Lover, indeed, of the people,
Their hallowed are all in Your hand.
They followed in Your steps,
Accepting Your pronouncements,
אַ֚ף חֹבֵ֣ב עַמִּ֔ים כׇּל־קְדֹשָׁ֖יו בְּיָדֶ֑ךָ וְהֵם֙ תֻּכּ֣וּ לְרַגְלֶ֔ךָ יִשָּׂ֖א מִדַּבְּרֹתֶֽיךָ׃
When Moses charged us with the Teaching
As the heritage of the congregation of Jacob.
תּוֹרָ֥ה צִוָּה־לָ֖נוּ מֹשֶׁ֑ה מוֹרָשָׁ֖ה קְהִלַּ֥ת יַעֲקֹֽב׃
You have transgressed the words of the Torah, as it is written: “Even when He loves the peoples, all His holy ones are in Your hand” (Deuteronomy 33:3), which is understood to mean that Moses said to the Holy One, Blessed be He: Master of the Universe, even when You hold the other nations dear and grant them dominion over Israel, let “all His holy ones,” meaning the Torah scholars, be exclusively in Your hand and free from the authority of the nations, and therefore be exempt from paying taxes. The continuation of that verse can also be understood as referring to Torah scholars, as it states: “And they sit [tukku] at Your feet, receiving Your words” (Deuteronomy 33:3), and Rav Yosef teaches: These are Torah scholars who pound [mekhatetim] their feet from city to city and from country to country to study Torah; “receiving [yissa] Your words,” to discuss [lissa velitten] the utterances of God.
אַדְּאוֹרָיְיתָא – דִּכְתִיב: ״אַף חֹבֵב עַמִּים כׇּל קְדֹשָׁיו בְּיָדֶךָ״ – אָמַר מֹשֶׁה לִפְנֵי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא: רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, אֲפִילּוּ בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁאַתָּה מְחַבֵּב עַמִּים – כׇּל קְדוֹשָׁיו יִהְיוּ בְּיָדֶךָ. ״וְהֵם תֻּכּוּ לְרַגְלֶךָ״ – תָּנֵי רַב יוֹסֵף: אֵלּוּ תַּלְמִידֵי חֲכָמִים, שֶׁמְּכַתְּתִים רַגְלֵיהֶם מֵעִיר לְעִיר וּמִמְּדִינָה לִמְדִינָה לִלְמוֹד תּוֹרָה, ״יִשָּׂא מִדַּבְּרוֹתֶיךָ״ – לִישָּׂא וְלִיתֵּן בְּדִבּוּרוֹתָיו שֶׁל מָקוֹם.
Rav Yehuda says that Rav says: With regard to anyone who withholds halakha from being studied by the mouth of a student who seeks to study Torah, it is as though he robs him of the inheritance of his ancestors, as it is stated: “Moses commanded us the Torah, an inheritance of the congregation of Jacob” (Deuteronomy 33:4), indicating that the Torah is an inheritance for all of the Jewish people from the six days of Creation. Rav Ḥana bar Bizna says that Rabbi Shimon Ḥasida says: With regard to anyone who withholds halakha from being studied by the mouth of a student who seeks to study Torah, even fetuses in their mother’s womb curse him, as it is stated: “He who withholds bar,
אָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה אָמַר רַב: כׇּל הַמּוֹנֵעַ הֲלָכָה מִפִּי תַלְמִיד, כְּאִילּוּ גּוֹזְלוֹ מִנַּחֲלַת אֲבוֹתָיו, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״תּוֹרָה צִוָּה לָנוּ מֹשֶׁה מוֹרָשָׁה קְהִלַּת יַעֲקֹב״. מוֹרָשָׁה הִיא לְכׇל יִשְׂרָאֵל מִשֵּׁשֶׁת יְמֵי בְּרֵאשִׁית. אָמַר רַב חָנָא בַּר בִּיזְנָא אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן חֲסִידָא: כׇּל הַמּוֹנֵעַ הֲלָכָה מִפִּי תַּלְמִיד, אֲפִילּוּ עוּבָּרִין שֶׁבִּמְעֵי אִמָּן מְקַלְּלִין אוֹתוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״מֹנֵעַ בָּר
The Gemara shifts to a discussion of an ignoramus who has some degree of sensitivity (Me’iri). Rabbi Ḥiyya taught: Anyone who engages in Torah study in the presence of an ignoramus, causing the ignoramus embarrassment and anguish over his inability to study Torah, is considered as though he had sexual relations with the ignoramus’s betrothed bride in his presence, as it is stated: “Moses commanded us the Torah, an inheritance [morasha] for the congregation of Jacob” (Deuteronomy 33:4). Do not read it as inheritance [morasha]; rather, read it as betrothed [me’orasa]. The Torah is compared to the betrothed bride of the Jewish people until one studies it and thereby consummates his marriage with it.
תָּנֵא רַבִּי חִיָּיא: כׇּל הָעוֹסֵק בַּתּוֹרָה לִפְנֵי עַם הָאָרֶץ, כְּאִילּוּ בּוֹעֵל אֲרוּסָתוֹ בְּפָנָיו, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״תּוֹרָה צִוָּה לָנוּ מֹשֶׁה מוֹרָשָׁה״. אַל תִּקְרֵי: ״מוֹרָשָׁה״, אֶלָּא: מְאוֹרָסָה.
(פסחים מ"ט ב')
(שם צ"א ב')