Monthly Archives: November 2008

“Quoting the Talmud, Rashi comments that the Torah was given to Moshe as a gift, as a bride is given to her husband, since he could not have studied and absorbed all of it in so short a time. From this the Talmud concludes that a man must always study, even if he does not have the necessary talents, intelligence, or memory (Avodah Zarah 19a). For to the one who strives diligently, despite his lack of ability, HaShem will ultimately grant the Torah as a free gift. That is what we observe from the example of Moshe. HaShem wanted to teach him the Torah, with all its relevant commentaries in forty days. As it happened, not even the mental prowess of a Moshe could be equal to such a challenge. Ultimately, HaShem in His kindness made him a gift of the Torah with all its contents, as one heaps riches on someone who could not have acquired them by himself.