A Sichah from Maran HaGaon Rav shlita, Rosh Ponevez – Behar-Bechukosai 5773 #57

Preparing for Matan Torah These are also the days in which the twenty-four thousand students of Rebbi Akiva died. The Gemara in Yevamos We are in the middle of counting the omer. The Sefer (62b) tells us that this was because they did not honor each other HaChinuch (Mitzvah 306) writes that when the Yidden left properly. The Midrash (Bereishis Rabbah 61:3) tells us that the lit. Their eyes were - עיניהם צרה אלו באלו Mitzrayim, they knew that the purpose of their exodus was in reason was because order to receive the Torah at Har Sinai. Already in Egypt, the narrow one to the other. This means that they didn’t look Yidden knew of Torah. We are told that the Tribe of Levi positively at one another. Seemingly, these two are intertwined, learned Torah throughout the entire 210 years in Mitzrayim. The as due to their looking at each other negatively, they also didn’t Avos as well, learned in yeshivos (Yoma 28b). When Yaakov respect each other. Yet we find another reason for their היתה עיניהם ,(Avinu descended to Egypt, he sent Yehuda before him to set up punishment in Midrash Koheles Rabbah (11:5 lit. Their eyes were narrow regarding - צרה בתורה זה לזה .a . We also know that Shem and Ever set up a yeshiva All the aforementioned examples though, preceded Matan their friends Torah. The Yafeh Toar on the Midrash explains Torah. The Torah after it was given at Sinai is totally different. that they did not seek to help their friends in Torah. (See Ohr This Torah is governed by what the sages determine to be its Yechezkel - Emunah Pg. 122 for an explanation) understanding. We should take note of the great level of Rebbi Akiva’s When the Yidden left Mitzrayim they knew they were talmidim. The Gemara in Eiruvin (13a) relates that initially, headed towards Matan Torah. We see this from the fourth Meir was not able to comprehend the depths of Rebbi and I shall take you unto Akiva’s teachings. He therefore left, learned from Rebbi - ולקחתי ,expression of redemption Me, as a nation. Chazal explain that this refers to Matan Torah Yishmoel, and only then returned to learn from Rebbi Akiva. at Har Sinai. This was a part of our exodus from Egypt and our We know how great Rabbi Meir was from the Gemara in redemption from tumah to kedusha - impurity to holiness. Klal Sanhedrin (24a). The Gemara tells us that anyone who Yisroel anxiously awaited this event and counted the days until witnessed him learning in the beis midrash saw that he was able the great event. Their joy intensified with each passing day. to “uproot tremendous mountains and grind them against each Each year during these days, this effect of a desire for other”. This expression means that his analysis of Torah was cleaving to Torah, and to prepare for accepting the Torah, incredibly deep and profound. Despite this, he was initially not returns to the world. Shavuos, which is known as the time of able to fully comprehend Rebbi Akiva’s teachings. If so, the the receiving of the Torah - zman Matan Toraseinu, was not students of Rebbi Akiva who were able to understand their a one-time event. Every Shavuos is a time for receiving the Rebbi’s teachings were very great in Torah. Torah, and is auspicious for success in Torah. The days of the We have previously mentioned the reason the students omer are auspicious for proper preparations for one to receive died precisely during these days of the omer. These are the days Torah, just as this time fostered growth when we left Egypt. On auspicious for acquiring Torah and hence, there is a much one hand, we should be happy that we are given an opportunity harsher judgment upon a person’s middos. This is because the to earn such great merits. On the other hand, we should be path to grow in Torah is through working on one’s middos. The cautious and afraid, as if we don’t utilize this time properly, the Passuk tells us the Klal Yisroel camped around the mountain, ויחן שם ישראל נגד :lost potential will be held against us. It is a serious aveira to yet it refers to everyone in the singular waste this opportunity. .And Yisroel camped there, next to the mountain - ההר

1 (Vayichan is the singular versus what the verse should have As we have mentioned numerous times, this is in line written, vayachanu) Rashi explains that Klal Yisroel is referred with the words of Rav Yisroel Salanter zt”l (Ohr Yisroel Letter He tells us that if a person prays for better middos, yet he .(14 כאיש אחד בלב to by the singular as they reached the level of As one person with one heart. They loved each other, just does not know how to correct them through the wisdom of the - אחד as one loves oneself. We also find that among the forty-eight nefesh - soul, the prayers will not help. The prayers will only ways to acquire Torah, middos are on the list a number of times. help that he will find a person who will be able to teach him how To summarize, these are the days auspicious for acquiring to change and attain better middos. In reality, it is not feasible to Torah. This is specifically done through working on one’s change without knowing what are the proper steps to facilitate middos. Given that the opportunity is so great, if one does not change. This principle is also true regarding growth in Torah. capitalize upon it, their sin is great. The judgment for not having This cannot be achieved without a lot of learning. Prayers perfect middos is stricter during these days, and this is the reason without learning will not yield results. to learn in a state - התמדה Rebbi Akiva’s students died precisely when they did. The reason that one needs There are many practical tools that facilitate success in with no interruptions and with great concentration, is as we are אם תעזבני יום יומיים אעזבך ;(Torah. The Gemara (Niddah 70b) relates that the students of told in the Sifri Devorim (11:22 If you shall leave me for a day, I shall leave you for two. When - מה יעשה אדם ,Rabbi Yehoshua ben Chananya asked him What should a person do in order to become wise in one distances himself away from Torah, the Torah also distances - ויחכם He itself from the person*. The sanctity of Torah is erased from him - ירבה בישיבה וימעט בסחורה ,Torah? He answered while not learning, and the yetzer harah can take control. “I shall should increase his learning, and only deal with business leave you for two” indicates that once a person stops learning it minimally. He was telling them that one should learn without is doubly as hard to resume, as the downfall is quicker than the interruptions. They questioned further, as many have followed uphill. Forcing oneself uphill is much more difficult than this path and have come up short. Many people do learn with plummeting down. When someone stops learning for an hour, tremendous hasmodo - uninterrupted, and with great it’ll take two hours to regain his position and continue concentration, and are not so successful. He explained that one ascending. must ask for wisdom from the One Whose wisdom one seeks - * The Torah is a spiritual reality. We find this in numerous . A person must also pray for places in Chazal. The expression “the Torah said” is commonplace יבקשו רחמים ממי שהחכמה שלו Divine assistance. in our works. The Gemara in Sanhedrin (101a) tells us that the In truth, we do pray for success in Torah quite often. In Torah wears sackcloth and mourns. The Yerushalmi (Chagiga 2:1) Return us, our tells us that the Torah rejoices, just as it did when it was given at - השיבנו אבינו לתורתך ,Shemoneh Esrei we say Har Sinai. “The words are as happy as on the day they were given פתח ,Father, to Your Torah. At the end of the service we say Open my heart to Your Torah. In the blessing of at Sinai.” The Menoras HaMaor tells us the story of a man who had - לבי בתורתך the Torah we ask that Hashem should make His Torah sweet in no family. Upon his passing, a woman came to bemoan his loss. The people asked her for her name, and she responded, Chagiga. As well, in the .והערב נא את דברי תורתך בפינו - our mouths After his burial, she was no longer seen. The people found out that brocho of Ahavah Rabbah we mention numerous requests for during his life this man would learn Maseches Chagiga over and over again. It was Maseches Chagiga that came to mourn him. The הוא יפתח ,success in Torah. In the Kedusha D’Sidra we ask He will open our hearts to His Torah. During the Sefer Chasidim relates that Maseches Moed Katan “said” to - לבנו בתורתו opening of the Aron Kodesh, which is known to be an eis ratzon Hashem, “Why don’t people learn me as much as other tractates?” Each Maseches is a spiritual reality, as the Torah is a spiritual יהא רעוא קדמך ,an auspicious time, we say in Aramaic - reality. When a person leaves Torah, the Torah also leaves him. It should be desired before You, to - דתפתח לבאי באורייתא This is the reason hasmodo is a must. It is not possible open our hearts to Torah. This is the meaning of seeking mercy to acquire Torah if there is bittul Torah. These halachos are for wisdom from the One Whose wisdom one desires. detailed in the Rambam Hilchos Torah. For example, if The Gemara above inquires about the meaning of Rabbi one can keep learning or perform a mitzvah that only he can Yehoshua’s advice. Rashi explains the Gemara’s question to perform, the ruling is for that person to pause his learning, mean that once we are told that the limiting factor for success is perform the mitzvah and resume his learning. The commentaries prayer, why does a person need to increase his learning? The explain that this only holds true if he’ll be able to resume his Gemara answers that one without the other will not yield results. learning after completion of the mitzvah. If due to its The novel idea he was teaching his students was that one must performance he will not be able to return to his learning, he learn, not that one must pray. If one prays for success yet mustn’t cease learning in order to perform the mitzvah. doesn’t learn with hasmodo - uninterrupted, concentrated Hasmodo is not a level in piety, but rather an outright learning, he will not achieve the wisdom of Torah, regardless of obligation. The level of one’s obligation is different for each how much he asks Hashem for success. individual, and is in accordance to his strength. One cannot exert

2 himself more than his strengths allow for, but one must utilize like one of the Rishonim - early commentaries. The whole world his strengths to their fullest extent. As the Gemara told us, enjoys his Torah. Everything he wrote is published and learnt. “increase one’s learning and ask for mercy”. Prayer is not There are a few practical tools for preparing for Matan enough. One must exert himself to learn with hasmodo and with Torah. We find among the 48 ways in which the Torah is Through joy, and - בשמחה :his utmost efforts. One who does not exert all his efforts in his acquired, two paths regarding joy (One who is content with his lot. “Through (in - והשמח בחלקו .learning will not merit Divine assistance joy” refers to the time spent learning. The Torah should be learnt יצרו של ,The famous Gemara in Kiddushin (30b) says with happiness. “One who is content with his lot” is an ongoing אדם מתגבר עליו בכל יום ומבקש להמיתו ואלמלא הקבה The yetzer harah of a man overpowers him state of mind, not only while one learns. One should be happy - עוזרו אין יכול לו daily and desires to kill him. If not for Hashem helping the and without worry. This idea belongs within the broader person, he cannot overcome the yetzer harah. The Gr”a and the category of bitachon - trust in Hashem. One must know that Ramchal (Messilas Yeshorim Ch. 2, Kol Eliyahu Sukkah) both everything Hashem does is for his ultimate good. teach us that this is applicable only to one who has tried Included in being content with one’s lot is also the idea everything within his powers to overcome the yetzer harah and that a person should be happy with the strengths he was given. has still come up short. He must get to the point that without This should be spoken about in public, as there are many people Hashem, he will surely lose. That is when he merits that Hashem who do not recognize their attributes and strengths, and shall help him by giving him siyata diShmaya - Divine consequently they are depressed. There are many levels within assistance. good middos that a person can overlook. Sometimes a person It is known that baalei teshuva have tremendous siyata will feel that he is lacking in a certain middah. While in the diShmaya at the beginning of their journey. They rarely feel Lomza Yeshiva in Petach Tikva I heard from HaGaon difficulties. As they progress, the challenges get harder. The HaTzaddik, Rav Abba Grosbard zt”l, that if a person feels a lack reason for this is that initially, they do not know many of their in a certain middah it is indicative that that person actually has obligations and hence, do not need to exert themselves very attained a lofty level in that middah. much. They therefore do what they know, and for the rest, they One must recognize his strengths in order to further merit Divine assistance. Once they know more of the obligations strengthen them. This idea is brought in Chovos Halevavos of Torah and mitzvos, they must first exert themselves with all (Shaar Hachniah Ch.9). He writes that the wise person should their strengths, and only then will they merit siyata diShmaya. take pride in his wisdom, and the righteous should take pride in Granted, Chazal tell us in the Midrash on Shir HaShirim his righteousness. This should be expressed as thanksgiving to Hashem, and through happiness for these attributes that he has פתחו לי פתח כחודה של מחט ואני פותח לכם פתחים ,(5:2) Open for Me an opening as been given. This will facilitate his desire for further growth in - שיהיו עגלות וקרניות נכנסות בו these areas. In Messilas Yeshorim (Ch.3) it says, A person small as tip of a needle, and I shall open for you openings wide should keep reviewing and weighing his deeds. If they are bad, enough for wagons. This is only applicable for a person who he must recognize them in order to eliminate them, and if they cannot do more than this. His strengths only allow him to open are good, he must recognize them in order to maintain and an opening as small as the tip of a needle. One who can do more strengthen them. yet doesn’t, will not merit siyata diShmaya. The more one exerts If one recognizes his attributes he will feel joyous and himself, the more successful he will be. will feel an added drive to keep growing in those areas where he We find that Rebbi Akiva Eiger zt”l did not allow any is already seeing success. If one sees that he has yiras Shomayim accolades to be said at his passing. He did make one exception - fear of Heaven, he will be encouraged to raise his yirah. One and permitted saying that since the age of fifteen or sixteen, he who sees that he learns with great understanding will be further taught Torah while going through tremendous pain and driven to learn with even more depth. One who recognizes that suffering. Teaching others requires great patience. The teacher he has a good memory will want to learn more and remember must explain the material until the student fully understands. that which he learns. One who has good middos will seek to This is especially difficult when going through pain. One needs improve more of his middos, and will want to perform even special internal strengths to succeed. This is the only praise more good deeds. This is a way to increase and strengthen all Rebbi Akiva Eiger allowed to be said about him. This is truly a areas. Acknowledgement of one’s attributes will add joy and great merit for him; exerting oneself to teach others while drive to further intensify those areas. personally suffering all the while. Seemingly, in this merit he One must be careful not to become haughty while merited to be considered the greatest of the Achronim - the most recognizing his attributes. One might feel that he has achieved recent commentaries. Regarding Rebbi Akiva Eiger, Harav perfection in certain areas. HaGaon Rav Dovid Povarsky zt”l Chaim Velozhiner zt”l commented that his way of learning was would regularly relate the words of HaGaon HaTzaddik Rav Yerucham, the Mashgiach of Mir zt”l, that if a person feels he

3 ,He is can cause. Interruptions during learning are a very serious thing - ”ער איז שוין א פארטיגער“ ,has reached perfection already finished, this is the worst thing that could be. One must and one’s Torah becomes individual pieces. Chazal tell us in כל הפוסק מדברי תורה ועוסק בדברי שיחה ,(be wise not to be fooled into this thought. He should recognize Chagiga (12b One who stops learning and - מאכילים אותו גחלי רתמים .his strengths, but mustn’t feel that he has reached perfection Even though he recognizes that he possesses many strengths, involves himself with idle talk will be fed hot coals. When nevertheless he should strive to keep growing. Just as we find needed, one can call during bein hasdorim, but not during the with the pursuit of wealth or honor, that if one has one hundred seder. he immediately desires two hundred. This should be one’s Regarding Lag BaOmer let us mention the following. attitude with his strengths. Recognition should promote further Some travel to Meron and feel they will gain from the trip. In growth. truth, they will not grow. They will only lose out from the The best advice for success is for a person to make excursion. This trip causes bittul Torah. A boy travelled to learning mussar a part of his daily regimen. In yeshiva there is a Meron and told HaGaon HaRav Povarsky zt”l that he travelled half-hour slot allotted for this purpose. This guarantees one’s to Rabbi Shimon. Rav Povarsky responded, “Did you have to continued growth, while reminding the person not to become travel all the way there for Rabbi Shimon?” The boy inquired, arrogant. Mussar teaches a person to not pursue wealth and “Where is he found, if not there?” Rav Povarsky knocked on the honor. I heard that there are those who are embarrassed to show shtender and said, “I have Rabbi Shimon here in the up for mussar seder early. They feel that it will detract from Gemara!” their honor if they are there on time. This is clearly just the Another important issue to keep in mind is those who manipulation of the yetzer harah. take seforim from the shelves and do not return them after their A few things we must keep in mind. There are use. True, there are volunteers who involve themselves with the situations of batala (idle, non-learning), that people feel are good of the public and return the seforim. These boys’ merits are completely permissible and perhaps, even a mitzvah. In the great, as they facilitate the public. Chazal have gone to great upcoming weeks there will be many joyous occasions, weddings length to elaborate on the merits of those who facilitate the and l'chaims, and everyone feels that they will be performing a public for the sake of Heaven (Avos 2:2). mitzvah if they attend. One must examine the reasons he is going Bothering others is not right. The Alter of Slabodka to such functions. Is his simcha from going derived from the used to say that if one bends down to pick up a piece of paper mitzvah? Is this for the sake of Heaven? Going to these events and see if it contains words of Torah, even if it does not, one causes bittul Torah. Only those who are needed, as well as those should not throw it back on the floor. Doing so would cause the who, if they do not attend, would offend the baal hasimcha, and next person to bend down and check if there are divrei Torah also those who go because there aren’t others who will be there written on it. One should be considerate towards others and to bring joy to the simcha, should go. There is a limit though. place the paper in a place that will not cause another person Another topic that should not need to be discussed at all unnecessary work. is the issue of yungerleit with cell phones. Sometimes they Now, when we are in the middle of the omer, all the receive calls from home during seder and interrupt their aforementioned issues are a part of our preparations for Matan learning. One must know that even with kosher phones, the Torah. Through these merits, each and every person will hechsher just means that there isn’t anything forbidden on succeed in Torah and we will merit receiving the Torah on this the phone, but there is no hechsher to the bittul Torah that it Shavuos - zman Matan Toraseinu.

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