Likutay Moharan - Volume 2 - Torah-teaching 28

Likutay Moharan II, Torah 28: There Are Differences Between the Torahs

Know that there are differences between the Torahs [teachings]. For there is a Torah that was not given even to be expounded, and there is a Torah that was given to be expounded but not given to be written, and there is a Torah that was given to be written. And as we find that our Sages, of blessed memory, said (Gittin 60): “Matters of the Oral Law you are not permitted to say in writing”. And one who knows how to distinguish and recognize between the Torahs, which one was given to be written and which one was not given to be written, he can recognize a Jew among the nations. And even if one Jew stands among many nations, he can recognize him. And the secret of this is hinted in the verse: “I will write for him the majority of My Torah, they were regarded as a stranger” (Hosea 8:12) (Yalkut Shimoni). That is, when they write the majority of My Torah, that is, more than is proper, that is, they write what was not given to be written, as mentioned above, then “they were regarded as a stranger”. That is, one cannot recognize the Jew, and he seems to him as a stranger and a foreigner. And similarly, the opposite, that one can err regarding a foreigner that he is a Jew, as mentioned above. For the main difference between Israel and the nations is in the aspect of what was not given to be written, the aspect of the Torah sheb’al peh [Oral Torah] (see Midrash Rabbah, Tetzaveh 40:47; Tosafot, Gittin 60, s.v. Atmoha; Jerusalem Talmud, Peah 2). For this reason, the Torah sheb’al peh was given because it was foreseen that Israel would be in exile, and the nations would copy for themselves the Torah shebichsav [Written Torah]. Therefore, the Torah sheb’al peh was given to us, which they cannot copy because it is oral. It is found that the main difference and advantage of Israel over the nations is in the aspect of the Torah sheb’al peh, which was not given to be written. And there is in every single one of Israel a portion of the aspect of the Torah sheb’al peh, which was not given to be written. Therefore, one who recognizes between the Torahs that were given to be written and those that were not given to be written, he can recognize between Israel and the nations, for this is their main difference, as mentioned above.