Login

Temple Beth Elohim

Torah Study | Resources

The Torah is not in heaven !!!

 

A dispute broke out between the sages
over  the impurity of a certain oven.

 

R. Eliezer declared, it pure
while his colleagues declared it impure!

 

 On that day R. Eliezer brought forward every imaginable argument,
but the Sages did not accept any of them.

 

Finally he said to them:

– “If  i am right – let this carob tree prove it!”
Sure enough the carob tree immediately uprooted itself
and moved one hundred cubits, from its place.
– “No proof can be brought from a carob tree,” they retorted.

 

 

And again he said to them:
“If the Halakhah agrees with me,
let the channel of water prove it!”
Sure enough, the channel of water flowed backward
– “No proof can be brought from a channel of water,” they rejoined.

 

 

Again he urged:
“If the Halakhah agrees with me,
let the walls of our Beit Midrah prove it!”
Sure enough, the walls tilted and began to collapse.

 

 

But then , R. Joshua stood on his feet
and  rebuked the walls:
“if the sages are engaged in a halakhic dispute,
what right have you to interfere?”

 

 

Hence in deference to R. Joshua they did not fall
and in deference to R. Eliezer
they could  not resume their upright position

and till today – they are still standing aslant.

 

 

Again R. Eliezer then said to the Sages,
“If  i am right – let the  heaven prove it !!”

 

 

Sure enough, a divine voice cried out,
“How can you dispute with R. Eliezer,
with whom we always agrees !!”

 

 

Then R. Joshua stood up and declared:

 

“The Torah is not in heaven !!!”

(Deut. 30:12).

 

(Babylonian Talmud, Baba Metzia 59b:)