First Installment - Torah Umada

Torah U’mada

Notes from Rabbi Hochberg’s shiur: Mashgiach Ruchani at Stern College

February 9, 2011

Source sheets: T&M1, T&M2, R’ Sorotzkin

· The word mada is found twice in Tanach. The first time is in the very beginning of Sefer Daniel, when Nevuchadnezzar asks for Jewish children to be brought to him who are “knowledgable in wisdom and understanding of mada.” In this case it is Nevuchadnezzar who sees mada as something positive.

The story of Shlomo’s dream and his request for chachma is mentioned in Melachim and then repeated in Divrei Hayamim Bet. In DH 1:10-12, Shlomo asks Hashem for “chachma u’mada,” to which Hashem responds favorably. Malbim there explains that mada refers to the background information necessary to understand the world.

· “Torah Umada Lechatchila” – The word lechatchila can mean one of two things, either the situation itself is lechatchila, or under the given circumstances, this is how you should act lechatchila. For example, a lechatchila situation would be peace in Israel. However, given the circumstances, at times the lechatchila way to act is to go to war.

· In the Rambam’s Hilchos Yesodei HaTorah, (2:2), he discusses the mitzvoth of Ahavas Hashem (love of G-d) and Yiras Hashem (being aware of who G-d is). We can come to these in two ways: through the study of Torah and through examining the world Hashem created. When we witness the beauty and the chachma in nature, we can come to greater levels of Ahava and Yirah. Mada, when studied properly, is another way to come close to Hashem.

For example, when a person has a cut, he’ll bleed. It follows naturally that an amputated limb should bleed profusely. However, in reality an amputated limb will not bleed at all, because if it did, the person would lose so much blood so quickly he would have no chance of survival. Only a Master Creator could have formed such a system.

· The branches of the menorah represent 7 aspects of chachma: 1) t’vunah –understanding and drawing conclusions, 2) ways of nature (such as chemistry and physics), 3) knowledge of the soul – psychology, 4) living creatures (biology), 5) music, 6) metaphysics, 7) TORAH (R’ Aharon Soloveichik quoting the Meiri and other rishonim)

Yet, the Menorah, with all 7 branches, was made of one piece.

More to come: Stay tuned!!