Torah Study: Understanding The Ultimate Author 

As Shavuos the time of Kabalat HaTorah is rapidly approaching we need to take some time to reflect on the great impact that Torah has on our lives. We know that one of the most essential mitzvot is Torah learning. B”h, so many members of klal Yisrael spend numerous hours engaged in the study of Torah. Yeshivah students spend numerous waking hours delving into the massive sea of Torah comprised of Mishnah, Gemorah, halachah, Chumash, etc. What is truly fascinating about this is that much of what we study, especially in the realm of Gemorah, at first glance may not seem to be all that “practical” or “relevant” to our daily lives in 2023. So why is this study something we spend so much time on? Why do we expend so much time and effort understanding these topics?

Prior to our move to Miami, I was privileged to serve as campus rabbi at Stony Brook University in Long Island for Aish HaTorah. I was preparing a Judaism 101 class on the beauty of Torah and was reading through Rabbi Mordechai Becher’s incredible work Gateway To Judaism, by the way a must read for everyone, for some ideas and relevant points to discuss with my audience. In his chapter on Torah study, I came across a mashal, story, (p. 412) that blew me away and provided me with clarity as to the real relevance of Torah in our lives.

Raymond Chandler was a famous author who was writing a mystery novel. Unfortunately, after completing the fourth chapter of his new book he passed away. Another author, Robert B. Parker, took on the daunting task of completing the book in the same way of the original author. What do you think would make sense to prepare oneself to accomplish the goal of completing someone else’s work with their thought and style? To complete the book in the same manner, do you think it would make sense to just read the first four chapters and then start on your own? That probably would not give you the full picture of the author, how he thinks, and what he would write. To be able to really portray Chandler, Parker would first want to read through all of Chandler’s notes, drafts, and corrections. It would make sense to read through and thoroughly analyze all the previous books that Chandler wrote to get his style clear. It would be wise to visit where he lived, interview his family and friends to get a very real feel for who he was as a person, what he represented, and in turn how that translated into what he wrote. After this thorough analysis an author can begin to complete the work in just fashion. Whether Parker followed such a process is unknown to us, however our mission in this world is much like his, “to complete the book of our own lives” in the way that “the ultimate author,” Hashem, would want from us.

We all have a unique mission on this planet and our job here is to do our best to fulfill that task based on how the greatest author, the Ribbono Shel Olam would want it accomplished. So how do we do that? How can we possibly make decisions in life based on how Hashem would want us to, if we have never heard any directive from Hashem? The answer is that we need to study Hashem’s incredible writings, i.e., the Torah. The more we delve into Hashem’s wisdom, the more we analyze his thoughts, ideals, laws, middot, and actions, the more we begin to understand how Hashem thinks. When we spend time studying the deep stories of Tanach with Rashi and Ramban, etc. we begin to see how much Hashem does care for us and we can apply those middot into our own relationships. The more we study Mishnah, Gemorah, halachah, Chumash, etc., the more we can understand Hashem’s thought process in determining just and unjust, right, and wrong. The deeper we study these works, the more we will be able to apply Hashem’s thought process to our own lives.

In the morning brachot we thank Hashem for giving us a Toras emes, a true Torah. The Darkei Mussar questions what does a true Torah mean, of course the Torah is true, would you have thought the Torah is false? The sage answers that the brachah is saying we thank Hashem for giving us a Torah that shows us the truth. According to the Darkei Mussar, the author we are studying is giving us the ultimate truth. He’s giving us the proper outlook on right and wrong and providing us with a manual of how to interact with our spouse, neighbors, and coworkers. Hashem is showing us the truth on how we are supposed to face life’s constant challenges and enlightening us on best practices for raising our children. Hashem wrote the Torah as the ultimate guide to live a truly fulfilling and meaningful life.

This Shavuot, let us allow the ultimate authors to work our holy and precious Torah to penetrate our hearts and give us the clarity we need to live a life of true fulfillment. Have a wonderful Yom Tov.

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Rabbi Yaakov Moskowitz is a motivational speaker who has inspired Jews around the world through his engaging lectures and videos on a wide array of practical Jewish topics. To receive Rabbi Moskowitz’s short clips, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..