Torah shebaal peh, the oral law was also given at Har Sinai which was heard should be as clear the written law which is seen. The Rabbenu Bachaya gives a parable where a king wanted to be sure that his servants don’t take advantage of the rewards when commanding his son, so his said certain explanations orally. The Chasam Sofer gives another parable where a father has a goldmine which he wanted to give to his smallest child. He teaches him the act of goldmining and divides it equally but since the others did not know what to do with it, it automatically fell for the youngest child. The written law is the goldmine and the oral law the act of goldmining. This is like the Midrash Tanchuma where the Jews where given the written law and had to be forced on the oral law. The goyim never accepted the written law, so there was no reason to force them. Can also be that the Jews originally accepted the Torah with full will and then reneged by being scared from the great fire as explained by Tosfas but the goyim only questioned what the Torah contains and accepted nothing.
Menu