שבת Date: 25 Cheshvan, 5776 (11/26/16) – Bava Metzia Daf 61 ~ Eliezer Guterman

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MULTIPLE MEANINGS

[61a top] Ravina: Since the verse states, “Do not give him your money with Neshech (interest) and in Marbis (interest) do not give your food…” (with Neshech and Marbis written right next to each other), it should be interpreted as follows: “Do not give your money with Neshech or Marbis, and with Neshech and Marbis do not give your food.”
R’ Rosner: There are many ways in which the verses, words, and letters can be read and interpreted.
Radvaz: There are no Nikudos (vowels) nor periods in Torah in order to leave open flexibility of multiple understandings [RambaN: The entire Torah is made up of letters forming the words of G-d’s names]. These magical letters embody multiple levels of depth. Our Chumashim (Torah books) have Nikudos to make the letters finite (for the way that we have to be able to understand it), but the Torah (scroll)’s spirituality is infinite.

D-E-ep Thoughts (based on R’ Tatz): The Torah scroll that we read from is a physical reflection of a Higher Spiritual Torah in the upper realms. The ultimate Torah is what Hashem used/uses to create the world. It is not just a blueprint for existence but our living DNA. Whatever is in the Torah is true in this physical reality not simply because the Torah ‘knows’ everything, but rather everything is only in reality because the Torah says so.