Q&A: Sanhedrin 21a
Originally published:
This is an English translation (via GPT-5.4). Read the original Hebrew version.
Sanhedrin 21a
Question
Rabbi Michi, hello!
The Talmud in Sanhedrin discusses the question of what script the Torah was written in, and I wonder why Rabbi and Mar Zutra, who appear in that passage, thought to ask this question. Why was it important to them at all to know what script the Torah was written in?
Second question: why does Rabbi Yosei there in the passage compare Moses our Teacher to Ezra the Scribe? Is there some kind of political agenda in this discussion?
Answer
Doesn’t that seem like an interesting topic to you? I didn’t understand the question.
Why a political agenda? They want to understand the person—his role, character, and public standing. Of course, it’s possible that there were political aims here too.