R. Judah and R. Isaac were once travelling together. They stopped at a certain field to pray, and then went on. R. Judah then commenced a discourse on the Torah, taking for his text: “She is a tree of life to them that lay hold of her and happy is every one that retaineth her” (Prov. 3, 18). ‘The “tree of life” is the Torah, which is a great and mighty tree. It is called Torah (lit. showing) because it shows and reveals that which was hidden and unknown; and all life from above is comprised in it and issues from it. He that “takes hold” of the Torah takes hold of all, above and below. “They that retain her” are those who put the profit of merchandise into the purses of students of the Torah; such become worthy of having a progeny of faithful prophets. Such, too, “retain” her from the beginning, which is Wisdom, to the “end of the body”, and become pillars of the faith.’
רִבִּי יְהוּדָה וְרִבִּי יִצְחָק הֲווֹ אַזְלֵי בְּאָרְחָא. יָתְבוּ בְּהַהוּא בֵּי חַקְלָא וְצַלּוּ. בָּתַר דְּסִיְימוּ צְלוֹתָא קָמוּ וְאַזְלוּ. פָּתַח רִבִּי יְהוּדָה בְּמִלֵּי דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא. וְאָמַר, (משלי ג׳:י״ח) עֵץ חַיִּים הִיא לַמַּחֲזִיקִים בָּהּ וְתוֹמְכֶיהָ מְאוּשָּׁר. עֵץ חַיִים, דָּא אוֹרַיְיתָא, דְּאִיהִי אִילָנָא עִלָּאָה רַבָּא וְתַקִּיף. תּוֹרָה, אֲמַאי אִקְרֵי תּוֹרָה. בְּגִין דְּאוֹרֵי וְגַלֵּי בְּמָה דְּהֲוָה סָתִים דְּלָא אִתְיְדַע. חַיִים, דְּכָל חַיִּים דִּלְעֵילָּא בָּהּ אִתְכְּלִילוּ, וּמִנָהּ נָפְקִין. לַמַּחֲזִיקִים בָּהּ, לְאִינּוּן דְּאַחְדִּין בָּהּ, דְּמַאן דְּאָחִיד בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא אָחִיד בְּכֹלָּא, אָחִיד לְעֵילָּא וְתַתָּא. וְתוֹמְכֶיהָ מְאוּשָּׁר, מַאן תּוֹמְכֶיהָ. אִלֵּין אִינּוּן דְּמַטִילִין מְלָאי, לְכִיסָן שֶׁל תַּלְמִידֵי חֲכָמִים, כְּמָה דְּאוּקְמוּהָ.
R. Judah and R. Isaac were once travelling together. They stopped at a certain field to pray, and then went on. R. Judah then commenced a discourse on the Torah, taking for his text: “She is a tree of life to them that lay hold of her and happy is every one that retaineth her” (Prov. 3, 18). ‘The “tree of life” is the Torah, which is a great and mighty tree. It is called Torah (lit. showing) because it shows and reveals that which was hidden and unknown; and all life from above is comprised in it and issues from it. He that “takes hold” of the Torah takes hold of all, above and below. “They that retain her” are those who put the profit of merchandise into the purses of students of the Torah; such become worthy of having a progeny of faithful prophets. Such, too, “retain” her from the beginning, which is Wisdom, to the “end of the body”, and become pillars of the faith.’
וְתוֹמְכֶיהָ, זָכֵי לִנְבִיאֵי מְהֵימְנֵי דְּיִפְּקוּן מִנֵּיהּ. מְאוּשָּׁר, אַל תִּקְרֵי מְאוּשָּׁר, אֶלָּא מֵרֹאשׁוֹ, אִינּוּן תַּמְכִין לְאוֹרַיְיתָא, מֵרֹאשׁוֹ וְעַד סוֹפוֹ. מֵרֹאשׁוֹ, דָּא רֵישָׁא דְּכֹלָּא דְּאִקְרֵי רֹאשׁ, דִּכְתִּיב, (משלי ח׳:כ״ג) מֵעוֹלָם נִסַּכְתִּי מֵרֹאשׁ. וְרֹאשׁ דָּא חָכְמָה, דְּאִיהִי רֵישָׁא לְכָל גּוּפָא, וְגוּפָא אִתְפְּשָׁט בֵּיהּ עַד סִיּוּמָא דְּשִׁית סִטְרִין, וְתוֹמְכֶיהָ, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (שיר השירים ה׳:ט״ו) שׁוֹקָיו עַמּוּדֵי שֵׁשׁ. דְּאִינּוּן דְּמַטִילִין מְלָאי לְכִיסָן שֶׁל תַּלְמִידֵי חֲכָמִים אִינּוּן תַּמְכִין לְאוֹרַיְיתָא מֵרֵישָׁא עַד סִיּוּמָא דְּגוּפָא, וְכָל מְהֵימְנוּתָא, בֵּיהּ תַּלְיָא, וְאִתְּמָךְ. וְזָכֵי לִבְנִין דְּיִתְחֲזוּן לִנְבִיאֵי מְהֵימְנֵי.
R. Isaac discoursed on the verse: “And he called unto Moses, and the Lord spake unto him out of the tent of meeting, saying” (Lev. 1, 1).