Chapter 1

אמר רבי יהושע בן לוי בכל יום בת קול
יוצאת מהר חורב ומכרזת ואומרת אוי
להם לבריות מעלבונה של תורה

Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: “Each and every day a Heavenly voice goes forth from Mount Chorev, proclaiming and saying: ‘Woe to the people because of [their] affront to [literally, “shaming of”] the Torah.’ ”1

The Rambam2 explains that the “shaming of the Torah” refers to the Torah’s being shamed because His people do not “occupy” themselves with its study. The exact words of the Rambam are as follows: “…from the shame that they shame the Torah; for Torah is ashamed that there are none that occupy themselves with it.”

We must understand what is meant by “the shame of Torah.” Also, what does the Rambam mean when he says that the Torah is ashamed because “there are none that occupy themselves with it”? And what is meant by the expression “there are none that occupy themselves with it”? Since Torah is learned, the expression “none that study it” would seem more appropriate. What is the Rambam implying by using the expression “occupy”?

It is also necessary to understand the purpose of the “Heavenly voice that goes forth from Mt. Sinai,” [Mt. Sinai is also called M. Chorev]. Surely the intent is for people to begin examining their ways and return to Torah.

In fact, there are a number of Heavenly calls to repentance. One of them is “Return, return from your evil ways! Why should you die, O House of Israel?”3 [For] when a person acts in a G-d-fearing manner he is assured of life, as it is written:4 “The fear of G-d leads to life.” Concerning Torah too the verse states:5 “It is a tree of life for those who hold fast to it.”

Similarly, there are many other Heavenly calls to repentance, such as the famous verse:6 “Return, you wild children…” and the like. All these Heavenly calls have one purpose: that the Jews repent, mend their ways and follow the path of Torah and mitzvos.

But what good can these Heavenly calls do when man is incapable of hearing them [because of his degraded spiritual state]?7 What use is the daily Heavenly call stating: “Woe to the people because of [their] affront to the Torah,” when man is physically incapable of discerning the Heavenly voice?

In summary: R. Yehoshua ben Levi says a Heavenly warning emanates daily from Mt. Chorev to those who shame the Torah. The Torah is shamed because there are none that “occupy” themselves with it. Why is the expression occupy used rather than study? There are various Heavenly calls whose purpose is to awaken man to repentance, but what purpose can they serve when corporeal man is incapable of hearing them?