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What was actually given at Sinai if the tablets came forty days later and many laws arose only when specific situations occurred? The shiur distinguishes between infinite divine wisdom and practical Torah (תורה) knowledge. At Sinai, Moshe received access to God's infinite wisdom plus the interpretive keys to unlock it, establishing an ongoing relationship that allows unlimited growth in understanding.
This comprehensive shiur examines the fundamental question of what constitutes Torah (תורה) and what was actually given at Mount Sinai on Shavuos. Rabbi Zweig begins by noting that many people mistakenly believe the tablets were received on Shavuos, when in fact they came forty days later, and that Moshe didn't learn the entire Torah until after Shavuos. The word Torah derives from 'lehoros' (to teach) and can best be understood as a 'guide.' However, the term Torah is used confusingly to refer to different things: the five books of Moshe, the entire Tanakh (Torah, Nevi'im, Ketuvim), or even the oral Torah including Gemara (גמרא) and Midrash. The shiur presents several challenging sources from the Talmud (תלמוד). Sanhedrin 56b states that Ten Commandments were given at Marah before Sinai. Genesis describes Avrohom keeping God's commandments, statutes, and laws, with Rashi (רש"י) explaining this included even rabbinic decrees like muktza and the oral Torah. Most problematically, a statement in Menachot claims that everything - Tanakh, Mishna, Gemara, and even future rabbinic insights - was given to Moshe at Sinai. Yet laws like the daughters of Tzelafchad and Pesach (פסח) Sheini clearly arose later when specific situations occurred.
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Sanhedrin 56b, Menachot, Rambam's Introduction to Yad HaChazakah
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