Torah Study and Truth in Medieval Ashkenazic Rabbinic Literature and Thought

Abstract

In a well-known passage in his commentary to 'Eruvin 13b, R. Yom Tov b. Abraham al-Ishvilli (Ritva, d. c. 1325) interprets the talmudic phrase characterizing the halakhic debates between Beit Hillel and Beit Shammai, 'these and those are the words of the Living God' (elu ve-elu divrei E-lohim hayyim), by citing an earlier rabbinic discussion in northern France. 'The Rabbis of northern France asked how is it possible that both [views] are the words of the Living God, since one prohibits and one permits? They answered that when Moses ascended to the heavens to receive the Torah, he was shown for every [halakhic] aspect [of the Torah] forty-nine ways to prohibit and forty-nine ways to permit. Moses queried the Almighty about this [how the halakhah should be determined], and He indicated that this [the final halakhic ruling] would be given to the scholars of Israel in every generation, and the decision would be theirs'. Ritva concludes that this is the correct exoteric interpretation (nakhon hu left ha-derash) of the talmudic passage in cEruvin, and adds that an esoteric explanation can be found within mystical thought (u-ve-derekh ha-emet, yesh tefam sod badavar). 1 (from Introduction)