Opinion & Comment
"Hashem's Torah is Perfect, It Restores the Soul; the Testimony of Hashem is Faithful, it Makes Wise the Simple... Sweeter Than Honey . . . "

All From One Shepherd

"Hashem's Torah is perfect." (Tehillim 19)

Six verses are said in this psalm in praise of the Torah, each of them containing five words. This alludes to the Five Books of Torah and the Six Orders of Mishna, all of them given from one Shepherd to Moshe Rabbenu at Har Sinai: the written as well as the oral codes.

There is nothing within the oral tradition that is not hinted at in the written text of the Chamisha Chumshei Torah.

(Siach Tzvi)

They Did Not Touch It

"Hashem's Torah is perfect."

Maran HaRav Elchonon Wasserman ztvk'l, Hy'd, used to explain this in the name of Maran the Chofetz Chaim: All the Torah that the Vilna Gaon knew, plus all the Torah that the Rambam knew, together with that of Ravina and Rav Ashi, of Rabbenu Hakodosh, Hillel and Shammai, the prophets, Yehoshua and even the knowledge that Moshe Rabbenu possessed -- all this combined is infinitesimal, compared to what the Torah actually encompasses within itself.

Indeed -- to such a degree that we even say that, notwithstanding, "Hashem's Torah is perfect." It is as if it were altogether still untouched!

Shabbos is the Soul of the Body

"Hashem's Torah is perfect; it restores the soul."

Chazal were of divided opinions in maseches Bovo Basra (15a) with regard to who wrote the last eight verses in the Torah [that record Moshe Rabbenu's demise]. But in the Zohar Hakodosh it is written that Hashem returned the soul of Moshe Rabbenu after his death so that he could complete writing the entire Torah.

In the light of this, the Malbim explains the above verse, "Hashem's Torah is perfect; it restores the soul," in his work, Eretz Chemda, and says that the Torah is complete and perfect; it was completed by Moshe Rabbenu, who had his soul restored for that purpose.

And if we have difficulty in understanding how Moshe Rabbenu was able to transcribe the words, "And Moshe died...", it was possible since Hashem "restored his soul" in order that he complete transcribing the Torah.

Restoring the Will

"Hashem's Torah is perfect; it restores the soul."

"Perfect," meaning that the entire Torah is incorporated into every single detail, into every part and portion of it. For the Torah is the name of Hashem, and as explained in the Zohar, "Kudsho Brich Hu ve'Orayso chad Hu . . . -- Hashem and the Torah are One."

This is the root of what is written, "There is no fixed sequence in the Torah," because every single letter includes the entire Torah, itself.

This is why it is written that the Torah "restores the soul," that is, it has the power to restore the soul to its source and origin. This is the essence of teshuva; every person can find his particular tikkun and root through a portion in the Torah, even through a single letter.

Even more: "Nefesh" also denotes `will', as is written, "Im yesh es nafshechem . . . -- If it be of your will that I bury . . . " (Bereishis 23:8). This signifies where the soul pulls, the direction of its inclination and desire.

Before the Sin, Odom Horishon's sole will was naturally inclined towards Hashem, just like the intellect dictates that every creation strive to cleave to the Creator. It is our sins which cause the short-circuit and the severance. Through the Torah, however, a person is able to purify himself, and the soul within him, and restore it to its natural state.

(Sfas Emes, P' Nosso)

Returns to its Root

"Hashem's Torah is perfect; it restores the soul . . . By them is Your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward."

By a person's occupying himself with the Torah wholesomely, a person's soul is drawn to its root most perfectly.

"Your servant nizhar." This can homiletically be translated as `will shine,' like the "glow of the heavens" (Doniel 12:3). By heeding all the commandments that correspond to the various parts of the body, a person's body and soul will become purified to such a degree that even the nethermost part of his body, his heel ("Eikev rav . . . "), will radiate with great light. This is what the Midrash says: Odom Horishon's two heels were so brilliant that they resembled two suns.

(Hagaon R' Chaim of Volozhin: Nefesh HaChaim, Shaar Alef)

Restoring Vigor

"Hashem's Torah is perfect; it restores the soul."

It is written (Shabbos 88b):

R' Yehoshua ben Levi said: At every single utterance that issued forth from Hashem, the souls of Israel departed. If so, how were they able to hear the second Commandment, if they fainted after the first? [Because] Hashem sent down the dew that is reserved for techiyas hameisim, and this revived them.

Chazal said that Torah can only have staying power in one who veritably sacrifices himself for it (Brochos 63b). But the truth is that to the very extent that he kills himself for it, to that degree does it revive and vitalize him! We find this by mattan Torah, where just as it was the Word of Hashem that caused them to swoon, so was it the very Torah that resurrected them.

We see thus that the very energy which a person invests into Torah study and which weakens and reduces his power, is subsequently restored to revitalize him.

Thus it is that one who toils in Torah exchanges a temporal, physical form of vitality for one that is eternal and everlasting!

(Sfas Emes, P' Acharei)

Resurrects the Dead

"Hashem's testimony is faithful, making wise the simple."

Said Chazal: "For Your dew is like the dew on herbs, and the earth shall cast out the shades of the dead" (Yeshaya 26:19) -- Whoever makes use of the light of the Torah, that light shall revive him and whoever does not use the light of the Torah, that light shall not revive him" (Kesuvos 101b). This means that whoever uses the light of the Torah merits to return and be resuscitated by techiyas hameisim, even after the soul has departed from his body.

This is what is meant by the verse, "Hashem's Torah is perfect; it restores the soul." The Torah will restore the soul to the body at the time of techiyas hameisim.

Even those ignorant of Torah have a chance to merit techiyas hameisim, as is explained there afterwards. "I have found a saving grace for them through the Torah, as is written, `And you who cleave unto Hashem, your G-d, are living all of you today' (Devorim 4:4). But is it possible to cleave unto the Shechina, of which it is written, `For Hashem, your G-d, is a devouring fire'?

Rather, whoever marries off his daughter to a Torah scholar, or whoever does business with a Torah scholar, or who brings benefit to one, is regarded as if he were cleaving unto the Shechina.

We see, then, that even a boor and ignoramus need only latch on to a Torah scholar [to serve him in some beneficial way] in order for him to be considered as cleaving onto Hashem and being judged like a Torah scholar. This is the merit which the Torah can confer upon a person, as it is written, "The testimony of Hashem is faithful, it makes wise the simple." Thus, an am ho'oretz becomes wise and is considered like a Torah scholar, and also merits techiyas hameisim.

(R' Shlomo Kluger, Tehillas Yisroel)

The Stories in the Torah

"Hashem's testimony is faithful; it makes wise the simple."

"Hashem's testimony" refers to the story part of the Torah which is completely different from the stories of other branches of wisdom. When one wishes to teach profound matters in any field of wisdom, one clothes it with imaginary tales by which one can infer and comprehend the subject by examining what lies behind them. These are similes, parables and even fairy tales. Simple folk, however, take these stories at their face value and do not look for a deeper meaning; they do not look for a moral to the story, derive no lesson from it, and remain as simple and foolish as before.

The stories of the Torah differ, however, for even the stories themselves encompass deep and marvelous wisdom which we cannot begin to fathom, even at their face value! The simple textual meaning of the stories is also truth and uplifts the masses to great heights from which they can acquire wisdom.

These, for example, are the narratives about the Creation of the world, of the Great Flood, of the Dor Haflogoh and of Sodom, Egypt, Korach, or stories about the Ovos and our other tzaddikim. Even at their surface, they are valuable and have the power to inculcate wisdom and ethics in the hearts of the masses, and to draw them near to G-dly service.

This is the exalted advantage of "the testimony of Hashem -- the stories of the Torah" which enlighten the simple. Yes, even the simple folk who do not delve for deeper significance, for more profound lessons, become wise from the stories alone.

"Makes Wise the Simple"

"The testimony of Hashem is faithful; it makes wise the simple."

The holy Torah is divided into two parts: its commandments and its narrative. The commandments are the laws and statutes and the like, while the narrative is the testimony.

The Torah testifies that what is related is true. Therefore, we find in the Pesach Haggadah that the wise son asks, "What are the testimonies and statutes and laws . . . " meaning, that the commandment of Pesach has these two aspects, the narrative telling of the exodus from Egypt as well as the laws involved with the festival.

Shlomo Hamelech said: "A simpleton believes everything" (Mishlei 14:15). Someone who believes everything is a simple fool. But one who believes in the Torah is truly a wise man. Therefore is it written, "The testimony of Hashem is faithful." Whatever the Torah tells us, its testimony of what happened, is true, and whoever believes it is wise to do so. It shall make him wise.

(In the name of R' Yitzchok Zev ztvk'l)

From Three Sides

The truthfulness of Torah can be examined through the three avenues of comprehension: research and intellectual inquiry; transmission and sensory perception.

Through transmission: "Hashem's Torah is perfect; it restores the soul." The Torah accords serenity and peace to those who cleave unto it, who know its truth, since it is a "faithful testimony that makes wise the simple." It is transmitted knowledge from mouth to mouth, generation to generation, all the way back to Moshe Rabbenu at Sinai.

Through sensory perception: "The precepts of Hashem are right, they gladden the heart." They cause joy in one's heart since, "Hashem's commandment is clear, it enlightens the eyes." The source of the testimony of its truth comes from one's senses and sight. The giving of the Torah at Sinai took place before all of Israel.

Through intellectual inquiry: "The fear of Hashem is pure; it endures forever." It shall remain forevermore and shall be eternally reposed in the hearts of those who delve in it. This is because "The judgments of Hashem are truthful, altogether righteous." By studying them in depth and delving into their roots and ramifications in order to seek out the truth and reveal it, we discover that the judgments of Hashem are the very essential truth.

(R' Azarya Pigo, Bina Le'Itim)

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