נדרים כה

Rebbi ישעיה׳לה of Prague loved every Jew. He was annoyed when he heard למדנים חריפים putting down other Jews whose learning was limited to reviewing the פרשת השבוע or reading תהילים. He would say: “מסכת שבת states that when הקדוש ברוך הוא gave us the תורה בסיני, he placed a mountain above the בני ישראל and told them אם אתם מקבלים את התורה מוטב, ואם לאו – שם תהא קבורתכם. But this is surprising, considering that the תורה expressly states that בני ישראל said נעשה ונשמע. What was the need for the mountain? Apparently, it was because there were those who, when they heard that הקדוש ברוך הוא בכבודו ובעצמו would be giving תורה, expected that they would hear deep and intricate חידושים. So they immediately said נעשה ונשמע. But when they heard כבד את אביך ואת אמך, לא תרצח, לא תגנוב and the like, they were disappointed and felt that it was beneath them to hear but straightforward words of תורה. It was then, when they were having second thoughts, that the רבונו של עולם placed the mountain above them.”

06/10/2021