Monday, May 22, 2023

Fire, Water And Desert

The Gra (Even Shlama, see also Maalot HaTorah by his brother) says that Torah is akined to rain for it cultivates and raises the middot of a persos, if one has good middot it brings them out, if not, it strengthenes the bad middot.  

The Midrash Bamibar (1:7) says the Torah was given with fire and water.  Other places in Chazal it says Torah is compared to water and fire (for ex. Yalkut Yisro 286:11)  נמשלה תורה במדבר באש ובמים.  I saw Rav Shlomo Miller explain that Torah has two aspects.  Torah waters and grows the natural capabablities of a person but it also is fir, it can break a person down and mold him into a better person.  With this idea maybe we can add that is the third thing mentioned in the Midrash, a מדבר for the Torah can permeate even noe who is desolate and emty as a מדבר and produce somethnig positive from him.  

However, it is noteworthy that the Midrash itself gives a different explanation for the comparisions, וְלָמָּה נִתְּנָה בִּשְׁלשָׁה דְבָרִים הַלָּלוּ, אֶלָּא מָה אֵלּוּ חִנָּם לְכָל בָּאֵי הָעוֹלָם כָּךְ דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָה חִנָּם הֵם

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