Mayer Friedman, who was a teacher of Solomon Schechter in
Vienna, once interpreted a phrase taken from the Sifra.
“Torah was commanded us through Moses, a heritage (morasha)
to the community of Jacob.” Deuteronomy 33:4
“Do not read ‘heritage’ (morasha) but ‘maiden’ (m’orsa).”
A heritage is a lifeless piece of information- something we
inherit from our ancestors. We must
study to make our heritage viable just as the maiden becomes a mother and
produces children. –Rabbi Louis Jacobs
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