An Amazing Convergence

This morning, I experienced an amazing convergence between my individual study and leining at the Happy Minyan.

Before minyan, I often learn a little Tanya with Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz’s amazing commentary. Today, in Igeret Hakodesh 29, I learned that Supernal Wisdom is embodied in the Written Law, while Supernal Will is embodied in the Oral Law. OK, you say, nice idea; yeah, we’re told what to do in the Torah, and rabbinic texts tell us how to do it. What’s the hiddush?

So when it came time to lein at the Happy Minyan’s daily minyan, around 7 a.m., the sun was shining through the window panes in just such a way you could really see the sirtut. Sirtut is the collection of vertical and horizontal lines that the scribe engraves into the parchment before writing. As with ruled paper, these lines establish where lines will start and end. Normally, they go unnoticed.

Well, this morning, these lines were as vivid as the lines on ruled paper. And being engraved, they had depth, adding a third dimension that is only possible on thick parchment. The sirtut was as prominent as the letters — but only until the special light disappeared (was it a cloud? the angle of the sun?). I wish I had a photograph. At least one photo was taken, but it was already too late.

And that was when I realized: here it all was right before me. The Written Law itself, framed by details known only from the Oral Law, each as prominent as the other. Could this have happened anywhere else but the Happy Minyan? Of course it could have! But where else would I have noticed it?