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What is Jeremiahs meaning?

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Rabbi Yoel Lieberman

Sivan 25, 5782
Question
While studying this weekend, I came across a parsha which is somewhat confusing. What is Hashem telling Jeremiah? Jeremiah 8:8-9 How can you say, “We are wise, And we possess the Instruction of the LORD”? Assuredly, from the lying pens of scribes! The wise shall be put to shame, Shall be dismayed and caught; See, they reject the word of the LORD, So their wisdom amounts to nothing. אֵיכָ?ה תֹֽאמְרוּ? חֲכָמִ?ים אֲנַ?חְנוּ וְתוֹרַ?ת יְהֹוָ?ה אִתָּ?נוּ אָכֵן? הִנֵּ?ה לַשֶּׁ?קֶר עָשָׂ?ה עֵ?ט שֶׁ?קֶר סֹפְרִֽים׃ הֹבִ?שׁוּ חֲכָמִ?ים חַ?תּוּ וַיִּלָּכֵ?דוּ הִנֵּ?ה בִדְבַר־יְהֹוָה? מָאָ?סוּ וְח?כְמַ?ת מֶ?ה לָהֶֽם Are these the scribes who interpreted the written Torah for the Jewish people?
Answer
ב"ה Shalom Firstly, let's put things in context. The Oral interpretation was given to Moshe at Har Sinai and was transmitted from generation to generation. Furthermore, it was not until much later that the Oral interpretation began to be recorded in writing when people had begun to forget after many exiles. According to the commentator Redak (R. David Kimchi 1160-1235), the prophet Jeremiah is referring to those who claim that the Torah is with them, but they do not keep it. If the torah is not kept, then the scribe's pen was made in vain, and it is vain that they are writing the Torah. The prophet then goes on to say (verse 9) what good is all the wisdom the scholars have without keeping the torah. Inevitably they will be in shame, for had they kept the Torah, it would have saved them from the bad things which come upon them. All the best
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