Parshas Chukas 5785
- Torah Tavlin
- Jul 4
- 2 min read
זאת התורה אדם כי ימות באהל ... (יט-ד)
Our Chachamim zt”l (Berachos 63b) tell us that our pasuk is a remez for how to learn Torah, that one must “kill” himself in learning, to expend all his energies and kochos in studying and plumbing the depths of the heilige Torah.
In fact, R’ Meir Soloveitchik zt”l stated emphatically (I heard the same from the Mashgiach, R’ Nosson Weissman shlita, in the name of his father-in-law, the tzaddik of Monsey, R’ Mordechai Schwab zt”l) that learning without ameilus, without putting real effort and toil into the learning, heist nisht lernen! - it does not count as learning! Ameilus and hasmadah are not mere extras, a middas chassidus - they are me’akev (a requirement) in the whole learning!
It is told that a bochur once came to the Rosh Yeshivah of Chevron, Hagaon Harav Moshe Chevroni zt”l, for an entrance exam to the yeshivah. Before he began the bechinah, the Rosh Yeshivah looked at him intently, and asked if he was a masmid. Placed on the spot, the bochur squirmed and gave a muddled answer. Not pressing him any further, R’ Moshe began the bechinah. After a quarter of an hour testing the boy, he told him that he would receive a letter in the mail notifying him of the hanhalah’s decision to accept him or not. The bochur got up to leave and was already by the door when the Rosh Yeshivah turned to him and asked, “Do you wear tefillin every day?” The bochur turned red from embarrassment. What did the Rosh Yeshivah take him for? “Of course!” he answered, somewhat indignantly. R’ Moshe responded sharply, “If so, then why when I asked you if you are a masmid, you were so unsure of yourself? Learning Torah with hasmadah is just as much of an obligation, a chiyuv gamur, as putting on tefillin every day!”
Rabbosai, the summer months contain many days of vacation and relaxation. Let that not creep in on our obligation to learn - nay, to toil - in Hashem’s Torah, in whatever limud we are learning, and thus be zoche to the ultimate geulah bekarov!