R. Yosef Kara on 1 Samuel 1:17

讗讱 讚注 诇讱, 讻砖谞讻转讘讛 讛谞讘讜讗讛, 砖诇讬诪讛 谞讻转讘讛 注诐 驻转专讜谞讛 讜讻诇 讛爪讜专讱, 砖诇讗 讬讻砖诇讜 讘讛 讚讜专讜转 讛讘讗讬诐, 讜诪诪拽讜诪讜 讗讬谉 讞住专 讻诇讜诐. 讜讗讬谉 爪专讬讱 诇讛讘讬讗 专讗讬讛 诪诪拽讜诐 讗讞专, 讜诇讗 诪讚专砖, 讻讬 转讜专讛 鈥� 转诪讬诪讛 谞转谞讛, 转诪讬诪讛 谞讻转讘讛, 讜诇讗 转转讞住 讻诇 讘讛. 讜诪讚专砖 讞讻诪讬谞讜 鈥� 讻讚讬 诇讛讙讚讬诇 转讜专讛 讜讬讗讚讬专. 讗讘诇 讻诇 诪讬 砖讗讬谞讜 讬讜讚注 驻砖讜讟讜 砖诇 诪拽专讗, 讜谞讜讟讛 诇讜 讗讞专 诪讚专砖讜 砖诇 讚讘专, 讚讜诪讛 诇讝讛 砖砖讟驻转讛讜 砖讘讜诇转 讛谞讛专 讜诪注诪拽讬 诪讬诐 诪爪讬驻讬谉, 讜讗讜讞讝 讻诇 讗砖专 讬注诇讛 讘讬讚讜 诇讛讬谞爪诇. 讜讗讬诇讜 砖诐 诇讘讜 讗诇 讚讘专 讛鈥�, 讛讬讛 讞讜拽专 讗讞专 驻砖专 讚讘专 讜驻砖讜讟讜, 讜诪讜爪讗 诇拽讬讬诐 诪讛 砖谞讗诪专: 讗诐 转讘拽砖谞讛 讻讻住祝 讜讻诪讟诪讜谞讬诐 转讞驻砖谞讛 讗讝 转讘讬谉讬专讗转 讛鈥� 讜讚注转 讗诇讛讬诐 转诪爪讗 (诪砖诇讬 讘:讚-讛)…

Know well, that when Scripture was written, it was written completely, with every explanation and need taken care of, so that future generations would not stumble in it, and in its place, it lacks nothing. Moreover, one does not need to bring proofs from another place, and certainly not midrash, for the Torah was 鈥済iven completely and written completely鈥� (see Psalm 19:8: 转讜专转 讛鈥� 转诪讬诪讛 ), and lacks nothing. Whereas the midrash of the Sages is for the purpose of glorifying Torah and enhancing it (Isaiah 42:21). But anyone who doesn鈥檛 know the context of Scripture (the methodology of peshat), and prefers to incline towards a midrashic explanation, is similar to one who is drowning in a river, and the depths of the waters are sweeping him away, and who grabs hold of any old thing that comes into his hand to save himself. Whereas had he paid attention to the word of the Lord, he would have investigated the true explanation of the matter and its context, and would have fulfilled that which is written: If you seek it as you do silver, and search for it as for treasures, then you will understand reverence for the LORD and attain knowledge of God (Proverbs 2:4鈥�5)…

Rashi on Genesis 3:8:

讬砖 诪讚专砖讬 讗讙讚讛 专讘讬诐, 讜讻讘专 住讚专讜诐 专讘讜转讬谞讜 注诇 诪讻讜谞诐 讘讘专讗砖讬转 专讘讛 讜讘砖讗专 诪讚专砖讬诐. 讜讗谞讬 诇讗 讘讗转讬 讗诇讗 诇驻砖讜讟讜 砖诇 诪拽专讗, 讜诇讗讙讚讛 讛诪讬讬砖讘转 讚讘专 讛诪拽专讗 讜砖诪注讜, 讚讘专 讚讘讜专 注诇 讗驻谞讬讜 

There are many homiletical midrashim (on these verses), and the Rabbis have long ago arranged them in their proper place in Genesis Rabba and the other midrashim. Whereas I have only come to explain Scripture according to its plain meaning [peshuto], and according to the aggadah that 鈥渟ettles鈥� a matter of Scripture and its sense, a matter understood according to its character [lit. 鈥渁 word fitly spoken鈥�; see Proverbs 25:11).

Rashbam: Introduction to Parshat Mishpatim (Exodus 21:1):

讬讚注讜 讜讬讘讬谞讜 讬讜讚注讬 砖讻诇 讻讬 诇讗 讘讗转讬 诇驻专砖 讛诇讻讜转, 讗祝 注诇 驻讬 砖讛诐 注讬拽专, 讻诪讜 砖驻讬专砖转讬 讘讘专讗砖讬转. 讻讬 诪讬转讜专 讛诪拽专讗讜转 谞砖诪注讬谉 讛讛讙讚讜转 讜讛讛诇讻讜转. 讜诪拽爪转谉 讬诪爪讗讜 讘驻讬专讜砖讬 专讘讬谞讜 砖诇诪讛 讗讘讬 讗诪讬 讝爪”诇. 讜讗谞讬 诇驻专砖 驻砖讜讟谉 砖诇 诪拽专讗讜转 讘讗转讬. 讜讗驻专砖 讛讚讬谞讬谉 讜讛讛诇讻讜转 诇驻讬 讚专讱 讗专抓. 讜讗祝 注诇 驻讬 讻谉 讛讛诇讻讜转 注讬拽专, 讻诪讜 砖讗诪专讜 专讘讜转讬谞讜: 讛诇讻讛 注讜拽专转 诪拽专讗 

Let knowers of wisdom know and understand that I have not come to explain halakhot, even though these are the essence of Torah, as I have explained in my Genesis commentary (e.g., at Genesis 1:1; 37:2). For it is from the apparent superfluousness of Scriptural language that aggadot and halakhot are derived. Some of these can be found in the commentary of our Rabbi Solomon, my mother鈥檚 father, may the memory of the righteous be for a blessing. But I have come to explain the contextual meaning of Scripture. And I will explain the laws and halakhot according to realia (lit. 鈥渢he way of the world鈥�). And (I will do this) even though (the rabbinic understanding of) the halakhot is the essence, as the Rabbis taught: 鈥渉alakha uproots Scripture鈥� (BT Sota 16a, with emendation). 

讗”讝 诪讜”专 讝爪诇讛”讛 讗诪专 诪讛 砖诪讘专讻讬谉 砖注砖讛 谞住讬诐 注诇 专讗讬讬转 谞专 讞谞讜讻讛. 讻讬 讛讗专转 讛谞住讬诐 讛诐 讘讛谞专讜转. 讜讘讗诪转 讻’ 讛谞专讜转 讛诇诇讜 拽讜讚砖 讛诐. 讜谞专讗讛 讻讬 诪讗讞专 砖讛讬讛 讛讚诇拽转 讛诪谞讜专讛 讘讬诪讬诐 讗诇讜 注驻”讬 谞住 讗祝 砖诇讗 讛讬’ 砖诪谉 诇讘谞”讬 诇讛讚诇讬拽. 讗”讻 讙诐 注转讛 讗祝 砖讗讬谉 诇谞讜 诪谞讜专讛 讜砖诪谉 讟讛讜专. 讙”讻 砖讬讬讱 讛讛讚诇拽讛 注驻”讬 讛谞住. 诪讗讞专 砖谞住 讝讛 谞砖讗专 诇讚讜专讜转. 专拽 讛讻诇讬 诇讛讚诇拽讛 讛讝讜 讛讜讗 诪爪讜转 讛讚诇拽转 谞专 讞谞讜讻讛 讚讻转讬讘 谞专 诪爪讜讛 讜转讜专讛 讗讜专. 讛驻讬’ 谞专 讛讜讗 讻诇讬 诇拽讘诇 砖诪谉 讜驻转讬诇讛 讜讗讜专

My grandfather, my teacher, may his righteous memory be for a blessing, said, 鈥淲hy do we make the blessing, 鈥樷�ho made miracles for us in those days at this time鈥� when we see the Hanukkah candles? It is because the miracles of Hanukkah are apparent within the candles.鈥� And it is truly written that, 鈥渢hese candles are holy.鈥� Apparently, the lighting of the Menorah in those days [of the Maccabees] was miraculous for there was insufficient oil for the Israelites to light it. So too in our time we lack the lamp and the pure oil, and it is therefore the case even now that we light the Menorah via a miracle. For this miracle remains active for all generations. The container for this (continuous) miracle is the commandment to light the Hanukkah candles, as it is written, 鈥渇or the commandment is the lamp, and Torah is the light鈥� (Proverbs 6:23). That is to say that the lamp is a vessel that receives the oil and the wick and the light.

讻谉 讛诪爪讜转 谞讙讚 专诪”讞 讗讬讘专讬诐 讜讬专讗讛 讜讗讛讘讛 讙讬’ 谞专 讻”讻 讘转讬拽讜谞讬诐. 讜讛讜讗 砖讛诪爪讜转 讛诐 讘诪注砖讛. 讜讗讜专 讛转讜专讛 谞转诇讛 讘讛诐. 砖讛专讬 讛诪爪讜转 讻转讜讘讬诐 讘转讜专讛 讜注讬”讝 讬转讜拽谉 讛诪注砖讛 讙”讻. 讜讛讜讗 转讬拽讜谉 讙讜祝 讗讬讘专讬 讛讗讚诐. 讜讛转讜专讛 诇讛讘讬讗 讚注转 讜讞讻诪讛 诇讗讚诐. 讜讙诐 诇砖讜谉 谞专 讞谞讜讻讛 砖转讬拽谞讜 讞讝”诇 讘讘专讻转 讛诪爪讜讛 讙”讻 讻谞”诇 讚诇讗 讻’ 诇讛讚诇讬拽 谞专 讘讞谞讜讻讛. 专拽 砖讬砖 谞专 讞谞讜讻讛. 讜注诇 讬讚讬 拽讬讜诐 讛诪爪讜讛 诪讚诇讬拽讬谉 讝讛 讛谞专 讛讬讚讜注. 讜讘讗诪转 讛诇讗 讛诪砖讻谉 谞讙谞讝 讜讻谉 讛诪谞讜专讛 讜讗”讻 讘讬诪讬诐 讛讗诇讜 砖讛讬’ 讛讛讚诇拽讛 讗讝 注驻”讬 谞住 讙诐 注转讛 讛讬讗 讚讜诇拽转

Thus, the commandments align with the gematria (numerology) of the 248 limbs of the body plus the words fear and love, to equal the gematria of the word candle. The commandments themselves are embodied in action, and 鈥渢he light of Torah鈥� is suspended within them. The commandments are written in the Torah, and it is through these commandments that our actions are repaired. This is the repair of the body and limbs of humanity. The Torah brings wisdom and insight to humanity. And the blessing [鈥o light] 鈥渢he lamp of Hanukkah鈥� that the rabbis established [is precise]; it is not written, to light a lamp on Hanukkah; for there already is a Hanukkah lamp. By fulfilling the mitzvah, we are lighting that very lamp [i.e. the original one]! In truth, was not the Tabernacle hidden away and the Menorah as well [in ancient times]? Thus just as the Menorah was lit in those days via a miracle, so too now it is only through a miracle that the Menorah is lit.

讜讻注讬谉 讝讛 讗诪专 讗讗”讝 诪讜”专 讝爪诇讛”讛 注诇 谞专 诪注专讘讬 讻讬讜谉 砖讚讜诇拽 讘谞住. 讚讜诇拽 讙诐 注转讛 讘诪拽讜诐 砖谞讙谞讝 讻谞”诇. 讜专拽 诇注讜专专 讜诇讛讚诇讬拽 讝讛 注”讬 诪爪讜转 谞专 讞谞讜讻讛 砖转拽谞讜 讞讝”诇. 砖注”讬 讛诪爪讜讛 谞讝讻专 讛讗专转 讛谞住. [讜讻谉 讛诇砖讜谉 讘讟讜专 诇讛讝讻讬专 讛谞住 讜诇讗 诇讝讻讜专 注”砖 住讬’ 转专注”讟] 讜讻诇 讗诇讜 讛注谞讬谞讬诐 诪砖讻谉 讜诪谞讜专讛 讛诐 谞诪爪讗讬诐 讘专诪讝 讘讻诇 讗讬砖 诪讬砖专讗诇 砖讝讛 诪讛 砖讬砖 诇讻诇 讗讞讚 诪讬砖专讗诇 讞诇拽 讘转讜专讛 [讜讛讗专转 讛诪谞讜专讛 砖讙谞讜讝讬诐 讻诪讜 讻谉 讘讗讚诐 讜讘讬诪讬诐 讛诇诇讜 讬讻讜诇讬谉 诇注讜专专 讛讛讗专讜转 讛谞”诇 砖讛诐 讘讞讬’ 讛诪讚讜转]

And on this my grandfather, my teacher, may his righteous memory be for a blessing, taught, 鈥淛ust as the western lamp was lit through a miracle, it is still lit now in the place that it is hidden.鈥� And this is awakened and lit through the lighting of the Hanukkah candles that the rabbis established. It is through the commandment of lighting the candles that the miracle is recalled. All of these items, [such as] the Tabernacle and the Menorah–they are hinted at in every Jew, that every Jew has a part of the Torah. [During these days, the hidden Menorah that is within a person can be awakened as mentioned above, as it is an essential part of one鈥檚 attributes.]

Guiding Questions

1. When you “perform” a mitzvah, what do you suppose is its effect? Is it just a symbolic action, or is there some sort of consequence?

2. How do you understand the claim that our performance of candle lighting is actually directly linked to the Temple ornaments?

3. What does it mean to “repair” one’s actions and body? What is “out of order” in them, and how does the practice of mitzvot repair them?