Haskamah from HaRav Aryeh Malkiel Kotler, Rosh Yeshiva Lakewood, for the author’s first sefer TABLE OF CONTENTS PREFACE . XIII 1. תלמוד Day 1: TALMUD 3 . שמיעת האוזן Day 2: SHMIAS HA’OZEN 5 . עריכת שפתים Day 3: ARICHAS SEFASAYIM 8 . בינת הלב Day 4: BINAS HA’LEV 10 . שכלות הלב Day 5: SICHLUS HA’LEV 12. אימה Day 6: EIMAH 14 . יראה Day 7: YIRAH 17. ענוה Day 8: ANAVAH 20. שמחה Day 9: SIMCHAH 22 . שימוש חכמים Day 10: SHIMUSH CHACHAMIM 25 . דיקדוק חברים Day 11: DIKDUK CHAVERIM 27 . פילפול התלמידים Day 12: PILPUL HA’TALMIDIM 29 . .ישוב Day 13: YISHUV IX X • FORTY-NINE DAYS 32 . מקרא ומשנה Day 14: MIKRA AND MISHNAH 35 . מיעוט שינה Day 15: MI’UT SHEINAH 37 . מיעוט שיחה Day 16: MI’UT SICHAH 39 . מיעוט סחורה Day 17: MI’UT SECHORAH 41 . מיעוט תענוג Day 18: MI’UT TAANUG 44 . מיעוט דרך ארץ Day 19: MI’UT DERECH ERETZ 46 . ארך אפים Day 20: ERECH APAYIM 48 . לב טוב Day 21: LEV TOV 53 . אמונת חכמים Day 22: EMUNAS CHACHAMIM 55 . קבלת יסורים Day 23: KABALAS YISSURIM 57 . מכיר את מקומו Day 24: MAKIR ES MEKOMO 60. שמח בחלקו Day 25: SAMEACH B’CHELKO 62 . עושה סייג לדבריו Day 26: OSEH SYAG L’DVARAV Day 27: EINO MACHZIK TOVAH L’ATZMO 64 . אינו מחזיק טובה לעצמו 66 . אהוב Day 28: AHUV 71. אוהב את המקום Day 29: OHEV ES HA’MAKOM 74 . אוהב את הבריות Day 30: OHEV ES HA’BRIOS 75 . אוהב את הצדקות Day 31: OHEV ES HA’TZEDAKOS 78 . אוהב את התוכחות Day 32: OHEV ES HA’TOCHACHOS 81. אוהב את המישרים Day 33: OHEV ES HA’MEISHARIM TABLE OF CONTENTS • XI 83 . מתרחק מן הכבוד Day 34: MISRACHEK MIN HA’KAVOD 85. לא מגיס לבו בתלמודו Day 35: LO MEIGIS LIBO B’TALMUDO 90. אינו שמח בהוראה Day 36: AINO SAMEACH B’HORA’AH 91. נושא בעול עם חבירו Day 37: NOSEI B’OL IM CHAVEIRO 94 . מכריעו לכף זכות Day 38: MACHRIYO L’KAF ZECHUS 96 . מעמידו על האמת Day 39: MAAMIDO AL HA’EMES 98 . מעמידו על השלום Day 40: MAAMIDO AL HA’SHALOM 100. מתישב לבו בתלמודו Day 41: MISYASHEV LIBO B’TALMUDO 102 . שואל ומשיב Day 42: SHOEL U’MAISHIV 108 . שומע ומוסיף Day 43: SHOMEIA U’MOSIF 109 . לומד על מנת ללמד Day 44: LOMED AL MENAS LELAMED 111. לומד על מנת לעשות Day 45: LOMED AL MENAS LAASOS 113 . מחכים את רבו Day 46: MACHKIM ES RABO 115 . מכוון את שמועתו Day 47: MECHAVEN ES SHEMUASO Day 48: OMER DAVAR B’SHEIM OMRO 117 . אומר דבר בשם אומרו Day 49: SUMMARY OF ALL FORTY-EIGHT WAYS TO ACQUIRE TORAH . 119 1 DAY תלמוד TALMUD NOT SURPRISINGLY, the first way to acquire Torah is through learning it. The Midrash Shmuel says that the way to ensure continuous learning is by constantly viewing oneself as lacking the full knowledge of Torah. This will implant a desire in one’s heart to constantly learn and obtain new levels of Torah. When Reb Eizel Charif was looking for a potential son- in-law, he traveled to the Volozhin Yeshiva, went up to the bimah, and exclaimed, “I’ve come to find the best boy in the yeshiva, one who will merit to marry my daughter. However, as it’s not feasible to interview every single boy, I will pose an extremely difficult question on the Gemara, and the one who is able to answer it will become my son-in-law.” He then proceeded to ask the question. For a few days, all the boys in the yeshiva tried to answer the question, however, Reb Eizel refuted every single answer and showed why they 1 2 • FORTY-NINE DAYS were wrong. As there was no successful candidate, he packed his bags and set off home. While the carriage was departing Volozhin, a boy appeared in the distance. He was running to catch the wagon. Reb Eizel commanded the driver to stop and turned to the boy and said, “Have you come up with an answer to the question?” “No,” said the boy. “Unfortunately, I haven’t got the an- swer, however, I am so curious to know what the answer is. Please tell me what it is!” Upon hearing this, Reb Eizel proclaimed, “You are the one I want as a son-in-law! You have the desire and thirst for Torah, and you are therefore fit to marry my daughter.” 2 DAY שמיעת האוזן SHMIAS HA’OZEN THIS POINT refers specifically to listening and learning Torah with one’s ears in addition to studying Torah from a sefer. Reb Chaim Volozhiner in Ruach Chaim points out that Torah learning through listening makes a bigger impression then Torah learning through reading. Perhaps we can explain this insight with the following story: It is well-known that even in his ripe old age, Rav Shach used to spend a tremendous amount of effort prepar- ing the shiur he gave in the yeshiva. One of the students once enquired of him why this was necessary, being that most of the shiurim were already in print in his famously acclaimed sefer Avi Ezri; why couldn’t the Rosh Yeshiva just repeat the same shiur without going through the extreme effort of preparation? Rav Shach explained: “The correct way to teach Torah is from a rav to a talmid. The rav lives the sugya, and by sharing this live experience with the student, the Torah 3 4 • FORTY-NINE DAYS is able to penetrate into the heart of the talmid. If I were to just read and extract what I once wrote in Avi Ezri, it would compromise the whole essence of learning from a rav. In that case, it would be better for the student to learn from the sefarim of previous authors who lived before me.” Perhaps this is why Torah learning done through listen- ing makes a greater impression than that by reading: when one listens to Torah being taught, one connects to and is part of a live and animate experience, which can have a very powerful effect. 3 DAY עריכת שפתים ARICHAS SEFASAYIM THE BASIC meaning of this concept is to verbally pronounce the words of one’s learning. The Maharal explains that learn- ing this way enhances our understanding of what we learn and also helps us retain the Torah for a longer period of time. Rav Chaim Volozhiner adds that arichas sefasayim also en- sures that any mistakes will be easily recognized. The Chafetz Chaim used to learn in this manner. His son once commented then when he would stand outside the room and listen to his father learn, even when the Chafetz Chaim was alone in the room, it always seemed that he was learning with a chavrusa and explaining the learning to him in great detail. There is a deeper meaning to arichas sefasayim. The word “arichah” also means “arranged” and “ready,” as in Shulchan Aruch. The Midrash Shmuel explains that when learning, one should endeavor to arrange each and every piece of 5 6 • FORTY-NINE DAYS information in a precise manner so that one’s learning and knowledge is ready and easily accessible at all times. The following story—although way beyond our level—gives us a glimpse of what true arichas sefasayim is. Rav Chaim Volozhiner was once telling his talmidim about the greatness of his brother, Rav Zelmleh. He remarked that even in the days of the Tanna’im, Rav Zelmleh would have been considered a talmid chacham. Yet, said Rav Chaim, although Rav Zelmleh was so great, he did not reach the an- kles of the Vilna Gaon. The talmidim were astounded! Given how great Rav Zelmleh was, and the fact that he knew the entire Torah, written and oral, by heart, how was it possible that the Vilna Gaon was so much greater? Is there a level of Torah learning that is possibly higher than what Rav Zelmleh achieved? Rav Chaim explained that the difference between them was that Rav Zelmleh knew the entire Torah in the same way that we know Ashrei. We know it so well that we can be woken up in the middle of the night and instantly recite it. Yet, if we were asked to read Ashrei backwards, we would have trouble. This was the level of Rav Zelmleh when it came to the entire Torah. The Vilna Gaon, on the other hand, said Rav Chaim, was able to recite any part of the entire Torah backwards without any difficulty! When relating this story, the Brisker Rav explained that there is no source that says one needs to know the Torah DAY 3: ARICHAS Sefasayim • 7 backwards, and the Vilna Gaon never practiced learning this way. What Rav Chaim meant was that the Torah was so “arranged” and ready in the Vilna Gaon’s mind that it was actually as if the sefarim were open in front of him. If we had a siddur in front of us and were asked to recite Ashrei backwards, we would have no trouble at all! This was the greatness of the Vilna Gaon. 4 DAY בינת הלב BINAS HA’LEV THE GENERALLY accepted meaning of binah is deep under- standing to the point where one is able to apply the knowl- edge gained to understand other matters as well. Rav Shach once made the following startling observation: “If my name was Avraham,” said Rav Shach, “and I was a hundred years old and had just had a bris milah, and three angels dressed as Arabs appeared at my door, I would proba- bly think to myself this is exactly what happened to Avraham Avinu in Parashas Vayeira, and I would get up and offer the guests to come in and look after them.