Rava and the Sadducee: An Impetuous Nation
A Sadducee mocks Rava, so absorbed in learning that his fingers bled, for a nation that said "na'aseh" before "nishmah." Rava answers that trust comes from wholesomeness.
There is a fascinating incident related in the Gemara (Shabbos 88a) which begs for interpretation. A Sadducee saw Rava so engrossed in his learning that he did not even realize that his fingers were under his leg in such a way that was causing them to bleed. The Sadducee said to him, “You are from an impetuous nation; you preceded your mouths to your ears (that you accepted the Torah without hearing first what it says therein), and you still remain in your hastiness. First you should have listened to find out whether you could keep the Torah or not.” Rava responded, “About us, who go with wholesomeness, it is written, ‘Tummas yesharim tancheim—the wholesomeness of the straight ones leads them’ (Mishlei 11:3). However, about those who go with crookedness, it is written, ‘Veselef bogdim yeshadeim—and the crookedness of the rebellious ones destroys them’ (ibid).”
Rashi explains that the Sadducee’s objection was that it was illogical to agree to follow the Torah laws before knowing what they were. Perhaps the Torah contained commandments that were beyond their abilities. Rava responded that they had a relationship founded on love with Hashem and they knew that He wouldn’t give them a mitzvah that they couldn’t fulfill.