How Torah is Like Water
Why the Torah is sometimes compared to water rather than light.
Rabbi Yehoshua Gordon directed Chabad of the Valley in Tarzana, CA until his passing in 2016.
© Copyright, all rights reserved. If you enjoyed this article, we encourage you to distribute it further, provided that you comply with Chabad.org's copyright policy.
More in this section
-
2:31A New Pharaoh
-
2:20What's Normal?
-
2:01Tribal Ancestry
I Think I'm Missing Something So is he saying that when someone teaches someone Torah, it is removed from that person and put into the other person? That can't be. Wouldn't it make sense then to refer to Torah as fire?
He's saying the Torah comes from "on high" and descends to the lowest points (us, in this world). We have no say whether it comes down or not, therefore it is not ours to give. Water is vital for survival in both flora & fauna and without it, life ceases. Likewise, without Torah, we are nothing. The analogy of light he used is more aligned with us and our ability/obligation to bring the Light of the Creator within us to those who have fallen away. One candle can light hundreds, or thousands of others without its own light ever diminishing.
Torah is also referred to a fire. Among other analogies.