Does anyone happen to know the etymology of the word d'Oriasa, as in mitzvah d'Oriasa or d'Oraita???

Someone told me it was a contraction for "coming from the light"...but could not explain it more.

Shabbat Shalom,

Robby

B"H

Robby,

Thanks for your question. The person who told you that the word, "d'Oraisa" (דְּאוֹרָיתָא), comes from the Hebrew word "Or" (אור) = "light" was only bringing down a form of comparable sounds and trying to connect them. This, at best, is only an exegesis. We do find in the Midrash that the Torah has been compared to light.
כי נר מצוה ותורה אור

However, if we look at the word with a critical demeanor, "d'Oraisa" (דְּאוֹרָיתָא) is really an Aramaic word meaning "Torah" or "instruction," and has nothing to do with the word "light." The Aramaic word for light is "Nur" or "Nura." While, when saying in Aramaic, "What does it come to instruct us?" or "What does it teach us?" We say: מאי איריא
(Mai Iriya?) Again, we find the same root word for "instruction" used here as we find in the word "d'Oraisa."

I think the closest we come in the Hebrew to this Aramaic word is when we say, "Hora'ah" - (הוראה), another Hebrew word for "instruction." In fact, we have an entire tractate in the Talmud called "Meseches Horayos." (מסכת הוריות)

By the way, the accurate Yemenite pronunciation of this Aramaic word is "de'Oraitha."

Be well,
David

Toda raba David!!!!