Mishna Pirkei Avot, the lessons of our ancestors, opens with a recitation of the chain of transmission: from Moses receiving the Torah at Mount Sinai, giving it to Joshua, Joshua to the elders, then to the prophets, then to the Great Assembly. And the Mishna ends by admonishing the rabbis—and us, the reader—”Be patient in the pursuit of justice, raise many students, and build fences around the Torah.”
Torah is at the center of Judaism—“the first of God’s works of old.” It is our lifeblood; it is our memory, our DNA—it is what we pass down from generation to generation, giving the Jewish people eternal life. This week, we read the words, “Be careful to observe only that which is commanded of you: neither add to it nor take away from it.” To me, this is the first fence around the Torah—protecting the core of this sacred revelation.
And yet, our sages knew Torah was never meant to be static. Its words do not change, but its meaning is alive—demanding to be wrestled with, studied deeply, and lived fully. Across centuries, Jews have taken up that charge: interpreting, questioning, adapting—ensuring Torah continues to speak to every generation.
We do not add to Torah. Rather, through Torah—the conversation between God and the Jewish people—Torah adds itself to us.