreme: even if an
individual's certainty regarding a specific question of law is
as unequivocal as his knowledge of his own right and left
hands, he must nonetheless bow to the authority of the
judges, and accept their ruling even if it completely
contradicts his own certainties. Rashi's comments, rather
than clarifying the verse, seem to lead us away from the
straightforward meaning of the text: While the passage
began with a situation of doubt, Rashi's comments regard a
situation of certainty. At least one of the individuals involved
in a dispute over interpretation of the law is, in fact, as
certain of the veracity and their own opinion as they are of
their own right and left hands. Either one of the adjudicants,
or one of the judges, does not share the doubts of the other
parties involved, but is unable to convince the others. As a
result, the decision that is reached is one that this individual
“knows” to be wrong. Rashi insists, based on the seemingly
superfluous words “right and left,” that the dissenting
individual, be he a judge or a plaintiff, must accept the ruling
of the majority, no matter how certain he is that his own
opinion is correct .

But how can a person be expected to follow a ruling,

especially in matters concerning Divine Truth, which he
knows to be wrong?

The Ramban softens the blow somewhat, by adding one

more phrase: Even if you think they are wrong, you are
obligated to accept the judgment handed down by the
majority of the judges. According to this approach, the
dissenting opinion is not based on absolute knowledge or
certainty; the dissenter believes the others to be incorrect.
Nonetheless, says the Ramban, the dissenter must bow to
the rule of the majority and adhere to their interpretation of
the law.[1]

We are faced, then, with the larger philosophical problem:

abandoning what you know to be true, in fulfillment of this
commandment to embrace the ruling of the judges. The
Sefer Hachinuch addresses this problem, and offers a
practical approach:

‫ספר החינוך מצוה תצו‬

‫…כלומר שאפילו יהיו הם טועים בדבר אחד מן הדברים אין ראוי לנו לחלוק עליהם‬
‫ וטוב לסבול טעות אחד ויהיו הכל מסורים תחת דעתם הטוב‬,‫אבל נעשה כטעותם‬
‫ ולא שיעשה כל אחד ואחד כפי דעתו שבזה יהיה חורבן הדת וחלוק לב העם‬,‫תמיד‬
‫ ונצטוו‬,‫ ומפני ענינים אלה נמסרה כוונת התורה אל חכמי ישראל‬.‫והפסד האומה לגמרי‬
‫ וכמו‬,‫גם כן שיהיו לעולם כת מועטת מן החכמים כפופה לכת המרובין מן השורש הזה‬
.‫שכתבתי שם במצות להטות אחרי רבים‬

…meaning even if they are mistaken in a particular

ruling it is not appropriate for us to argue with them,
rather we follow their mistake. For it is better to suffer
one mistake, and to remain devoted )subject( to their
well-informed opinions, rather than have each and
every individual act according to his own opinion, for
 that would cause a destruction of the religion, cause a
division among the people, and the complete loss of the
nation. It is for these reasons that the intention of the
Torah was transmitted to the Sages of Israel, and it was
commanded that the minority would always submit to
the minority, along the lines of what I have described as
the Mitzva to accept the majority opinion. Sefer
Hachinuch Mitzva 496

The Chinuch is afraid of anarchy, of legal, social, national

chaos. He does a pragmatic calculation, and concludes that
it is better to suffer occasional mistakes than to risk the
collapse of the entire system.

Yet what is the effect of such pragmatism on the Divine

system of law? What is the relationship of human error with
the Word of God? The laws in question are part of a Divine
system; these are Gods laws. Surely, these human mistakes
– which we have been commanded to follow! - must certainly
dilute the Divine.

Divine law has a weak link: the human component – man.

Nonetheless, God entrusts man as a partner in the process
of revealing Divine Truth to the world. Part and parcel of this
system of Divine Law is this verse in Parshat Shoftim, in the
17th chapter of D’varim: The commandment to adhere to the
decisions handed down by the judges of each generation is
one of the mitzvot of the Torah, a Divine Law. The question
is, what happens when one Divine Law collides with another
Divine Law? What happens when the judges are mistaken
and they rule that left is right and right is left? In such a
case, by adhering to the decision of the judges and
“transgressing” against the substance of a law regarding
which they are mistaken, we are, in fact, following the
procedure prescribed by the Torah in this very verse.

And yet, despite this explanation we are left with a queasy

feeling: How can a Torah-observant Jew possibly do
something against the Torah – even if the Torah itself
instructs him to do so? The victory of procedure over
substance is a hollow victory, which leaves our thirst for
truth unsatisfied.

The Vilna Gaon addresses this issue in his explanation of a

very well-known and very troubling passage in the Talmud
regarding an argument between Rabbi Eliezer and all the
other sages on a point of law. Rabbi Eliezer musters one sign
from heaven after the other to “prove” his position, yet the
sages reject each heavenly “proof” as irrelevant to the
subject at hand:

‫תלמוד בבלי מסכת בבא מציעא דף נט עמוד ב‬

‫ באותו היום השיב רבי אליעזר כל תשובות שבעולם ולא קיבלו‬:‫תנא‬

‫ נעקר חרוב ממקומו‬.‫ חרוב זה יוכיח‬- ‫ אם הלכה כמותי‬:‫ אמר להם‬.‫הימנו‬
‫ אין מביאין ראיה מן‬:‫ אמרו לו‬:‫ ארבע מאות אמה‬:‫ ואמרי לה‬,‫מאה אמה‬
‫ חזרו אמת‬.‫ אמת המים יוכיחו‬- ‫ אם הלכה כמותי‬:‫ חזר ואמר להם‬.‫החרוב‬
:‫ חזר ואמר להם‬.‫ אין מביאין ראיה מאמת המים‬:‫ אמרו לו‬.‫המים לאחוריהם‬
‫ הטו כותלי בית המדרש‬.‫ כותלי בית המדרש יוכיחו‬- ‫אם הלכה כמותי‬
‫ אם תלמידי חכמים מנצחים זה‬:‫ אמר להם‬,‫ גער בהם רבי יהושע‬.‫ליפול‬
,‫ אתם מה טיבכם? לא נפלו מפני כבודו של רבי יהושע‬- ‫את זה בהלכה‬
.‫ ועדין מטין ועומדין‬,‫ולא זקפו מפני כבודו של רבי אליעזר‬

It has been taught: On that day R. Eliezer brought

forward every imaginable argument, but they )the other
sages( did not accept them. Said he to them: 'If the
halachah agrees with me, let this carob-tree prove
it!' Thereupon the carob-tree was torn a hundred cubits
out of its place. Others say [it was] four hundred
cubits. ‘No proof can be brought from a carob-tree,'
they retorted. Again he said to them: ‘If the halachah
agrees with me, let the stream of water prove
it!' Whereupon the stream of water flowed backwards.
'No proof can be brought from a stream of water,' they
rejoined. Again he urged: ‘If the halachah agrees with
me, let the walls of the Beit Midrash prove
it,' whereupon the walls inclined to fall. But R. Yehoshua
rebuked them, saying: ‘When scholars are engaged in a
 halachic dispute, what right have you to interfere?'
Hence they did not fall, in honor of R. Yehoshua, nor did
they resume their upright position, in honor of R.
Eliezer; and they are still standing thus inclined. Talmud
Bavli Bava Metziah 59b

As a last resort, Rabbi Eliezer finally calls upon the ultimate

arbiter; he asks that Heaven adjudicate and issue a decision.
Remarkably, the heavens open up and a voice rings out in
support of Rabbi Eliezer:

‫תלמוד בבלי מסכת בבא מציעא דף נט עמוד ב‬

‫ יצאתה בת קול‬.‫ מן השמים יוכיחו‬- ‫ אם הלכה כמותי‬:‫חזר ואמר להם‬

‫ מה לכם אצל רבי אליעזר שהלכה כמותו בכל מקום! עמד רבי‬:‫ואמרה‬
‫ מאי (דברים ל') לא בשמים‬- .‫ לא בשמים היא‬:‫יהושע על רגליו ואמר‬
‫ אין אנו משגיחין‬,‫ שכבר נתנה תורה מהר סיני‬:‫ אמר רבי ירמיה‬- ?‫היא‬
‫ "אחרי רבים‬:)‫ שכבר כתבת בהר סיני בתורה (שמות כ"ג‬,‫בבת קול‬
."‫להטת‬

Again he said to them: 'If the halachah agrees with me,

let it be proved from Heaven!' Whereupon a Heavenly
Voice cried out: 'Why do you dispute with R. Eliezer,
seeing that in all matters the halachah agrees with
him!' But R. Yehoshua arose and exclaimed: ‘It is not in
heaven.' What did he mean by this? — Said R. Yirmiyah:
Since the Torah has already been given at Mount Sinai,
we pay no attention to a Heavenly Voice, because long
ago You wrote in the Torah at Mount Sinai, )Shmot 23(,
"After the majority must one incline." Talmud Bavli Bava
Metziah 59b[2]

This is the ultimate victory of procedure over substance;

essentially, the Rabbis tell God Himself to "mind his own
business." They knowingly, adamantly, set aside the truth,
and teach God Himself, as it were, a lesson: Truth may take a
beating, but procedure must take precedence.
But how could they proceed? How could they ignore what
they now know to be the true opinion? Rabbi Eliezer was the
only one to have seen the truth, and he was unable to
convince his fellow judges and scholars of the logic of his
opinion. Nor was there a decisive legal precedent upon which
to rely. When Heaven interceded, when all of the natural
world was upended by Rabbi Eliezer's truth, should the
majority of the sages not have abandoned their own
position, which was clearly less valid than the dissenting
opinion of Rabbi Eliezer?

The Vilna Gaon explained the concept based on the following

Midrash:

‫בראשית רבה (וילנא) פרשת בראשית פרשה ח‬

‫ נעשו מלאכי‬,‫א"ר סימון בשעה שבא הקב"ה לבראת את אדם הראשון‬

‫ ומהם‬,‫ מהם אומרים אל יברא‬,‫ וחבורות חבורות‬,‫השרת כיתים כיתים‬
,‫ הה"ד (תהלים פה) חסד ואמת נפגשו צדק ושלום נשקו‬,‫אומרים יברא‬
,‫ ואמת אומר אל יברא שכולו שקרים‬,‫חסד אומר יברא שהוא גומל חסדים‬
‫ שלום אומר אל יברא דכוליה‬,‫צדק אומר יברא שהוא עושה צדקות‬
)‫ מה עשה הקב"ה נטל אמת והשליכו לארץ הה"ד (דניאל ח‬,‫קטטה‬
‫ אמרו מלאכי השרת לפני הקב"ה רבון העולמים מה‬,‫ותשלך אמת ארצה‬
‫ הדא הוא‬,‫ תעלה אמת מן הארץ‬,‫אתה מבזה תכסיס אלטיכסייה שלך‬
‫ … ר' הונא רבה של צפורין אמר‬,‫דכתיב (תהלים פה) אמת מארץ תצמח‬
‫עד שמלאכי השרת מדיינין אלו עם אלו ומתעסקין אלו עם אלו בראו‬
.‫ אמר להן מה אתם מדיינין כבר נעשה אדם‬,‫הקב"ה‬

R. Simon said: When the Holy One, blessed be He, came

to create Man, the ministering angels formed
themselves into groups and parties, some of them
saying, 'Let him not be created,’ whilst others
urged, ‘Let him be created.' Thus it is written, 'Love and
Truth fought together, Righteousness and Peace
combated each other" )Tehilim 85, 11(. Love said, 'Let
him be created, because he will dispense acts of love’;
Truth said, Let him not be created, because he is
compounded of falsehood’; Righteousness said, ' Let
him be created, because he will perform righteous
 deeds’; Peace said, ‘Let him not be created, because he
is full of strife.’ What did God do? He took Truth and
cast it to the ground. Said the ministering angels before
the Holy One, blessed be He, ‘Sovereign of the
Universe! Why do You despise Your seal? Let Truth arise
from the earth!’ Hence it is written, "Truth springs up
from the earth" )ib. 12(. … R. Huna the Elder of
Sepphoris, said: While the ministering angels were
arguing with each other and disputing with each other,
the Holy One, blessed be He, created )Man(. Said He to
them: ‘Why are you debating )to no avail(? Man has
already been made! Midrash Rabbah – Bereshit 8:5

The creation of man defies the attribute of Truth, the very

Seal of God. Man's nature, with all its foibles and inner
contradictions, cannot even approximate truth as it exists in
Heaven. This is the point of the Midrash: The act of creation
required an admission that man could not exist, nor should
he be expected to exist, according to the level of absolute,
Divine Truth which exists in Heaven. When God flung Truth to
the earth, He effectively relinquished control upon truth;
moreover, here on earth, there is a different level of truth,
which is as least partially based upon human understanding.
Truth on earth – human truth – is based necessarily on
human nature. It is created by the majority opinion of our
scholars; it is born of their collective understanding of Divine
Law. And when the scholars are mistaken in substance, when
their conclusions are erroneous, we can take comfort in the
knowledge that, had God expected man to always
completely identify with truth as it exists in Heaven, man
never would or could have been created.[3]

This concept may help us understand another difficult

episode in the Torah: When Moshe descends Mount Sinai
with the Tablets of Stone in his hands, he has already been
informed of the terrible sin perpetrated by the people: He
was told, while he stood at the peak of the Mountain in God's
Presence, that the people had strayed and had built a
Golden Calf. When Moshe saw the outrage with his own eyes,
he threw the Tablets to ground, shattering them.

‫שמות פרק לב פסוק יט‬

ְ‫שלֵך‬
ְ ַ ‫שה ו ַי‬
ֶ ֹ‫חר אף מ‬
ַ ִ ‫עג ֶל ומְחֹלֹת ו ַי‬
ֵ ָ‫חנ ֶה ו ַיַר ְא אֶת ה‬
ֲ ַ‫קר ַב אֶל הַמ‬ ָ ‫שר‬ ֶ ֲ‫וַיְהִי כַא‬
:‫חת הָהָר‬ ַ ַ‫שבֵר אֹתָם ת‬ ַ ְ ‫דיו אֶת הַלֻחֹת וַי‬ָ ָ ‫מידו מִי‬

And it came to pass, as soon as he came near to the

camp, that he saw the calf, and the dancing; and
Moshe’s anger burned hot, and he threw the Tablets
from his hands, and broke them beneath the mount.
Sh’mot 32:19

At face value, it seems that Moshe acted out of anger, and

he vented his emotions on the Tablets. However, the Talmud
reports that Moshe's behavior was, in fact, supported by
God.

‫תלמוד בבלי מסכת שבת דף פז עמוד א‬

‫ שנאמר (שמות לד) 'אשר‬- ‫ומנלן דהסכים הקדוש ברוך הוא על ידו‬
.'‫ 'יישר כחך ששיברת‬:‫שברת'; ואמר ריש לקיש‬

And how do we know that the Holy One, blessed be He,

gave His approval? Because it is said, 'Which you
broke;' and Resh Lakish interpreted this: 'More power to
you that you broke'. Talmud Bavli Shabbat 87a

In light of the Midrash we read earlier, we begin to realize

that when Moshe threw the Tablets of Stone, the words of
Torah written by the Hand of God, to the ground – his
behavior paralleled that of God Himself: Just as God threw
Truth the ground in order to create Man, so Moshe threw the
words of Torah, the Divine Truth given to us on Sinai, to the
ground at the foot of the Mountain. Throwing the Tablets to
the ground was, in effect, the same action. As Moshe
descended from heaven to the spectacle unfolding in the
camp, he fully grasped the vast chasm that separates
heaven and earth. Moshe had just seen and experienced
Truth in heaven; he had a unique perspective of the
impossibility of effectively carrying that level of pure Truth
down to earth.

Moshe's behavior was meant to serve as a reminder to God:

By throwing truth to the earth, God Himself acknowledged
that man is tainted and limited. If man were judged based
upon heavenly Truth, we would all be found guilty. There
would be no chance for our survival, no justification for our
existence. But once truth is flung to the earth, a new, human
standard is created, by which man can be judged. God
Himself, by casting Truth to the earth, had set aside pristine,
Divine Truth, and created man. When that man sinned, and
was at risk of annihilation, Moshe followed in God's footsteps
by throwing the Tablets to the ground. By mimicking the
Divine gesture which enabled man's very creation, Moshe
makes a powerful argument for man's exoneration, for
forgiveness: Man, who cannot be perfect and was never
meant to be perfect, has this other standard of truth to use
in his defense. Even when man has transgressed against
God and against His attribute of Truth in the most profound
way, he has this to fall back on. He can yet plead with God.

In fact, all forgiveness is, in a sense, a corruption of truth:

When man sins, there should be punishment - unavoidable,
natural, unyielding consequences. Yet we might suspect that
those who desperately seek truth and are perturbed by any
perceived lack of truth caused by the triumph of procedure
over substance in the legal system, are not as demanding
and truth-seeking on Yom Kippur. Would they desperately
ask God to treat them with pure truth - and the justice it
must necessarily bring in its wake - or would they seek
compassion and clemency, a softer, more understanding
scale of truth and justice?

Even when we sincerely attempt to understand God’s rules

and laws, to discern and adhere to the Divine Truth that is
transmitted in the laws of the Torah, we may sometimes fall
‫‪short. It is important that we know that we are not expected‬‬
‫‪to live according to Truth as it exists in heaven; that sort of‬‬
‫‪Truth was always out of our reach.[4] Broken truth, truth on‬‬
‫‪the ground, is the foundation of Creation, and the key to our‬‬
‫]‪continued existence.[5‬‬

‫‪[1] See Ramban D’varim 17:11‬‬

‫רמב"ן דברים פרק יז פסוק יא‬

‫וענינו‪ ,‬אפילו תחשוב בלבך שהם טועים‪ ,‬והדבר פשוט בעיניך כאשר אתה יודע בין ימינך לשמאלך‪,‬‬
‫תעשה כמצותם‪ ,‬ואל תאמר איך אוכל החלב הגמור הזה או אהרוג האיש הנקי הזה‪ ,‬אבל תאמר כך צוה‬
‫אותי האדון המצוה על המצות שאעשה בכל מצותיו ככל אשר יורוני העומדים לפניו במקום אשר יבחר‬
‫ועל משמעות דעתם נתן לי התורה אפילו יטעו‪ ,‬וזה כענין רבי יהושע עם ר"ג ביום הכיפורים שחל‬
‫להיות בחשבונו (ר"ה כה א)‪:‬‬

‫‪[2] To properly understand this passage it is important to read it in context, including‬‬

‫‪the conclusion of this passage. I hope to return to this text for a fuller treatment of‬‬
‫‪the entire passage at a later date.‬‬

‫‪[3] Kol Eliyahu commentary to Talmud Bavli Bava Metzia 59b‬‬

‫ספר קול אליהו על אגדות על הש"ס‬

‫יבואר על פי המדרש (ב"ר ח‪ .‬ה) בשעת בריאת העולם חסד אמר יברא וכו' אמת אמר אל יברא מפני‬
‫השקרים מה עשה הקב"ה השליך אמת ארצה שנאמר (תהלים פה‪ .‬יב) אמת מארץ תצמח וצדק‬
‫משמים נשקף וכו'‪ ,‬והכוונה כך הוא דאמת אמר אל יברא מפני השקרים ר"ל מפני שהאמת צולל בין‬
‫אלפים מבוכות וספקות ואי אפשר לבני אדם לקלוע בשכלם אל נקודת האמת מה עשה הקב"ה השליך‬
‫אמת ארצה ר"ל שמסר האמת לשרי התורה והחכמה למטה בארץ כפי שיסכימו הם כן יקום שנאמר‬
‫אמת מארץ תצמח‪ ,‬ומשנתן הקב"ה התורה לישראל צוה בעצמו שאם יולד איזה ספק בתורה יקום פסק‬
‫הלכה שבין החכמים החולקים דוקא כפי שיבינו שרי התורה ולא זולתם ואליהם הבטיחה התורה‬
‫(דברים יא‪ .‬יז) על פי התורה אשר יורוך וגו'‪ ,‬על כן כשיצא הבת קול ואמר הלכה כר"א עמד ר' יהושע‬
‫על רגליו ואמר לא בשמים היא ר"ל שכבר יצא הפסק דין מיד הדיין על כן אין אנו משגיחין בב"ק ולא‬
‫בשום נברא בעולם במה שנוגע בעניני הדת רק כפי הסכמת חכמי התורה למטה בארץ‪.‬‬

‫‪[4] See the introduction to Responsa Igrot Moshe by Rabbi Moshe Feinstein, Oruch‬‬
‫‪Chaim volume 1.‬‬

‫‪[5] See Rav Nachman of Breslov's similar formulation: Liqutei Halachot, Laws of‬‬
‫‪Interest, law 5.‬‬

‫ספר ליקוטי הלכות ‪ -‬הלכות רבית הלכה ה‬

‫על‬‫דר ְשו ַ‬‫קים ו ְכו'‪ .‬כ ִי ר ַזַ"ל ָ‬ ‫שית בָר ָא אֱלֹ ִ‬ ‫חיל ִין מִי ָד‪ ,‬בְר ֵא ִ‬‫שרָאֵל ומַתְ ִ‬ ‫עינ ֵי כ ָל י ְ‬ ‫סיְמִין הַתור ָה ל ְ ֵ‬ ‫שמְ ַ‬‫ו ְזֶה ֶ‬
‫שה רָאה‬ ‫כי מֹ ֶ‬ ‫חינ ָה הַנ ַ"ל‪ִ ,‬‬ ‫שב ֵר אֶת הַלוחות‪ .‬ו ְזֶהו ב ְ ִ‬ ‫ש ִ‬ ‫שרָאֵל"‪ֶ ,‬‬ ‫עינ ֵי כ ָל י ְ‬‫שה ל ְ ֵ‬ ‫מ ֶ‬‫שה ֹ‬ ‫ע ָ‬‫שר ָ‬ ‫פ ָסוק זֶה‪" ,‬אֲ ֶ‬
‫הי ָה‬
‫ש ָ‬‫עד ֶ‬ ‫דה זָרָה ַ‬ ‫עבו ָ‬ ‫בדו ֲ‬ ‫ע ְ‬‫התורָה ו ְ ָ‬ ‫כל ַ‬ ‫על ָ‬ ‫ברו ַ‬ ‫ע ְ‬
‫כך ְ ו ְ ָ‬ ‫כל ָ‬ ‫אל ָ‬ ‫שרָ ֵ‬ ‫טאו י ְ‬ ‫ח ְ‬‫ש ָ‬ ‫בן ֶ‬ ‫חרְ ָ‬‫ה ֻ‬
‫דל ַ‬ ‫גֹ ֶ‬
‫שלום‪ ,‬כ ְמו‬ ‫חס ו ְ ָ‬ ‫אל‪ַ ,‬‬ ‫שרָ ֵ‬ ‫את י ְ‬ ‫ביד ֶ‬ ‫א ִ‬‫ה ֲ‬‫ל ַ‬‫חיק ו ְ‬ ‫הרְ ִ‬ ‫ל ַ‬ ‫התורָה ְ‬ ‫על פִי ַ‬ ‫מת ַ‬ ‫א ֶ‬‫ה ֱ‬‫דין ָ‬ ‫ה ִ‬
‫משורַת ַ‬ ‫ִ‬
‫הלוחות‬ ‫את ַ‬ ‫ליך ְ ֶ‬‫ש ִ‬
‫ה ְ‬ ‫שה ו ְ ִ‬ ‫כיל מֹ ֶ‬ ‫ש ִ‬ ‫ה ְ‬‫כן ִ‬ ‫על ‪ֵ -‬‬ ‫דם וְכו'‪ַ .‬‬ ‫שמִי ֵ‬ ‫שם יתְבָר ַך ְ‪ ,‬הֶרֶף מִמֶנו וְא ְ‬ ‫שאמַר הַ ֵ‬ ‫ֶ‬
‫מת‬ ‫א ֶ‬ ‫ה ֱ‬ ‫את ָ‬ ‫ליך ְ ֶ‬ ‫ש ִ‬ ‫ה ְ‬ ‫ברַך ְ ִ‬ ‫ת ָ‬ ‫שם י ְ‬ ‫ה ֵ‬ ‫ש ַ‬ ‫כמו ֶ‬ ‫הנ ַ"ל‪ְ ,‬‬ ‫מת ארְצָה' ַ‬ ‫א ֶ‬ ‫לך ְ ֱ‬ ‫ש ֵ‬ ‫ת ְ‬ ‫חינ ַת 'ו ְ ַ‬ ‫ב ִ‬ ‫לארֶץ‪ ,‬ז ֶה ְ‬ ‫ָ‬
‫ברַךְ‬ ‫ת ָ‬ ‫בק בו י ְ‬ ‫ד ַ‬ ‫שה ו ְ ָ‬ ‫שה מֹ ֶ‬ ‫ע ָ‬ ‫כן ָ‬ ‫כמו ֵ‬ ‫כנ ַ"ל‪ְ ,‬‬ ‫דם ו ְ ַ‬ ‫הא ָ‬ ‫ברִיאת ָ‬ ‫על ְ‬ ‫טרֵג ַ‬ ‫ק ְ‬ ‫ש ִ‬ ‫על ֶ‬ ‫לארֶץ ַ‬ ‫ָ‬
‫לארֶץ‪ ,‬לְהורות‬ ‫כם ָ‬ ‫לי ָ‬ ‫ש ִ‬ ‫ה ְ‬‫מת‪ִ ,‬‬ ‫א ֶ‬ ‫חינ ַת תורַת ֱ‬ ‫ב ִ‬ ‫מת‪ְ ,‬‬ ‫א ֶ‬ ‫חינ ַת ֱ‬ ‫ב ִ‬ ‫הם ְ‬ ‫ש ֵ‬ ‫הלוחות‪ֶ ,‬‬ ‫את ַ‬ ‫ליך ְ ֶ‬ ‫ש ִ‬ ‫ה ְ‬‫וְ ִ‬
‫קו ָה וְאִי‬ ‫שאֶפ ֶס תִ ְ‬ ‫עתו ֶ‬ ‫ד ְ‬ ‫על ַ‬ ‫דם עול ֶה ַ‬ ‫על י ָ ָ‬ ‫ש ַ‬ ‫חר ֶ‬ ‫על ‪ -‬פ ִי ‪ -‬כ ֵן מֵא ַ‬ ‫שהֵם תור ַת אֱמֶת‪ ,‬אף ‪ַ -‬‬ ‫על ‪ -‬פ ִי ֶ‬ ‫שאף ‪ַ -‬‬ ‫ֶ‬
‫עצ ְמו לְהַאֲמִין‬ ‫חזֵק אֶת ַ‬ ‫על פ ָנ ָיו ו ְ ִ‬ ‫קם מֵ ַ‬ ‫חי ָ‬ ‫של ִיכ ָם ארְצ ָה וְהִר ְ ִ‬ ‫על ‪ -‬כ ֵן הִ ְ‬ ‫שרָאֵל‪ַ ,‬‬ ‫על י ְ‬ ‫שר לְהִתְפַל ֵל עוד ַ‬ ‫אֶפ ְ ָ‬
‫שיִתְפַלֵל‬ ‫שם יתְבָר ַך ְ רוצ ֶה ֶ‬ ‫על ‪ -‬פ ִי ‪ -‬כ ֵן הַ ֵ‬ ‫שאף ‪ַ -‬‬ ‫שהֵב ִין ֶ‬ ‫עד ֶ‬ ‫עתו כְל ָל‪ַ ,‬‬ ‫ד ְ‬ ‫שיג ע ַמְקות ַ‬ ‫שר לְהַ ִ‬ ‫שאִי אֶפ ְ ָ‬ ‫ֶ‬
‫חל לָהֶם וְצ ִו ָה לו‬ ‫שם יתְבָר ַך ְ ומָ ַ‬ ‫שנִתְרַצ ָה הַ ֵ‬ ‫על בִתְפִל ָתו ֶ‬ ‫שפ ָ ַ‬ ‫על ֵיהֶם‪ֶ ,‬‬ ‫די זֶה הִרְב ָה לְהִתְפַל ֵל ֲ‬ ‫על ‪ -‬י ְ ֵ‬ ‫על ֵיהֶם‪ ,‬ו ְ ַ‬ ‫ֲ‬
‫עצ ְמו אֱמֶת‬ ‫די זֶה בְ ַ‬ ‫על ‪ -‬י ְ ֵ‬ ‫שלֵך ְ אֱמֶת ארְצ ָה‪ ,‬ו ְ ַ‬ ‫חינ ַת וְתַ ְ‬ ‫חינ ָה הַנ ַ"ל‪ ,‬ב ְ ִ‬ ‫עצ ְמו בְ ִ‬ ‫שנ ִיות‪ .‬ו ְזֶהו ב ְ ַ‬ ‫לִפְסֹל לוחות ְ‬
‫שלום‪,‬‬ ‫חס ו ְ ָ‬ ‫טרוג ג ָדול‪ַ ,‬‬ ‫ק ְ‬ ‫של ִיך ְ הַלוחות וְהָי ָה הַ ִ‬ ‫שה‪ ,‬כ ִי אִם לֹא הָי ָה מַ ְ‬ ‫שה מֹ ֶ‬ ‫ע ָ‬ ‫מֵאֶר ֶץ תִצְמַח וְכ ַנ ַ"ל‪ .‬וכ ְמו כ ֵן ָ‬
‫שיְגַל ֶה הָאֱמֶת בָעולָם כ ִי‬ ‫על ֵם לְגַמְר ֵי‪ ,‬כ ִי אֵין מִי ֶ‬ ‫שלום‪ ,‬וְאז הָי ָה הָאֱמֶת מִתְ ַ‬ ‫חס ו ְ ָ‬ ‫דין‪ַ ,‬‬ ‫שרָאֵל נֶאֶב ָ ִ‬ ‫שהָיו י ְ‬ ‫עד ֶ‬ ‫ַ‬
‫חזֵק בִתְפִלָתו‬ ‫של ֵך ְ אֱמֶת ארְצ ָה‪ ,‬וְהִתְ ַ‬ ‫חינ ַת וְתַ ְ‬ ‫חינ ַת אֱמֶת‪ ,‬בִב ְ ִ‬ ‫שהֵם ב ְ ִ‬ ‫של ִיך ְ הַלוחות‪ֶ ,‬‬ ‫על ‪ -‬כ ֵן הִ ְ‬ ‫שרָאֵל‪ַ .‬‬ ‫אִם י ְ‬
‫שם‬ ‫עלְתָה ב ְי ָדו ו ְנִתְרַצ ָה לו הַ ֵ‬ ‫ש ָ‬ ‫שבותָיו‪ ,‬ו ְזָכ ָה ֶ‬ ‫ח ְ‬ ‫מ ְ‬ ‫עמְקו ַ‬ ‫עתו כ ִי מְאֹד ָ‬ ‫ד ְ‬ ‫מתַת ַ‬ ‫שיג אֲ ִ‬ ‫שר לְהַ ִ‬ ‫שאִי אֶפ ְ ָ‬ ‫כ ִי הֶאֱמִין ֶ‬
‫חינ ַת אֱמֶת מֵאֶר ֶץ‬ ‫על ֶה אֱמֶת מִן הָאר ֶץ‪ ,‬ב ְ ִ‬ ‫חינ ַת תַ ֲ‬ ‫שזֶהו ב ְ ִ‬ ‫שנ ִיות‪ֶ ,‬‬ ‫חל לו וְצ ִו ָה לו לִפְסֹל לוחות ְ‬ ‫יתְבָר ַך ְ ומָ ַ‬
‫שהוא סופֵי תֵיבות‬ ‫קים‪ֶ ,‬‬ ‫שית בָר ָא אֱלֹ ִ‬ ‫חיל ִין מִי ָד בְר ֵא ִ‬ ‫מתְ ִ‬ ‫שרָאֵל‪ַ ,‬‬ ‫עינ ֵי כ ָל י ְ‬ ‫חר ל ְ ֵ‬ ‫על ‪ -‬כ ֵן א ַ‬ ‫תִצְמָח וְכ ַנ ַ"ל‪ .‬ו ְ ַ‬
‫קין ב ְשום אֹפֶן‪ ,‬ר ַק‬ ‫ח ִ‬ ‫עין כְל ָל וְאֵין מִתְר ַ ֲ‬ ‫ד ִ‬ ‫שאֵין יו ְ‬ ‫עין ֶ‬ ‫ד ִ‬ ‫שיו ְ‬ ‫קר הָאֱמֶת כ ְ ֶ‬ ‫ע ַ‬ ‫שזֶה ִ‬ ‫'אֱ'מֶ'ת‪ ,‬כ ַמוב ָא‪ .‬ל ְהורות ֶ‬
‫שה ב ְעוצ ֶם כֹחו‬ ‫שמֹ ֶ‬ ‫קים'‪ֶ ,‬‬ ‫שית בָר ָא אֱלֹ ִ‬ ‫שרָאֵל' ‪' -‬בְר ֵא ִ‬ ‫עינ ֵי כ ָל י ְ‬ ‫חינ ַת 'ל ְ ֵ‬ ‫שזֶהו ב ְ ִ‬ ‫עם‪ֶ ,‬‬ ‫חיל ִין בְכ ָל פ ַ ַ‬ ‫מַתְ ִ‬
‫די‬ ‫על ‪ -‬י ְ ֵ‬ ‫ש ַ‬‫שבַרְתָ‪ֶ .‬‬ ‫ש ָ‬ ‫חך ָ ֶ‬ ‫שר כֹ ֲ‬ ‫שם יתְבָר ַך ְ וְאמַר לו‪ ,‬י ַ‬ ‫דה לו הַ ֵ‬ ‫שהו ָ‬ ‫שב ִיר ַת לוחות ֶ‬ ‫די ְ‬ ‫על ‪ -‬י ְ ֵ‬ ‫דר ֶך ְ זֶה ַ‬ ‫שיך ְ ֶ‬ ‫הִמְ ִ‬
‫שית‬ ‫חל ַת הַתור ָה בְר ֵא ִ‬ ‫חינ ַת הַתְ ָ‬ ‫שזֶהו ב ְ ִ‬ ‫עם‪ֶ ,‬‬ ‫חיל בְכ ָל פ ַ ַ‬ ‫עצ ְמו לְהַתְ ִ‬ ‫חזֵק אֶת ַ‬ ‫שרָאֵל לְהִתְ ַ‬ ‫חד מִי ִ ְ‬ ‫זֶה יוכ ַל כ ָל אֶ ָ‬
‫די הָאֱמֶת‪ ,‬ר ַק יָבִין‬ ‫על ‪ -‬י ְ ֵ‬ ‫חק ַ‬ ‫שלֹא יתְר ַ ֵ‬ ‫קר אֲמִתַת הָאֱמֶת ֶ‬ ‫ע ַ‬‫קים‪ ,‬סופ ֵי תֵיבות 'אֱ'מֶ'ת‪ .‬כ ִי ר ַק זֶהו ִ‬ ‫בָר ָא אֱלֹ ִ‬
‫דם‬ ‫חי ֵי הָא ָ‬ ‫שג ְבו מְאֹד וְכ ָל יְמֵי ַ‬ ‫חמָיו ָ‬ ‫דש‪ ,‬כ ִי אֲמִתַת ר ַ ֲ‬ ‫ח ָ‬ ‫עם מֵ ָ‬ ‫חיל בְכ ָל פ ַ ַ‬ ‫עין כְל ָל וצְר ִיכ ִין לְהַתְ ִ‬ ‫ד ִ‬ ‫שאֵין יו ְ‬ ‫דע ֶ‬ ‫וְי ֵ ַ‬
‫של נֶפֶש‪ .‬כ ִי‬ ‫דכ ְדוכ ָא ֶ‬ ‫עד ִ‬ ‫עד דַכ ָא" ‪ַ -‬‬ ‫שב אֱנוש ַ‬ ‫שם יתְבָר ַךְ‪ ,‬כ ְמו ש ֶכ ָתוב‪" ,‬תָ ֵ‬ ‫קר ֵב לַהַ ֵ‬ ‫חיל לְהִתְ ָ‬ ‫יוכ ַל לְהַתְ ִ‬
‫חמָיו לְעולָם‬ ‫די ה' לֹא תָמְנו וְלֹא כ ָלו ר ַ ֲ‬ ‫ס ֵ‬ ‫ח ְ‬ ‫‪ַ :‬‬