I’m reminded of the story of the gentile asking the rabbi Hillel that the whole Torah be explained to him while he stood on one foot. Hillel replied “What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow: this is the whole Torah; the rest is commentary; go and learn.”
An article in the Jewish Daily Forward observes that it is a mistake to equate “the rest is commentary” with “the rest is unimportant.”
It is interesting to see how “the rest is commentary” has taken on an English meaning of its own that is subtly different from Hillel’s and sometimes even opposed to it. In the Aramaic of the Talmud, “The rest is commentary – go study” (ve’idakh perusha hu, zil g’mor) is a single statement whose first half cannot be separated from its second half. Calling the rest of the Torah “commentary” has nothing dismissive about it. On the contrary, Hillel is clearly saying that commentary is crucial and that ultimate wisdom lies in it.
I’m reminded of the story of the gentile asking the rabbi Hillel that the whole Torah be explained to him while he stood on one foot. Hillel replied “What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow: this is the whole Torah; the rest is commentary; go and learn.”
An article in the Jewish Daily Forward observes that it is a mistake to equate “the rest is commentary” with “the rest is unimportant.”