Staying Connected To Torah

By: R’ Mordechai Young

A Baal Teshuva once went to Rav Shimshon Dovid Pincus, zt”l, and told him that he was switching jobs. And unfortunately, his new job was very time-consuming and he would not be able to keep his regular learning schedule, attending both his morning and evening shiurim. He asked the Rav what to do about it. 

Rabbi Pincus told him to buy a pocket-sized Gemara and when there was a free moment, he should take it out and learn a little. The person responded that he didn’t think he’d have time even for that. Rav Pincus then gave him an amazing piece of advice: He should keep the Gemara in his pocket and whenever he had a moment, he should take it out and kiss it, thus maintaining his connection to the Gemara.

The person followed his advice and amazingly didn’t lower his level of frumkeit. When Shabbos came and he had time to learn, he didn’t feel any disconnect. Since he’d been emotionally connected all week (as seen in the sefer “Raising Royalty 2” by Reb Avi Fishoff, pages 104-105).

The Midrash Rabbah, Shemos, chof, hey, yud states that by the Mishkan and the keilim, it states, “And you shall make (singular)” and by the Aron it is written in the plural, “And they” to give everyone a chance to be involved in the Araon and merit the Torah.

The Gemara Berachos 5a states that Torah is acquired with yissurim, here stated with being involved in the Aron. The Perush on Midrash quotes the Ramban that through giving gold or helping Betzalel, it reminds them of the holiness of the Torah and through this they will be inspired and will merit Torah. So, seems like they can get Torah without yissurim?

The Gemara also states that when a person gives a gift through sadness, he loses something he had, as opposed to Hashem, who gave the Torah and is happy. So, maybe it’s a minor form of yissurim to give materials and helping can be difficult. Even though helping for a mitzvah can be difficult with a person’s regular schedule and the pressures of working for such a holy item to not make mistakes can be a difficult.

After thinking about it more, I thought of a better answer. Rav Dessler asked the question: Do we give to those we love or love those to whom we give? He answered that we love those we give to, as the root of the Hebrew word ahavah (love) is hav, which means to give. Giving materials to the Mishkan is equal to giving to the Torah. This leads them to love the Torah. Then they can deal with any yissurim they have because of their kinyan with the Torah.

When one loves a person, they can deal with certain challenges because they love them. So, Hashem helped them love the Torah so they could withstand the yissurim needed to acquire it.

Hashem gives us the Torah, so why does He give it with yissurim? (Gifts are given in a pleasant way.) The Gemara in Nedarim 65a states that if a person makes himself like a midbar (hefker) to everyone, the Torah will be given to him as a gift. So, the yissurim help to humble him so he can receive the gift. It’s a built-in system to fully enjoy the gift.

the Rosh Yeshiva of Shor Yoshuv, HaRav Naftali Jaeger, taught a Gemara Baba Basra. If a person sells a well and there’s a path to the well, one cannot assume that the path is included. But it he gave the well as a gift, you can say he gave the path as well. A gift is given with ayin tovah to enjoy, so he must have given the path as well. Therefore, the Torah is given as a gift as we say in the berachah, Noten HaTorah. Therefore, if Hashem gave us the gift of Torah, He also gave us the path to Torah, i.e. the capabilities to learn the Torah. 

We should remember the Torah comes from Hashem and is perfect and we daven to always be connected to it.

Have a great Shabbos! 

R’ Mordechai Young can be reached for comments at [email protected].