Wednesday, December 05, 2007

Torah and Hhokhma

There is Tora min Hashamayim, ‘Instruction from Heaven’.

We call this Torah.

And there is Tora min Ha’aretz, ‘Instruction from Earth’.

We call this Hhokhma ("Wisdom").

Torah is given in Revelation;
it needs to be delved into, to understand its Godly secrets.

Hhokhma is built on Logic, Emotion and Experience;
it needs to be constructed, to develop its human truths.

When we say that Instruction from Heaven is holy and that Instruction from Earth is not, we're only talking about degrees. We were created in the image of God. Our world was built by God, piece by piece, eon by eon. When we examine our world, we are examining God's creation. When we examine ourselves, we are examining shadows cast by God's flame.

Torah comes down from Heaven to Earth.

Hhokhma rises from Earth to Heaven.

If you've only got one, you've only got half the picture.

6 Comments:

Blogger Shira Salamone said...

Nice.

You know, you really ought to think about going to rabbinical school.

:) :) :)

Speaking of rabbinical school, I hear tell that yours is sponsoring a little something this Monday night: "Lecture Exploring the Halakhic, Historical and Spiritual Connections Between Hanukkah and Sukkot," according to the YCTorah.org website. The Punster teaches on Monday nights, but maybe I'll see you at Ohab Zedek on Monday.

12/07/2007 1:43 PM  
Blogger Yehudi said...

Great post! I've thoroughly enjoyed reading through your posts...fantastic blog! I will be coming back often to read your "latest"! Hanukkah sameach!

12/08/2007 12:55 PM  
Blogger Nem said...

Awesome!

12/09/2007 9:59 PM  
Blogger Steg (dos iz nit der šteg) said...

Shira:

LOL. :-P
Sounds good!

Yehudi:

thanks! חנוכה שמח to you too!

Nem:

thanks!

12/09/2007 11:28 PM  
Blogger Michael Koplow said...

Yasher koahh, very interesting. But u misspelled "Tora" in the title.

12/12/2007 12:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

But u misspelled "Tora" in the title.

You mean, because it should be "Tôro"?

1/02/2008 10:57 AM  

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