Virtually everything that Judaism is today is derived from the Oral Tradition – the Torah Sheb’al Peh. Definitions of customs and laws, specification of traditions, interpretation of verses, faith and thought, all derive from the Torah Sheb’al Peh. Even the Torah Shebichtav itself – Torah and Tanach – cannot be read correctly without the vocalization and cantillation marks, which are also Torah Sheb’al Peh!
In reality, Torah Sheb’al Peh is, and has always been the fullest representation of the organic life and faith of Am Yisrael. Even before the events at Mount Sinai as described in the Torah, Am Yisrael lived with customs and traditions that were later to be given divine imprimatur at Sinai. Torah Shebichtav did not precede Torah Sheb’al Peh, quite the opposite, and the terse language and telegraphic references of Torah Shebichtav are best understood against the backdrop of popular and common knowledge of Am Yisrael in Torah Sheb’al Peh. When Torah Shebichtav tells us בסוכות תשבו שבעת ימים without defining what is a סוכה, what is a יום, and what is considered ישיבה, that is because the people knew what was being discussed from its own experience and life – which is Torah Sheb’al Peh.
Thus, generation after generation from Sinai, Torah Sheb’al Peh is revealed to us more and more, and reality and changing circumstances are the catalyst for the eternal revelation. Eternal law with infinite applicational capability – that is Torah Sheb’al Peh.
Throughout the ages, serious study of Torah Sheb’al Peh has been limited to an elite number of scholars who had the ability and the capability to devote itself to lifelong learning. In the last two or three generations, however, historical, social and literary realities have changed for the better, and for the first time in Jewish history, masses of Jews have begun to study Torah Sheb’al Peh in earnest. The problem is, that since study of Torah Sheb’al Peh was always limited to the few who learned proper methods and principles for their study from their Rabbis, popular materials to teach such methods and principles have never been prepared in a way appropriate for the rest of the population.
It is the vision of Bonayich Educational Services to do this work. We have diligently researched the sources of the Masorah, as brought down to us through our teachers, the Gaonim, the Rishonim and the Acharonim, and we have distilled the methods and principles they used in their learning and teaching. Our findings have become our beacon, and all of our materials and peripherals are constructed to fulfill the Masorah for the learning of Torah Sheb’al Peh. We hereby give notice to all our friends, readers and customers: we do not include in our work any theories or suppositions arising from modern academic research, as they are speculative in nature – our purpose is simply to make the Masorah of Am Yisrael for the learning of Torah Sheb’al Peh available to all as it has come down to us through the ages, in order to literally fulfill the verse: "וכל בנייך לימודי תורה, ורב שלום בנייך". And, as our Rabbis have said: "אל תקרי בנייך, אלא בונייך!"
Virtually everything that Judaism is today is derived from the Oral Tradition – the Torah Sheb’al Peh. Definitions of customs and laws, specification of traditions, interpretation of verses, faith and thought, all derive from the Torah Sheb’al Peh. Even the Torah Shebichtav itself – Torah and Tanach – cannot be read correctly without the vocalization and cantillation marks, which are also Torah Sheb’al Peh!
In reality, Torah Sheb’al Peh is, and has always been the fullest representation of the organic life and faith of Am Yisrael. Even before the events at Mount Sinai as described in the Torah, Am Yisrael lived with customs and traditions that were later to be given divine imprimatur at Sinai. Torah Shebichtav did not precede Torah Sheb’al Peh, quite the opposite, and the terse language and telegraphic references of Torah Shebichtav are best understood against the backdrop of popular and common knowledge of Am Yisrael in Torah Sheb’al Peh. When Torah Shebichtav tells us בסוכות תשבו שבעת ימים without defining what is a סוכה, what is a יום, and what is considered ישיבה, that is because the people knew what was being discussed from its own experience and life – which is Torah Sheb’al Peh.
Thus, generation after generation from Sinai, Torah Sheb’al Peh is revealed to us more and more, and reality and changing circumstances are the catalyst for the eternal revelation. Eternal law with infinite applicational capability – that is Torah Sheb’al Peh.
Throughout the ages, serious study of Torah Sheb’al Peh has been limited to an elite number of scholars who had the ability and the capability to devote itself to lifelong learning. In the last two or three generations, however, historical, social and literary realities have changed for the better, and for the first time in Jewish history, masses of Jews have begun to study Torah Sheb’al Peh in earnest. The problem is, that since study of Torah Sheb’al Peh was always limited to the few who learned proper methods and principles for their study from their Rabbis, popular materials to teach such methods and principles have never been prepared in a way appropriate for the rest of the population.
It is the vision of Bonayich Educational Services to do this work. We have diligently researched the sources of the Masorah, as brought down to us through our teachers, the Gaonim, the Rishonim and the Acharonim, and we have distilled the methods and principles they used in their learning and teaching. Our findings have become our beacon, and all of our materials and peripherals are constructed to fulfill the Masorah for the learning of Torah Sheb’al Peh. We hereby give notice to all our friends, readers and customers: we do not include in our work any theories or suppositions arising from modern academic research, as they are speculative in nature – our purpose is simply to make the Masorah of Am Yisrael for the learning of Torah Sheb’al Peh available to all as it has come down to us through the ages, in order to literally fulfill the verse: "וכל בנייך לימודי תורה, ורב שלום בנייך". And, as our Rabbis have said: "אל תקרי בנייך, אלא בונייך!"