Torah and God

Question

Is Torah separate from God or is Torah actually God? I heard someone say that the Tanya writes that the Torah is a manifestation of God’s will and therefore is God. But that seems a little confusing to me. I thought the Torah is just a channel to reach God and spirituality. But then again there is a chazal that says “Oraysa ve’Kudsha Brich Hu chad Hu.” What does that mean?

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Answers

  1. The Just Ask! - AskTheRabbi.org Team

    These concepts are extremely esoteric and somewhat difficult to define. Our Sages describe the Torah as being Hashem’s “blueprint” for the creation and the sustaining of our world. Does that mean that Hashem and the Torah are one and the same? Possibly, but only from a philosophical perspective. The Torah is definitely the closest dimension that we have to Hashem, as it is the Word of Hashem.

    What about the Aramaic statement, “Kudshe Brich Hu v’Oraysa v’Yisrael Kulah Chad Hu – Hashem, the Torah and the Jewish People are all one” (which is actually found in the writings of the Ramchal, Adir Bamarom, based on the words of the Zohar HaKadosh)? It is teaching us that there is a symbiotic relationship between Hashem, His Torah and His Chosen Nation.

    Best wishes from the AskTheRabbi.org Team