Talmud Bavli Succah on Torah Study in Breadth and Depth

"This is similar to the practice of Rava and Rami bar Chama.  When they would stand before Rav Chisda, they would first run through the Gemara with one another to review the material, and then analyze the material with logic."

-- Talmud Bavli, Succah 29a

This dictum encodes a formula for Torah study: breadth first, then depth.

Talmud Bavli Kereitot on the Preparation of the Anointing Oil

"This was the method used in preparing the anointing oil that Moses made in the wilderness: He would boil the hin of olive oil together with the roots of the spices - the words of Rabbi Yehudah. Rabbi Yose said to him: But there is not enough oil to even smear the roots with the olive oil, let alone boil the roots in it! Rather, how does one proceed? First they brought the spice roots and soaked them in water, then Moses removed the roots from the water and he poured oil on them until they were covered with a layer of olive oil, and the oil absorbed the fragrance of the spices. Moses then quickly removed the oil from the bowl and wiped off the oil still clinging to the roots, and deposited it all into a flask."

-- Talmud Bavli, Kereitot 5a

Ramban on the Leshon haQodesh - Hebrew as the 'Holy Language'

"This is also the reason, I believe, for why our Sages call the language of the Torah 'the Holy Language' (Leshon haQodesh); it is because the words of the Torah and the prophecies and all kinds of other holy words were all said by the prophets to the people in this language. And furthermore, you see that it is the language in which the Holy One, Blessed is He - may His Name be blessed - speaks with His prophets and with His congregation, such as the first two Commandments, 'I am YHVH your God' and 'there shall not be for you other gods' as well as all the other communications from God recorded in the Torah and in the books of prophecy.

"And furthermore it is in that language that God is called by His sacred Names: El, Elohim, Tzeva'ot, Shaddai, Yah, and the ineffable, four-letter, great and unique Name. And furthermore it is in that language that He created His world and gave names to the heaven and the earth and everything that is in them. And furthermore, His angels and all His heavenly hosts - all of them He calls by names in that language, such as 'Michael' and 'Gabriel'. And furthermore it is in that language that He gave names to the holy ones who are on earth, such as to Abraham, Isaac, Solomon, and others besides him."

-- Rabbi Moshe ben Nachman (Ramban), Commentary on the Torah - Exodus 30:13.

Mishnah Sanhedrin on the Mold of the First Adam

"Therefore was man created singly, to teach you that whoever destroys a single life from Israel is considered by Scripture as if he had destroyed an entire world; and that whoever preserves a single life from Israel is considered by Scripture as if he had preserved an entire world. [...]

"And to teach the greatness of the Holy One, Blessed is He: For a man mints many coins from one mold, and they are all similar to one another; but the King of kings, the Holy One, Blessed is He, minted all men from the mold of the First Adam, and not one of them is like his fellow man. Therefore each and every one is obligated to say, 'For my sake was the world created'."

-- Mishnah, Sanhedrin 4:5


"ISRAEL" - this is Metatron on the Spiritual plane, about whom it is said, "Your name is Jacob. Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel shall be your name." (Genesis 35:10).

"AN ENTIRE WORLD" - this is Metatron on the Physical plane, about whom it is said, "the whole earth is full of His glory." (Isaiah 6:3).

"THE MOLD OF THE FIRST ADAM" - this is Metatron on the Astral plane, about whom it is said, "and on the likeness of the throne, was a likeness like the appearance of a man upon it above." (Ezekiel 1:26).