We see in several place in the Tanach that the Torah is called "a delight." For instance: "And I was (like) an infant with Him and (His) delights every day, playing before Him at all times. Playing in His earth and delighting with mankind" (Mishlei 8:30-31). In Tehillim as well: "In Your laws I will delight, I will not forget Your words" (119:15). "Were not Your Torah my delight, I would have succumbed in my distress" (119:92) and many other verses in this Psalm. Simply speaking, this term conveys the pleasure in the Torah - which is not an unbearable burden upon the Jew, but to the contrary – learning Torah is the source of delight and joy. Nevertheless we need to understand the deep meaning of this term.

Another point we must reflect upon: On one hand we see that the level of malachei hasharet (the ministering angels) is higher than that of Israel: "Rabbi Eliezer said, when Israel said na'aseh v'nishmah - we shall do and we shall hear - a Heavenly voice came out and said: who revealed this secret which malachei hasharet utilize? (Shabbat 88a)." On the other hand, the Gemara later relates that in the end the angels conceded to Moshe Rabbenu that the Torah has to be given to B'nei Israel and not to remain with them, and from this it appears that Israel is on a higher level than the angels.

And the hava amina (original thinking) of the angels, who desired that the Torah remain in Heaven and said "give Your majesty upon the heavens" needs to be explained. It is clear that the observance of the Torah's mitzvot is not at all relevant to the angels, as the Gemara relates in detail through Moshe's response to the angels when HaShem says to him: "Hold on to the Throne of My glory and answer them."

Additionally, the remarkable incident which is related in Masechet Haggigah (14b) needs to be explained:

The Sages said: One time Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai rode on a donkey, and Rabbi Elazar ben Arach rode on a donkey behind him. He said to him: Rebbe! Teach me one chapter of Ma'aseh HaMerkava (a subject which is taught only to Torah scholars of impeccable character and outstanding perception). He answered: Didn't I teach you that one does not teach the Merkava to an individual unless he is wise and understands through his own intelligence? He said to him: Rebbe, permit me to say before you one thing which you taught me. He answered: Speak. Immediately Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai dismounted from his donkey, dressed in formal attire and sat on a stone under an olive tree. He said to him: Rebbe, why did you descend from the donkey? He answered: How can I ride on a donkey when you are discussing Ma'aseh Merkava, the Divine Presence is with us, and the ministering angels are accompanying us? Immediately Rabbi Elazar ben Arach opened and expounded on Ma'aseh HaMerkava, and fire descended from Heaven and surrounded all the trees of the field. They all began to say shira (song)… An angel spoke out from the fire and said: this is indeed (the correct understanding of) Ma'aseh HaMerkava. Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai stood up, kissed him on his head, and said: Blessed be HaShem the Lord of Israel who gave Avraham Avinu a son who knows how to understand, scrutinize and expound upon Ma'aseh HaMerkava. There are those who explain well but do not perform well, there are others who perform well but do not explain well, but you explain well and perform well.

In order to explain all of the above, we must understand the significance of na'aseh (we shall do) preceding nishmah (we shall hear).

Simply speaking, the meaning is wholehearted performance of the mitzvot, in spite of the fact that we do not necessarily understand the reason behind each and every mitzvah, and this in this way, ascending to the level of the angels – complete submission to the will of HaShem.

According to this, we can say that Ma'amad Har Sinai was accompanied by voices and lightning and hearing HaShem's voice from within the fire, in order to awaken a sense of dread, fear and terror. And indeed the nation saw "the voices and the flames and the sound of the shofar and the mountain smoking" (Shemot 20:15) and immediately drew back and stood from afar. And the purpose of this magnificent manifestation is explained two verses later (20:17) "And Moshe said to the nation: do not fear, as the Lord came in order to elevate you, and so that His awe will be upon you in order that you shall not sin." This spectacle, intentionally through the fire, comes to show man's insignificance and smallness in comparison to the awesomeness of HaShem and His magnificent majesty, as the entire earth is filled with His glory. And this brings man to perform the Mitzvot through subservience. This also is the significance of the fire which descended from Heaven when Rabbi Elazar Ben Arach opened and expounded on Ma'aseh Merkava.  

However, this can be explained in another, deeper way.

The Torah encompasses a concealed level and a revealed level. Ostensibly, the concealed level, the deep understanding of the words of the Torah which is the wisdom of HaShem, belongs only to malachei hasharet, whereas the revealed level of the practical mitzvot, with all their details and halachot, is relevant only to human beings. And since the concealed level is more elevated than the revealed level, it seems to follow that the angels are on a higher, loftier level, and therefore they wanted the Torah to remain with them and not to have to be shrouded in physical clothing in order to descend to the lower world.

However, in his response, Moshe tells the angels that this is not the case. It is appropriate that the Torah will descend to this world because the level of Israel is actually higher than that of the angels, since they do not suffice with only performing the mitzvot, but they also involve themselves with the Torah in its depth and breadth, and exert themselves in order to understand the concealed part, and therefore their level is higher since they are connected to both parts of the Torah simultaneously. And like the holy Patriarchs, of whom it is said "they themselves are the Merkava" – that their kidneys advised them and they performed the entire Torah, and therefore HaShem said to Moshe Rabbenu "Hold on to the Throne of My glory" to allude to the merit of the Patriarchs.

And this is another side of na'aseh preceding nishma: Obviously in order to observe the mitzvot it is necessary to hear what needs to be done. So what is actually meant by "doing" preceding "hearing" is that when Israel received the Torah, they committed themselves to not only hear the details of the mitzvot in order to perform them, but also to apply themselves diligently and strenuously to understanding the Torah's deep secrets, since this realm of the Torah is HaShem's wisdom which brings man close to Him. And this is the meaning of na'aseh v'nishma: even after we will know how to perform the practical mitzvot - "we will do", still: "we will hear" and we will learn and delve into them deeply. And therefore, regarding this it says: "Who revealed this secret to My sons."

So we see that at Ma'amad Har Sinai, a special bond occurred between the lofty, deep and concealed Torah and the revealed Torah. The descending of fire from Heaven expresses the connection between the earth and Heaven, and therefore when Rabbi Eliezer ben Arach expounded on Ma'aseh HaMerkava, fire descended from Heaven. Here was, in a way, a replication of Ma'amad Har Sinai, as at Ma'amad Har Sinai all understood that the Torah is much more than the practical, revealed realm of the performance of the mitzvot.

And Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai said to him atah na'eh doresh ve-na'eh mekayem - you explain well and perform well - since the connection between the revealed wisdom and the hidden wisdom is called "mekayem", that by virtue of this, all the parts of the Torah are performed in this world and are expressed in their full magnificence. When a sage "explains well", this alone does not induce the revelation of the Shechinah – our senses do not see the connection. But when one "performs well" then all see the connection between na'aseh and nishmah.

This is explained in a number of places in the writings of the Maharal, that our purpose is to elevate the physical to the spiritual. Not to receive the Torah only as a book of instructions, but also to understand that it embodies omek lefanim mi-omek (levels of deepness).

And this could be what the expression "delight" in the opening verses alludes to. When a child delights in a game, from his point of view the game is not a means but an end in itself. And therefore Chazal (Avot d'Rabbi Natan ch. 31) explained the aforementioned verse in Mishlei, that the Torah preceded the world: Rabbi Eliezer the son of Rabbi Yossi HaG'lili said, nine hundred and seventy four generations before the world was created, the Torah was written and kept in HaShem's bosom, and (it) says shira with the ministering angels, as it is written: "And I was (like) an infant with Him and (His) delights every day, playing before Him at all times. And it says: Playing in His earth and delighting with mankind" (Mishlei 8:30-31). Since the Torah preceded the world, then it is clear that its purpose is not only to be a book of instructions and laws, but rather it is the wisdom of HaShem and "He looked into the Torah and created the world" (Zohar part 2, 161b), and therefore we must exert ourselves in delving into it, to discover its hidden secrets.   

The Gemara in Masechet Niddah (30b) describes a baby in his mother's womb: "A candle is lit over his head and he looks and sees the world from beginning to end… and they teach him the entire Torah… and when he comes out to the air of the world, an angel comes and smites him on his mouth and causes him to forget the entire Torah." In light of what has been said, it appears that the baby learns in his mother's womb the inner wisdom, the secrets of the Torah, and therefore he sees the world from its beginning to its end. And after the angel causes him to forget the entire Torah, his mission is to return to his level and to his learning during his lifetime, but now not as matanat hinam (a free gift) but out of his labor and effort to reach that lofty level.

The concealed wisdom is not only the study of the wisdom of the Kabbalah, but also every chiddush (new interpretation) innovated by one who learns, every additional understanding which is revealed through laboring on the Torah – this too falls under the definition of concealed wisdom. This is the significance of limud b'iyun (deep, analytical learning): not to concentrate only on the superficial facets of the words of the Gemara, Rishonim and Acharonim, but also to dive into the depths of the subject, to labor and analyze, to reveal what was concealed in it and to innovate chiddushim in the Torah. May we merit to receive the Torah through joy, and to understand and be enlightened by its deep secrets.

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