כִּי הַמִּצְוָה הַזֹּאת, אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ הַיּוֹם--לֹא-נִפְלֵאת הִוא מִמְּךָ, וְלֹא רְחֹקָה הִוא.
לֹא בַשָּׁמַיִם, הִוא: לֵאמֹר, מִי יַעֲלֶה-לָּנוּ הַשָּׁמַיְמָה וְיִקָּחֶהָ לָּנוּ, וְיַשְׁמִעֵנוּ אֹתָהּ, וְנַעֲשֶׂנָּה.
וְלֹא-מֵעֵבֶר לַיָּם, הִוא: לֵאמֹר, מִי יַעֲבָר-לָנוּ אֶל-עֵבֶר הַיָּם וְיִקָּחֶהָ לָּנוּ, וְיַשְׁמִעֵנוּ אֹתָהּ, וְנַעֲשֶׂנָּה.
כִּי-קָרוֹב אֵלֶיךָ הַדָּבָר, מְאֹד: בְּפִיךָ וּבִלְבָבְךָ, לַעֲשֹׂתוֹ."For this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not too hard for thee, neither is it far off.
It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say: 'Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, and make us to hear it, that we may do it?'
Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say: 'Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, and make us to hear it, that we may do it?'
But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it."
The midrash rabba on nitzavim-vayelech states:
זש"ה (משלי כד:ז) רָאמוֹת לֶאֱוִיל חָכְמוֹת; בַּשַּׁעַר, לֹא יִפְתַּח-פִּיהוּ. מהו רָאמוֹת לֶאֱוִיל חָכְמוֹת? א"ר תנחומא הטיפש הזה נכנס לבית הכנסת והוא רואה אותן שנושאים ונותנים בתלמוד והוא אינו יודע מה הן אומרין הוא מתבייש שנא' בַּשַּׁעַר, לֹא יִפְתַּח-פִּיהוּ ואין שער אלא סנהדרין דכתיב (דברים כה:ז) וְעָלְתָה יְבִמְתּוֹ הַשַּׁעְרָה אֶל-הַזְּקֵנִים.
This {what the pesukim above talk about the attainability of Torah} is what it stated by the verse in Mishlei 24:7: "Wisdom is {as unattainable} to a fool as corals; he openeth not his mouth in the gate." What is meant by רָאמוֹת לֶאֱוִיל חָכְמוֹת, "Wisdom is {as unattainable} to a fool as corals?"
Rabbi Tanchuma said, this is the fool who enters the synagogue and sees those who are involved in the give and take of Talmud, and he does not know what they are saying, and is embarrassed, as it states {in the end of the verse in Mishlei} "he openeth not his mouth in the gate." And the word "gate" is a reference to the Sanhedrin, as it states in Devarim 25:7, {about levirate marriage, in the case when the man refuses to marry his brother's widow: }
{A suggestion: the word ramot may serve a dual purpose, that is, as a pun, in the verse in Mishlei. It refers to some rare gem, what the standard translation renders coral. But unspecified is in what way is wisdom to the fool comparable to coral. One answer is that as a rare gem is is difficult to get access to. But ramot (especially without the aleph, which is quiescent in the word) also means "high up," and thus it is high up and unattainable. "Wisdom is high up for the fool." The contrast is then immediately obvious to that of Moshe's speech to the Israelites: The Torah is not in Heaven, that you need someone to go up and bring it down for you. It is attainable. The midrash continues...}
ד"א רבנן אמרי הטיפש הזה נכנס לבית הכנסת ורואה אותן עוסקים בתורה והוא אומר להן היאך אדם למד תורה תחלה אומרים לו תחלה קורא במגילה ואח"כ בספר ואח"כ בנביאים ואח"כ בכתובים משהוא גומר את המקרא שונה את התלמוד ואח"כ בהלכות ואח"כ באגדות כיון ששומע כך אומר בלבו אימתי אני למד כל זאת וחוזר מן השער הוי בַּשַּׁעַר, לֹא יִפְתַּח-פִּיהוּ.
Another explanation: The Rabbis said, this fool enters the synagogue and sees them involved in Torah and he says to them, "how does one learn Torah in the first place?" They say to him {in reply} "first he reads in megilla {Esther, or the 5 Megillot?? - or is this some text used to teach reading Hebrew?}, then in the sefer {Pentateuch - 5 Books of Moshe}, then in Neviim {Prophets}, and then in Ketuvim {Writings}. Once he finishes the Written Torah, he learns the Talmud, and after that halachot {laws} and after that aggadot {homiletic and narrative interpretations of Torah}. When he hears this, he says in his heart, "When will I learn all of this?!", and turns from the gate. This is what is written, בַּשַּׁעַר, לֹא יִפְתַּח-פִּיהוּ, "In the gate, he does not open his mouth."
{I would add that the focus is perhaps on the fact that he does not even begin - לֹא יִפְתַּח means he did not begin, or open. Or opening his mouth connotes a very limited step, just the learning megilla stage, which he does not do. He does not do the slightest, because the final goal - Wisdom - seems so far off. Rabbi Yannai will give a recommendation how to proceed even in the face of the immensity of the task...}
א"ר ינאי למה"ד לככר שהיה תלוי באויר טיפש אומר מי יוכל להביאו ופקח או' לא אחד תלה אותו מביא סולם או קנה ומוריד אותו כך כל מי שהוא טיפש אומר אימתי אקרא כל התורה ומי שהוא פיקח מהו עושה שונה פרק אחד בכל יום ויום עד שמסיים כל התורה כולה אמר הקדוש ב"ה לא נפלאת היא ואם נפלאת היא ממך שאין אתה עסוק בה הוי כי המצוה הזאת
Rabbi Yannai said, to what is this matter comparable? To a loaf of bread which is suspended in the air {presumably from a string from the ceiling}. The fool says, "who is able to bring it?" And the rational man says, "Did not someone suspend it there?" {And if someone was able to access that space to suspend it there then it must be possible for others to access it as well.} He brings a ladder, or a pole, and brings it {down}. So too he who is foolish says "When will I {have time to} read all the Torah.
And he who is rational, what does he do? He learns a single perek {chapter} every day until he finishes the entirety of Torah.
So says Hashem, לֹא-נִפְלֵאת הִוא מִמְּךָ, " it is not too hard for thee." That is, לֹא-נִפְלֵאת הִוא, "it is not too hard." And if it is too hard, מִמְּךָ, "it is from you" that you are not invliving yourself in it. This is what is meant by the verse כִּי הַמִּצְוָה הַזֹּאת.
{That's why daf yomi is such a great idea. You take a very small chunk every day, and after about seven years, finish bavli. But you can do this with any think you want to learn. A while ago, I decided that I should learn through Tanach, and went through it 3 times so far, by simply setting aside time every day to learn at least some small amount - be it a chapter, or more, or less. The same with yerushalmi. I try to learn a bit each day, and don't shift my attention to some other material, and eventually I'll get through it - I recently started the final seder, seder nashim. And when I'm done I'll have been exposed to all if it, and this exposure is useful for getting to the depths of any single sugya. I recommend this approach highly.}
Rabbi Tanchuma said, this is the fool who enters the synagogue and sees those who are involved in the give and take of Talmud, and he does not know what they are saying, and is embarrassed, as it states {in the end of the verse in Mishlei} "he openeth not his mouth in the gate." And the word "gate" is a reference to the Sanhedrin, as it states in Devarim 25:7, {about levirate marriage, in the case when the man refuses to marry his brother's widow: }
וְאִם-לֹא יַחְפֹּץ הָאִישׁ, לָקַחַת אֶת-יְבִמְתּוֹ; וְעָלְתָה יְבִמְתּוֹ הַשַּׁעְרָה אֶל-הַזְּקֵנִים, וְאָמְרָה מֵאֵן יְבָמִי לְהָקִים לְאָחִיו שֵׁם בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל--לֹא אָבָה, יַבְּמִי.{Thus we see the word שער, gate, refers to the place where the court convenes.}
And if the man like not to take his brother's wife, then his brother's wife shall go up to the gate unto the elders, and say: 'My husband's brother refuseth to raise up unto his brother a name in Israel; he will not perform the duty of a husband's brother unto me.'
{A suggestion: the word ramot may serve a dual purpose, that is, as a pun, in the verse in Mishlei. It refers to some rare gem, what the standard translation renders coral. But unspecified is in what way is wisdom to the fool comparable to coral. One answer is that as a rare gem is is difficult to get access to. But ramot (especially without the aleph, which is quiescent in the word) also means "high up," and thus it is high up and unattainable. "Wisdom is high up for the fool." The contrast is then immediately obvious to that of Moshe's speech to the Israelites: The Torah is not in Heaven, that you need someone to go up and bring it down for you. It is attainable. The midrash continues...}
ד"א רבנן אמרי הטיפש הזה נכנס לבית הכנסת ורואה אותן עוסקים בתורה והוא אומר להן היאך אדם למד תורה תחלה אומרים לו תחלה קורא במגילה ואח"כ בספר ואח"כ בנביאים ואח"כ בכתובים משהוא גומר את המקרא שונה את התלמוד ואח"כ בהלכות ואח"כ באגדות כיון ששומע כך אומר בלבו אימתי אני למד כל זאת וחוזר מן השער הוי בַּשַּׁעַר, לֹא יִפְתַּח-פִּיהוּ.
Another explanation: The Rabbis said, this fool enters the synagogue and sees them involved in Torah and he says to them, "how does one learn Torah in the first place?" They say to him {in reply} "first he reads in megilla {Esther, or the 5 Megillot?? - or is this some text used to teach reading Hebrew?}, then in the sefer {Pentateuch - 5 Books of Moshe}, then in Neviim {Prophets}, and then in Ketuvim {Writings}. Once he finishes the Written Torah, he learns the Talmud, and after that halachot {laws} and after that aggadot {homiletic and narrative interpretations of Torah}. When he hears this, he says in his heart, "When will I learn all of this?!", and turns from the gate. This is what is written, בַּשַּׁעַר, לֹא יִפְתַּח-פִּיהוּ, "In the gate, he does not open his mouth."
{I would add that the focus is perhaps on the fact that he does not even begin - לֹא יִפְתַּח means he did not begin, or open. Or opening his mouth connotes a very limited step, just the learning megilla stage, which he does not do. He does not do the slightest, because the final goal - Wisdom - seems so far off. Rabbi Yannai will give a recommendation how to proceed even in the face of the immensity of the task...}
א"ר ינאי למה"ד לככר שהיה תלוי באויר טיפש אומר מי יוכל להביאו ופקח או' לא אחד תלה אותו מביא סולם או קנה ומוריד אותו כך כל מי שהוא טיפש אומר אימתי אקרא כל התורה ומי שהוא פיקח מהו עושה שונה פרק אחד בכל יום ויום עד שמסיים כל התורה כולה אמר הקדוש ב"ה לא נפלאת היא ואם נפלאת היא ממך שאין אתה עסוק בה הוי כי המצוה הזאת
Rabbi Yannai said, to what is this matter comparable? To a loaf of bread which is suspended in the air {presumably from a string from the ceiling}. The fool says, "who is able to bring it?" And the rational man says, "Did not someone suspend it there?" {And if someone was able to access that space to suspend it there then it must be possible for others to access it as well.} He brings a ladder, or a pole, and brings it {down}. So too he who is foolish says "When will I {have time to} read all the Torah.
And he who is rational, what does he do? He learns a single perek {chapter} every day until he finishes the entirety of Torah.
So says Hashem, לֹא-נִפְלֵאת הִוא מִמְּךָ, " it is not too hard for thee." That is, לֹא-נִפְלֵאת הִוא, "it is not too hard." And if it is too hard, מִמְּךָ, "it is from you" that you are not invliving yourself in it. This is what is meant by the verse כִּי הַמִּצְוָה הַזֹּאת.
{That's why daf yomi is such a great idea. You take a very small chunk every day, and after about seven years, finish bavli. But you can do this with any think you want to learn. A while ago, I decided that I should learn through Tanach, and went through it 3 times so far, by simply setting aside time every day to learn at least some small amount - be it a chapter, or more, or less. The same with yerushalmi. I try to learn a bit each day, and don't shift my attention to some other material, and eventually I'll get through it - I recently started the final seder, seder nashim. And when I'm done I'll have been exposed to all if it, and this exposure is useful for getting to the depths of any single sugya. I recommend this approach highly.}
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