Our Gemara on Amud Beis ponders the exact definition of a particular Aramaic word for mixing wine and its relation to its Hebrew form. In the process, it cites a verse from Mishlei (9:2):


“She has prepared the feast, mixed the wine, and also set the table.”


The Aramaic mazag and Hebrew masach both refer to the process of diluting wine with water. In the ancient world, wine was apparently a kind of syrup or thick concentrate, mixed with water before drinking.


This Hebrew word masach may also relate to the Hebrew term for a tractate of Mishna or Talmud, Maseches. The Maaseh Rokeach (introduction to Mishna) offers several possible etymologies:


  1. Quoting the Tosafos Yom Tov, he notes our verse in Mishlei. The Oral Torah in the Mishna acts like water mixed into concentrated wine—refining and making it consumable. Just as one cannot properly enjoy the wine without dilution, the written Torah cannot be fully grasped without the Oral Torah blended in.


  1. Citing Sefer Chasidim, he notes another root: “to weave.” The Oral Torah is woven into the Written Torah, like the warp and the woof. A weave differs from a mix: in mixing, two substances blend into one compound; in weaving, two distinct strands remain visible but form a unified artifact. (For the grammar-minded: the “mix” derivation would vowelize the initial mem with a pasach, while the “weave” derivation would take a shva.)


  1. It may be linked to the masach (Shemos 35:15), the curtain before the Mishkan—signifying the Oral Torah as a gateway into the depths of the Written Torah.


  1. Or to nasich (“prince”), hinting at royalty—the Oral Torah as the crown of the Written Torah.


  1. Or to haskes (Devarim 27:9), meaning “listen closely,” emphasizing the Oral Torah as a call to deeper attention and understanding.


Understanding the root of Maseches gives insight into how we should relate to Torah Sheba’al Peh. It may be:

  1. A final refining process, making the Torah ready to serve.


  1. An interwoven structure, inseparable from the Written Torah.


  1. A preparatory gateway to sanctity.


  1. A coronation—a crowning glory of Torah.


  1. Or an invitation to listen more closely, delving into its layered meanings.