Divrei Sofrim

"Divrei Sofrim" is a term referring to mitzvot, halachot, safeguards, decrees, and matters that were innovated by the Sages throughout the generations.

The obligation to listen to Divrei Sofrim and accept them comes from the verse: "According to the law which they shall instruct you, and according to the judgment which they shall tell you, you shall do; you shall not turn aside from the sentence which they shall declare to you, to the right or to the left". This means - there is a commandment to listen to the teachings and judgments that will be innovated throughout the generations according to the true tzaddikim.

The expression "Divrei Sofrim" is common mainly in the sayings of the Sages concerning the importance of the Oral Torah, such as: "The words of the Scribes are more beloved than the wine of Torah," and also: "The words of the Scribes are stricter than the words of Torah."

Source of the Expression

In Tractate Avodah Zarah, Rav Dimi learns from the verse "For your love is better than wine" (Shir HaShirim 1:2) that the words of the Scribes are more beloved to Knesset Yisrael than the fundamentals of the Written Torah.

In Tractate Eruvin, Rava's statement is written, which he learned from the verse (Kohelet 12:12): "Furthermore, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end..." The verse is a warning to the Jewish people to be careful not to disregard the words of the Scribes, because not every transgression of a Torah prohibition incurs the death penalty, whereas with a rabbinic prohibition there is a liability of death, as learned from the verse (Kohelet 10): "He who breaks down a fence shall be bitten by a serpent."

Examples of Things That Are "Divrei Sofrim"

"Divrei Sofrim" are essentially any mitzvah or halachah (or decree, etc.) that is not explicitly written in the Written Torah. There are also things not explicitly written in Scripture but which the Sages derived from verses by way of hint (meaning the Sages taught that in this verse Hashem hinted that the halachah should be such and such, in the manner of the Oral Torah). This is called an "asmachta," and also "Divrei Sofrim."

Examples of things that are "Divrei Sofrim":

• The mitzvah of reading the Megillah on Purim is an innovation that was established in the days of Mordechai and Esther, and is not explicitly written in the Chumash. Nevertheless, we recite the blessing on reading the Megillah "Who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us," even though Hashem did not command us anywhere to hear the Megillah. He did command us to listen to the words of the Sages (as mentioned above).
• Distancing and separating between meat and milk. Although there is no explicit commandment in the Torah to wait between eating meat and milk, and certainly not to designate separate sets of dishes, the Sages learned many matters from the repetition of verses (which were written three times) and also innovated additional laws on the subject (which is not the place to elaborate) in order to be careful and guard against the prohibition of eating meat and milk together. These enactments and boundaries are actual obligations, and therefore we are required to listen to their voice.