Torah: The Jewish People's Sacred Text

The Sages taught: On that day, when they discussed this matter, Rabbi Eliezer answered all possible answers in the world to support his opinion, but the Rabbis did not accept his explanations from him.

Rabbi Eliezer said to them: If the halakha is in accordance with my opinion, this carob tree will prove it. The carob tree was uprooted from its place one hundred cubits, and some say four hundred cubits. The Rabbis said to him: One does not cite halakhic proof from the carob tree.

Rabbi Eliezer then said to them: If the halakha is in accordance with my opinion, the stream will prove it. The water in the stream turned backward and began flowing in the opposite direction. They said to him: One does not cite halakhic proof from a stream.

Rabbi Eliezer then said to them: If the halakha is in accordance with my opinion, the walls of the study hall will prove it. The walls of the study hall leaned inward and began to fall. Rabbi Yehoshua scolded the walls and said to them: If Torah scholars are contending with each other in matters of halakha, what is the nature of your involvement in this dispute? The Gemara relates: The walls did not fall because of the deference due Rabbi Yehoshua, but they did not straighten because of the deference due Rabbi Eliezer, and they still remain leaning.

Rabbi Eliezer then said to them: If the halakha is in accordance with my opinion, Heaven will prove it. A Divine Voice emerged from Heaven and said: Why are you differing with Rabbi Eliezer, as the halakha is in accordance with his opinion in every place that he expresses an opinion?

Rabbi Yehoshua stood on his feet and said: It is written: “It is not in the heavens” (Deuteronomy 30:12). The Gemara asks: What is the relevance of the phrase “It is not in heaven” in this context? Rabbi Yirmeya says: Since the Torah was already given at Mount Sinai, we do not regard a Divine Voice, as You already wrote at Mount Sinai, in the Torah: “After a majority to incline” (Exodus 23:2).

Rabbi Natan encountered Elijah the prophet and said to him: What did the Holy One, Blessed be He, do at that time, when Rabbi Yehoshua issued his declaration? Elijah said to him: The Holy One, Blessed be He, smiled and said: My children have triumphed over Me; My children have triumphed over Me.

(11) Surely, this Instruction which I enjoin upon you this day is not too baffling for you, nor is it beyond reach.(12)It is not in the heavens, that you should say, “Who among us can go up to the heavens and get it for us and impart it to us, that we may observe it?”(13) Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, “Who among us can cross to the other side of the sea and get it for us and impart it to us, that we may observe it?”(14) No, the thing is very close to you, in your mouth and in your heart, to observe it.

(19) I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day: I have put before you life and death, blessing and curse. Choose life—if you and your offspring would live—(20) by loving your God יהוה, heeding God’s commands, and holding fast to [God]. For thereby you shall have life and shall long endure upon the soil that יהוה swore to your fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give to them.

(1) You must not carry false rumors; you shall not join hands with the guilty to act as a malicious witness:(2) You shall neither side with the mighty (others: “multitude”) to do wrong—you shall not give perverse testimony in a dispute so as to pervert it in favor of the mighty—(3) nor shall you show deference to a poor person in a dispute.

These are the matters that a person engages in and enjoys their fruits in this world, and the principal remains for him for the World-to-Come, and they are: Honoring one’s father and mother, acts of loving kindness, hospitality toward guests, and bringing peace between one person and another; and Torah study is equal to all of them.

It is written (Proverbs 3:19), "The Lord established the earth with wisdom" - what is wisdom if not Torah?

(1) When God began to create heaven and earth—(2) the earth being unformed and void, with darkness over the surface of the deep and a wind from God sweeping over the water—(3) God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.(4) God saw that the light was good, and God separated the light from the darkness.(5) God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, a first day.

(6) God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the water, that it may separate water from water.”(7) God made the expanse, and it separated the water which was below the expanse from the water which was above the expanse. And it was so.(8) God called the expanse Sky. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day.(9) God said, “Let the water below the sky be gathered into one area, that the dry land may appear.” And it was so.

(4) Such is the story of heaven and earth when they were created when God יהוה made earth and heaven.

(4) Such is the story of heaven and earth when they were created when God יהוה made earth and heaven.

God יהוה - To what is this like? A king who had empty glasses. The king said "if I put hot water in them, then they will expand and break, and if I put cold water in them, they will contract and shatter. What did the king do? He mixed hot water with the cold water and put them in the glasses. So too the Holy One of Blessing said: if I create the world with the attribute of compassion alone, no one would be concerned with the consequences of their actions. With the attribute of judgment alone, how could the world stand? Rather, behold I create it with both the attribute of judgment and the attribute of compassion, and hopefully it will stand.

Said Rabbi Elazar the son of Rabbi Shimon ... Why in one place (in Genesis 2:4) does the earth precede the heavens and in the other place (in the same verse) the heavens precede the earth? This teaches that they both have weight on either side (are equal).

(6) God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the water, that it may separate water from water.”(7) God made the expanse, and it separated the water which was below the expanse from the water which was above the expanse. And it was so.(8) God called the expanse Sky. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day.(9) God said, “Let the water below the sky be gathered into one area, that the dry land may appear.” And it was so.