Va’eschanan 4:6 · unit 1

TT #10 · Parashas Va’eschanan · First Aliyah · Passuk 4:6

The Complete Passuk

וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם֮ וַעֲשִׂיתֶם֒ כִּ֣י הִ֤וא חָכְמַתְכֶם֙ וּבִ֣ינַתְכֶ֔ם לְעֵינֵ֖י הָעַמִּ֑ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר יִשְׁמְע֗וּן אֵ֚ת כׇּל־הַחֻקִּ֣ים הָאֵ֔לֶּה וְאָמְר֗וּ רַ֚ק עַם־חָכָ֣ם וְנָב֔וֹן הַגּ֥וֹי הַגָּד֖וֹל הַזֶּֽה׃

You shall keep and do them, for that is your wisdom and your understanding in the eyes of the peoples, who will hear all these statutes and say, “Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.”

Chabad.org — 4:6

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to Shabbos 75a (R’ Shmuel bar Nachmani in the name of R’ Yonasan: the mitzvah of calculating tekufos and mazalos).

Sefaria — Shabbos 75a

E-Daf image — Shabbos 75a

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
אָמַר רַבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר נַחְמָנִי אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹנָתָן: מִנַּיִן שֶׁמִּצְוָה לְחַשֵּׁב תְּקוּפוֹת וּמַזָּלוֹת? שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר כִּי הִיא חָכְמַתְכֶם וּבִינַתְכֶם לְעֵינֵי הָעַמִּים — אֵיזוֹ הִיא חָכְמָה וּבִינָה שֶׁהִיא לְעֵינֵי הָעַמִּים? הֱוֵי אוֹמֵר זֶה חֶשְׁבּוֹן תְּקוּפוֹת וּמַזָּלוֹת.

English: R’ Shmuel bar Nachmani said in the name of R’ Yonasan: From where do we know that it is a mitzvah to calculate the seasons and the constellations? As it is said, “for that is your wisdom and your understanding in the eyes of the peoples” — which wisdom and understanding is in the eyes of the peoples? Say: this is the calculation of the tekufos and mazalos.

On the daf / in context: The Gemara identifies the “wisdom visible to the nations” as astronomical calculation, which is public and demonstrable, as opposed to purely internal Torah study.

Type of Learning

Custom (identification of the public chokhmah with the science of the calendar and stars).

What Is Learned

Calculating the seasons and the heavenly bodies is a mitzvah whose wisdom is visible to the nations and thereby glorifies Israel.