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The Sacred Act of Writing

TANAKH

The act of writing the commandments was a divine commandment, underscoring its sacred and foundational role in the covenant between God and the Israelites. The book of Exodus recounts Moses receiving the commandments from God, spending forty days and nights without food or water, and writing the Ten Commandments on tablets.

And יהוה said to Moses: Write down these commandments, for in accordance with these commandments I make a covenant with you and with Israel. And he was there with יהוה forty days and forty nights; he ate no bread and drank no water; and he wrote down on the tablets the terms of the covenant, the Ten Commandments.

Exodus 34:27-28

The Consequences of Withholding Knowledge

TALMUD

Withholding knowledge for personal honor can lead to a negative legacy, as exemplified by Ben Kamtzar. The Talmud in Tractate Yoma contrasts Ben Kamtzar's refusal to share his writing technique with others who shared their skills to prevent misuse.

The Sages taught: Ben Kamtzar did not want to teach others a special technique of writing. What was that technique? They said about him that he would take four quills between his fingers, and if there was a word consisting of four letters that he wanted to write, he could write it simultaneously. They said to him: What did you see that led you not to teach that technique? All the others with unique skills came up with a response to questions about the matter of their conduct…

Yoma 38b:3

The Writing on the Wall

TANAKH

In the book of Daniel, part of the Hebrew Bible, the miraculous event of a human hand writing on the palace wall is portrayed as a divine and extraordinary occurrence.

Just then, the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace opposite the lampstand, so that the king could see the hand as it wrote.

Daniel 5:5

Guarded Mysteries

KABBALAH

Kabbalistic writings often deliberately conceal certain elements to ensure that oral transmission remains necessary, reflecting an ingrained opposition to the widespread dissemination of Kabbalah. Moses Cordovero’s 16th-century work, Or Neerav, explores the historical context and guarded transmission of Kabbalistic knowledge, especially during the period surrounding the Spanish Expulsion.

Those Kabbalists, from the thirteenth through the fifteenth century, who did engage in the writing of Kabbalistic works, generally did so in full consciousness of the fact that they were addressing audiences whose members could not all be trusted with the secrets of the Torah which they were purveying. For this reason they often sought to conceal as well as reveal, in order to make sure that oral direction would still be needed in addition to the written treatises. Thus Abraham ben Eliezer Halevi, a Kabbalist of the generation of the Spanish Expulsion…

Ohr Ne'erav, Introduction 25

Moses' Unique Authorship

COMMENTARY

Moses wrote the Torah in the third person to maintain objectivity and humility, unlike other prophets who wrote in the first person. Ramban, a medieval Jewish scholar, provides a unique perspective on Moses' authorship style in his commentary on the Torah.

In either case it would have been proper for him to write at the beginning of the book of Genesis: “And G-d spoke to Moses all these words, saying.” The reason it was written anonymously [without the above introductory phrase] is that Moses our teacher did not write the Torah in the first person like the prophets who did mention themselves. For example, it is often said of Ezekiel, And the word of the Eternal came unto me saying: ‘Son of man,’ and it is said of Jeremiah, And the word of the Eternal came unto me…

Ramban on Genesis, Foreword 3

The Intricacies of Sabbath Writing

HALAKHAH

The prohibition of writing or drawing on the Sabbath extends even to non-permanent forms and the removal of wax from a book. The Kitzur Shulchan Arukh, a 19th-century condensed code of Jewish law, provides practical guidance on daily observance, including the intricate laws of the Sabbath.

It is forbidden to write or draw any form, even with your finger, with liquid [spilled] on the tabletop, or with the condensation on a glass window, or with anything else, even if it is not of a permanent nature. Even to make a mark with your fingernail upon an object for a sign is forbidden. If wax or something similar is found on a book, even if it is only on one letter, it is forbidden to remove it.

Kitzur Shulchan Arukh 80:62

The Alphabet and Universal Literacy

COMMENTARY

The invention of the alphabet revolutionized universal literacy, profoundly impacting Jewish tradition and education. Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, a prominent Jewish thinker, explores the historical and technological context of this invention in his commentary on the Torah portion Eikev.

Where did it come from, this passion for learning and teaching, education and literacy? My own view is that it happened when and where it did because Judaism was born at the time and place of the invention of the alphabet. Until then, writing systems like Mesopotamian cuneiform and Egyptian hieroglyphics had so many symbols that only a small minority of the population had the time and resources to learn to read and write. They became the cognitive elite. The masses remained illiterate. The invention of the alphabet made it possible to change that…

Covenant and Conversation; Deuteronomy; Renewal of the Sinai Covenant, Eikev, A Nation of Educators 21

The Power of Esther's Pen

TANAKH

Queen Esther's authoritative confirmation of Purim through a second letter underscores the importance of written decrees in solidifying Jewish traditions. The Book of Esther, one of the five megillot in the Hebrew Bible, recounts how Queen Esther and Mordecai established the celebration of Purim.

Then Queen Esther daughter of Abihail wrote a second letter of Purim for the purpose of confirming with full authority the aforementioned one of Mordecai the Jew.

Esther 9:29

The Personal Torah

MUSAR

Every Jewish male is commanded to write a Torah scroll, emphasizing personal engagement with the Torah. Rabbi Isaiah HaLevi Horowitz, in his 17th-century work, discusses the 613th commandment from Deuteronomy 31:19, which instructs every Jewish male to write a Torah scroll.

Commandment 613 directs every male Israelite to write a copy of the written Torah for himself. The Torah writes: ועתה כתבו לכם את השירה הזאת ולמדה את בני ישראל. "Now write down for yourselves this 'song' and teach it to the Children of Israel."

Shenei Luchot HaBerit, Torah Shebikhtav, Nitzavim, Veyeilech, Ha'Azinu, Ner Mitzvah 3

The Art of Inspired Expression

TANAKH

The poetic and artistic nature of expression is portrayed as an inspired and skillful act, akin to the work of an expert scribe. The Psalmist's heart is deeply moved, and he prepares to address a king with eloquent and gracious words.

My heart is astir with gracious words;
I speak my poem to a king;
my tongue is the pen of an expert scribe.

Psalms 45:2

The Prohibition of Writing on Shabbat

GUIDES

The act of writing on Shabbat is subject to specific conditions and minimum requirements to be considered a violation. The Babylonian Talmud, a central text in Rabbinic Judaism, outlines these conditions, including the necessity of writing in a customary fashion and using materials that leave an enduring mark.

No minimum measure is provided for the categories of building and plowing, so that one who performs them is liable for the most minimal conceivable action. With regard to the primary category of writing, it was concluded that one is not liable for writing on Shabbat unless he has written in a usual and customary fashion, with materials that do not immediately fade but leave an enduring mark, and upon a solid writing surface. The minimum activity for which one is liable is the writing of two letters of the alphabet…

Introductions to the Babylonian Talmud, Shabbat, Summary of Perek XII 3

Shabbat Writing Rules

HALAKHAH

In his 12th-century legal code, the Mishneh Torah, Rambam outlines the laws regarding Shabbat, which include strict prohibitions against writing and erasing. According to Rambam's interpretation in Sabbath 11:15, writing on Shabbat is forbidden unless it is done in a manner that ensures the writing will not be permanent or preserved.

A person who writes is not liable until he writes with a substance that leaves a permanent mark - e.g., with ink, black tint, vermilion, gum, vitriol, and the like - on a surface on which the writing will remain preserved - e.g., a skin, parchment, paper, wood, and the like.
[In contrast,] a person is not liable if he writes with a substance that does not leave a permanent mark - e.g., beverages or fruit juice - or if he writes with ink and the like on a substance like vegetable leaves where the writing will not be preserved…

Mishneh Torah, Sabbath 11:15

The Transformative Nature of Writing

JEWISH THOUGHT

Transcribing spoken words into written form often loses the richness of oral communication, including context, gestures, and intonation. Eliezer Berkovits explores the inherent limitations and transformative nature of writing, particularly in the context of the Talmud, which captures the Oral Torah.

This record of the spoken word is, however, characterized above all by two “shortcomings.” By its nature the spoken word is shorter than the written because it does not need to say everything itself. It is always spoken in a very specific situation which “has its own say,” expanding on the content of the words. In a conversational context, the slightest movement accompanying a word can intimate an entire sentence. And in the conversation of the scholars at the Talmud academies, the question “why?” or “how is this known?,” when uttered by certain people at a certain moment…

What is the Talmud, V Style 4

Permitted Writings on Intermediate Festival Days

MISHNAH

During the intermediate days of Jewish festivals, certain necessary activities, including writing specific types of documents, are permitted. The Mishnah, in tractate Moed Katan, outlines which legal and personal documents can be written during Chol HaMoed, the intermediate days of festivals like Passover and Sukkot.

And these are the documents that may be written on the intermediate days of a Festival: Documents of betrothal of wives, through which bridegrooms betroth their brides; bills of divorce; receipts for the repayment of debts; wills [deyateiki]; deeds of gift; perozbolin, documents through which lenders authorize the courts to collect their loans on their behalf, thereby preventing the Sabbatical year from canceling their debts; letters of valuation…

Mishnah Moed Katan 3:3

The Specificity of a Get

COMMENTARY

A get (Jewish bill of divorce) must be expressly written for the specific woman who will be divorced with it, ensuring its validity and protecting her rights. The Mishnah Gittin, a key text in Jewish divorce law, emphasizes the necessity of intent and specificity in writing a get.

Any get which is not written [expressly] for the woman [for whom it is intended] is invalid. How is this so? This mishnah introduces the halakhah mentioned in the introduction, according to which a get must be expressly written for the woman who will be divorced with it. The rest of this mishnah will illustrate this principle.

English Explanation of Mishnah Gittin 3:1:2

The Legal Weight of the Ketubah

HALAKHAH

The ketubah is not merely a ceremonial document but a legally binding contract that has important legal and practical consequences. Rabbi J. David Bleich’s analysis in Contemporary Halakhic Problems explores the nuances of preparing a ketubah in advance and its role in evidencing financial obligations within a marriage.

Rabbi Roth draws attention to a reference in Kiddushin 50b to "places in which they write [the ketubah] and subsequently perform kiddushin." In a locale in which this is the usual practice possession of a ketubah does not in itself constitute proof of the existence of a matrimonial relationship. It is, however, clear that although in such places the ketubah is not evidence that a marriage has taken place because it may have been prepared in advance, the ketubah is, nevertheless, not deemed to be a defective instrument by virtue of improper dating…

Contemporary Halakhic Problems, Vol II, Part I, Chapter IV Marriage, Divorce and Personal Status 11

The Tablets of the Ten Commandments

MIDRASH

The arrangement of the Ten Commandments on the tablets is a fascinating detail that underscores their divine origin and the symmetry of their presentation. The Midrash Tanchuma Buber, a collection of homiletic teachings, offers insight into the specific arrangement of the Ten Commandments, with five on one tablet and five on the other.

(Exod. 34:28:) AND HE WROTE DOWN UPON THE TABLETS [THE WORDS OF THE COVENANT, THE TEN COMMANDMENTS]. Thus the first and the second (copies of the commandments) were the same. And how were <the> ten commandments written? Five on one tablet and five on the other tablet. Thus it is stated (ibid.): THE TEN COMMANDMENTS.

Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Ki Tisa 20:1

Maurycy Gottlieb - Torah Scribe. 19th Century

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Judah Loew of Prague (Maharal)

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