Jewish History: Avraham to Yehoshua
For many people growing up in school, history was not one of the most popular subjects Whilst math and english at least provided some benefit in our daily lives, discussing events that happened hundreds or thousands of years ago did not seem very relevant or helpful. However, Judaism views the study of history as something that can and should apply greatly to our every day lives. The past teaches us vital lessons which pertain to the present - we can gain great insights from the experiences of yesteryear, learning both from people’s positive actions and their mistakes.
Moreover, there is an additional layer to Judaism’s approach to history. The great early commentator, Nachmanides teaches a unique concept[1]; the events that happened in the lives of our forefathers will repeat themselves in the lives of their descendants. Consequently, there are patterns that repeat themselves throughout history, and understanding these patterns will provide us with great insight into understanding the times that we live in and can even help us predict the effects our actions will have in the future.[2].
The history of the Jewish people begins with Abraham. He was born into a world where the vast majority of people worshipped many gods, such as the sun, moon and stars. Abraham was born into a particularly enthusiastic family of idol-worshippers - his father actually owned a store selling them! In this background, Abraham embarked on a rare journey - a quest for the truth as to who in fact created and sustains the world. He refused to accept the immense social pressure to blindly follow the conventional gods. Rather, through an intense process of intellectual and philosophical enquiry he came to the realization that no finite beings could have created the whole world. This brought him to the revolutionary realization that there was an Infinite being (known as ‘G-d’ or ‘Hashem‘) that could not be seen or touched, and yet offered the only logical explanation behind existence.
It is true that there were a few isolated individuals before Abraham who also discovered Hashem, such as Shem, the son of Noach. However, Abraham took a further step that set him apart from everyone else. He embarked on a mass publicity campaign to teach the world about the Infinite G-d that he had discovered. This set him apart as the first Jew - for the role of the Jewish people is not merely to follow G-d but to spread His teachings to the whole world. Abraham met with considerable success through his efforts, but unfortunately not everyone appreciated his novel message. The most powerful man in the world at that time, King Nimrod, was a staunch idol worshipper and took great exception to Abraham’s dangerous activities. He had him thrown into a fiery furnace but to everyone’s shock, Hashem caused a miracle to occur and Avraham emerged unscathed.
After many years of spreading knowledge of the Infinite, G-d himself spoke to Abraham, instructing him to leave his comfortable surroundings and go to the Holy Land of Israel. This journey was fraught with difficulty. As soon as he arrived there a sever famine struck, forcing him to feel to the depraved land of Egypt, where his beautiful wife, Sarah, was taken by Pharaoh. Sarah’s great righteousness earned her Divine protection from Pharaoh and he was struck by a plague, an ominous preview of the Ten Plagues that would strike Egypt many years later. A fearful Pharaoh released her and sent Abraham and his contingent back to Israel with great wealth. The troubles did not stop there, however, when the first World War began and Avraham’s nephew, Lot, was kidnapped. Abraham set off with a small group and miraculously overcame his mighty enemies and freed Lot.
Yet after all this success, Abraham was still lacking a child, and consequently the whole future of his mission to spread the word of G-d was in severe jeopardy. In the momentous ‘Bris Bein HaBesarim’ (Covenant of the two parts) G-d promised Abraham that he would indeed merit to have a child who would continue in his path and a great nation would emerge who would undergo great hardships but would ultimately conquer the land of Canaan.
Abraham’s wife, Sarah, selflessly encouraged Avraham to marry a second wife, her maidservant, Hagar so that he could have a child[3]. Immediately, Hagar gave birth to Yishmael, the man who would emerge as the ancestor of the Moslem people. Eventually, Abraham and Sarah did merit to have a son, Isaac, who proved to be a great success in continuing his father’s teachings. Yishmael did not take too kindly to his younger half-brother and Sarah feared that Yitzchak’s life was at risk. Accordingly she persuaded Abraham to send Yishmael away where he began the dynasty that would culminate with the birth of Islam.
This difficult episode was followed by the most demanding challenge of Abraham’s life - the Binding of Isaac (Akeida). G-d instructed Abraham to offer up his only son as a sacrifice. G-d never intended for Abraham to actually follow through with this, rather He was testing Avraham’s willingness to follow His commands, even if they did not make sense. Abraham succeeded, imbuing in his descendants the ability to accept Divine Judgment even at the risk of life. Indeed, countless Jews were willing to give up their lives for their beliefs and they derived the strength to do this through Abraham’s actions in the Akeida.
[1] Parshas Lech Lecha, 12:6
[2] There are many examples where leading Rabbis accurately predicted the future based on their understanding of history. For example, Rabbi Meir Simcha of Dvinsk (known as the Ohr Sameach) wrote that history testifies that whenever Jews try to assimilate the result is a great outpouring of anti-Semitism. Accordingly, he observed that Berlin, the center of Jewish assimilation would mark the beginning of a new wave of anti-Semitism. He died in 1926, long before Hitler ascended to power (Meshech Chachma, Parshas Bechukosai, Ch.26, v.44).
[3] Abarbanel, Parshas Lech Lecha, 16:2.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
PRAYING AGAINST THE YETSER HARA - SHELACH
The incident of the spies is one of the most well-known stories in the Torah and there is much discussion as to how such great men could commit such a terrible sin. Another very important aspect of this maaseh is the actions of the righteous men in their attempts to withstand joining in the sin. The Torah tells us that after sending the spies to Eretz Yisroel, Moshe renamed his closest student[1]. Up till this point he was known as ‘Hoshea‘, but now Moshe added a ’yud’ to make the name ‘Yehoshua’. Rashi explains that Moshe davenned that Yehoshua would be saved from the nisayon posed by being with the meraglim - this tefilla manifested itself in adding a yud to his name. A few passukim later the Torah alludes to the fact that whilst in Eretz Yisroel, another of the spies, Kalev, separated from the group and went to Chevron to daven to be protected from the plan of the meraglim[2].
The Ben Ish Chai[3] and Maskil leDavid[4] both ask that these tefillas seem to contradict a well-known axiom, that ‘everything is in the hands of heaven except for fear of heaven.’ This means that the one thing that is completely in the control of man is the ability to choose between right and wrong. Davenning for things beyond our control, such as health and parnasa, can be highly beneficial because those things are totally dependent on Divine Providence. However, davenning to not sin would seem to have no benefit because Hashem does not determine whether we sin - that is completely in our hands. Consequently, it is very hard to understand why Moshe davenned for Yehoshua and why Kalev davenned for himself.to avoid sinning - whether they would sin or not was not dependent on Hashem, it was dependent on their own free will!
The Ben Ish Chai explains that there are two different ways by which a person can come to commit a sin. One is where he has total clarity that a certain act is forbidden but he nonetheless decides to do it with a clear recognition that he is sinning. The second is where his yetser hara clouds his judgment and persuades him that this act is permissible, enabling him to rationalize that he is not sinning at all. The principle that fear of heaven is completely in our own hands only applies to the first form of sinning, where a person is absolutely clear that acting in such a way constitutes a sin. In this area there is no benefit for a person to pray for Hashem to stop him committing this sin, it is purely in his own hands and Hashem cannot, so-to-speak, change his free will decision. However, this is not the case with regard to the second form of nisayon where a person may genuinely believe that he is not sinning. The main factor that causes him to sin in such a case is lack of clarity as to the correct course of action. This it not completely within one‘s free will. When a person wants to do the right thing but is at risk of being seduced by his yetser hara he can turn to Hashem to help him not be clouded by its rationalizations. Therefore, in this situation it is beneficial to pray to Hashem.
The Ben Ish Chai continues by explaining that Yehoshua and Kalev faced the second form of nisayon where tefilla can help. The meraglim were great people and did not deliberately speak badly about the land without justifying their behavior. The Ben Ish Chai offers a novel explanation of their motivations; they felt that if they would tell the Jewish people about the great prosperity of Eretz Yisroel then they would enter with impure motives of physical gain rather than purely as a result of following Hashem’s command. Consequently, they decided to speak badly about the land with the hope that the Jewish people would nevertheless want to enter the land, leshem shamayim and would thus gain far greater reward. However, in truth, this reasoning was really the work of the yetser hara’s attempts to prevent the people from entering the land at all, as indeed occurred. Moshe davenned for Yehoshua that he would be protected from such rationalizations that would make him believe that it was a mitzva to speak badly about the land[5]! Similarly, Kalev prayed that he should maintain the clarity that would prevent him from falling into the clutches of the yetser hara.
We have seen that there are two ways in which a person can come to sin; either by knowingly sinning or by being duped by the yetser hara that he is not sinning at all. It seems that by far the more prevalent challenge is posed by the threat of being tricked into thinking that one is not sinning at all. The Nefesh HaChaim writes that a lack of clarity as to whether we are doing a mitzva or aveiro originates with the chet of Adam Harishon. Before the sin, Adam had total clarity as to what was good and evil, in his eyes, committing an aveira was as clearly damaging as putting one’s hand in fire. When he ate from the tree of knowledge of tov ve’ra he brought into himself a mix of good and evil. The consequence of this was that he lost that great clarity about the nature of evil, to the point that now, his yetser hara could now confuse him as to what is right and wrong. This is also the meaning behind that Gemara that states that when a person commits the same sin twice it becomes permissible in his eyes. Rav Yisroel Salanter was said to have commented that when he commits the sin a third time it becomes a mitzva in his eyes!
We have noted in the past the observation of the Baal HaTania that pertains to this point. He writes that if one were to offer a Torah observant Jew money to blatantly commit a sin, he will not do so because he intellectually understands that the spiritual damage done by the sin will outweigh any material gain. And yet a person sins without any monetary gain because he convinces himself that he is not actually sinning.
We learn from the explanation of the Ben Ish Chai that, with regard to the challenge of being tricked by the yetser hara, tefilla is a highly beneficial and necessary weapon. The yetser hara is constantly striving to deceive us into sinning and we must maintain a constant vigilance of being caught in the trap of rationalizations. As well as a consistent method of cheshbon hanefesh, the key tool to gaining clarity is to daven that Hashem help us open our eyes and enable us to follow the true path of Avodas Hashem.
[1] Shelach, 13:16.
[2] Rashi, 13:22.
[3] Ben Yehoyada, Sotah, 34b.
[4] Shelach, ibid. He is one of the main super-commentaries on Rashi.
[5] There are numerous other explanations as to the reasoning of the spies in speaking badly about the land (see Ramban and Sfas Emes) but it seems clear that whatever their reasoning they did somehow justify their actions and believe that they were not committing an aveiro.
The Ben Ish Chai[3] and Maskil leDavid[4] both ask that these tefillas seem to contradict a well-known axiom, that ‘everything is in the hands of heaven except for fear of heaven.’ This means that the one thing that is completely in the control of man is the ability to choose between right and wrong. Davenning for things beyond our control, such as health and parnasa, can be highly beneficial because those things are totally dependent on Divine Providence. However, davenning to not sin would seem to have no benefit because Hashem does not determine whether we sin - that is completely in our hands. Consequently, it is very hard to understand why Moshe davenned for Yehoshua and why Kalev davenned for himself.to avoid sinning - whether they would sin or not was not dependent on Hashem, it was dependent on their own free will!
The Ben Ish Chai explains that there are two different ways by which a person can come to commit a sin. One is where he has total clarity that a certain act is forbidden but he nonetheless decides to do it with a clear recognition that he is sinning. The second is where his yetser hara clouds his judgment and persuades him that this act is permissible, enabling him to rationalize that he is not sinning at all. The principle that fear of heaven is completely in our own hands only applies to the first form of sinning, where a person is absolutely clear that acting in such a way constitutes a sin. In this area there is no benefit for a person to pray for Hashem to stop him committing this sin, it is purely in his own hands and Hashem cannot, so-to-speak, change his free will decision. However, this is not the case with regard to the second form of nisayon where a person may genuinely believe that he is not sinning. The main factor that causes him to sin in such a case is lack of clarity as to the correct course of action. This it not completely within one‘s free will. When a person wants to do the right thing but is at risk of being seduced by his yetser hara he can turn to Hashem to help him not be clouded by its rationalizations. Therefore, in this situation it is beneficial to pray to Hashem.
The Ben Ish Chai continues by explaining that Yehoshua and Kalev faced the second form of nisayon where tefilla can help. The meraglim were great people and did not deliberately speak badly about the land without justifying their behavior. The Ben Ish Chai offers a novel explanation of their motivations; they felt that if they would tell the Jewish people about the great prosperity of Eretz Yisroel then they would enter with impure motives of physical gain rather than purely as a result of following Hashem’s command. Consequently, they decided to speak badly about the land with the hope that the Jewish people would nevertheless want to enter the land, leshem shamayim and would thus gain far greater reward. However, in truth, this reasoning was really the work of the yetser hara’s attempts to prevent the people from entering the land at all, as indeed occurred. Moshe davenned for Yehoshua that he would be protected from such rationalizations that would make him believe that it was a mitzva to speak badly about the land[5]! Similarly, Kalev prayed that he should maintain the clarity that would prevent him from falling into the clutches of the yetser hara.
We have seen that there are two ways in which a person can come to sin; either by knowingly sinning or by being duped by the yetser hara that he is not sinning at all. It seems that by far the more prevalent challenge is posed by the threat of being tricked into thinking that one is not sinning at all. The Nefesh HaChaim writes that a lack of clarity as to whether we are doing a mitzva or aveiro originates with the chet of Adam Harishon. Before the sin, Adam had total clarity as to what was good and evil, in his eyes, committing an aveira was as clearly damaging as putting one’s hand in fire. When he ate from the tree of knowledge of tov ve’ra he brought into himself a mix of good and evil. The consequence of this was that he lost that great clarity about the nature of evil, to the point that now, his yetser hara could now confuse him as to what is right and wrong. This is also the meaning behind that Gemara that states that when a person commits the same sin twice it becomes permissible in his eyes. Rav Yisroel Salanter was said to have commented that when he commits the sin a third time it becomes a mitzva in his eyes!
We have noted in the past the observation of the Baal HaTania that pertains to this point. He writes that if one were to offer a Torah observant Jew money to blatantly commit a sin, he will not do so because he intellectually understands that the spiritual damage done by the sin will outweigh any material gain. And yet a person sins without any monetary gain because he convinces himself that he is not actually sinning.
We learn from the explanation of the Ben Ish Chai that, with regard to the challenge of being tricked by the yetser hara, tefilla is a highly beneficial and necessary weapon. The yetser hara is constantly striving to deceive us into sinning and we must maintain a constant vigilance of being caught in the trap of rationalizations. As well as a consistent method of cheshbon hanefesh, the key tool to gaining clarity is to daven that Hashem help us open our eyes and enable us to follow the true path of Avodas Hashem.
[1] Shelach, 13:16.
[2] Rashi, 13:22.
[3] Ben Yehoyada, Sotah, 34b.
[4] Shelach, ibid. He is one of the main super-commentaries on Rashi.
[5] There are numerous other explanations as to the reasoning of the spies in speaking badly about the land (see Ramban and Sfas Emes) but it seems clear that whatever their reasoning they did somehow justify their actions and believe that they were not committing an aveiro.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
UNDERSTANDING THE SINS IN THE DESERT
BEHAALOSECHA - UNDERSTANDING THE SINS IN THE DESERT By Yehonasan Gefen
Parshas Behaalosecha begins with the Jewish people on the threshold of entering Eretz Yisrael but ends with a series of aveiros that culminates with the sin of the spies and the decree to spend forty years in the desert. Included in the sins that Klal Yisrael committed in this Parsha are their over-eagerness to leave Mount Sinai after learning Torah there for nearly one year[1] and the sin of ’basar taiva’ ('meat of lust), where they complained about the manna and demanded to be given meat instead. Taken on a superficial level, these sins paint a very critical picture of the actions of the Jewish people. They are portrayed as lustful people, desirous of base physical pleasures who did not appreciate the deeper satisfaction offered by learning Torah at Har Sinai and the spiritual benefits of eating manna from heaven.
This cannot in truth be the case, for it is clear that the Jewish people were clearly on a very high spiritual level. They had experienced numerous miracles throughout Yetsias Mitzrayim and had recently heard Hashem directly communicate with them. Based on this, it is impossible to understand the events in the parsha on a superficial level. As in all the aveiros enumerated in the Torah, it is clear that there must have been understandable reasons guiding the people’s behavior, and their actual sin was very subtle.
The Toras Avraham zt”l answers these problems. He explains that the Jewish people had been living a lifestyle that was beyond the laws of nature. They did not eat regular food, they did not need to involve themselves in domestic chores such as washing clothes, there was no need for them to farm the land, and they were constantly witnessing open miracles. This is not generally the way of life Hashem confers on human beings - we are supposed to live in the world of nature and physicality and strive to elevate the physical world by using it for spiritual motives. Hashem does not want us to be like Malachim (angels) who are free of the tests that befall man, rather He wants us to use our free will to pass these tests and thereby earn our relationship with Him. However, Hashem, in His wisdom, ‘decided’ that it was necessary for the generation of the desert to live a life that was indeed similar to that of the Malachim. They needed that time of pure spirituality in order to prepare themselves for their future life of living within the laws of nature. This would enable them, at a later point in time, to be involved in the physical world and yet remain connected to the purpose of connecting to Hashem.
The seeming ‘downside’ of this situation is that whilst they were living a supernatural lifestyle they were not subject to the tests and subsequent opportunities of developing a relationship to Hashem by overcoming the yetser hara. Rather they were spoon fed a relationship with Him without having earned it. This is the background leading up to the events of this week’s Parsha. After having spent nearly a year immersed in pure spirituality, they felt that they were now ready to reenter the physical world. Their motivation was essentially leshem shayamim (for altruistic reasons); they wanted to apply all the spirituality that they had absorbed at Har Sinai to enable them to elevate the physical world. This is the reason for their eagerness to leave Har Sinai, it was not motivated by a childish desire to ’escape’, rather a yearning to live a life where they could elevate the physical world. This also helps us understand why they rejected the manna and desired to eat meat. The manna epitomized a supernatural lifestyle and they felt ready to leave that temporary state and begin an existence where they ate normal food and live a life within the laws of nature. This, they felt, would enable them to get closer to Hashem because they would be faced with all the tests that accompany a physical existence.
We have now developed a far more sophisticated understanding of the sins of the Jewish people in the desert. Nonetheless they were severely punished for their actions indicating that there must have been a subtle flaw in their reasoning. The Toras Avraham explains that the time for them to return to a normal existence had not yet arrived. They still needed a little more time of living in a supernatural fashion in order to sufficiently prepare them for the challenges that would await them. Their desire to leave was a little premature and consequently had Hashem fulfilled it at that time, then the consequences would have been grave because they would not have been able to pass the tests that they would face. Moreover, it seems that their punishment was particularly severe because they should not have made their own calculations as to when they were ready to leave the supernatural existence, rather they should have trusted Hashem’s judgement[2].
The Toras Avraham derives two vital lessons from his explanation of the sins in the desert. Firstly, that we need a time of spiritual preparation where we are sheltered from the numerous challenges that characterize the ‘outside world’, and it is essential that we do not leave this situation prematurely because to do so means to place ourselves with challenges that we are not yet on the level to overcome. Secondly, he writes that we also learn that there is a point in time where we must, in some fashion, leave that spiritual ‘bubble’ and enter the physical world of challenges. Hashem does not want us to permanently live like Malachim, He wants us to elevate the physical world and thereby attain true closeness to him.
These lessons vary greatly according to each person but the general principles seem to apply to everyone. We do not have the opportunity to live a supernatural life like the generation of the desert, however, the modern day equivalent is time spent focusing on spiritual growth where one is shielded from the numerous distractions of daily life. This is commonly represented by time spent in yeshiva or seminary where a person can focus on building himself spiritually without having to be overly burdened by physical concerns. It is highly recommended for anyone who has the opportunity to spend a certain amount of time (there is no ‘correct’ length of time) in yeshiva or seminary to do so. A person can grow more in a relatively short time in this spiritual haven than years of trying to learn and grow whilst simultaneously be in involved the in the daily challenges of life. For those that do not have this opportunity or whom have already passed that phase in life, the message of the Toras Avraham is still relevant. The time spent in the Beis Hamidrash or shul represents a microcosm of that time of spiritual preparation. It is stressed by Rabbanim that in this time it is essential that a person shut himself off from his outside life and devote himself totally to his spiritual pursuits in this time each day. For example, it is advised that we should turn off our mobile phones whilst learning and davenning so that we cannot be sidetracked by our daily business.
The second lesson of the Toras Avraham is also relevant to our lifestyle. In some form there is a time when everyone is required to leave the hallowed existence of pure spirituality. This does not necessarily mean stopping learning or teaching Torah full-time, it can manifest itself in the form of getting married and having children. These stages in life invariably require a person to involve himself in less obvious spiritual pursuits such as running the finances of a family, feeding children and reading bedtime stories. However, since Hashem requires us to enter these phases in life it is clear that they represent a key part of our Avodas Hashem. For other people, this phase may require them to enter into the world of work where they face new challenges accompanied by new opportunities for growth that were not attainable in yeshiva. Examples of this include the test of being honest in business and maintaining appropriate levels of tznius.
However these lessons manifest themselves, the lessons of the Toras Avraham are clear. May we be zocheh to apply them correctly to our lives.
[1] Chazal say that they left Har Sinai with a similar attitude to a child who runs away from school!
[2] Indeed this seems to be the common theme behind all the sins of great people that are discussed in the Torah. They have seemingly understandable motivations but the problem is that they invariably involve going against Hashem’s command in some fashion. (examples of this include the chet of Adam HaRishon, the Chet Haegel and the Meraglim.
Parshas Behaalosecha begins with the Jewish people on the threshold of entering Eretz Yisrael but ends with a series of aveiros that culminates with the sin of the spies and the decree to spend forty years in the desert. Included in the sins that Klal Yisrael committed in this Parsha are their over-eagerness to leave Mount Sinai after learning Torah there for nearly one year[1] and the sin of ’basar taiva’ ('meat of lust), where they complained about the manna and demanded to be given meat instead. Taken on a superficial level, these sins paint a very critical picture of the actions of the Jewish people. They are portrayed as lustful people, desirous of base physical pleasures who did not appreciate the deeper satisfaction offered by learning Torah at Har Sinai and the spiritual benefits of eating manna from heaven.
This cannot in truth be the case, for it is clear that the Jewish people were clearly on a very high spiritual level. They had experienced numerous miracles throughout Yetsias Mitzrayim and had recently heard Hashem directly communicate with them. Based on this, it is impossible to understand the events in the parsha on a superficial level. As in all the aveiros enumerated in the Torah, it is clear that there must have been understandable reasons guiding the people’s behavior, and their actual sin was very subtle.
The Toras Avraham zt”l answers these problems. He explains that the Jewish people had been living a lifestyle that was beyond the laws of nature. They did not eat regular food, they did not need to involve themselves in domestic chores such as washing clothes, there was no need for them to farm the land, and they were constantly witnessing open miracles. This is not generally the way of life Hashem confers on human beings - we are supposed to live in the world of nature and physicality and strive to elevate the physical world by using it for spiritual motives. Hashem does not want us to be like Malachim (angels) who are free of the tests that befall man, rather He wants us to use our free will to pass these tests and thereby earn our relationship with Him. However, Hashem, in His wisdom, ‘decided’ that it was necessary for the generation of the desert to live a life that was indeed similar to that of the Malachim. They needed that time of pure spirituality in order to prepare themselves for their future life of living within the laws of nature. This would enable them, at a later point in time, to be involved in the physical world and yet remain connected to the purpose of connecting to Hashem.
The seeming ‘downside’ of this situation is that whilst they were living a supernatural lifestyle they were not subject to the tests and subsequent opportunities of developing a relationship to Hashem by overcoming the yetser hara. Rather they were spoon fed a relationship with Him without having earned it. This is the background leading up to the events of this week’s Parsha. After having spent nearly a year immersed in pure spirituality, they felt that they were now ready to reenter the physical world. Their motivation was essentially leshem shayamim (for altruistic reasons); they wanted to apply all the spirituality that they had absorbed at Har Sinai to enable them to elevate the physical world. This is the reason for their eagerness to leave Har Sinai, it was not motivated by a childish desire to ’escape’, rather a yearning to live a life where they could elevate the physical world. This also helps us understand why they rejected the manna and desired to eat meat. The manna epitomized a supernatural lifestyle and they felt ready to leave that temporary state and begin an existence where they ate normal food and live a life within the laws of nature. This, they felt, would enable them to get closer to Hashem because they would be faced with all the tests that accompany a physical existence.
We have now developed a far more sophisticated understanding of the sins of the Jewish people in the desert. Nonetheless they were severely punished for their actions indicating that there must have been a subtle flaw in their reasoning. The Toras Avraham explains that the time for them to return to a normal existence had not yet arrived. They still needed a little more time of living in a supernatural fashion in order to sufficiently prepare them for the challenges that would await them. Their desire to leave was a little premature and consequently had Hashem fulfilled it at that time, then the consequences would have been grave because they would not have been able to pass the tests that they would face. Moreover, it seems that their punishment was particularly severe because they should not have made their own calculations as to when they were ready to leave the supernatural existence, rather they should have trusted Hashem’s judgement[2].
The Toras Avraham derives two vital lessons from his explanation of the sins in the desert. Firstly, that we need a time of spiritual preparation where we are sheltered from the numerous challenges that characterize the ‘outside world’, and it is essential that we do not leave this situation prematurely because to do so means to place ourselves with challenges that we are not yet on the level to overcome. Secondly, he writes that we also learn that there is a point in time where we must, in some fashion, leave that spiritual ‘bubble’ and enter the physical world of challenges. Hashem does not want us to permanently live like Malachim, He wants us to elevate the physical world and thereby attain true closeness to him.
These lessons vary greatly according to each person but the general principles seem to apply to everyone. We do not have the opportunity to live a supernatural life like the generation of the desert, however, the modern day equivalent is time spent focusing on spiritual growth where one is shielded from the numerous distractions of daily life. This is commonly represented by time spent in yeshiva or seminary where a person can focus on building himself spiritually without having to be overly burdened by physical concerns. It is highly recommended for anyone who has the opportunity to spend a certain amount of time (there is no ‘correct’ length of time) in yeshiva or seminary to do so. A person can grow more in a relatively short time in this spiritual haven than years of trying to learn and grow whilst simultaneously be in involved the in the daily challenges of life. For those that do not have this opportunity or whom have already passed that phase in life, the message of the Toras Avraham is still relevant. The time spent in the Beis Hamidrash or shul represents a microcosm of that time of spiritual preparation. It is stressed by Rabbanim that in this time it is essential that a person shut himself off from his outside life and devote himself totally to his spiritual pursuits in this time each day. For example, it is advised that we should turn off our mobile phones whilst learning and davenning so that we cannot be sidetracked by our daily business.
The second lesson of the Toras Avraham is also relevant to our lifestyle. In some form there is a time when everyone is required to leave the hallowed existence of pure spirituality. This does not necessarily mean stopping learning or teaching Torah full-time, it can manifest itself in the form of getting married and having children. These stages in life invariably require a person to involve himself in less obvious spiritual pursuits such as running the finances of a family, feeding children and reading bedtime stories. However, since Hashem requires us to enter these phases in life it is clear that they represent a key part of our Avodas Hashem. For other people, this phase may require them to enter into the world of work where they face new challenges accompanied by new opportunities for growth that were not attainable in yeshiva. Examples of this include the test of being honest in business and maintaining appropriate levels of tznius.
However these lessons manifest themselves, the lessons of the Toras Avraham are clear. May we be zocheh to apply them correctly to our lives.
[1] Chazal say that they left Har Sinai with a similar attitude to a child who runs away from school!
[2] Indeed this seems to be the common theme behind all the sins of great people that are discussed in the Torah. They have seemingly understandable motivations but the problem is that they invariably involve going against Hashem’s command in some fashion. (examples of this include the chet of Adam HaRishon, the Chet Haegel and the Meraglim.
THE KEY TO GREATNESS = BEHAALOSECHA
In the end of the Parsha, Hashem describes Moshe Rabbeinu as the most humble man upon the face of the Earth. According to the Torah’s definition of greatness, Moshe represents the ultimate level a person can reach; he attained the greatest closeness to Hashem humanly possible, learnt the most Torah and was the teacher of all of Klal Yisroel. It is clear that his outstanding humility is directly connected to his greatness. This begs the question; there are numerous good midos such as kindness and honesty so why is it the mida of humility in particular that is the one that enabled him to become so great?
In order to answer this it is instructive to analyse the mida which is the opposite of humility - arrogance. The Gemara in Sota describes Hashem’s hatred for the arrogant person - Hashem says that there is no room for Himself and the arrogant person (baal geiva) to ‘reside together. What does this mean? The baal geiva believes that he does not need Hashem to succeed in life. He feels that his own talents are sufficient and therefore he does not need Hashem’s ‘help’. Accordingly, Hashem responds mida ceneged mida and complies with this attitude - He provides the baal geiva with no siata dishmaya in his endeavors. That is the meaning of the idea that Hashem won’t reside with him. Therefore, he is greatly limited to what he can achieve by his own talents - because he is a mere human being he is limited. He may be intelligent, but his intelligence will only take him to a certain point. After that he is helpless.
The anav has the opposite attitude. He realises that he has talents but that they are G-d given. Accordingly, he acknowledges that anything he strives to do can only be accomplished with Heavenly help (siata dishmaya). This realisation is not limiting, in fact it is incredibly empowering. For once a person recognizes that Hashem provides him with whatever ability is necessary, it becomes obvious that his potential is unlimited because the source for his success is Himself unlimited! If a person is willing to exert the necessary hishtadlus in doing Ratson Hashem then he can achieve success that even transcends the regular laws of nature (derech hateva). This explains why Moshe Rabbeinu’s mida of humility enabled him to reach such incredible heights. He realised that anything he tried to do was only through the power given to him by Hashem. This recognition removed any limitations on what he could do, and as we see many times in the Torah he attained supernatural achievements.[1]
In Parshas Vayakhel The Ramban describes an example of how humility - the recognition that Hashem is the source of all our strengths - can enable ordinary people to achieve great things. The Torah, in discussing the building of the Mishkan, tells us that “every man whose heart inspired him came.” The Ramban explains that this refers to the people who came to do the skilled work such as sewing, weaving and building. But there is a difficulty with this explanation - the Jews in Mitzrayim had no opportunity to learn skilled activities such as these so how did these people suddenly possess the ability to do them?! He answers that “their hearts were raised in the ways of Hashem” to the degree that they found in their nature the ability to do things that they had never learnt how to do.[2] They realised that Hashem is the source of all our ability and consequently they were able to achieve the impossible.
Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz zt”l develops this theme even further.[3] He quotes the passuk in Mishlei, “Go to the ant, you lazy one, see its ways and become wise.”[4] The Medrash explains what we are supposed to learn from the ant: “This ant only lives six months and all it needs to eat [it’s whole life] is one and a half kernels of wheat, and it goes and gathers all the wheat and barley that it can find… and why does it do this? Because it says to itself, ‘perhaps Hashem will decree for me life and this food will be ready for me to eat’. Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai said that he once saw an ant’s hole in which there was 300 Cor of grain, therefore Shlomo Hamelech said ‘go to the ant, lazy one’, you too should prepare for yourself mitzvos from Olam Hazeh for Olam Haba.”[5]
Rav Shmuelevitz notes that the ant gathers 300 Cor based on the distant possibility that he may live long enough to eat it - this, he writes, “would be a miracle without comparison, because in six months he eats one and a half kernels, if so to eat 300 Cor he would need to live hundreds of thousands of years! Such a miracle has never occurred in the history of the world… nevertheless the ant works hard to do this. In the same way, man is obligated to work and prepare himself in Olam Hazeh for Olam Haba, and if he does not do so - does not work according to the remotest possibility of a miracle, then he is considered lazy!” He then explains that this is the explanation of the Tana d’bey Eliyahu[6] that everyone is obligated to ask himself when he will reach the level of the Avos. “All one’s behavior and actions must be directed at reaching the level of the actions of the Holy Avos. Even though the distance is extremely far, much farther than the 300 Cor for the ant, and b’derech hateva it is impossible to reach it, nevertheless man is obligated to strive to do whatever he can to attain it.” He continues that such ambitious goals can indeed be attained but only through siata dishmaya. Indeed he points out that our ability to ever conquer the yetser hara is only possible due to Hashem’s help, as stated in the Gemara that “if not for Hashem’s help we cannot defeat the yetser hara.”[7]
Thus we have seen that humility, the recognition that we can only achieve anything in life with Hashem’s help, is the key to greatness. Once we tap into this unlimited source then we can reach incredible heights. Of course, the level which Moshe Rabbeinu achieved seems very distant, however we could all find instances in our lives where it was clear that the siata dishmaya was the cause of our success. If we can access the feeling that we experience on those occasions then we can quite easily recognize that Hashem is the source of all our abilities.
Thus we have seen how humility should be the catalyst to inspire us to strive to achieve great things. However, it is important to be aware that there is a negative side to humility. Rav Moshe Feinstein zt”l addresses a common tendency of people to underestimate themselves by claiming that they are greatly limited in their talents and that they can never achieve greatness. He writes that this kind of humility is the atsas yetser hara.[8] Indeed, according to what we have seen thus far, this attitude is exactly the opposite of genuine humility; Genuine humility empowers a person, whilst this false humility only serves to inhibit him. It seems that this attitude actually derives from a different negative trait - laziness, which is really a manifestation of the desire for comfort. It is not easy to achieve greatness; it requires great effort and the willingness to face setbacks and even failure. This is difficult, therefore it is very tempting for a person to ‘write himself off’ and thereby exempt himself from even trying - this is certainly the more 'comfortable' option. However, we must be very weary that Hashem has far higher expectations of us and that we will be judged according to that measure. Moreover, if we do overcome this initial reluctance to try then we can experience the great feeling of actually making an effort to do something that can help many people - this is a far deeper pleasure than that of comfort.
How much can a person achieve when he plugs into Hashem’s unlimited power? When one visits the home of a Rabbi in Aish Hatorah it is very likely that he will see a photo of Rav Shach zt”l with a statement underneath it: About 30 years ago, he visited Aish HaTorah and spoke there. He was struck by the remarkable number of baalei teshuva that were standing in front of him. He suddenly decided to speak in the Beis Medrash - he discussed the concept that however powerful the forces for evil can be, the forces for Good must be greater. Based on this he made a remarkable statement: “if one man can kill six million Jews, then it must be that one man can save six million Jews.” This is the statement that accompanies the picture of Rav Shach - this is a lesson that we should never forget. Hashem is infinitely more powerful than the most powerful reshaim. If we only tap into His power then we can genuinely strive to reach Rav Shach’s vision.
[1] For example his ability to go 40 days and nights without food or drink whilst receiving the Torah at Har Sinai.
[2] Vayakhel, 35:21. See Daas Torah, Parshas Vayakhle-Pekudey of Rav Yerucham Levovitz zt”l for his discussion of this Ramban.
[3] Sichos Mussar, Parshas Emor, Maamer 67.
[4] Mishlei, 6:6.
[5] Devarim Rabbah 85:2.
[6] Ch.25.
[7] Kiddushin 30b.
[8] Darash Moshe, Parshas Nitzavim.
In order to answer this it is instructive to analyse the mida which is the opposite of humility - arrogance. The Gemara in Sota describes Hashem’s hatred for the arrogant person - Hashem says that there is no room for Himself and the arrogant person (baal geiva) to ‘reside together. What does this mean? The baal geiva believes that he does not need Hashem to succeed in life. He feels that his own talents are sufficient and therefore he does not need Hashem’s ‘help’. Accordingly, Hashem responds mida ceneged mida and complies with this attitude - He provides the baal geiva with no siata dishmaya in his endeavors. That is the meaning of the idea that Hashem won’t reside with him. Therefore, he is greatly limited to what he can achieve by his own talents - because he is a mere human being he is limited. He may be intelligent, but his intelligence will only take him to a certain point. After that he is helpless.
The anav has the opposite attitude. He realises that he has talents but that they are G-d given. Accordingly, he acknowledges that anything he strives to do can only be accomplished with Heavenly help (siata dishmaya). This realisation is not limiting, in fact it is incredibly empowering. For once a person recognizes that Hashem provides him with whatever ability is necessary, it becomes obvious that his potential is unlimited because the source for his success is Himself unlimited! If a person is willing to exert the necessary hishtadlus in doing Ratson Hashem then he can achieve success that even transcends the regular laws of nature (derech hateva). This explains why Moshe Rabbeinu’s mida of humility enabled him to reach such incredible heights. He realised that anything he tried to do was only through the power given to him by Hashem. This recognition removed any limitations on what he could do, and as we see many times in the Torah he attained supernatural achievements.[1]
In Parshas Vayakhel The Ramban describes an example of how humility - the recognition that Hashem is the source of all our strengths - can enable ordinary people to achieve great things. The Torah, in discussing the building of the Mishkan, tells us that “every man whose heart inspired him came.” The Ramban explains that this refers to the people who came to do the skilled work such as sewing, weaving and building. But there is a difficulty with this explanation - the Jews in Mitzrayim had no opportunity to learn skilled activities such as these so how did these people suddenly possess the ability to do them?! He answers that “their hearts were raised in the ways of Hashem” to the degree that they found in their nature the ability to do things that they had never learnt how to do.[2] They realised that Hashem is the source of all our ability and consequently they were able to achieve the impossible.
Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz zt”l develops this theme even further.[3] He quotes the passuk in Mishlei, “Go to the ant, you lazy one, see its ways and become wise.”[4] The Medrash explains what we are supposed to learn from the ant: “This ant only lives six months and all it needs to eat [it’s whole life] is one and a half kernels of wheat, and it goes and gathers all the wheat and barley that it can find… and why does it do this? Because it says to itself, ‘perhaps Hashem will decree for me life and this food will be ready for me to eat’. Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai said that he once saw an ant’s hole in which there was 300 Cor of grain, therefore Shlomo Hamelech said ‘go to the ant, lazy one’, you too should prepare for yourself mitzvos from Olam Hazeh for Olam Haba.”[5]
Rav Shmuelevitz notes that the ant gathers 300 Cor based on the distant possibility that he may live long enough to eat it - this, he writes, “would be a miracle without comparison, because in six months he eats one and a half kernels, if so to eat 300 Cor he would need to live hundreds of thousands of years! Such a miracle has never occurred in the history of the world… nevertheless the ant works hard to do this. In the same way, man is obligated to work and prepare himself in Olam Hazeh for Olam Haba, and if he does not do so - does not work according to the remotest possibility of a miracle, then he is considered lazy!” He then explains that this is the explanation of the Tana d’bey Eliyahu[6] that everyone is obligated to ask himself when he will reach the level of the Avos. “All one’s behavior and actions must be directed at reaching the level of the actions of the Holy Avos. Even though the distance is extremely far, much farther than the 300 Cor for the ant, and b’derech hateva it is impossible to reach it, nevertheless man is obligated to strive to do whatever he can to attain it.” He continues that such ambitious goals can indeed be attained but only through siata dishmaya. Indeed he points out that our ability to ever conquer the yetser hara is only possible due to Hashem’s help, as stated in the Gemara that “if not for Hashem’s help we cannot defeat the yetser hara.”[7]
Thus we have seen that humility, the recognition that we can only achieve anything in life with Hashem’s help, is the key to greatness. Once we tap into this unlimited source then we can reach incredible heights. Of course, the level which Moshe Rabbeinu achieved seems very distant, however we could all find instances in our lives where it was clear that the siata dishmaya was the cause of our success. If we can access the feeling that we experience on those occasions then we can quite easily recognize that Hashem is the source of all our abilities.
Thus we have seen how humility should be the catalyst to inspire us to strive to achieve great things. However, it is important to be aware that there is a negative side to humility. Rav Moshe Feinstein zt”l addresses a common tendency of people to underestimate themselves by claiming that they are greatly limited in their talents and that they can never achieve greatness. He writes that this kind of humility is the atsas yetser hara.[8] Indeed, according to what we have seen thus far, this attitude is exactly the opposite of genuine humility; Genuine humility empowers a person, whilst this false humility only serves to inhibit him. It seems that this attitude actually derives from a different negative trait - laziness, which is really a manifestation of the desire for comfort. It is not easy to achieve greatness; it requires great effort and the willingness to face setbacks and even failure. This is difficult, therefore it is very tempting for a person to ‘write himself off’ and thereby exempt himself from even trying - this is certainly the more 'comfortable' option. However, we must be very weary that Hashem has far higher expectations of us and that we will be judged according to that measure. Moreover, if we do overcome this initial reluctance to try then we can experience the great feeling of actually making an effort to do something that can help many people - this is a far deeper pleasure than that of comfort.
How much can a person achieve when he plugs into Hashem’s unlimited power? When one visits the home of a Rabbi in Aish Hatorah it is very likely that he will see a photo of Rav Shach zt”l with a statement underneath it: About 30 years ago, he visited Aish HaTorah and spoke there. He was struck by the remarkable number of baalei teshuva that were standing in front of him. He suddenly decided to speak in the Beis Medrash - he discussed the concept that however powerful the forces for evil can be, the forces for Good must be greater. Based on this he made a remarkable statement: “if one man can kill six million Jews, then it must be that one man can save six million Jews.” This is the statement that accompanies the picture of Rav Shach - this is a lesson that we should never forget. Hashem is infinitely more powerful than the most powerful reshaim. If we only tap into His power then we can genuinely strive to reach Rav Shach’s vision.
[1] For example his ability to go 40 days and nights without food or drink whilst receiving the Torah at Har Sinai.
[2] Vayakhel, 35:21. See Daas Torah, Parshas Vayakhle-Pekudey of Rav Yerucham Levovitz zt”l for his discussion of this Ramban.
[3] Sichos Mussar, Parshas Emor, Maamer 67.
[4] Mishlei, 6:6.
[5] Devarim Rabbah 85:2.
[6] Ch.25.
[7] Kiddushin 30b.
[8] Darash Moshe, Parshas Nitzavim.
Monday, May 17, 2010
DEFINING TALMUD TORAH - SHAVUOS
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Shavuos is a time of appreciation for the Giving of the Torah; where we demonstrate our love for Torah by spending the whole night immersed in the greatest Mitzvo, that of Talmud Torah. As we approach this holy day it is instructive to make sure that we develop an accurate understanding of what the Mitzvo of Talmud Torah entails. A person may believe that by learning Torah in great depth he fulfills the Mitzvo in its entirety, however, on closer analysis it seems that there is another aspect to this Mitzvo that can be overlooked. In Sefer HaMitzvos, the Rambam defines the Mitzvo in the following way: "He commanded us to learn Torah and teach it, this is what is called Talmud Torah, as it says, 'and you shall teach it to your children'; and it is written in the Sifri, 'your children, these are students..[1]" It is evident from the Rambam that a proper kiyum of the Mitzvo of Talmud Torah involves teaching Torah as well as learning it.
There are many sources in Chazal which emphasize the importance of teaching Torah. One of the most striking is the Gemara in Sanhedrin which speaks extremely harshly about one who learns but does not teach. In Parshas Shelach the Torah, in describing one who worships idols, says that "he disgraced the word of Hashem." The Gemara ascribes this degrading description to a number of hanhagos, including learning and not teaching; "Rebbe Meir says; one who learns Torah and does not teach it is included in the category of, 'for he disgraced the word of Hashem'[2]." It is very difficult to understand why learning and not teaching can be placed in the same category as truly terrible sins such as denying that the Torah is from Hashem[3]! The Ben Ish Chai zt"l explains that the Torah is eternal and is intended to be passed on through all the generations. However, "one who learns for himself and doesn't strive to give over his learning to his fellow, damages in a mida mesuyemes, the eternal nature of the Torah.[4]" Similarly, the Maharal explains the Gemara that Kavod HaTorah is greatly enhanced when one spreads the word of Hashem to others, One who does not do so prevents Torah from being learnt by others, therefore, he disgraces the word of Hashem because through his inaction he hinders the enhancement of Kavod Hashem[5].
Other sources in Chazal indicate that teaching Torah is a fundamental part of each person's Avodas Hashem: The Gemara in Rosh Hashana 23b says that one who learns and does not teach is like a myrtle tree in the desert. The Maharal explains that the myrtle is the most pleasant smelling tree and it is in the world for people to benefit from its pleasant smell. A myrtle that is in the desert does not fulfill its purpose because no-one can benefit from it. So too, Torah is there to be taught over to others and one who does not do so cannot fulfill his purpose in life. He writes: “The main aspect of the Torah is wisdom that by its very nature is there to teach others and if it is not taught over then it is a waste, because the essence of wisdom is to be given over to everyone.”[6]
Similarly, the Mishna in Pirkei Avos states: “If you have learnt much Torah, ‘al tachzik tova’ to yourself, because that is why you were created.”[7] The simple understanding of this Mishna is that a person should not be proud of his achievements in Talmud Torah because learning Torah is his purpose in life. However, many commentaries suggest a different explanation. They explain the Mishna to mean that if a person has learnt much Torah he should not keep its goodness for himself, rather he should teach it to others - why? Because his purpose in creation is to learn and teach.”[8]
Accordingly, numerous Gedolim have instructed Bnei Torah to devote some of their time to teaching those less learned than themselves, especially in light of the spiritual churban that has engulfed Klal Yisroel for decades[9]. Rav Moshe Feinstein zt”l issued a ‘call to action’ to yeshiva students in 1973.[10] He cites how Moshe Rabbeinu was initially unwilling to lead the Jewish people, but that when it became clear that there was no-one else capable of the task, he undertook it with great vigour. Rav Moshe writes, “As Moshe responded to the voice of authority when it told him that he must, because there was no-one else, so too must our yeshiva students …. there are no others who are qualified for the task. Under such circumstances, Torah study must also be interrupted.”[11] He concludes that “as in charity, where one has an obligation to give a tenth of his income to the poor, so must one spend one tenth of his time working on behalf of others, bringing them close to Torah. If one is endowed with greater resources, he must correspondingly spend more of his time with others.”[12]
Many other Gedolim have issued similar ‘calls to action’. In Eretz Yisroel, Rav Wolbe zt”l exhorted avreichim to devote one night every week to visit the homes of secular families and show them the beauty of Torah and Yiddishkeit. Our present-day Gedolim are not the first to instruct benay Torah to devote some time to helping the ruchnius of other Jews. The Chofetz Chaim zt“l[13] and the Alter of Novardok zt”l[14] wrote extensively on these matters, using very strong language to stress the urgency of the situation and the need for significant contributions of time and effort.
Rav Isser Zalman Meltzer zt”l demanded that yeshiva bochrim commit to at least two weeks in the course of the year to helping save the Sefardic Jews from the attempts of the Zionists to secularize them. He promised them that their own learning would not be harmed as a consequence. “It was impossible that those who devoted themselves to the Torah learning of others would lose their own as a consequence.”[15] One may think that it is improper or unnecessary for learned people to teach beginners - perhaps those who are less learned should do this whilst the more advanced should focus on their own learning or high level teaching. The Chazon Ish was once asked such a question: was it appropriate for talmidei chachamim to teach basically unlearned Jews Chumash and Mishna. He replied that it was not only permissible but an obligation of ‘learning for the purpose of teaching.” As a consequence of this psak many distinguished kollel scholars would travel to different settlements in Israel to teach secularized Sefardic Jews.
There are many ways in which a person can share his Torah with others; he (or she) can strive to develop chavrusas (study partners) with people on a lower level of learning. There are numerous outreach organizations[16], Yeshivas, shuls etc who are in need of people to take out a short time from their schedule in order to teach those less learned than themselves. A mere phone call to one of these organizations may be all the effort necessary to find a suitable chavrusa. Moreover, one need not restrict himself to teaching people face to face; with the added technology available now, one can easily learn with someone in another country on the phone or other mediums. Furthermore, the written medium is another effective way of teaching many people at the same time by writing a short Dvar Torah on the Parsha or some other topic. It is also important to note that teaching Torah need not be limited to formal settings - there are countless opportunities to share Torah wisdom with others in one's daily interactions in life, whether it be with colleagues at work, with the taxi driver, or with friends.
Another aspect of this lesson is the importance of passing on to our children the correct attitude to Torah learning. Rav Wolbe zt”l expressed his views on educating our children in their attitude to learning Torah. “I think that we must teach this to youngsters already from the time that they enter into yeshiva katana. Immediately in the first year, we must say to them that they are intrinsically connected to Klal Yisroel, and that they are obligated to give over to Klal Yisroel all the Torah that they will learn in yeshiva katana and yeshiva gedola. This is their avoda - not just to think about themselves. One must know that he must give over his Torah to Klal Yisroel.’[17] It is clear that Rav Wolbe believed that approaching our learning with a recognition that we must also teach is not just a maaleh, rather it is a prerequisite to our relationship with Torah.
As we approach Zman Matan Toraseinu, it is worthwhile to remember that Hashem does not simply want us to learn Torah for ourselves, rather He wants Torah to be learned by everyone. May we arrive at the day when every Jew l
[1] Sefer HaMitzvos, Mitzvo 11. Aslo see Ramban in Hilchos Talmud Torah, First Perek where he defines Talmud Torah in a similar fashion.
[2] Sanhedrin, 99a.
[3] See the Gemara for the other sins included in this derogatory passuk.
[4] Binyahu, Sanhedrin, 99a.
[5] In Jewish thought, passivity from doing good is considered doing bad.
[6] Maharal: Chiddushei Aggados 23b. Also see Nesiv Torah Ch.8 for a lengthier discussion of this inyan.
[7] Avos, 2:9.
[8] Avos, 2:9: Medrash Shmuel. See Medrash David, Lev Eliyahu, Parshas Tazria-Metzora for an identical explanation. It was also heard from R.Zev Leff Shlita in the name of the Klausenberger Rebbe zt”l.
[9] We all have a vague, intellectual awareness that things are not as they should be but how bad is it? The intermarriage rate in USA in 1950 was 6%, by 1990 it was 52% and rising. 2 million Jews of Jewish origin do not identify themselves as Jews. 2 million self-identified Jews have no Jewish connection whatsoever. For every wedding between two Jews, two intermarriages take place. 625,000 US Jews are now practicing other religions. 11% of US Jews go to shul#. Every day dozens of intermarriages take place which means that in the time it took you to read this, some Jews were lost forever. These statistics make the situation a little more real to us but it is still far from our hearts.
[10] Jewish Observer June 1973, quoted in ‘The Eye of a Needle’, p.227-233
[11] ibid. p.230
[12] ibid. p.232. Also see Igros Moshe, Even HaEzer, 4th Chelek, Simun 26 where he paskens that a Talmid Chacham must give over one tenth of his time to teaching.
[13] Chizuk Hadas and Chomas Hadas are fully devoted to this topic.
[14] Madreigos Haodom, maamer ‘Mezakeh harabim’.
[15] Direct quote from the Artscroll biography of Rav Dessler, p.327.
[16] Such as Lev L'Achim, Arachim and Acheinu, all who are in desperate need for Bnei Torah to give a small portion of their time to help save secular Jews. (If anyone is interested in looking into these avenues, speak to me and I'll try to give you possible contacts).
[17] Parsha Shiur: Parshas Bereishis.
Shavuos is a time of appreciation for the Giving of the Torah; where we demonstrate our love for Torah by spending the whole night immersed in the greatest Mitzvo, that of Talmud Torah. As we approach this holy day it is instructive to make sure that we develop an accurate understanding of what the Mitzvo of Talmud Torah entails. A person may believe that by learning Torah in great depth he fulfills the Mitzvo in its entirety, however, on closer analysis it seems that there is another aspect to this Mitzvo that can be overlooked. In Sefer HaMitzvos, the Rambam defines the Mitzvo in the following way: "He commanded us to learn Torah and teach it, this is what is called Talmud Torah, as it says, 'and you shall teach it to your children'; and it is written in the Sifri, 'your children, these are students..[1]" It is evident from the Rambam that a proper kiyum of the Mitzvo of Talmud Torah involves teaching Torah as well as learning it.
There are many sources in Chazal which emphasize the importance of teaching Torah. One of the most striking is the Gemara in Sanhedrin which speaks extremely harshly about one who learns but does not teach. In Parshas Shelach the Torah, in describing one who worships idols, says that "he disgraced the word of Hashem." The Gemara ascribes this degrading description to a number of hanhagos, including learning and not teaching; "Rebbe Meir says; one who learns Torah and does not teach it is included in the category of, 'for he disgraced the word of Hashem'[2]." It is very difficult to understand why learning and not teaching can be placed in the same category as truly terrible sins such as denying that the Torah is from Hashem[3]! The Ben Ish Chai zt"l explains that the Torah is eternal and is intended to be passed on through all the generations. However, "one who learns for himself and doesn't strive to give over his learning to his fellow, damages in a mida mesuyemes, the eternal nature of the Torah.[4]" Similarly, the Maharal explains the Gemara that Kavod HaTorah is greatly enhanced when one spreads the word of Hashem to others, One who does not do so prevents Torah from being learnt by others, therefore, he disgraces the word of Hashem because through his inaction he hinders the enhancement of Kavod Hashem[5].
Other sources in Chazal indicate that teaching Torah is a fundamental part of each person's Avodas Hashem: The Gemara in Rosh Hashana 23b says that one who learns and does not teach is like a myrtle tree in the desert. The Maharal explains that the myrtle is the most pleasant smelling tree and it is in the world for people to benefit from its pleasant smell. A myrtle that is in the desert does not fulfill its purpose because no-one can benefit from it. So too, Torah is there to be taught over to others and one who does not do so cannot fulfill his purpose in life. He writes: “The main aspect of the Torah is wisdom that by its very nature is there to teach others and if it is not taught over then it is a waste, because the essence of wisdom is to be given over to everyone.”[6]
Similarly, the Mishna in Pirkei Avos states: “If you have learnt much Torah, ‘al tachzik tova’ to yourself, because that is why you were created.”[7] The simple understanding of this Mishna is that a person should not be proud of his achievements in Talmud Torah because learning Torah is his purpose in life. However, many commentaries suggest a different explanation. They explain the Mishna to mean that if a person has learnt much Torah he should not keep its goodness for himself, rather he should teach it to others - why? Because his purpose in creation is to learn and teach.”[8]
Accordingly, numerous Gedolim have instructed Bnei Torah to devote some of their time to teaching those less learned than themselves, especially in light of the spiritual churban that has engulfed Klal Yisroel for decades[9]. Rav Moshe Feinstein zt”l issued a ‘call to action’ to yeshiva students in 1973.[10] He cites how Moshe Rabbeinu was initially unwilling to lead the Jewish people, but that when it became clear that there was no-one else capable of the task, he undertook it with great vigour. Rav Moshe writes, “As Moshe responded to the voice of authority when it told him that he must, because there was no-one else, so too must our yeshiva students …. there are no others who are qualified for the task. Under such circumstances, Torah study must also be interrupted.”[11] He concludes that “as in charity, where one has an obligation to give a tenth of his income to the poor, so must one spend one tenth of his time working on behalf of others, bringing them close to Torah. If one is endowed with greater resources, he must correspondingly spend more of his time with others.”[12]
Many other Gedolim have issued similar ‘calls to action’. In Eretz Yisroel, Rav Wolbe zt”l exhorted avreichim to devote one night every week to visit the homes of secular families and show them the beauty of Torah and Yiddishkeit. Our present-day Gedolim are not the first to instruct benay Torah to devote some time to helping the ruchnius of other Jews. The Chofetz Chaim zt“l[13] and the Alter of Novardok zt”l[14] wrote extensively on these matters, using very strong language to stress the urgency of the situation and the need for significant contributions of time and effort.
Rav Isser Zalman Meltzer zt”l demanded that yeshiva bochrim commit to at least two weeks in the course of the year to helping save the Sefardic Jews from the attempts of the Zionists to secularize them. He promised them that their own learning would not be harmed as a consequence. “It was impossible that those who devoted themselves to the Torah learning of others would lose their own as a consequence.”[15] One may think that it is improper or unnecessary for learned people to teach beginners - perhaps those who are less learned should do this whilst the more advanced should focus on their own learning or high level teaching. The Chazon Ish was once asked such a question: was it appropriate for talmidei chachamim to teach basically unlearned Jews Chumash and Mishna. He replied that it was not only permissible but an obligation of ‘learning for the purpose of teaching.” As a consequence of this psak many distinguished kollel scholars would travel to different settlements in Israel to teach secularized Sefardic Jews.
There are many ways in which a person can share his Torah with others; he (or she) can strive to develop chavrusas (study partners) with people on a lower level of learning. There are numerous outreach organizations[16], Yeshivas, shuls etc who are in need of people to take out a short time from their schedule in order to teach those less learned than themselves. A mere phone call to one of these organizations may be all the effort necessary to find a suitable chavrusa. Moreover, one need not restrict himself to teaching people face to face; with the added technology available now, one can easily learn with someone in another country on the phone or other mediums. Furthermore, the written medium is another effective way of teaching many people at the same time by writing a short Dvar Torah on the Parsha or some other topic. It is also important to note that teaching Torah need not be limited to formal settings - there are countless opportunities to share Torah wisdom with others in one's daily interactions in life, whether it be with colleagues at work, with the taxi driver, or with friends.
Another aspect of this lesson is the importance of passing on to our children the correct attitude to Torah learning. Rav Wolbe zt”l expressed his views on educating our children in their attitude to learning Torah. “I think that we must teach this to youngsters already from the time that they enter into yeshiva katana. Immediately in the first year, we must say to them that they are intrinsically connected to Klal Yisroel, and that they are obligated to give over to Klal Yisroel all the Torah that they will learn in yeshiva katana and yeshiva gedola. This is their avoda - not just to think about themselves. One must know that he must give over his Torah to Klal Yisroel.’[17] It is clear that Rav Wolbe believed that approaching our learning with a recognition that we must also teach is not just a maaleh, rather it is a prerequisite to our relationship with Torah.
As we approach Zman Matan Toraseinu, it is worthwhile to remember that Hashem does not simply want us to learn Torah for ourselves, rather He wants Torah to be learned by everyone. May we arrive at the day when every Jew l
[1] Sefer HaMitzvos, Mitzvo 11. Aslo see Ramban in Hilchos Talmud Torah, First Perek where he defines Talmud Torah in a similar fashion.
[2] Sanhedrin, 99a.
[3] See the Gemara for the other sins included in this derogatory passuk.
[4] Binyahu, Sanhedrin, 99a.
[5] In Jewish thought, passivity from doing good is considered doing bad.
[6] Maharal: Chiddushei Aggados 23b. Also see Nesiv Torah Ch.8 for a lengthier discussion of this inyan.
[7] Avos, 2:9.
[8] Avos, 2:9: Medrash Shmuel. See Medrash David, Lev Eliyahu, Parshas Tazria-Metzora for an identical explanation. It was also heard from R.Zev Leff Shlita in the name of the Klausenberger Rebbe zt”l.
[9] We all have a vague, intellectual awareness that things are not as they should be but how bad is it? The intermarriage rate in USA in 1950 was 6%, by 1990 it was 52% and rising. 2 million Jews of Jewish origin do not identify themselves as Jews. 2 million self-identified Jews have no Jewish connection whatsoever. For every wedding between two Jews, two intermarriages take place. 625,000 US Jews are now practicing other religions. 11% of US Jews go to shul#. Every day dozens of intermarriages take place which means that in the time it took you to read this, some Jews were lost forever. These statistics make the situation a little more real to us but it is still far from our hearts.
[10] Jewish Observer June 1973, quoted in ‘The Eye of a Needle’, p.227-233
[11] ibid. p.230
[12] ibid. p.232. Also see Igros Moshe, Even HaEzer, 4th Chelek, Simun 26 where he paskens that a Talmid Chacham must give over one tenth of his time to teaching.
[13] Chizuk Hadas and Chomas Hadas are fully devoted to this topic.
[14] Madreigos Haodom, maamer ‘Mezakeh harabim’.
[15] Direct quote from the Artscroll biography of Rav Dessler, p.327.
[16] Such as Lev L'Achim, Arachim and Acheinu, all who are in desperate need for Bnei Torah to give a small portion of their time to help save secular Jews. (If anyone is interested in looking into these avenues, speak to me and I'll try to give you possible contacts).
[17] Parsha Shiur: Parshas Bereishis.
MAKING PEACE BETWEEN BODY AND SOUL - SHAVUOS
The Gemara in Pesachim teaches us a fascinating lesson about Shavuos; the Gemara brings a machlokes (disagreement) between Rebbe Yehoshua and Rebbe Eliezer with regard to how a person should conduct himself on the Yamim Tovim. Rebbe Yehoshua holds that one should devote part of his time to spiritual pursuits, and the rest of his time to physical enjoyment. Rebbe Eliezer argues that it is impossible to be involved in both ruchnius (spirituality) and gashmius (physicality) , rather one must choose to totally focus on one or the other. The implication of Rebbe Eliezer's approach is that one should focus purely on spiritual activities such as learning and praying, to the exclusion of physical pleasures such as eating and drinking. However, the Gemara then points out with regards to Shavuos, even Rebbe Eliezer agrees that one should also involve himself in eating and drinking. The reason given is that this is the day that the Torah was given[1].
The commentaries find great difficulty with this Gemara, in particular they ask why the fact that the Torah was given on Shavuos means that one should eat and drink more. It would have seemed more appropriate that one should totally devote himself to spiritual pursuits on the holy day that the Torah was given. The emphasis of physical enjoyment on Shavuos indicates that there must be some deeper connection between physicality and Shavuos.
The key to understanding this connection is a Gemara in Shabbos: The Gemara tells us that after the Giving of the Torah, Moshe Rabbeinu went up to Shamayim (heaven) in order to learn the entire Torah from Hashem. However, the Malachim (angels) took exception to the appearance of a mere human being in the higher realms. They argued that man is not deserving of the holy Torah because of his lowly physical nature, rather they should be its recipients. Hashem instructed Moshe Rabbeinu to refute their argument. He did so by pointing out numerous aspects and laws of the Torah that are clearly directed at physical beings; for example, the Torah commands that one should not do melacha (forbidden activity) on Shabbos but they do not do any melacha at any time so how is Shabbos relevant to them?!. Hashem and the Malachim themselves accepted this argument[2].
Rav Chaim Friedlander zt"l, discusses at length the interaction between the Malachim and Moshe Rabbeinu. He points out that the Malachim's desire to receive the Torah instead of man is difficult to understand. They were surely aware of the Torah's contents and realized that they were clearly directed at physical beings so how could they hope to receive it themselves?! He explains that the Torah can be understood on many levels, and that the simple understanding that we relate to is just one of many ways of understanding it. Accordingly, the Torah also applies to Malachim on their level of existence; for example there is a spiritual version of refraining from melacha on Shabbos that relates to them, and so is the case with every word in the Torah. The Malachim argued that it should remain in Shamayim where they could learn it on a far deeper level, untainted by Olam HaZeh (this world).
Moshe Rabbeinu understood that this was the Malachim's argument, nevertheless he argued that the Torah was made to be understood and applied on a physical level. He proved this by mentioning numerous Mitzvos that demonstrated that the Torah was deliberately written in such a way that it could be applied by physical beings. The reason for this is that there is a far greater increase of Kavod Shamayim when a human being overcome his physical nature in order to fulfill Ratson Hashem (Hashem's will) than when a purely spiritual being acts according to his nature. Thus, Moshe proved to the Malachim that they could not properly fulfill the Mitzvos in the Torah in such a way that would bring about the most Kavod Shamayim in the world.
This Gemara teaches us of the central nature of the body with regard to receiving the Torah. The fact that human beings are attached to the physical world was the very reason that we merited to receive the Torah. We can now understand the connection between Shavuos and the focus on one's body. Shavuos is the very day that the spiritual world and physical world combined at Har Sinai. On this unique occasion, the purely spiritual Torah was clothed in physical garb in order that we could elevate ourselves through its observance.
We asked why Rebbe Eliezer agrees that on Shavuos we must also provide enjoyment for our bodies. The Beis HaLevi answers that we must show an extra level of gratitude to our bodies because they were the cause of Moshe's victory over the Malachim[3]. We therefore deliberately involve ourselves in physicality. It is possible to add that Rebbe Eliezer argued that on other Yom Tovim one cannot combine spiritual pursuits with physical involvement. It seems that he held that an excessive focus on gashmius would inevitably harm one's ruchnius. However, he agreed that Shavuos was different - on Shavuos there is a special energy whereby physicality and spirituality need not contradict each other, rather they can work together to bring about a greater revelation of Kavod Shamayim. In this vein, the Maharal notes that Shavuos is the only festival in which we offer a Communal Korban Shelamim[4]. He explains, writing that "on this day there is peace and a strong connection between the upper and lower worlds.[5]"
We have seen how Shavuos involves a unique connection between the body and soul and that everyone agrees that it is appropriate to be involved in physical pursuits on this Holy day. This lesson can also be applied to the rest of the year through our efforts to elevate our physical activities to a spiritual level. Nonetheless, it is no easy task to attain the correct balance between the two and a person is always at risk of overly focusing on gashmius for its own sake. Rav Avigdor Miller zt"l offered a way of avoiding this possible pitfall; he suggested that at least once action we perform in the day should be done with a conscious effort to be leshem Shamayim[6]. He suggests applying this exercise specifically in the area of one's eating. For one time in the day, a person should try to focus on eating so that he will be strong and healthy to perform Avodas Hashem as opposed to satisfying his more base physical desires. Through efforts at self-growth such as this a person will be able to elevate his physical pursuits.
[1] Pesachim, 68b.
[2] Shabbos, 88b. It is evident that this Gemara can be understood on many levels - in this piece we will only attempt to explain certain aspects of the Gemara on a basic level. For fuller explanations see Maharsha, Shabbos, 88b; Ben Yehoyada and Benyahu, Shabbos, 88b; Ben Ish Chayil, 2:2 and 4:2; Sifsei Chaim, Moadim, 2nd Chelek, 116-133.
[3] Parshas Yisro.
[4] This is a sacrifice - part of it is eaten by those who offer it. In contrast, a Korban Olah is completely given over to Shamayim.
[5] Tiferes Yisroel, Ch.25.
[6] This is literally translated as meaning, 'for the sake of Heaven', it means that one does an act with pure motivations.
The commentaries find great difficulty with this Gemara, in particular they ask why the fact that the Torah was given on Shavuos means that one should eat and drink more. It would have seemed more appropriate that one should totally devote himself to spiritual pursuits on the holy day that the Torah was given. The emphasis of physical enjoyment on Shavuos indicates that there must be some deeper connection between physicality and Shavuos.
The key to understanding this connection is a Gemara in Shabbos: The Gemara tells us that after the Giving of the Torah, Moshe Rabbeinu went up to Shamayim (heaven) in order to learn the entire Torah from Hashem. However, the Malachim (angels) took exception to the appearance of a mere human being in the higher realms. They argued that man is not deserving of the holy Torah because of his lowly physical nature, rather they should be its recipients. Hashem instructed Moshe Rabbeinu to refute their argument. He did so by pointing out numerous aspects and laws of the Torah that are clearly directed at physical beings; for example, the Torah commands that one should not do melacha (forbidden activity) on Shabbos but they do not do any melacha at any time so how is Shabbos relevant to them?!. Hashem and the Malachim themselves accepted this argument[2].
Rav Chaim Friedlander zt"l, discusses at length the interaction between the Malachim and Moshe Rabbeinu. He points out that the Malachim's desire to receive the Torah instead of man is difficult to understand. They were surely aware of the Torah's contents and realized that they were clearly directed at physical beings so how could they hope to receive it themselves?! He explains that the Torah can be understood on many levels, and that the simple understanding that we relate to is just one of many ways of understanding it. Accordingly, the Torah also applies to Malachim on their level of existence; for example there is a spiritual version of refraining from melacha on Shabbos that relates to them, and so is the case with every word in the Torah. The Malachim argued that it should remain in Shamayim where they could learn it on a far deeper level, untainted by Olam HaZeh (this world).
Moshe Rabbeinu understood that this was the Malachim's argument, nevertheless he argued that the Torah was made to be understood and applied on a physical level. He proved this by mentioning numerous Mitzvos that demonstrated that the Torah was deliberately written in such a way that it could be applied by physical beings. The reason for this is that there is a far greater increase of Kavod Shamayim when a human being overcome his physical nature in order to fulfill Ratson Hashem (Hashem's will) than when a purely spiritual being acts according to his nature. Thus, Moshe proved to the Malachim that they could not properly fulfill the Mitzvos in the Torah in such a way that would bring about the most Kavod Shamayim in the world.
This Gemara teaches us of the central nature of the body with regard to receiving the Torah. The fact that human beings are attached to the physical world was the very reason that we merited to receive the Torah. We can now understand the connection between Shavuos and the focus on one's body. Shavuos is the very day that the spiritual world and physical world combined at Har Sinai. On this unique occasion, the purely spiritual Torah was clothed in physical garb in order that we could elevate ourselves through its observance.
We asked why Rebbe Eliezer agrees that on Shavuos we must also provide enjoyment for our bodies. The Beis HaLevi answers that we must show an extra level of gratitude to our bodies because they were the cause of Moshe's victory over the Malachim[3]. We therefore deliberately involve ourselves in physicality. It is possible to add that Rebbe Eliezer argued that on other Yom Tovim one cannot combine spiritual pursuits with physical involvement. It seems that he held that an excessive focus on gashmius would inevitably harm one's ruchnius. However, he agreed that Shavuos was different - on Shavuos there is a special energy whereby physicality and spirituality need not contradict each other, rather they can work together to bring about a greater revelation of Kavod Shamayim. In this vein, the Maharal notes that Shavuos is the only festival in which we offer a Communal Korban Shelamim[4]. He explains, writing that "on this day there is peace and a strong connection between the upper and lower worlds.[5]"
We have seen how Shavuos involves a unique connection between the body and soul and that everyone agrees that it is appropriate to be involved in physical pursuits on this Holy day. This lesson can also be applied to the rest of the year through our efforts to elevate our physical activities to a spiritual level. Nonetheless, it is no easy task to attain the correct balance between the two and a person is always at risk of overly focusing on gashmius for its own sake. Rav Avigdor Miller zt"l offered a way of avoiding this possible pitfall; he suggested that at least once action we perform in the day should be done with a conscious effort to be leshem Shamayim[6]. He suggests applying this exercise specifically in the area of one's eating. For one time in the day, a person should try to focus on eating so that he will be strong and healthy to perform Avodas Hashem as opposed to satisfying his more base physical desires. Through efforts at self-growth such as this a person will be able to elevate his physical pursuits.
[1] Pesachim, 68b.
[2] Shabbos, 88b. It is evident that this Gemara can be understood on many levels - in this piece we will only attempt to explain certain aspects of the Gemara on a basic level. For fuller explanations see Maharsha, Shabbos, 88b; Ben Yehoyada and Benyahu, Shabbos, 88b; Ben Ish Chayil, 2:2 and 4:2; Sifsei Chaim, Moadim, 2nd Chelek, 116-133.
[3] Parshas Yisro.
[4] This is a sacrifice - part of it is eaten by those who offer it. In contrast, a Korban Olah is completely given over to Shamayim.
[5] Tiferes Yisroel, Ch.25.
[6] This is literally translated as meaning, 'for the sake of Heaven', it means that one does an act with pure motivations.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
STAYING AWAKE - SHAVUOS
One of the most prominent features of Shavuos is the universal Minhag (custom) for men to stay awake all night learning Torah. The Magen Avraham explains the reason for this Minhag; he brings Chazal who say that the Jewish people went to sleep on the night of Matan Torah (the giving of the Torah) and Hashem had to wake them up in order to receive the Torah. Accordingly, we stay up all night in order to rectify this failing of our ancestors[1]. The Arizal states that one who stays awake learning Torah on Shavuos night is guaranteed that he will complete the year without experiencing any harm[2].
This explanation seems quite difficult: How can we understand that such great people would oversleep on the most momentous occasion of their lives[3]? We know that they were willing to receive the Torah to the extent that they accepted its laws before they were even aware of its content so why would they act in such an unenthusiastic fashion on the night leading to Matan Torah?! It also needs to be understood how staying awake all night rectifies their error.
The commentaries explain that the Jewish people deliberately went to sleep on that night; they felt that they could reach a higher level of connection to G-d in a state of sleep. This explanation fits with an important principle that whenever great people sinned, they had seemingly valid reasons for choosing their course of action. Nonetheless, the fact that they ultimately sinned indicates that on a subtle level, there was some kind of yetser hara that pushed them towards their error[4]. What was this underlying motivation that caused them to sleep on this fateful night?
The Jewish people clearly wanted to receive the Torah, as indicated by their pronouncement of 'Naaseh v'nishma' (we will do and we will hear). However, it is possible that on a subtle level they also felt a degree of uneasiness about receiving the Torah. They realized that accepting the Torah would enforce numerous obligations and responsibility upon them. It is certainly true that whilst the life of a Torah observant Jew provides the ultimate satisfaction, it nonetheless involves a great amount of effort and self-growth. Thus a person may be tempted to ‘escape’ these challenges in various manners. One of the most common forms of ‘escape’ is sleep - by sleeping a person can, at least temporarily, avoid the challenges of life[5]. Accordingly, people who experience pain or difficulty have a tendency to want to sleep more than their bodies require. This is in fact a manifestation of their desire to escape their pain.
In this vein, it is possible that, on a subtle level, the Jewish people were apprehensive of the new accountability that was soon to be thrust upon them. Thus, on a subconscious level they sought to ‘escape’ from the daunting specter of receiving the Torah. This desire to escape manifested itself in its ultimate form - sleep.
The Minhag to stay awake all night learning Torah is a rectification of this subtle flaw. Remaining awake whilst we are tired shows that we are willing to face the responsibilities that accompany Torah observance. We realize that whilst fulfilling the Torah is no easy task, it is ultimately the most rewarding path. Escaping the challenges does not provide true satisfaction, rather facing them head on is the only way of achieving life fulfillment. Rav Noach Weinberg zt”l would consistently instill in his students that nothing meaningful in life is achieved without difficulty. Any truly meaningful experience inevitably involves a great amount of hard work and self-sacrifice. This is particularly the case with regard to the learning and observing of the Torah; the greatest geniuses failed in Torah learning if they were unwilling to exert tremendous effort in understanding the depths of Torah. Only those who were prepared to push themselves experienced the true pleasure of Torah learning and attained greatness.
There are people who disagree with the Minhag to remain awake all night learning Torah. They point out that a person probably learns for less time by staying awake in the night than if he would keep to his regular schedule of sleeping. In an arithmetical sense this claim seems correct. Those that do not sleep in the night commonly sleep for a few hours on Erev Shavuos, then sleep after Shacharis, and often go to sleep a further time after the Yom tov morning meal! However, my Rebbe, Rav Yitzchak Berkovits Shlita points out the error of this argument; if the goal of Shavuos was to learn as much Torah as possible then this claim would be correct and it would be more sensible to sleep in the night and learn more in the daytime. However, this is not the purpose of learning on Shavuos. As we have seen , its purpose is to inculcate in ourselves the readiness to meet head-on the challenges that the Torah presents. By sacrificing sleep on this one night, we show that we have no desire to ‘escape’, rather we recognize that the only path to true meaning is to face difficulties head on and surpass them. May we all merit to receive the Torah with complete
[1] Magen Avraham, Orach Chaim, Simun 494.
[2] Mishna Berurah, Simu 494, sk.1.
[3] This generation is known as the Dor Deah, the 'Generation of Wisdom' because of the incredibly high level they reached.
[4] The commentaries adopt this approach with regard to sins such as Adam's eating of the fruit, the worshipping of the Golden Calf and the sin of the spies.
[5] Chazal say that sleep is one sixtieth of death; death is the ultimate form of escape whereby one can permanently avoid the challenges that he faces.
This explanation seems quite difficult: How can we understand that such great people would oversleep on the most momentous occasion of their lives[3]? We know that they were willing to receive the Torah to the extent that they accepted its laws before they were even aware of its content so why would they act in such an unenthusiastic fashion on the night leading to Matan Torah?! It also needs to be understood how staying awake all night rectifies their error.
The commentaries explain that the Jewish people deliberately went to sleep on that night; they felt that they could reach a higher level of connection to G-d in a state of sleep. This explanation fits with an important principle that whenever great people sinned, they had seemingly valid reasons for choosing their course of action. Nonetheless, the fact that they ultimately sinned indicates that on a subtle level, there was some kind of yetser hara that pushed them towards their error[4]. What was this underlying motivation that caused them to sleep on this fateful night?
The Jewish people clearly wanted to receive the Torah, as indicated by their pronouncement of 'Naaseh v'nishma' (we will do and we will hear). However, it is possible that on a subtle level they also felt a degree of uneasiness about receiving the Torah. They realized that accepting the Torah would enforce numerous obligations and responsibility upon them. It is certainly true that whilst the life of a Torah observant Jew provides the ultimate satisfaction, it nonetheless involves a great amount of effort and self-growth. Thus a person may be tempted to ‘escape’ these challenges in various manners. One of the most common forms of ‘escape’ is sleep - by sleeping a person can, at least temporarily, avoid the challenges of life[5]. Accordingly, people who experience pain or difficulty have a tendency to want to sleep more than their bodies require. This is in fact a manifestation of their desire to escape their pain.
In this vein, it is possible that, on a subtle level, the Jewish people were apprehensive of the new accountability that was soon to be thrust upon them. Thus, on a subconscious level they sought to ‘escape’ from the daunting specter of receiving the Torah. This desire to escape manifested itself in its ultimate form - sleep.
The Minhag to stay awake all night learning Torah is a rectification of this subtle flaw. Remaining awake whilst we are tired shows that we are willing to face the responsibilities that accompany Torah observance. We realize that whilst fulfilling the Torah is no easy task, it is ultimately the most rewarding path. Escaping the challenges does not provide true satisfaction, rather facing them head on is the only way of achieving life fulfillment. Rav Noach Weinberg zt”l would consistently instill in his students that nothing meaningful in life is achieved without difficulty. Any truly meaningful experience inevitably involves a great amount of hard work and self-sacrifice. This is particularly the case with regard to the learning and observing of the Torah; the greatest geniuses failed in Torah learning if they were unwilling to exert tremendous effort in understanding the depths of Torah. Only those who were prepared to push themselves experienced the true pleasure of Torah learning and attained greatness.
There are people who disagree with the Minhag to remain awake all night learning Torah. They point out that a person probably learns for less time by staying awake in the night than if he would keep to his regular schedule of sleeping. In an arithmetical sense this claim seems correct. Those that do not sleep in the night commonly sleep for a few hours on Erev Shavuos, then sleep after Shacharis, and often go to sleep a further time after the Yom tov morning meal! However, my Rebbe, Rav Yitzchak Berkovits Shlita points out the error of this argument; if the goal of Shavuos was to learn as much Torah as possible then this claim would be correct and it would be more sensible to sleep in the night and learn more in the daytime. However, this is not the purpose of learning on Shavuos. As we have seen , its purpose is to inculcate in ourselves the readiness to meet head-on the challenges that the Torah presents. By sacrificing sleep on this one night, we show that we have no desire to ‘escape’, rather we recognize that the only path to true meaning is to face difficulties head on and surpass them. May we all merit to receive the Torah with complete
[1] Magen Avraham, Orach Chaim, Simun 494.
[2] Mishna Berurah, Simu 494, sk.1.
[3] This generation is known as the Dor Deah, the 'Generation of Wisdom' because of the incredibly high level they reached.
[4] The commentaries adopt this approach with regard to sins such as Adam's eating of the fruit, the worshipping of the Golden Calf and the sin of the spies.
[5] Chazal say that sleep is one sixtieth of death; death is the ultimate form of escape whereby one can permanently avoid the challenges that he faces.
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