Devarim 30:11-13 record that that Moshe told the people that "the commandment that I command you today is not too wondrous, it is not too far away. It is not in the heavens…. It is not across the sea..." What lesson was Moshe trying to teach the people? Also, Moshe stated four negatives, "It is not too wondrous," "not too far away," "not in the heavens" and "not across the sea." Was Moshe expressing one idea, but just changing the example? Or was Moshe expressing four separate ideas?
The Bekhor Shor (on 30:11,12,13) explains that Moshe was expressing one idea that all four examples are to teach the people that fulfilling the law was not beyond a person's capability. Tigay (1996, p.286) also explains that Moshe was expressing one idea, but according to him, the lessons was that Torah was understandable. For example, based on Kohelet 7:23, Tigay explains that the phrase "not too far away" means "not beyond your intellectual grasp." Similarly, on the phrase "it is not too wondrous" Robert Altar (2004, p.1029) writes, "The crucial theological point is that the divine wisdom is in no way esoteric- it has been clearly set out in this book of teaching and is accessible to every man and woman in Israel."
These two approaches give different readings of 30:14. 30:14 records, "Rather, near to you is the word, exceedingly, in your mouth and in your heart to observe it" (Fox 1995 translation)." What is the meaning of the phrase "in your mouth and in your heart"? According to the Bekhor Shor (on 30:14, also see Ibn Ezra on 30:14) the verse relates just to fulfilling the laws, that when one fulfills the law, he/ she should do it with his/ hers mouth and heart dedicated to G-d. According to Tigay, the phrase "in your mouth "means the Torah is "readily accessible to you, you can know it by heart," and the phrase "in your heart" means to know the Torah "internally and not merely by rote." (The idea that the phrase "in your heart" is to understand is because in those days people believed that the heart was the faculty of cognition.) And, then if a person has this understanding of the Torah, he will observe the laws.
Maybe these two approaches can be combined. Ibn Ezra (on 30:12,13, also see Bekhor Shor) makes the interesting suggestion that the four example are really two sets of examples: the phrase "it is not in the heavens" (3) is an explanation of the phrase "it is not too wondrous" (1), and the phrase "it is not across the sea" (4) is an explanation of the phrase "it is not too far away" (2). With this idea, the first set of phrases (1 and 3) could be like Tigay that Moshe was telling the people that the Torah could be understood and was not beyond their mental capabilities. The lesson of the second set of phrases (2 and 4) would then be like the Bekhor Shor that Moshe was telling the people that fulfilling the laws was not beyond their physical capabilities. 30:14 concludes this lesson, that the people could both understand the Torah, "in your mouth and heart," and fulfill the Torah. Note, if one does not accept the Ibn Ezra's division of the four phrases, still one could arrive at a similar result by arguing that phrases 1 and 2 (30:11) express the idea that the Torah can be understood, while phrases 3 and 4 (30:12,13) express the idea that Torah can be fulfilled.
Postscript: The name of this blog lobashamayim "not in the heavens" is from 30:12, and is based on the idea just discussed that the Torah was given to mankind to understand. Thus, I try to understand both the Torah and Jewish customs/ practices from a human perspective without invoking mysticism. It is up to you the reader to decide if I succeed. I wish everybody a shanah tovah.
The Bekhor Shor (on 30:11,12,13) explains that Moshe was expressing one idea that all four examples are to teach the people that fulfilling the law was not beyond a person's capability. Tigay (1996, p.286) also explains that Moshe was expressing one idea, but according to him, the lessons was that Torah was understandable. For example, based on Kohelet 7:23, Tigay explains that the phrase "not too far away" means "not beyond your intellectual grasp." Similarly, on the phrase "it is not too wondrous" Robert Altar (2004, p.1029) writes, "The crucial theological point is that the divine wisdom is in no way esoteric- it has been clearly set out in this book of teaching and is accessible to every man and woman in Israel."
These two approaches give different readings of 30:14. 30:14 records, "Rather, near to you is the word, exceedingly, in your mouth and in your heart to observe it" (Fox 1995 translation)." What is the meaning of the phrase "in your mouth and in your heart"? According to the Bekhor Shor (on 30:14, also see Ibn Ezra on 30:14) the verse relates just to fulfilling the laws, that when one fulfills the law, he/ she should do it with his/ hers mouth and heart dedicated to G-d. According to Tigay, the phrase "in your mouth "means the Torah is "readily accessible to you, you can know it by heart," and the phrase "in your heart" means to know the Torah "internally and not merely by rote." (The idea that the phrase "in your heart" is to understand is because in those days people believed that the heart was the faculty of cognition.) And, then if a person has this understanding of the Torah, he will observe the laws.
Maybe these two approaches can be combined. Ibn Ezra (on 30:12,13, also see Bekhor Shor) makes the interesting suggestion that the four example are really two sets of examples: the phrase "it is not in the heavens" (3) is an explanation of the phrase "it is not too wondrous" (1), and the phrase "it is not across the sea" (4) is an explanation of the phrase "it is not too far away" (2). With this idea, the first set of phrases (1 and 3) could be like Tigay that Moshe was telling the people that the Torah could be understood and was not beyond their mental capabilities. The lesson of the second set of phrases (2 and 4) would then be like the Bekhor Shor that Moshe was telling the people that fulfilling the laws was not beyond their physical capabilities. 30:14 concludes this lesson, that the people could both understand the Torah, "in your mouth and heart," and fulfill the Torah. Note, if one does not accept the Ibn Ezra's division of the four phrases, still one could arrive at a similar result by arguing that phrases 1 and 2 (30:11) express the idea that the Torah can be understood, while phrases 3 and 4 (30:12,13) express the idea that Torah can be fulfilled.
Postscript: The name of this blog lobashamayim "not in the heavens" is from 30:12, and is based on the idea just discussed that the Torah was given to mankind to understand. Thus, I try to understand both the Torah and Jewish customs/ practices from a human perspective without invoking mysticism. It is up to you the reader to decide if I succeed. I wish everybody a shanah tovah.
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