רבי פינחס בשם רבי שמעון בן לקיש תורה שנתן הקב"ה עורה אש לבנה חרותה אש שחורה היא אש ומוכללת באש חצובה מאש נתונה מאש מימינו אש דת למו
Y. Shekalim 6:1:15
R' Shimon Ben Levi said:
The Torah that the Holy one gave to Moses was given as black fire engraved upon white fire - It itself is fire, crowned with fire and hewn with fire. It was given over in a conflagration of fire as is written "from God's right hand a law of fire was given to them."
דָּבָר אַחֵר, נָאווּ לְחָיַיִךְ בַּתֹּרִים, בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁמְיַלְּלִין הַהֲלָכָה אֵלּוּ עִם אֵלּוּ, כְּגוֹן רַבִּי אַבָּא בַּר מִימִי וַחֲבֵרָיו. צַוָּארֵךְ בַּחֲרוּזִים, בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁהָיוּ חוֹרְזִים בְּדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה, וּמִדִּבְרֵי תוֹרָה לִנְבִיאִים, וּמִנְּבִיאִים לִכְתוּבִים, וְהָאֵשׁ מִתְלַהֶטֶת סְבִיבוֹתֵיהֶם וְהָיוּ הַדְּבָרִים שְׂמֵחִים כִּנְתִינָתָן מִסִּינַי. וְכִי עִקַּר נְתִינָתָן מֵהַר סִינַי לֹא בָאֵשׁ הָיוּ נִתָּנִין, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים ד, יא): וְהָהָר בֹּעֵר בָּאֵשׁ עַד לֵב הַשָּׁמַיִם. בֶּן עַזַּאי הָיָה יוֹשֵׁב וְדוֹרֵשׁ וְהָאֵשׁ סְבִיבוֹתָיו, אֲזַלוּן וַאֲמַרוּן לְרַבִּי עֲקִיבָא, רַבִּי בֶּן עַזַּאי יוֹשֵׁב וְדוֹרֵשׁ וְהָאֵשׁ מְלַהֶטֶת סְבִיבוֹתָיו, הָלַךְ אֶצְלוֹ וְאָמַר לוֹ שָׁמַעְתִּי שֶׁהָיִיתָ דּוֹרֵשׁ וְהָאֵשׁ מְלַהֶטֶת סְבִיבְךָ. אָמַר לוֹ הֵן. אָמַר לוֹ, שֶׁמָּא בְּחַדְרֵי מֶרְכָּבָה הָיִיתָ עָסוּק, אָמַר לוֹ לָאו, אֶלָּא הָיִיתִי יוֹשֵׁב וְחוֹרֵז בְּדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה, וּמִתּוֹרָה לִנְבִיאִים, וּמִנְּבִיאִים לִכְתוּבִים, וְהָיוּ הַדְּבָרִים שְׂמֵחִים כִּנְתִינָתָן מִסִּינַי, וְהָיוּ עֲרֵבִים כְּעִקַּר נְתִינָתָן, וְכֵן עִקַּר נְתִינָתָן מִסִּינַי לֹא בָאֵשׁ הָיוּ נִתָּנִין, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (דברים ד, יא): וְהָהָר בֹּעֵר בָּאֵשׁ. רַבִּי אַבָּהוּ הָיָה יוֹשֵׁב וְדוֹרֵשׁ וְאֵשׁ מְלַהֶטֶת סְבִיבוֹתָיו, אָמַר שֶׁמָּא אֵינִי חוֹרֵז בְּדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה כְּתִקְנָן, דְּאָמַר רַבִּי לֵוִי אִית דְּיָדַע לְמִחְרוֹז וְלָא יָדַע לְמִקְדַּח, וְאִית דְּיָדַע לְמִקְדַּח וְלָא יָדַע לְמִחְרוֹז, בְּרַם אֲנָא הֲוֵינָא חָרוֹזָא וַאֲנָא הֲוֵינָא קָדוֹחָא.
(3) Another matter, “your cheeks are lovely with ornaments,” when they explore the halakha with each other, like Rabbi Abba bar Mimi and his colleagues. “Your neck with beads,” when they would string together matters of Torah, from Torah to Prophets, and from Prophets to Writings, and fire is ignited around them, and the matters were as joyful as when they were given from Sinai. At their primary giving from Mount Sinai, were they not given in fire, as it is stated: “The mountain was burning with fire to the heart of the heavens” (Deuteronomy 4:11)?
Ben Azai was sitting and expounding and fire was surrounding him. They went and told Rabbi Akiva: Rabbi, ben Azai is sitting and expounding and fire is burning around him. [Rabbi Akiva] went to him and said to him: ‘I heard that you were expounding and fire was buring around you.’ He said to [Rabbi Akiva]: ‘Yes.’ [Rabbi Akiva] said to him: ‘Perhaps you were engaged in the esoterica of the Divine Chariot?’ He said to [Rabbi Akiva]: ‘No, but rather I was sitting and stringing together matters of Torah, from Torah to Prophets, and from Prophets to Writings, and the matters were as joyful as when they were given from Sinai, and as sweet as when they were first given. At their primary giving from Mount Sinai, were they not given in fire? That is what is written: “The mountain was burning with fire” (Deuteronomy 4:11).’ Rabbi Abahu was sitting and expounding and fire was burning around him. He said: ‘Am I perhaps not stringing together matters of Torah properly? As Rabbi Levi said: There are those who know to string but do not know to drill and there are those who know to drill but do not know to string. However, I was stringing and I was drilling.’