Toiling in Torah: Learning That Shapes the Body
From the Torah ofRav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitzהרב דוד מתתיהו בן יחיאל יהושע רבינוביץProfile ›
Vayikra 26:3-4
אִם־בְּחֻקֹּתַי תֵּלֵכוּ וְאֶת־מִצְוֺתַי תִּשְׁמְרוּ וַעֲשִׂיתֶם אֹתָם וְנָתַתִּי גִשְׁמֵיכֶם בְּעִתָּם וְנָתְנָה הָאָרֶץ יְבוּלָהּ וְעֵץ הַשָּׂדֶה יִתֵּן פִּרְיוֹ
If you will walk in My statutes and keep My commandments and do them, then I will give your rains in their season, and the land will yield its produce, and the tree of the field will give its fruit.
Rashi: “If you will walk in My statutes”: that you toil in Torah.
1“If you will walk in My statutes and keep My commandments and do them, then I will give your rains in their season …”1 Rashi explains: “‘If you will walk in My statutes’: that you toil in Torah.” Why does Rashi say “toil,” and not simply “that you learn Torah”? The very idea of toiling in Torah also needs explaining. Why must Torah study involve toil at all? Why is it not enough to learn and to teach without it?
אִם בְּחוּקּוֹתַי תֵּלֵכוּ וְאֶת מִצְוֹתַי תִּשְׁמְרוּ וַעֲשִׂיתֶם אוֹתָם וְנָתַתִּי גִשְׁמֵיכֶם בְּעִתָּם וְגוֹ׳ (כו, ג). ברש״י הַקָּדוֹשׁ, אִם בְּחוּקּוֹתַי תֵּלֵכוּ, שֶׁתִּהְיוּ עֲמֵלִים בַּתּוֹרָה. וְיֵשׁ לְהָבִין מַהוּ זֶה שֶׁנָּקְטוּ הַלָּשׁוֹן ׳עֲמֵלִים בַּתּוֹרָה׳ וְלֹא בִּסְתָמָא ׳לוֹמְדִים׳ תּוֹרָה. עוֹד צָרִיךְ בֵּיאוּר עֶצֶם עִנְיַן עֲמַל הַתּוֹרָה, מַדּוּעַ נִצְרַךְ שֶׁיִּהְיֶה עֵסֶק הַתּוֹרָה בְּעָמָל דַּוְוקָא, וְלֹא דַּי לִלְמוֹד וּלְלַמֵּד לְלֹא עָמָל.
- Vayikra 26:3–4 (the sefer has 26:3). ↩
In shortWhy does Rashi read “walk in My statutes” as toiling in Torah rather than learning it, and why is toil needed at all?
2There is also a well-known question, raised by the Rishonim, the early authorities, and cited in the Kli Yakar.2 How can the Torah promise reward in this parshah, “then I will give your rains in their season …,” when Chazal teach that “there is no reward for a mitzvah in this world”?3
עוֹד יָדוּעַ קוּשְׁיַית הָרִאשׁוֹנִים (הובאו בכלי יקר כו, יד), הַאֵיךְ מַבְטִיחָה הַתּוֹרָה שָׂכָר בְּפָרָשָׁה זוֹ כָּאָמוּר ׳וְנָתַתִּי גִשְׁמֵיכֶם בְּעִתָּם׳ וְגוֹ׳, הֲרֵי שְׂכַר מִצְוָה בְּהַאי עָלְמָא לֵיכָּא (קידושין לט, ב).
In shortA second question: how can the Torah promise rain as a reward, when Chazal teach there is no reward for a mitzvah in this world?
3The Midrash on our verse says:4 “‘If you will walk in My statutes’: This is what is written, ‘I considered my ways, and I turned my feet back to Your testimonies.’ Dovid said: Master of the world, every single day I would plan and say, ‘I am going to such-and-such a place, to such-and-such a house,’ and my feet would bring me to the synagogues and the study halls. That is what is written, ‘and I turned my feet back to Your testimonies.’” This is hard to understand. What business did Dovid HaMelech have in houses and other places? He sat constantly engaged in Torah and in judging Israel; we even find that his hands were “soiled … to render a wife pure for her husband.”5
וּבַמִּדְרָשׁ (ויקרא רבה לה, א) ׳אִם בְּחוּקּוֹתַי תֵּלֵכוּ׳, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (תהלים קיט, נט) ״חִשַּׁבְתִּי דְרָכָי וָאָשִׁיבָה רַגְלַי אֶל עֵדוֹתֶיךָ״, אָמַר דָּוִד רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם בְּכָל יוֹם וְיוֹם הָיִיתִי מְחַשֵּׁב וְאוֹמֵר לְמָקוֹם פְּלוֹנִי וּלְבֵית דִּירָה פְּלוֹנִית אֲנִי הוֹלֵךְ וְהָיוּ רַגְלַי מְבִיאוֹת אוֹתִי לְבָתֵּי כְּנֵסִיּוֹת וּלְבָתֵּי מִדְרָשׁוֹת, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב ׳וָאָשִׁיבָה רַגְלַי אֶל עֵדוֹתֶיךָ׳, ע״כ. וְקָשֶׁה דְּאֵלּוּ עִנְיָנִים הָיוּ לְדָוִד הַמֶּלֶךְ ע״ה לַעֲשׂוֹת בְּבָתִּים וּשְׁאָר מְקוֹמוֹת, הֲרֵי הָיָה תָּדִיר יוֹשֵׁב וְעוֹסֵק בַּתּוֹרָה וּבְמִשְׁפָּט לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁמָּצִינוּ שֶׁהָיוּ יָדָיו מְלוּכְלָכוֹת וְכוּ׳ לְטַהֵר אִשָּׁה לְבַעְלָהּ (ברכות ד, א).
- Vayikra Rabbah 35:1; Tehillim 119:59. ↩
- Berachos 4a. Dovid said that his hands were soiled with the blood he examined himself when ruling on questions of family purity. ↩
In shortThe Midrash ties our verse to Dovid's feet leading him to the study hall; but what errands had Dovid, who was always learning and judging?
4We can explain all this as follows. Torah study has two parts: learning the Torah, and toiling in it, yegias haTorah. A person who learns Torah without toil has fulfilled the mitzvah of Torah study, yet his mitzvah is not complete. For the main purpose of Torah study is “to keep, to do and to fulfill,”6 and we know that a person's learning will move him to keep what he learns only if he learns with toil. Then his learning shapes him in every path of life, because toil engraves the Torah's influence in his very body. Plain learning alone is not enough, though many think it is. The holy sefarim, the Toldos Yitzchak and the Sfas Emes, make this point on the verse “This is the chok of the Torah,” and the Noam Elimelech says something similar.7 A chok is usually a decree given without a reason; here they read the word as chakikah, engraving: the Torah must engrave itself in a person's body. Torah like this leads a person, as a matter of course, to carry out in practice everything he has learned. This engraving comes about mainly through toiling in Torah with mesirus nefesh, the readiness to give one's life. As Chazal said, “Words of Torah endure only in one who kills himself over them,”8 for such toil shapes his spirit and his soul.
וְיֵשׁ לְבָאֵר בְּכָל זֶה, דְּהִנֵּה בְּלִימּוּד הַתּוֹרָה יֵשׁ שְׁנֵי דְּבָרִים, לִימּוּד הַתּוֹרָה וִיגִיעַת הַתּוֹרָה, וְאִם אָדָם לוֹמֵד אֶת הַתּוֹרָה בְּלִימּוּד בִּלְתִּי יְגִיעָה, אֲזַי אַף שֶׁקִּיֵּים מִצְוַת לִימּוּד הַתּוֹרָה, מִכָּל מָקוֹם חָסֵר בִּשְׁלֵימוּת הַמִּצְוָה שֶׁל לִימּוּד הַתּוֹרָה, כִּי עִיקַּר תַּכְלִית לִימּוּד הַתּוֹרָה הוּא בִּכְדֵי לִשְׁמוֹר וְלַעֲשׂוֹת וּלְקַיֵּים, וְנוֹדַע שֶׁבִּכְדֵי שֶׁהָאָדָם יִזְכֶּה שֶׁהַלִּימּוּד יַשְׁפִּיעַ עָלָיו לְקַיֵּים, זֶהוּ רַק בְּאִם לוֹמֵד בִּיגִיעָה, שֶׁאָז הַלִּימּוּד מַשְׁפִּיעַ עָלָיו עַל כָּל תַּהֲלוּכוֹת הַחַיִּים, שֶׁכֵּן עַל יְדֵי הַיְּגִיעָה נֶחֱקַק בְּגוּפוֹ הַשְׁפָּעַת הַתּוֹרָה. וְאֵין דַּי בִּסְתָם לִימּוּד בְּעָלְמָא כְּמוֹ שֶׁהַרְבֵּה חוֹשְׁבִים, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁפֵּירְשׁוּ בַּסְּפָרִים הַקְּדוֹשִׁים (תולדות יצחק, שפת אמת, ומעין זה בנועם אלימלך) עַל הַכָּתוּב (במדבר יט, ב) ׳חוּקַּת הַתּוֹרָה׳, שֶׁהַתּוֹרָה צְרִיכָה לַעֲשׂוֹת חֲקִיקָה בְּגוּפוֹ, וּמִמֵּילָא תּוֹרָה כָּזֹאת מַשְׁפִּיעָה עַל הָאָדָם שֶׁיְּקַיֵּים לְמַעֲשֶׂה כָּל מַה שֶׁלָּמַד, וְדָבָר זֶה נַעֲשֶׂה בְּעִיקָּר עַל יְדֵי יְגִיעַת הַתּוֹרָה בִּמְסִירוּת נֶפֶשׁ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ חז״ל (ברכות סג, ב) אֵין דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָה מִתְקַיְּימִין אֶלָּא בְּמִי שֶׁמֵּמִית עַצְמוֹ עָלֶיהָ, שֶׁזֶּה מַשְׁפִּיעַ עָלָיו עַל רוּחוֹ וְנִשְׁמָתוֹ.
- From the blessing Ahavah Rabbah, said before the morning Shema. ↩
- Bamidbar 19:2; Toldos Yitzchak; Sfas Emes; Noam Elimelech. ↩
- Berachos 63b. ↩
In shortLearning without toil fulfills the mitzvah but misses its aim; only toil engraves the Torah in the body, so that learning leads to doing.
5This lets us explain what Israel said before receiving the Torah: “All that Hashem has spoken we will do and we will hear.”9 By taking it upon themselves to learn with toil, they could acquire the Torah as na'aseh, “we will do,” with a person's whole body standing ready to do all that Hashem commanded in His holy Torah. That is why Israel put “we will do” before “we will hear.” They were teaching that the main purpose of receiving the Torah is to bring a person to “we will do”; after that, he becomes fit to receive the Torah as nishma, “we will hear.” The Tosefta says the same: “One who studies but does not toil is like a man who sows but does not reap.”10 Chazal are telling us that without toil a person may be busy with Torah and still see no fruit from it, just as one who sows and does not reap has no fruit. As we have explained, Torah study without toil leaves no mark on a person. So he forgets what the law requires of him and which mitzvah he must do, and the purpose of learning, “to keep, to do and to fulfill,” is not achieved.
וּבָזֶה אֶפְשָׁר לְפָרֵשׁ מַה שֶׁאָמְרוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל קוֹדֶם קַבָּלַת הַתּוֹרָה (שמות כד, ז) ״כֹּל אֲשֶׁר דִּיבֶּר ה׳ נַעֲשֶׂה וְנִשְׁמָע״, וְהַיְינוּ שֶׁבְּאוֹפֶן זֶה שֶׁקִּבְּלוּ עַל עַצְמָם לִלְמוֹד בִּיגִיעָה יְכוֹלִים לִקְנוֹת אֶת הַתּוֹרָה בִּבְחִינַת ׳נַעֲשֶׂה׳, דְּהַיְינוּ שֶׁכָּל גּוּפוֹ יִהְיֶה עוֹמֵד מוּכָן לַעֲשׂוֹת אֶת כָּל אֲשֶׁר צִיוָּה ה׳ בְּתוֹרָתוֹ הַקְּדוֹשָׁה, וְלָכֵן הִקְדִּימוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל נַעֲשֶׂה לְנִשְׁמָע, לְהוֹרוֹת שֶׁעִיקַּר קַבָּלַת הַתּוֹרָה הוּא כְּדֵי לִפְעוֹל אֵצֶל בֶּן אָדָם שֶׁיִּהְיֶה בִּבְחִינַת ׳נַעֲשֶׂה׳, וְאָז נַעֲשִׂים רְאוּיִים לְקַבָּלַת הַתּוֹרָה בִּבְחִינַת ׳נִשְׁמָע׳. וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמְרוּ בַּתּוֹסֶפְתָּא (פרה פ״ד, ד) הַשּׁוֹנֶה וְאֵינוֹ עָמֵל כְּאִישׁ שֶׁזּוֹרֵעַ וְאֵינוֹ קוֹצֵר, מְבוֹאָר מִדִּבְרֵיהֶם, דִּבְלֹא עֲמַל הַתּוֹרָה, אֲזַי אַף שֶׁעוֹסֵק בַּתּוֹרָה אֵינוֹ רוֹאֶה פֵּירוֹת, כְּשֵׁם שֶׁהַזּוֹרֵעַ וְאֵינוֹ קוֹצֵר אֵין לוֹ פֵּירוֹת. וְהוּא כְּמוֹ שֶׁנִּתְבָּאֵר, כִּי לִימּוּד הַתּוֹרָה לְלֹא עָמָל אֵינוֹ מוֹתִיר רוֹשֶׁם עַל הָאָדָם, וּמִמֵּילָא שׁוֹכֵחַ מַה הַדִּין וְהַמִּצְוָה שֶׁמּוּטָּלִים עָלָיו לַעֲשׂוֹת, וְאֵין מִתְקַיֵּים הַתַּכְלִית שֶׁל הַלִּימּוּד, לִשְׁמוֹר וְלַעֲשׂוֹת וּלְקַיֵּים.
In shortIsrael put “we will do” first: toil readies the body to act, while study without toil, like sowing without reaping, bears no fruit.
6This is what Rashi means by “that you toil in Torah.” The word amal, “toil,” is made up of the initial letters of ayin, mo'ach and lev: eye, brain and heart. It teaches that a person must bring all the powers of his soul into his Torah study. His learning has to lead him to “keep My commandments and do them,” to carry out the Torah's words in practice, and only toil in Torah can bring that about. That is why Rashi had to explain “that you toil in Torah”: toil is the condition for keeping the mitzvos, as we said.
וְזֶהוּ הַכַּוָּונָה ׳שֶׁתִּהְיוּ עֲמֵלִים בַּתּוֹרָה׳, עמ״ל רָאשֵׁי תֵּיבוֹת עַיִן מוֹחַ לֵב, שֶׁזֶּה מוֹרֶה שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לְהַכְנִיס אֶת כָּל כּוֹחוֹת הַנֶּפֶשׁ בְּתוֹךְ לִימּוּד הַתּוֹרָה, שֶׁמֵּאַחַר שֶׁצָּרִיךְ שֶׁיָּבִיא הַלִּימּוּד לִידֵי ׳וְאֶת מִצְוֹתַי תִּשְׁמוֹרוּ וַעֲשִׂיתֶם אוֹתָם׳ לְקַיֵּים דִּבְרֵי הַתּוֹרָה לְמַעֲשֶׂה, מוּכְרָח הַדָּבָר לִהְיוֹת רַק עַל יְדֵי עֲמַל הַתּוֹרָה, וְלָכֵן הוּכְרַח רש״י לְפָרֵשׁ ׳שֶׁתִּהְיוּ עֲמֵלִים בַּתּוֹרָה׳, כִּי זֶה תְּנַאי לִשְׁמִירַת הַמִּצְוֹת, כָּאָמוּר.
In shortAmal, toil, stands for eye, brain and heart; only learning with all three leads to keeping and doing, so Rashi says “toil.”
7[When we engage in Torah and mitzvos, we bless Hashem “Who has sanctified us with His commandments.”11 This means that a mitzvah brings holiness into a person's very body and transforms him, along the lines of Chazal's teaching: “The purpose of Torah is teshuvah and good deeds.”12 But how can a person truly reach this? Only by learning the Torah and keeping the mitzvos in the way of “the chok of the Torah,” with the Torah engraved in him. Then he is privileged to make his body serve the Creator's honor. That is why amal stands for ayin, mo'ach and lev: through toil in Torah a person can master these three organs, so that he does not covet with them or sin with them, Heaven forbid. And that is why Rashi explained “that you toil in Torah,” and not “that you learn Torah.” When a person learns in the way of bechukosai, “My statutes,” toiling in Torah, he brings his whole body to “we will do,” and his body is made fit to serve Hashem, blessed be He.]
*[כִּי הִנֵּה כְּשֶׁעוֹסְקִים בַּתּוֹרָה וּבְמִצְוֹת אָנוּ מְבָרְכִים ׳אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו׳, הַיְינוּ שֶׁהַמִּצְוָה מַשְׁפִּיעָה קְדוּשָּׁה עַל עֶצֶם גּוּף הָאָדָם, וּמְשַׁנֶּה אֶת צוּרַת הָאָדָם, וְעַל דֶּרֶךְ שֶׁאָמְרוּ חז״ל (ברכות יז, א) תַּכְלִית תּוֹרָה תְּשׁוּבָה וּמַעֲשִׂים טוֹבִים. אֲבָל אֵיךְ בֶּאֱמֶת אֶפְשָׁר לְהַגִּיעַ לִידֵי זֶה, זֹאת בְּאִם הָאָדָם לוֹמֵד אֶת הַתּוֹרָה וּמְקַיֵּים אֶת הַמִּצְוֹות בִּבְחִינַת ׳חוּקַּת הַתּוֹרָה׳, אָז הוּא זוֹכֶה לְשַׁעְבֵּד אֶת הַגּוּף לִכְבוֹד הַבּוֹרֵא. וְזֶהוּ שֶׁ׳עָמָל׳ הוּא רָאשֵׁי תֵּיבוֹת עַיִן מֹחַ לֵב, שֶׁעַל יְדֵי עֲמַל הַתּוֹרָה יָכוֹל הָאָדָם לְשַׁעְבֵּד אֵבָרִים אֵלּוּ שֶׁלֹּא לַחֲמוֹד וְלַעֲשׂוֹת בָּהֶם ח״ו עֲבֵירוֹת. וְעַל כֵּן פֵּירֵשׁ רש״י שֶׁתִּהְיוּ ׳עֲמֵלִים׳ בַּתּוֹרָה וְלֹא ׳לוֹמְדִים׳ בַּתּוֹרָה, כִּי בְּאִם הָאָדָם לוֹמֵד בִּבְחִינַת ׳בְּחוּקּוֹתַי׳ בַּעֲמַל הַתּוֹרָה, בָּזֶה הוּא מַשְׁפִּיעַ עַל כָּל הַגּוּף בִּבְחִינַת ׳נַעֲשֶׂה׳, שֶׁנַּעֲשָׂה הַגּוּף מְתוּקָּן לַעֲבוֹדָתוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ].
- The sefer's note: An addition from another place. ↩
- Berachos 17a (the sefer has 17b). The Gemara's wording is “The purpose of wisdom is teshuvah and good deeds.” ↩
In shortMitzvos are meant to sanctify the body itself; toil engraves the Torah so deeply that eye, brain and heart are mastered and fit for service.
8This is also what the Midrash on our verse means. Dovid HaMelech took stock of himself: he saw how much effort a person puts in when he is busy with material things, such as a certain house or a certain field. From this he learned that Torah, too, must be pursued with toil and mesirus nefesh, for that is what makes Torah complete. That is what he meant when he said that his feet would lead him to the beis midrash, the study hall: “my feet” hint at mesirus nefesh, at going to the beis midrash to engage in Torah with mesirus nefesh. My holy father and teacher, zt"l, explained the Midrash along similar lines. When Dovid HaMelech said, “I considered my ways,” he meant that he took stock of the passion and fervor with which he did ordinary, permitted things, and he brought that same passion and fervor into Torah and mitzvos. This is the meaning of his feet leading him to the beis midrash: he carried that same passion with him into his Torah study and his keeping of the mitzvos.
וְזֶה גַּם כַּוָּונַת הַמִּדְרָשׁ עַל פָּסוּק זֶה, שֶׁדָּוִד הַמֶּלֶךְ עָשָׂה חֶשְׁבּוֹן הַנֶּפֶשׁ כַּמָּה יְגִיעוֹת אָדָם מַכְנִיס בְּעֵת שֶׁעוֹסֵק בִּדְבָרִים גַּשְׁמִיִּים כְּמוֹ בְּבֵית פְּלוֹנִי וְשָׂדֶה פְּלוֹנִי, וּמִזֶּה לָמַד לְעִנְיַן הָעֵסֶק בַּתּוֹרָה שֶׁצָּרִיךְ גַּם הוּא לִהְיוֹת בְּעָמָל וּמְסִירוּת נֶפֶשׁ, כִּי זֶהוּ שְׁלֵימוּת הַתּוֹרָה. וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר ׳רַגְלַי מוֹלִיכוֹת אוֹתִי לְבֵית הַמִּדְרָשׁ׳, דְּ׳רַגְלַי׳ מְרַמֵּז לִבְחִינַת מְסִירוּת נֶפֶשׁ הַיְינוּ שֶׁהוֹלֵךְ לְבֵית הַמִּדְרָשׁ לַעֲסוֹק בַּתּוֹרָה בִּמְסִירוּת נֶפֶשׁ. וּכְמוֹ שֶׁפֵּירֵשׁ כ״ק אאמו״ר זצללה״ה, דְּמַה שֶׁאָמַר דָּוִד הַמֶּלֶךְ ע״ה ׳חִשַּׁבְתִּי דְרָכָי׳ הַכַּוָּונָה שֶׁעָשָׂה חֶשְׁבּוֹן הַנֶּפֶשׁ אֵיךְ הָיָה עוֹשֶׂה דִּבְרֵי הָרְשׁוּת בְּחֵשֶׁק וּבְהִתְלַהֲבוּת, וְאֶת הַחֵשֶׁק וְהַהִתְלַהֲבוּת הַלָּלוּ הִכְנִיס לַתּוֹרָה וּלְמִצְוֹת, וְזֶהוּ ׳וְהָיוּ רַגְלַי מוֹלִיכוֹת אוֹתִי לְבֵית הַמִּדְרָשׁ׳, לַעֲשׂוֹת זֹאת בְּאוֹתוֹ חֵשֶׁק לְהַכְנִיסוֹ אֶל לִימּוּד הַתּוֹרָה וְקִיּוּם הַמִּצְוֹת.
In shortDovid saw the effort and passion people pour into houses and fields, and brought the same into Torah; his “feet” stand for that mesirus nefesh.
9This lets us answer the question of the Rishonim that we raised earlier: how can the Torah speak of reward for a mitzvah in this world? It is true that the mitzvos themselves earn no reward in this world, but that is because there is no way to pay for them here. Even if a person were given everything in the world, it would not be enough to pay for a single mitzvah.13 All this, however, applies only to the mitzvah itself, here the mitzvah of Torah study. The toil of Torah is not, strictly speaking, part of the mitzvah, and for that toil a person can be rewarded even in this world. That is why the verse says, “If you will walk in My statutes,” which Rashi explains as “that you toil in Torah”: for this toil you will be privileged to receive the reward of “then I will give your rains in their season …”
וּבָזֶה יֵשׁ לְיַישֵּׁב קוּשְׁיַית הָרִאשׁוֹנִים שֶׁהוּזְכְּרָה לְעֵיל, הַאֵיךְ נִזְכַּר בַּתּוֹרָה שְׂכַר מִצְוָה בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, אֶלָּא דְּאַף דְּאָמְנָם עַל הַמִּצְוֹת בְּעַצְמָם לֵיכָּא שָׂכָר בְּהַאי עָלְמָא וְהוּא מֵחֲמַת שֶׁלֹּא שַׁיָּיךְ לְשַׁלֵּם עֲלֵיהֶם בְּזֶה הָעוֹלָם, כִּי אֲפִילּוּ אִם יִתְּנוּ לָאָדָם כָּל חַלְלֵי דְּעָלְמָא (על פי לשון הגמרא שבת עז, ב) אֵין בָּזֶה דַּי לְשַׁלֵּם אַף עֲבוּר מִצְוָה אַחַת, אָכֵן כָּל זֶה הוּא רַק עֲבוּר עֶצֶם הַמִּצְוָה עַצְמָהּ שֶׁל לִימּוּד הַתּוֹרָה, אַךְ בַּעֲבוּר עֲמָלָהּ שֶׁל תּוֹרָה שֶׁזֶּה לֹא מַמָּשׁ מֵעֶצֶם הַמִּצְוָה, עַל זֶה אֶפְשָׁר לְקַבֵּל שָׂכָר אֲפִילּוּ בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה, וְעַל כֵּן ׳אִם בְּחוּקֹּתַי תֵּלֵכוּ שֶׁתִּהְיוּ עֲמֵלִים בַּתּוֹרָה׳, בִּשְׁבִיל זֶה תִּזְכּוּ לְשָׂכָר ׳וְנָתַתִּי גִשְׁמֵיכֶם בְּעִתָּם׳ וְגוֹ׳.
- The phrase follows the Gemara's wording, kol chalalei de'alma, in Shabbos 77b. ↩
In shortNothing in this world can pay for the mitzvah of learning itself, but the toil beyond it can be rewarded here with rain.
10May Hashem help us receive the Torah in order to toil in it; then we will be privileged to receive all the blessings stated in the Torah. My holy great-grandfather of Biala, the author of Divrei Binah, zt"l, used to give this blessing before Shavuos: that we receive the Torah with both hands, so that the verse will be fulfilled in us, “Length of days is in its right hand; in its left hand are wealth and honor.”14 [The right hand belongs to those who “go to its right”: as Rashi explains, those who engage in it with all their strength and are absorbed in knowing its secret.15] Through keeping the Torah and toiling in it, may we be privileged to greet Moshiach. Amen.
ה׳ יִתְבָּרֵךְ יַעַזְרֵנוּ שֶׁנִּזְכֶּה לְקַבָּלַת הַתּוֹרָה עַל מְנָת לַעֲמוֹל בָּהּ, וְאָז נִזְכֶּה לְכָל הַבְּרָכוֹת הָאֲמוּרוֹת בַּתּוֹרָה, וְכַאֲשֶׁר הָיָה מְבָרֵךְ זְקֵנִי בַּעַל דִּבְרֵי בִּינָה מביאלא זצללה״ה לִפְנֵי חַג הַשָּׁבוּעוֹת, שֶׁנִּזְכֶּה לְקַבֵּל אֶת הַתּוֹרָה בִּשְׁתֵּי יָדַיִים, שֶׁיְּקוּיַּים בָּנוּ ׳אוֹרֶךְ יָמִים בִּימִינָהּ׳ [לַמֵּימִינִים בָּהּ, כְּפֵירוּשׁ רש״י (שבת פח, ב) שֶׁעֲסוּקִים בְּכָל כּוֹחָם וּטְרוּדִים לְדַעַת סוֹדָה], ׳וּבִשְׂמֹאלָהּ עוֹשֶׁר וְכָבוֹד׳ (משלי ג, טז), וְעַל יְדֵי קִיּוּם וַעֲמַל הַתּוֹרָה נִזְכֶּה לְקַבָּלַת הַמָּשִׁיחַ, אָמֵן.
In shortMay we receive the Torah with both hands, toiling in it with all our strength, and so be privileged to greet Moshiach.
Takeaway
Learning that costs us nothing can leave us unchanged, but Torah learned with toil engraves itself on eye, brain and heart until the body itself is ready to do what we learn. Dovid HaMelech took the passion people bring to their houses and fields and carried it into the beis midrash. That toil, beyond the bare mitzvah, is what Hashem rewards even in this world.
Learn this in the merit of Rav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitz. His yahrzeit and life ›
English translation, notes and summaries © Zechusam.