What is it? Where did it come from?:  

Very good questions. But not necessarily questions reserved for the wise men. Have you every seen a dog approach a bowl of food. He smells it (what is it?), looks up at you (where did it come from?), and then eats. 

Before delving into any of the Scriptural studies, one must first realize the difference between that which is true, and that which comes natural, like any beast of the world. Instinctive behavior.  This separation is what allows one man to see one thing written, and the other to see nothing at all outside of himself.

Man has many opinions regarding matters which still remain un-studied to him. A man may hear about politics, and then suddenly he becomes a genius in his own esteem on the subject. He raves his opinions and boasts how he would do things if he was in charge.  Such discussions are often common place.  Until he is presented to a real political figure.  Then he becomes humbled by the greater knowledge.  All of a sudden he is quiet and afraid to give his opinions.  A man may be introduced to Torah, and, before having studied it, he applies all of his secular knowledge to it, only in order to destroy it and never allow it to rise into his self righteous, and self glorified mind.  When delving into Torah studies, or when presented with the opportunity to do so, man will usually approach the topic with skepticism. However, when this same man hears the greatest scientists speak about theories of time travel, or metaphysics, he will stand in awe at the idea of it all. The fact that it is only theory will not hinder the mans acceptance of the idea. Why is this? 

There is a saying. "Where there is good there is rationalization, where there is wickedness there is action." In other words, if the situation is correct, we will find a reason not to pursue it, or we will have to train ourselves through discipline to achieve it. However, if the situation is wrong, it is common nature to say. "oh well, lets do it." Without struggling too much over the situation. This is very obvious in children. They know deep inside that what their parents tell them is the right thing, however, it seems so difficult to do. And they constantly stumble, day after day, over the same obstacle until finally they conquer them. When they finally do conquer them, the issue becomes second nature and they move on to battle greater obstacles.
I don't want to get into this issue to deeply here, it is discussed more at length in the mussar section of our classes. However, it is important that one keeps this in mind when studying the Scriptures.  Place yourself to the side, and learn as if for the first time, and by no means apply your own adaptations.  For example, the is a verse in Tehilim (Psalms) which states "Your day is like a thousand years". To which the first reaction, which I myself have heard countless times, is "You see, it took G-d 6000 years to create the creation, not really 6 days. Now I can learn Torah, this makes more sense to me."  In truth, the essence of such a statement is "since I cannot relate to creating something as big as the universe, it is utter nonsense that the Torah should state 6 days."  When in actuality, even 6 days is absurd for G-d.  G-d is time and above time, if he wants a universe, it simply is.  No seconds!  Time is not of importance to its creation.  What this verse in Tehilim teaches us is actually much different.  It hints to the fact that for every 1000 years after creation is par to the events which are stipulated in each single day of the creation creation.  But this is another lesson and now is not the time or place.  Point made.

Another example for learning. Take if you will an architect. Can he create without a plan? Even if he is the greatest architect or engineer that the world has ever known, he is still bound by the laws of a finite world. He must follow certain sciences, if you will. If he follows his own laws or ideas, which are not based on this world, his structure will collapse. The Torah is the same way.

Taking to mind this Midrash, it occurs to us that the Torah was actually created before the world. What does this mean?  Does G-d need plans?
Let's become a touch Kabbalistic, even though I said above that this is not the proper moment. In a simplified way of explaining, the basic elements of all creation, whether by Hashem or by man, are the Ten Sefirot. They are levels of production, so to speak. The 3 higher levels of the sefirot are that which is not revealed to the exterior, namely Wisdom, Understanding, Knowledge. These three sefirot, which reside in the brain, give birth to the 7 middot, the 7 emotions, Which in-turn, produce the finished project within the last of the 7, Malchut / Kingdom, That would be the revealed and finished project within our world. The quality of the finished project depends on the quality, and the control that a man has of these emotions.   From this we see that the initial spark for the project of creation emerges from the previous 3; Wisdom, Understanding, Knowledge. And from that it is also plain to see that the very beginning of all thought comes from the Wisdom (Chochma in Hebrew). But how was this spark placed within the Wisdom? How did we bring something from nothing?   An Idea comes to mind, but it has no form, it is astonishingly void and empty, There is no structure to it, only darkness and confusion, it is not yet clear. We then apply our selves by hovering, or pondering over it and suddenly, then there is light, the knowlege is complete.   Now lets see this thought side by side with the first part of Torah...

The Greatest Wisdom of All is of course the Wisdom of Hashem, and within His Great Wisdom, He outlined the creation. This Wisdom later clothed itself in physical limitations of paper and ink and was dictated to Moshe Rabenu (Moses our teacher) and the Israelites in the wilderness of Sinai. But before it's decline to earth, before it took on physical and material garments, it existed in purity, in simplicity. It is His Wisdom, it is His Light, therefore it is His Essence and therefore it is all and there exists nothing exterior to It.

The non-speaking souls, such as the inanimate, the plants, the animals, have no use for this revealed Torah because they are capable of absorbing the Torah as it had always been. They always have and therefore they exist. We also absorb the light, however only to a limited degree. Only that which is needed in order to sustain our existence.   You will see within the studies below, in the section of Bresheet that Rashi comments...

Hashem created the world full force. With total perfection. There is great Remez (hint) to this in Bresheet, Adam and the Garden of Eden. However, this Light had to be diminished, or in Kabbalistic terms, contracted. If the Light of Hashem would be at full force, there would be no existence, because we would merge into Oneness. We would be absorbed by this Light. If you have a candle in a dark room, it is very bright. A little light banishes a great deal of darkness, however, if you hold this candle to the sun, the flame becomes absorbed within the greater light, and it's existence becomes obsolete. Therefore, there was a contraction of this Light in order to allow for our existence. Can the Light be brought down? Yes it can, but only if you can recognize it and handle it. And this my friends is what we where created to do... Make a dwelling place for this Light, also called The Shechina (The Divine Spirit), on earth. And the way we do this is through the study of Chumash (Torah) and the performance of it's mitzvot (commandments).

Who are the righteous mentioned above by Rashi? For some, Those who toil in the Torah.

There are 50 gates of understanding, the 50th is reserved, unattainable. the Face of Hashem's wisdom, so to speak. Moshe was understood to have the 49th. Israel, upon receiving the Ten Commandments, where said to have reached the 49th, given to them, as opposed to toiling and achieving it on their own. This is one of the reasons why they stumbled to the sin of the golden calf, because the 49th gate was given to them for the event of the giving of the Torah, and then immediately removed. Hence they fell back down to their own reality... lower even.  As time goes on, and one's studies increase, he will discover these gates, one by one, on his own.

King Solomon revealed to us that all men can reach these gates of understanding. If a man is in search of agriculture, mining, medicine, law, mathematics, music etc... He will find it within the letters and crowns of the Torah. The obvious toil however, is how a person finds the key to unlock each letter, word, sentence, paragraph, and chapter. As one studies, he will be given each key automatically as he deserves. Much like we expect our children to receive their diplomas relative to each class that they graduate. We don't expect them to receive a high school diploma upon graduating pre-school.

The Torah must be studied according to each original text because since it is "High Wisdom" each dot, letter, space and size must have meaning. If one looks into the Torah, he will see that some words may contain a letter in the middle which was intentionally made smaller or larger. Or maybe in between one word and the next there is a large space, or even some letters have special crowns on them...

The Talmud says (Menachot 29) that Moshe Ascended when receiving the Ten Commandments. Within these lofty realms he noticed the Crowns which Hashem had placed on top of the letters. Moshe asked what they where and Hashem answered.

Now we know. Rabbi Akiba found most of his teachings within these crowns.

This is why we have preserved the Torah in its original form for so many years. Each letter, word, space, etc... has great meaning and can reveal great truth. The Zohar (Kabbalah) tells us that the learned may take the letters and use the powers of creation within them. He may combine the letters and words to reveal different understandings and mathematical realities. If we remember this, we will understand how it is that Moshe, in the book of Exodus, was able to touch a rock and have water flow out, or touch the river and cause a body to rise. Are these miraculous acts un-natural? By the limitations of the contracted Light which is revealed to man, yes. But by the laws of True Reality, and the ability to understand the hidden Light, no. The laws of nature are nothing more than an imaginary wall built by a limited mind. This is maybe why in Hebrew, Nature is actually called "Chukeem Hateva, the un-natural laws." What does this mean? We know that water freezes at 0 degrees. So, now what? Are we great and infinite? No, we have only discovered our limitations. We still cannot tell you why it freezes at 0 degrees instead of at 20 degrees. Our great scientific minds have discovered that if you ingest a certain mixture of herbs, it will cure you of a certain ailment. Wow! Is science so grand? It still cannot duplicate the cure Ex Nihilo (from nothing). Nature is only the wall which separate us from the Greater Light. It is what makes us the finite, while the Greater Light remains the Infinite. And since the Greater Light Exists, it is the True reality, Nature is only the illusion of reality.  "Chukeem Ha

teva, the un-natural laws." Nature.

If one applies this wisdom, and understanding, he will obtain much knowledge. And as mentioned above, in relation to the sefirot, this knowledge is what connects the wisdom and understanding to the other 7 sefirot (also known as the chlidren), it leads to the actions. The correct actions. This is what the Torah means when it says... And Adam Knew Eve.

Knowledge is the bridge which connects that which comes from above, to that which is below.

Keep all of this in mind before all of your studies, and you will go far.