## Haamek Sheilah on Sheiltot d'Rav Achai Gaon, Kidmat HaEmek, Part II

###### Haamek Sheilah on Sheiltot d'Rav Achai Gaon, Kidmat HaEmek, Part II 5:1
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והנה ידוע מאמרם ז"ל בתענית ד"ט יתיב ר"י וקמתמה ואמ' מי איכא מידי דכתיבא בכתובי דלא רמיזי באורייתא, וברבה נשא פ"י ללמדך שאין לך דבר כתוב בנו"כ שלא רמזו משה בתורה, וע"כ טרחו באיזה מקומות למצוא רמז על הא דמפורש במקראי קודש גם בתורה כדאי' ביומא דל"ח מנה"מ דזכר צדיק לברכה, והוי הגמ' הא קרא כתיב ומשני באורייתא מנלן, וכן בפ' החובל טרחו ואשכחו כמה מוסרים וד"א בקראי דאורייתא.

**The path of Torah, introduction to Ha'amek she'elah. Trans. by Elchanan Greenman. Urim, 2009:**
**ALL CONCEPTS AND LAWS FOUND IN THE PROPHETS AND HAGIOGRAPHA ARE CONTAINED IN THE TORAH**
IT IS WELL-KNOWN how, in *Ta’anis* 9b, R. Yohanan asked rhetorically: “Is it possible that there is something in the Hagiographa to which Moses did not allude in the Torah?”¹ In the *Midrash Rabbah* to *Naso* 10, it also states, “[You will find that in this section Moses intimated that Samson would become a Nazirite]. This is to teach you that there is nothing in the Prophets and Hagiographa that Moses did not refer to in the Torah.”² applies the word “man” in Num. 6:2, “…A man or woman who clearly utters a Nazirite vow….,” to the angel who came to instruct the parents of Samson that he was to be raised as a *Nazir*. It is because of this understanding that the [sages] toiled and searched, striving to find many hints in the Torah of matters that were explicitly stated in the Holy Scripture [of the Prophets and Hagiographa]. [For example, in Tractate *Yoma* 38b, the Gemara asks from where it is known that “the mention of a righteous one is for a blessing.” The Gemara first argues that [this is obvious], as it is known from an [explicit] verse [in Proverbs 10:7]. The [Gemara] then [clarifies the issue] and determines that the real question is where this concept is known in the Torah. See also [the eighth] chapter [of *Bava Kamma* entitled] *Ha-hovel*, [which demonstrates] that the Sages labored and found many ethical concepts and rules for proper conduct [that are alluded to] in the verses of the Torah.³ 92a–b, which cites sixteen different exchanges between Rava and Rabbah the son of Mari, regarding rules of conduct in daily life that are inferred mainly from the Torah. This is a strong proof that the sages devoted significant effort to infer these concepts from the Torah. Examples discussed there include: “Eat early in the day in summer because of the heat, [and early in the] day in winter because of the cold”; “If your friend calls you a donkey, take a saddle off a donkey and place it on your back” (in other words, a person should accept the insult without argument); “If you follow after a man of means, you will take away chunks of fat for yourself” – if you associate with the wealthy, some of their substance will rub off on you.

footnotes:
¹ The quoted gemara states in full: “Another time R. Yohanan met the child of Resh Lakish and said to him: ‘Tell me the verse [you learned today in school]’. The boy replied: ‘The foolishness of man perverts his way; and his heart frets against the Lord’ (Prov. 19:3). After pondering for a while over the matter, R. Yohanan said, ‘Is it possible that there is something in the Hagiographa to which Moses did not allude in the Torah? Said the boy: ‘Is this verse not alluded to in the Torah? Is it not written, ‘Their heart failed them, and they turned trembling one to another saying: What is this that God has done to us?’ (Gen. 42:28). R. Yohanan lifted his eyes and looked at the boy in astonishment….”
² There the Midrash
³ See Bava Kamma


###### Haamek Sheilah on Sheiltot d'Rav Achai Gaon, Kidmat HaEmek, Part II 5:2
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אמנם דורות הראשונים היה כחם יפה הרבה, וראו אותם אורות שבאו אח"כ בכתובים הכל בדיוקי חמשה ח"ת לרוב הרגשתם בשנוי כל קוץ וקוץ, ולנוגה שכלם המאיר לפניהם את המרומז בהמה, עד שהיה אפשר לומר עליהם שהיו זריזין בכ"ד ס"ק, רצוני שידעו להשיג מחמשה ח"ת אותה השגה שהגיעה לדורות מאוחרים מכ"ד ס"ק.

**The path of Torah, introduction to Ha'amek she'elah. Trans. by Elchanan Greenman. Urim, 2009:**
Indeed, the [spiritual and mental] strength of the early generations was very great, and, as a result, they [already] saw in the Torah the illuminating insights that were later incorporated in the writings [of the Prophets and Hagiographa]. They accomplished this by applying intricate exegesis to the Torah, perceiving the variations of each and every stroke of the letters.⁴ can be translated as “crown,” as in the Aruch. Jastrow translates it as “stroke of a letter.” We find that the sages derived concepts from the tips of the letters, as for example in *Menachos* 29b, “to teach mounds of rules on every tip [of letters in the Torah].” Due to their brilliant intellect, which shone before them, [they made manifest] that which was merely hinted at in [the Torah]. [Although they limited their exegesis to the Torah, they discerned the principles enshrined in the later writings and] could [also] be described as being diligent in the study of the twenty-four books.⁵ I mean to say is that [the earlier generations] were able to grasp [solely] from the Torah those insights which the later generations [could] acquire [only] through [studying] the twenty-four books of Holy Scripture.

footnotes:
⁴ Kotz
⁵ This answers the previous question of the Netziv, that if a scholar must be diligent in the Twenty-four Books, that would imply that the sages of earlier generations could not be considered true scholars.


###### Haamek Sheilah on Sheiltot d'Rav Achai Gaon, Kidmat HaEmek, Part II 5:3
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מכל המבואר עמדנו על מאמרם בנדרים דכ"ב הנ"ל אלמלי חטאו ישראל לא ניתן להם אלא חמשה ח"ת וס' יהושע לבד, דר"ל שכל התכלית שמוצאים כהיום בנו"כ היו מוצאים הכל באורייתא דמשה, ולא ניתן ליכתב יותר, אבל משחטאו וכהו עינם לא השיגה שכלם למצוא בה הכל, מש"ה ניתן להם נו"כ אשר יש בהם כדי להוציא כפי הצורך לאושר נפש ישראלי. והן הן הדברים שבמדרש קהלת שהבאתי באות א' וכלום ניתן להם נו"כ אלא שיהיו יגעים בהם ובתורה ועושין מצות וצדקות כדי לקבל עליהם שכר טוב, הרי מבואר דתכלית ספרי קודש אלו להגיע מהם להנהגות ישרות ולהטיב לאדם כל האפשר ולקבל עליהם שכר טוב.

**The path of Torah, introduction to Ha'amek she'elah. Trans. by Elchanan Greenman. Urim, 2009:**
We can now understand the Gemara of *Nedarim* 22b: “Had [the people of] Israel not sinned, they would have received only the Torah and the Book of Joshua.” The Gemara is stating that all [those concepts] which we find today and which were derived from the twenty-four books, the [Jewish nation] had derived [in earlier generations] from the Torah of Moses. However, when the people sinned [beginning with the golden calf], their eyes dimmed and their intellect could no longer understand all that was contained [within the Torah]. Therefore, they were given the Prophets and Hagiographa so they could draw from them what was needed to bring bliss to the Jewish soul. In fact, these are the very same words of the *Midrash Rabbah* to *Koheles* that I cited in Chapter 1 [of this section]: “[The people of Israel] were given all of the Scriptures [consisting] of the Prophets and Hagiographa in order to toil in [studying them] as well as the Torah, and perform precepts and righteous acts so as to receive a good reward.” It is clear that the purpose of these Holy Books is [that people should] labor [in their study] so as to gain proper character traits and to do as much good as possible to mankind, and that they receive a just reward [by sanctifying God’s name throughout the world].


###### Haamek Sheilah on Sheiltot d'Rav Achai Gaon, Kidmat HaEmek, Part II 5:4
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[הוספה מכת"י ובדברינו מיושבות השגת הראב"ד ה' מגילה פ"ב על הירו' והרמב"ם שכתבו דלעת"ל כל הספרים בטלים לבד מג"א, שהקשה הרי לבד מהפשט נדרשו לשאר למודי תורת ה'. ולק"מ שלעת"ל נזכה לעמוד על כל הנלמד מנ"ך, שיהיה הכל מרומז באורייתא, ויהי אור חמשה חומשי תורה נר לרגלינו, כמו שהיה אלו לא חטאו ישראל בעגל.]

**The path of Torah, introduction to Ha'amek she'elah. Trans. by Elchanan Greenman. Urim, 2009:**
[USING WHAT WE WROTE above, we can answer an objection raised by the Ra’avad [in *Mishneh Torah*], Laws of *Megillah* 2:18 against the Rambam’s [literal interpretation of the] Jerusalem Talmud², that in the days of the Messiah, all the books [of the Hagiographa and Prophets] will be annulled, except for the Book of Esther. Ra’avad questions [why the other books of the Prophets and Hagiographa would be nullified], for in addition to the simple understanding of these texts, there are inferences made through exegesis [of these Books] that can be applied to other subject areas of the Torah.³ However, this is not a question at all, for in the time of the Messiah, we will have the merit to [perceive all the concepts] that are [referred to] in the Prophets and Hagiographa. [This will be accomplished without the Prophets and Hagiographa], as all of [them] are alluded to in the Torah. Then the light of the Five Books of the Torah will be a lamp for our feet, as it would have been had Israel not sinned with the [Golden] Calf.]

footnotes:
² Megillah 1:5.
³ The Ra’avad argues that the proper interpretation of the Jerusalem Talmud is not that the other Holy Books will be nullified except for the Book of Esther, but merely that they will no longer be read publicly.