Meanings and Metaphors for Torah

ירי, יָרָה (b. h.; cmp. אֲרִי I) to permeate, penetrate; to shoot forth.

Sifré Deut. 42 יוֹרֶה שמתכון … יורד וכ׳ the rain is called yoreh (shooting), for it is aimed at the earth with deliberation, and does not come down in a storm; Taan. 6ᵃ יורה שיורד בנחת.—2) to throw, shoot. Yalk. Gen. 133 לִירוֹת בב׳ ידיו to throw spears with both hands; v. infra.

Hif. - הוֹרָה 1) to permeate. Sifré l. c. שמוֹרֶה ומרוה הארץ וכ׳ for it (the yoreh, v. supra) pervades and satisfies the earth and gives her drink down to the deep

2) to point, aim at, shoot, cast. Lam. R. to I, 18 שלש … הוֹרוּ בו three hundred arrows did they shoot into his body;

3) to point out, to direct, teach, instruct; to decide. Hor. I, 1 הוֹרוּ ב"ד וכ׳ if a court has (through error) directed to transgress one of the commands &c. Ib. 2 ה׳ ב"ד וידעו וכ׳ if a court has given a decision and finding out its mistake reversed it.

§ The Gemara returns to the topic of rain. The Sages taught in a baraita: The first rain [yoreh] is called by this name due to the fact that it instructs [moreh] people to plaster their roofs and to bring in their produce from the fields to their houses and to attend to all their needs in the field before more rain falls. Alternatively, yoreh is referring to the fact that it moistens [marve] the earth and waters it to the depths, as it is stated: “Watering [ravvei] its ridges abundantly, settling down its furrows, You make it soft with showers, You bless its growth” (Psalms 65:11). Alternatively, yoreh means that it falls gently and it does not fall vehemently. Or perhaps that is not the case; rather, yoreh means that the rain causes the fruit to drop from the trees, washes the seeds away, and washes the trees away in a destructive manner. According to this interpretation, yoreh is related to yeriya, shooting.

whenever a person searches it for figs to eat, he finds figs in it, as the figs on a tree do not ripen all at once, so that one can always find a recently ripened fig, so too, with matters of Torah. Whenever a person meditates upon them, he finds in them new meaning. Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani said: What is the meaning of that which is written: “A loving hind and a graceful roe, let her breasts satisfy you at all times, and be you ravished always with her love” (Proverbs 5:19)? Why were matters of Torah compared to a hind? To tell you that just as with a hind, its womb is narrow and it is cherished by its mate each and every hour like the first hour, so too, matters of Torah are cherished by those who study them each and every hour like the first hour. “And a graceful roe” is expounded as follows: That the Torah bestows grace upon those who study it. “Let her breasts satisfy you at all times”; why were matters of Torah compared to a breast? Just as with a breast, whenever a baby searches it for milk to suckle, he finds milk in it, so too, with matters of Torah. Whenever a person meditates upon them, he finds new meaning in them.

Another matter: your love is better than wine [Song of Songs 1:2]; Words of Torah can be compared to water, wine, oil, honey, and milk. To water: O all who thirst, come for water [Is. 55:1]

Just as water goes from one end of the earth to the other, as it is written, to the one who spread forth the earth above the waters [Psalms 136:6], so does Torah go from one end of the earth to the other, as it is written, the measure is longer than the earth [Job 11:9].

Just as water is forever-living, as it is written, a fountain of gardens, a well of living waters [Song of Songs 4:15], so is Torah is forever-living, as it is written, for they are alive to those that find them [Proverbs 4:22], and also come, buy and eat [Isaiah 55:1]. [prooftexts suppressed going forward]

Just as water comes from the heavens, so too does Torah come from the heavens.

Just as the water has many voices, so too does Torah have many voices.

Just as water restores the soul, so too does Torah...

Just as water cleanses the body from tumah (ritual impurity), so too does Torah cleanse impurity.

Just as water originates in tiny drops and accumulates into mighty streams and rivers, so the Torah is acquired word by word today, verse by verse tomorrow;

Just as water covers the shamefulness (erva) of the sea, so too does Torah cover the shamefulness of Israel, as it is written, love covers up all faults [Proverbs 10:12].

Just as water descends drop by drop to form rivers, so too does a person learn Torah two halakhot each day until it is a flowing stream.

Just as water is not pleasing to a person who is not thirsty, so too Torah not appreciated unless a person [has struggled with it enough to be] tired from it.

Just as water leaves high places alone and runs in low places, so too Torah leaves alone someone with a haughty attitude and clings to someone with a modest self-image.

Just as water is not kept in silver or gold vessels, but the simplest [clay] vessels, so Torah is sustained by one who makes him/herself like a clay vessel.

Just as a scholar is not embarrassed to ask a student, ‘pass me some water,’ a scholar is not embarrassed to learn from a student a chapter, a verse, a word, or even a letter.

Just as one who does not know how to float in water will eventually drown, so too will one who cannot float on and point out (l'horot) words of Torah eventually drown.