The Torah’s Plain Meaning Is Its Concealed Dimension
Wonders | September 01, 2023
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The Torah’s Plain Meaning Is Its Concealed Dimension

Wonders | December 31, 2025

The relation to the inner will follows the Rambam’s explanation regarding the coercion that a court can coerce a person to divorce his wife. He writes, “we force him until he says ‘I agree [to give the get].’” Meaning, that when coercion in extreme circumstances follows the Torah, it reveals one’s inner will.

Both the giving of the get (“the book of cutting-off,” which cuts her off from her husband but connects her to the Torah) and the Giving of the Torah itself contain an element of coercion (for the benefit of the recipient).

The Torah’s Plain Meaning Is Its Concealed Dimension

The author concludes his lengthy explanation of Rabbi Bunim’s brief comment on the opening of the Tanna Debei Eliyahu with a general note about the method of Torah learning in Peshischa:

Our teacher [Rebbe Simchah Bunim] of blessed memory regularly said that the plain meaning [of the Torah’s text] is the dominant concealed teaching (אּט הוָׁשְּפַה דֹּוסַר הַּקִע). This idea very much characterizes the Ramatayim Tzofim. In general, if we want to distinguish the unique way of serving God in Peshischa—from the Holy Yid onwards—it is serving God through the intellect. Therefore, there was so much opposition from the elder tzaddikim of the generation, who suspected that in Peshischa they had abandoned the original path of Chasidut, the path of simple faith; it seemed to them that the way of Peshischa was too intellectual. Similarly, they also opposed Chabad, characteristically intellectual as well. Still there is a difference. In Chabad stating the Torah’s secrets with openly Kabbalistic language and the language of the Arizal was common, all while engaging in deep contemplation meant to abstract above and beyond materiality. In contrast, in Peshischa, the Torah’s simple meaning was considered the Torah’s secret dimension. This is the unique foundation of Peshischa.

A famous gematria is that the sum of “plain meaning” (טׁשְּפּ) and “secret” (דֹסו) equals the gematria of “Ba’al Shem Tov” (בֹם טוֵׁל שַעַּב). The Ba’al Shem Tov himself is the simple meaning that is a secret. When we correspond the four methods of Torah interpretation—plain meaning, allusion, homiletic, and secret (דֹוסׁשָרְּדזֶמֶרטַׁשְּפּ)—the Pardes (סֵּדְרַּפּ) of Torah to the four letters in God’s essential Name, Havayah, the connection between the secret (the yud) and the simple meaning (the lower hei) is in the secret of the Zohar’s phrase, “Abba founded the daughter” (אּתַרְּד בַסָא יּבַא)

The meaning of [the principle] “the text does not void its simple meaning” (יןֵאֹטוּוׁשְי פֵידִא מֵצֹא יוָרְקִמ) means that the plain meaning is the true secret.

There were tzaddikim, like Rebbe Nachman, who instructed their disciples to not study the Ibn Ezra. But one who loves the plain meaning and knows that the secret is the plain meaning and that the plain meaning is the Torah’s secret, will love to learn the Ibn Ezra more than all the commentators. And indeed, Rebbe Bunim expressed his amazement at the Ibn Ezra’s fear of Heaven and said that he wrote a commentary that no one would be able to understand, but in the end, we have understood him.

And all that he [Rebbe Bunim] said and taught followed this method, just like the holy Torah itself, which speaks about plain matters and includes in them all the infinite secrets, as is known.

With these words, the Ramatayim Tzofim justifies the lengthy explanation he has based on the few words he heard from his teacher on the teaching from the Tanna Debei Eliyahu.

  1. Exodus 16:7-8.
  2. Genesis 3:22.
  3. As the Torah states, “[God] took Adam and placed him in the Garden of Eden to work it and to protect it” (Genesis 2:15).
  4. As in the Zohar (2:97b) that describes the commandments as 613 pieces of advice.
  5. Avot 3:1.
  6. Psalms 104:31.
  7. Rabbi Yisrael Srug Shever Yosef, 2. See Addendum to Pelach HaRimon, Bereishit, s.v. Chanoch LaNa’ar. Ibid. Tishrei, p. 82. Rebbe Rashab’s essay VeYitzchak Ba MiBo 5663. Sod HaShem LiYerei’av, Ta’am HaBeri’ah ch. 5, and more.
  8. Tikkunei Zohar 19 (42a), 70 (120a and 133a).
  9. Torat Shalom, Simchat Torah 5672 (see shiur from 2-3 Nissan, 5780, published in Nifla’ot Ki Teitzei 5780).
  10. Menachot 29b.
  11. Yevamot 63a and Ketubot 59b.
  12. Isaiah 26:4.
  13. As in “He shall plaster the home” (תִּיּבַת הֶח אָטְו), Leviticus 14:42. See Lev LaDa’at, pp. 56ff.
  14. Ketubot 48a.
  15. Amidah, Sim Shalom.
  16. Psalms 145:16.
  17. Genesis 3:20.
  18. Shabbat morning liturgy.
  19. Tanna Debei Eliyahu Rabbah, ch. 25. Pesikta Rabbati, ch. 34. Zohar 1:23a, 1:37a.
  20. Proverbs 24:16.
  21. Eichah Rabbah 3:8. See in depth in the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s essay BeYom Ashtei Asar Yom 5731.
  22. Iggeret HaKodesh 11, titled “To teach you understanding” (הָינִּ בָךְלִּכְּׂשַהְל), relating once again to Rebbe Bunim.
  23. In this case, the woman does not have to actually voice the words “I agree,” just as during the wedding ceremony, she is not required to voice her consent to the betrothal, even though it certainly depends on her consent.
  24. Passed down by many of his disciples. See for example Yismach Yisra’el on Terumah 1. Shem MiShemu’el, Bo 5674, and more.

The relation to the inner will follows the Rambam’s explanation regarding the coercion that a court can coerce a person to divorce his wife. He writes, “we force him until he says ‘I agree [to give the get].’” Meaning, that when coercion in extreme circumstances follows the Torah, it reveals one’s inner will.

Both the giving of the get (“the book of cutting-off,” which cuts her off from her husband but connects her to the Torah) and the Giving of the Torah itself contain an element of coercion (for the benefit of the recipient).

The Torah’s Plain Meaning Is Its Concealed Dimension

The author concludes his lengthy explanation of Rabbi Bunim’s brief comment on the opening of the Tanna Debei Eliyahu with a general note about the method of Torah learning in Peshischa:

Our teacher [Rebbe Simchah Bunim] of blessed memory regularly said that the plain meaning [of the Torah’s text] is the dominant concealed teaching (אּט הוָׁשְּפַה דֹּוסַר הַּקִע). This idea very much characterizes the Ramatayim Tzofim. In general, if we want to distinguish the unique way of serving God in Peshischa—from the Holy Yid onwards—it is serving God through the intellect. Therefore, there was so much opposition from the elder tzaddikim of the generation, who suspected that in Peshischa they had abandoned the original path of Chasidut, the path of simple faith; it seemed to them that the way of Peshischa was too intellectual. Similarly, they also opposed Chabad, characteristically intellectual as well. Still there is a difference. In Chabad stating the Torah’s secrets with openly Kabbalistic language and the language of the Arizal was common, all while engaging in deep contemplation meant to abstract above and beyond materiality. In contrast, in Peshischa, the Torah’s simple meaning was considered the Torah’s secret dimension. This is the unique foundation of Peshischa.

A famous gematria is that the sum of “plain meaning” (טׁשְּפּ) and “secret” (דֹסו) equals the gematria of “Ba’al Shem Tov” (בֹם טוֵׁל שַעַּב). The Ba’al Shem Tov himself is the simple meaning that is a secret. When we correspond the four methods of Torah interpretation—plain meaning, allusion, homiletic, and secret (דֹוסׁשָרְּדזֶמֶרטַׁשְּפּ)—the Pardes (סֵּדְרַּפּ) of Torah to the four letters in God’s essential Name, Havayah, the connection between the secret (the yud) and the simple meaning (the lower hei) is in the secret of the Zohar’s phrase, “Abba founded the daughter” (אּתַרְּד בַסָא יּבַא)

The meaning of [the principle] “the text does not void its simple meaning” (יןֵאֹטוּוׁשְי פֵידִא מֵצֹא יוָרְקִמ) means that the plain meaning is the true secret.

There were tzaddikim, like Rebbe Nachman, who instructed their disciples to not study the Ibn Ezra. But one who loves the plain meaning and knows that the secret is the plain meaning and that the plain meaning is the Torah’s secret, will love to learn the Ibn Ezra more than all the commentators. And indeed, Rebbe Bunim expressed his amazement at the Ibn Ezra’s fear of Heaven and said that he wrote a commentary that no one would be able to understand, but in the end, we have understood him.

And all that he [Rebbe Bunim] said and taught followed this method, just like the holy Torah itself, which speaks about plain matters and includes in them all the infinite secrets, as is known.

With these words, the Ramatayim Tzofim justifies the lengthy explanation he has based on the few words he heard from his teacher on the teaching from the Tanna Debei Eliyahu.

  1. Exodus 16:7-8.
  2. Genesis 3:22.
  3. As the Torah states, “[God] took Adam and placed him in the Garden of Eden to work it and to protect it” (Genesis 2:15).
  4. As in the Zohar (2:97b) that describes the commandments as 613 pieces of advice.
  5. Avot 3:1.
  6. Psalms 104:31.
  7. Rabbi Yisrael Srug Shever Yosef, 2. See Addendum to Pelach HaRimon, Bereishit, s.v. Chanoch LaNa’ar. Ibid. Tishrei, p. 82. Rebbe Rashab’s essay VeYitzchak Ba MiBo 5663. Sod HaShem LiYerei’av, Ta’am HaBeri’ah ch. 5, and more.
  8. Tikkunei Zohar 19 (42a), 70 (120a and 133a).
  9. Torat Shalom, Simchat Torah 5672 (see shiur from 2-3 Nissan, 5780, published in Nifla’ot Ki Teitzei 5780).
  10. Menachot 29b.
  11. Yevamot 63a and Ketubot 59b.
  12. Isaiah 26:4.
  13. As in “He shall plaster the home” (תִּיּבַת הֶח אָטְו), Leviticus 14:42. See Lev LaDa’at, pp. 56ff.
  14. Ketubot 48a.
  15. Amidah, Sim Shalom.
  16. Psalms 145:16.
  17. Genesis 3:20.
  18. Shabbat morning liturgy.
  19. Tanna Debei Eliyahu Rabbah, ch. 25. Pesikta Rabbati, ch. 34. Zohar 1:23a, 1:37a.
  20. Proverbs 24:16.
  21. Eichah Rabbah 3:8. See in depth in the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s essay BeYom Ashtei Asar Yom 5731.
  22. Iggeret HaKodesh 11, titled “To teach you understanding” (הָינִּ בָךְלִּכְּׂשַהְל), relating once again to Rebbe Bunim.
  23. In this case, the woman does not have to actually voice the words “I agree,” just as during the wedding ceremony, she is not required to voice her consent to the betrothal, even though it certainly depends on her consent.
  24. Passed down by many of his disciples. See for example Yismach Yisra’el on Terumah 1. Shem MiShemu’el, Bo 5674, and more.
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Wonders | September 01, 2023