Na'aseh Ve'nishma: Action Before Understanding

וַיִּקַּח֙ סֵ֣פֶר הַבְּרִ֔ית וַיִּקְרָ֖א בְּאׇזְנֵ֣י הָעָ֑ם וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ כֹּ֛ל אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּ֥ר יְהֹוָ֖ה נַעֲשֶׂ֥ה וְנִשְׁמָֽע׃

Then he took the record of the covenant and read it aloud to the people. And they said, “All that GOD has spoken we will faithfully do!”

דָּרַשׁ רַבִּי סִימַאי: בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁהִקְדִּימוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל ״נַעֲשֶׂה״ לְ״נִשְׁמָע״ בָּאוּ שִׁשִּׁים רִיבּוֹא שֶׁל מַלְאֲכֵי הַשָּׁרֵת, לְכׇל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל קָשְׁרוּ לוֹ שְׁנֵי כְתָרִים, אֶחָד כְּנֶגֶד ״נַעֲשֶׂה״ וְאֶחָד כְּנֶגֶד ״נִשְׁמָע״. וְכֵיוָן שֶׁחָטְאוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל, יָרְדוּ מֵאָה וְעֶשְׂרִים רִיבּוֹא מַלְאֲכֵי חַבָּלָה וּפֵירְקוּם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וַיִּתְנַצְּלוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת עֶדְיָם מֵהַר חוֹרֵב״. אָמַר רַבִּי חָמָא בְּרַבִּי חֲנִינָא: בְּחוֹרֵב טָעֲנוּ, בְּחוֹרֵב פֵּרְקוּ. בְּחוֹרֵב טָעֲנוּ — כְּדַאֲמַרַן, בְּחוֹרֵב פֵּרְקוּ — דִּכְתִיב: ״וַיִּתְנַצְּלוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְגוֹ׳״. אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: וְכוּלָּן זָכָה מֹשֶׁה וּנְטָלָן. דִּסְמִיךְ לֵיהּ: ״וּמֹשֶׁה יִקַּח אֶת הָאֹהֶל״. אָמַר רֵישׁ לָקִישׁ: עָתִיד הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְהַחֲזִירָן לָנוּ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וּפְדוּיֵי ה׳ יְשֻׁבוּן וּבָאוּ צִיּוֹן בְּרִנָּה וְשִׂמְחַת עוֹלָם עַל רֹאשָׁם״ — שִׂמְחָה שֶׁמֵּעוֹלָם עַל רֹאשָׁם. אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר: בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁהִקְדִּימוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל ״נַעֲשֶׂה״ לְ״נִשְׁמָע״ יָצְתָה בַּת קוֹל וְאָמְרָה לָהֶן: מִי גִּלָּה לְבָנַי רָז זֶה שֶׁמַּלְאֲכֵי הַשָּׁרֵת מִשְׁתַּמְּשִׁין בּוֹ? דִּכְתִיב: ״בָּרְכוּ ה׳ מַלְאָכָיו גִּבֹּרֵי כֹחַ עֹשֵׂי דְבָרוֹ לִשְׁמֹעַ בְּקוֹל דְּבָרוֹ״ — בְּרֵישָׁא ״עֹשֵׂי״, וַהֲדַר ״לִשְׁמֹעַ״. אָמַר רַבִּי חָמָא בְּרַבִּי חֲנִינָא: מַאי דִּכְתִיב ״כְּתַפּוּחַ בַּעֲצֵי הַיַּעַר וְגוֹ׳״ — לָמָּה נִמְשְׁלוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל לְתַפּוּחַ, לוֹמַר לָךְ: מָה תַּפּוּחַ זֶה פִּרְיוֹ קוֹדֶם לְעָלָיו, אַף יִשְׂרָאֵל הִקְדִּימוּ ״נַעֲשֶׂה״ לְ״נִשְׁמָע״.

Rabbi Simai taught: When Israel accorded precedence to the declaration “We will do” over the declaration “We will hear,” 600,000 ministering angels came and tied two crowns to each and every member of the Jewish people, one corresponding to “We will do” and one corresponding to “We will hear.” And when the people sinned with the Golden Calf, 1,200,000 angels of destruction descended and removed them from the people, as it is stated in the wake of the sin of the Golden Calf: “And the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments from Mount Horeb onward” (Exodus 33:6). Rabbi Ḥama, son of Rabbi Ḥanina, said: At Horeb they put on their ornaments, and at Horeb they removed them. The source for this is: At Horeb they put them on, as we have said; at Horeb they removed them, as it is written: “And the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments from Mount Horeb.” Rabbi Yoḥanan said: And Moses merited all of these crowns and took them. What is the source for this? Because juxtaposed to this verse, it is stated: “And Moses would take the tent [ohel]” (Exodus 33:7). The word ohel is interpreted homiletically as an allusion to an aura or illumination [hila]. Reish Lakish said: In the future, the Holy One, Blessed be He, will return them to us, as it is stated: “And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come with singing unto Zion, and everlasting joy shall be upon their heads” (Isaiah 35:10). The joy that they once had will once again be upon their heads. Rabbi Elazar said: When the Jewish people accorded precedence to the declaration “We will do” over “We will hear,” a Divine Voice emerged and said to them: Who revealed to my children this secret that the ministering angels use? As it is written: “Bless the Lord, you angels of His, you mighty in strength, that fulfill His word, hearkening unto the voice of His word” (Psalms 103:20). At first, the angels fulfill His word, and then afterward they hearken. Rabbi Ḥama, son of Rabbi Ḥanina, said: What is the meaning of that which is written: “As an apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons. Under its shadow I delighted to sit and its fruit was sweet to my taste” (Song of Songs 2:3)? Why were the Jewish people likened to an apple tree? It is to tell you that just as this apple tree, its fruit grows before its leaves, so too, the Jewish people accorded precedence to “We will do” over “We will hear.”

(יט) אָמַר הֶחָבֵר: אִלּוּ הָיוּ אוֹמְרִים לְךָ כִּי מֶלֶךְ הֹדּוּ אִישׁ חֶסֶד רָאוּי לְרוֹמְמוֹ וְלָתֵת כָּבוֹד לִשְׁמוֹ וּלְסַפֵּר מַעֲשָׂיו בְּמַה שֶּׁיַּגִּיעַ אֵלֶיךָ מִצֶּדֶק אַנְשֵׁי אַרְצוֹ וּמִדּוֹתָם הַטּוֹבוֹת, וְשֶׁמַּשָּׂאָם וּמַתָּנָם בֶּאֱמוּנָה, הֶהָיִיתָ חַיָּב בָּזֶה.

19. The Rabbi: If thou wert told that the King of India was an excellent man, commanding admiration, and deserving his high reputation, one whose actions were reflected in the justice which rules his country and the virtuous ways of his subjects, would this bind thee to revere him?

ולכך אמרו (שבת פח.) שכל מעשה בראשית היו תלויים ועומדים עד שהיו ישראל מקבלים התורה, שאז היו מקבלים בעולם התורה, שהיא סדר הכל, ובה יהיה מקיים* הכל.

וְהָאֶמְצָעִים הַמַּגִּיעִים אֶת הָאָדָם לַתַּכְלִית הַזֶּה, הֵם הַמִּצְווֹת אֲשֶׁר צִוָּנוּ עֲלֵיהֶן הָאֵל יִתְבָּרַךְ שְׁמוֹ. וּמְקוֹם עֲשִׂיַּת הַמִּצְווֹת הוּא רַק הָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה. עַל כֵּן הוּשַׂם הָאָדָם בָּזֶה הָעוֹלָם בַּתְּחִלָּה כְּדֵי שֶׁעַל יְדֵי הָאֶמְצָעִים הָאֵלֶּה הַמִּזְדַּמְּנִים לוֹ כָּאן יוּכַל לְהַגִּיעַ אֶל הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר הוּכַן לוֹ, שֶׁהוּא הָעוֹלָם הַבָּא, לִרְווֹת שָׁם בַּטּוֹב אֲשֶׁר קָנָה לוֹ עַל יְדֵי אֶמְצָעִים אֵלֶּה. וְהוּא מָה שֶׁאָמְרוּ, זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (עירובין כב א): הַיּוֹם לַעֲשׂוֹתָם וּמָחָר לְקַבֵּל שְׂכָרָם.

This is what our sages of blessed memory said: "this world is like a corridor before the World to Come" (Avot 4:16). The means that lead a person to this goal are the commandments which the blessed G-d commanded to us. The place of the performance of these commandments is only in this world. Therefore, man was first placed in this world so that through these means prepared for him here, he will be able to reach the place prepared for him, namely, the World to Come, there to be sated with the good which he acquired through these means. This is what our sages of blessed memory said "today to do them, and tomorrow to receive their reward" (Eruvin 22:1).

ואעשך לגוי גדול כו׳ והיה ברכה, ואברכה מברכיך ומקללך אאור. ולכאורה יש לדקדק דאצל הברכה נאמר ואברכה כו׳ ואצל הקללה נאמר המלות בהיפך, והיה לו לומר ג"כ 'ואאור מקללך'?

And this is "leave גול your way to Ad-nai" (Psalms 37:5) - meaning, as explained above, since גול comes from the expression for revelation, התגלות, that your way and your traits will be revealed: you will scrutinize them and you will see that all of them are "to Ad-nai", and you will "trust in Him", meaning, when a person observes and scrutinizes the greatness of God this is called "trusting". "And He will do" - meaning, then the Blessed Holy Name will do new doings, something you have never seen and never understood, and He "will bring about your righteousness like light".

וְלָכֵן, אֲפִילוּ קַל שֶׁבְּקַלִּים וּפוֹשְׁעֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מוֹסְרִים נַפְשָׁם עַל קְדוּשַּׁת ה׳, עַל הָרוֹב, וְסוֹבְלִים עִינּוּיִם קָשִׁים שֶׁלֹּא לִכְפּוֹר בַּה׳ אֶחָד. וְאַף אִם הֵם בּוּרִים וְעַמֵּי הָאָרֶץ וְאֵין יוֹדְעִים גְּדוּלַּת ה׳, וְגַם בַּמְעַט שֶׁיּוֹדְעִים אֵין מִתְבּוֹנְנִים כְּלָל, וְאֵין מוֹסְרִים נַפְשָׁם מֵחֲמַת דַּעַת וְהִתְבּוֹנְנוּת בַּה׳ כְּלָל, אֶלָּא בְּלִי שׁוּם דַּעַת וְהִתְבּוֹנְנוּת, רַק כְּאִלּוּ הוּא דָּבָר שֶׁאִי אֶפְשָׁר כְּלָל לִכְפּוֹר בַּה׳ אֶחָד, בְּלִי שׁוּם טַעַם וְטַעֲנָה וּמַעֲנֶה כְּלָל.

Therefore even the most worthless of worthless and the transgressors of the Israelites, in the majority of cases, sacrifice their lives for the sanctity of G–d’s Name and suffer harsh torture rather than deny the one G–d, although they be boors and illiterate and ignorant of G–d’s greatness. [For] whatever little knowledge they do possess, they do not delve therein at all, [and so] they do not give up their lives by reason of any knowledge and contemplation of G–d. Rather [do they suffer martyrdom] without any knowledge and reflection, but as if it were absolutely impossible to renounce the one G–d and without any reason or hesitation whatsoever.