Shabbos 88 – שבת פח

Why didn’t Hashem tell Yisroel the same thing he told the world; that (if they don’t accept) all will return to ‘Tohu Vavohu’?  This approach would perhaps avoid the coercion aspect since it is merely a statement which reflected the reality of creation.

How did the Malachim intend to observe the Torah which applies to physical phenomena?

2 thoughts on “Shabbos 88 – שבת פח

  1. That might very well have been the meaning of Sham Tehei Kevuraschem. Not Sham, as in there, but rather and in, right-then-and-there.

    There is another question that can be asked here: Whether we were forced or not, we are Hashem’s slaves, as it says, כי לי בני ישראל עבדים. What excuses can help when we are slaves willingly or otherwise?

    Rashi explains that the Moda’a Raba is that when Hakadosh Baruch Hu will take us to task for not acting on what we accepted, we can answer that we were forced. This means that although the Onshim for each particular Mitzva are not in question, the other complaint — that we didn’t keep what we accepted — is what we have an answer for.

    Being faced with the fact that the whole purpose of creation is the acceptance of the Torah, and that the world would end right there, does not take away the answer that, after all, we didn’t exactly take it upon ourselves.

  2. The Malachim did not intend to do it; they intended to learn it. They didn’t think it was appropriate for humans to learn or keep it. We too have the concept that certain Chumros are not to be kept until you reach a certain level, and you can be ridiculed for pretending to be on a higher level than you truly are.

    When we do a Mitzva we thank Hashem that Kedishanu Bemitzvosav Vetzivanu… that he found us worthy enough to allow, and even command, us to perform His holy Mitzvos.

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