Our rabbis of blessed memory taught:

“The Torah was given as black fire on white fire

(Deuteronomy Rabbah 3:13).”

One might say that this alludes to the fact

that on account of Matan Torah Israel possesses power,

as in the saying of our sages:

“You decreed from below

and the blessed Holy One will fulfill it from above”

(BT Ta’anit 23a).

Now the color white alludes to all colors,

for it absorbs all colors.

This alludes to YHWH, who is inclusive of all.

This is not the case, however, with the color black,

for it does not include the other colors—it is simply black.

This alludes to the human being.

This is what it means that through Matan Torah

the Children of Israel merited that the black fire

would be “on” – that is above –the white fire:

Israel would be above [God], so to speak.

The words of Israel would be more operative (yoter po’el)

than the words of the Divine,

as in the saying of the rabbis:

“The blessed Holy One makes a decree, and the tzaddik annuls it

(BT Mo’ed Katan 16b).