Parshat Yitro 5778-Taam Elyon and Taam Tachton/what is going on?

(as heard from Rabbi I. Bernstein zal in a shiur given in London in 1993)

There is a universal custom to read the section of Torah known as the aseret hadibrot with  a special  cantillation , known as ‘ta’am elyon’.This presents the verses as ‘dibrot’ ,meaning ‘utterances’ but not exactly limited to the verse structure. That is represented by ‘ta’am tachton’ ,where the verses are presented, as we have them on every Shabbat. This change of cantillation is done in Israel , according to the custom of the Vilna Gaon, only on Shavuot, when the Torah reading is the 10 commandments. In the diaspora we read it also with the special cantillation on Parshat Yitro and Parshat Vaetchanan. The source for this distinction of cantillations is found in the Chizkuni (13th century).

יש ברוב הדברות שתי נגינות ללמד שבעצרת שהיא דוגמא מתן תורה, ומתרגמינן הדברות קורין כל דברת לא יהיה לך וכל דברת זכור בנגינות הגדולות לעשות כל אחת מהן פסוק אחד שכל אחד מהן דברה אחת לעצמה. ודברות לא תרצח לא תנאף לא תגנוב לא תענה קורין בנגינות הקטנות לעשות ד׳‎ פסוקים שהם ד׳‎ דברות. אבל בחודש שבט כשקורין בפרשת יתרו כשאר שבתות השנה קורין לא יהיה לך וזכור בנגינות הקטנות לעשות מכל אחת מהן ד׳‎ פסוקים, ודברות לא תרצח לא תנאף לא תגנוב לא תענה קורין בנגינות הגדולות לעשותן פסוק אחד לפי שלא מצינו בכל המקרא פסוק משתי תיבות חוץ מאלו ובשבועות דוקא כמו שפי׳‎ למעלה. גם בדברות אנכי ולא יהיה לך יש נגינה גדולה לעשותן שתיהן פסוק אחד לזכרון שבדבור אחד נאמרו

In most of the Ten Commandments we find two cantillation marks per word (as opposed to only one on a word.). The symbolism that is represented by that fact is a reminder that we have two versions of the Ten Commandments in the written Torah. When the Torah is read in public on the festival of Shavuot, which is the anniversary of the revelation on Mount Sinai, we read the second commandment לא יהיה לך as well as the whole commandment commencing with the word: זכור using the major cantillation marks in order that each one of them be understood as a single verse. The 6th9th commandments are read on that occasion by using the minor cantillation marks, in order to understand them as separate verses. The reason is that although we never find a verse that has only two words, in this instance the Rabbis decided to remind us that we are dealing here with separate commandments. When the Torah is read on an ordinary Sabbath in the month of Sh’vat, however, and the Ten Commandments are read as part of the portion known as Yitro, we read the entire Ten Commandments using the minor cantillation marks as a result of which we make four verses of each one of them. The reason why on Shavuot we read the first and second commandment with the major cantillation marks is to remind us that they were uttered by G-d as a single continuous verse. [The author had explained there that these two Commandments were heard by all of the people from G-d’s mouth without Moses acting as an interpreter.

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Even with this explanation, we still do not have a source to make 2 sets of cantillations , as we do for this section of Torah alone. Rabbi Bernstein zal quotes an answer from R’Shlomo Fischer shlita , who resides in Jerusalem. He claims the source is in the TB Berachot 5a:

שכולם נתנו למשה מסיני וא"ר לוי בר חמא אמר ר' שמעון בן לקיש מאי דכתיב (שמות כד, יב) ואתנה לך את לוחות האבן והתורה והמצוה אשר כתבתי להורותם לוחות אלו עשרת הדברות תורה זה מקרא והמצוה זו משנה אשר כתבתי אלו נביאים וכתובים להורותם זה גמרא מלמד:

And Rabbi Levi bar Ḥama said that Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said: God said to Moses, “Ascend to me on the mountain and be there, and I will give you the stone tablets and the Torah and the mitzva that I have written that you may teach them” (Exodus 24:12), meaning that God revealed to Moses not only the Written Torah, but all of Torah, as it would be transmitted through the generations. 
The “tablets” are the ten commandments that were written on the tablets of the Covenant, 
the “Torah” is the five books of Moses. 
The “mitzva” is the Mishna, which includes explanations for the mitzvot and how they are to be performed. 
“That I have written” refers to the Prophets and Writings, written with divine inspiration. 
“That you may teach them” refers to the Talmud, which explains the Mishna. 
These explanations are the foundation for the rulings of practical halakha. This verse teaches that all aspects of Torah were given to Moses from Sinai.

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This Gemara presents a source for written Torah being given to Moshe on Mt Sinai. The Gemara then finds a separate reference for the 10 Dibrot. Surely the 10 Dibrot are part of written Torah, so why is a separate reference required here? Rabbi Fischer concludes that it is unique, not in terms of content but in terms of cantillation, and this is why it needs a separate reference when discussing what Moshe received on Mt Sinai.

The Chizkuni also says that when we heard the 10 Dibrot on Mt Sinai, we heard it as the 10 Dibrot, i.e. with ta’am elyon. This is why we do this change in cantillation on Shavuot, which is when we enact the event of Mt Sinai.

Another insight in this regard  is found in the Menorat Hamaor (15th century: Tzfat Israel), who explains why we stand for the 10 Dibrot, even though many(including the Rambam) maintain there is no reason to do so, as it is part of Torah in general. Rabbi Abuhav zal in the Menorat Hamaor   explains that we stand because we are recreating the events of Sinai, when we all stood to receive the Torah from God. There is also a strong opinion that the Torah was given to us piecemeal (megillot) during the 40 years, so this also enhances the idea of a separate reference to the 10 Dibrot in the Gemara above, as a separate section of Torah.

The Chizkuni also adds that there was the element of Targum also at Mt Sinai.  He states that on Shavuot we especially read both the Hebrew text and Aramaic translation of the 10 Dibrot , to recreate further the Sinai experience. Again we may ask why we introduce Targum, especially here?

The TB Berachot 45a:

אמר ר' שמעון בן פזי מנין שאין המתרגם רשאי להגביה קולו יותר מן הקורא שנאמר (שמות יט, יט) משה ידבר והאלהים יעננו בקול שאין תלמוד לומר בקול ומה תלמוד לומר בקול בקולו של משה

Similarly, Rabbi Shimon ben Pazi said: From where is it derived that the translator who translated the public Torah reading into Aramaic is not permitted to raise his voice louder than the reader? As it is stated: “Moses spoke, and God responded in a voice” (Exodus 19:19). This verse requires further consideration, as there is no need for the verse to state: In a voice.The phrase, in a voice, adds nothing. Rather, to what purpose did the verse state: In a voice? In Moses’ voice, i.e., in a voice no louder than Moses’ voice. This verse instructs subsequent generations that Torah readers and translators should keep their voices at an equal volume just as Moses transmitted God’s word to the people and their voices were equal in volume.

This Gemara explains the idea of having a ‘Targum’ translation at the reading of Torah. This is due to the events of Mt Sinai. משה ידבר והאלהים יעננו בקול.This verse teaches that at Mt Sinai when God gave us the Torah, Moshe stood there and translated it for the people, which we now refer to as the Targum. Again we are emulating the events of Sinai.

Rabbi Zeev Wolf  Heidenheim zal (in his sefer Havanat Hamikra) adds an interesting postscript. He says that he found in a machzor from the 14th century a presentation of the Shavuot laining with the Targum included. By way of introducing the Targum for this special occasion there is a beautiful poem in Aramaic, called Akdamot. Although we have dispensed with the Targum today, the Akdamot has survived and becomes another beautiful reminder of the recreation of the Sinai experience as well as a beautiful praise of the merits of secrets of the Torah which we received from God. This also explains why the Akdamot is written in Aramaic.

This analysis transforms our whole Shavuot experience, and even if we are tired from our nocturnal learning sessions, it is important to understand how the whole recreation of the giving of the Torah is done, to make us feel the specialness and unique quality of the treasure we received and possess to this very day. Ashreinu mah tov chelkenu!

Rabbi Ian Shaffer       Cherry Hill/SCW