Parshas Behar-Bechukosai 5786
- Torah Tavlin
- 18 hours ago
- 2 min read
אם בחקתי תלכו ... (כו-ג) - פרש"י שתהיו עמלים בתורה עכ"ל
MASHAL: In sefer Toras HaBayis (13), the Chofetz Chaim brings a Medrash that tells the story of a king who commanded his servants to fill barrels with water. As compensation for their labor, the king paid a wage of one gold coin for each barrel filled. The task commenced, but eventually, one of the workers stopped working entirely and sat down on the side.
Confused by this behavior, someone approached the man and asked him, “Why aren’t you working? The king hired us to fill the barrels with water!” The disheartened worker replied, “I’ve realized that all the barrels have holes in them. Even if I fill the barrels, in a short time all the water seeps out, so what’s the purpose?” “That’s not your problem.” His friend replied, “You do as you were told, and you will get paid for each barrel you fill.”
NIMSHAL: The Chofetz Chaim explains; many people feel that Torah study simply isn’t for them because whatever they study, they inevitably forget. They feel that their efforts are entirely futile, much like pouring water into a leaky vessel. However, the Torah’s perspective on success is fundamentally different from standard metrics of achievement. We tell these discouraged individuals, “Your obligation is to study Torah and do your best.” Hashem does not measure our spiritual worth solely by our intellectual achievements, rather, the devotion and sincerity we give to His words. Therefore, even if the knowledge seems to slip away, the spiritual impact of the effort remains eternal. The ultimate goal is the connection forged through the act of learning itself. The instruction is clear: “Just carry out your mission!”