The reason why we study the chapter of Kinyan Torah before
Shavuos
The forty-eight ways to acquire Torah are enumerated in the
sixth chapter of Pirkei Ovos, that is sometimes called
Kinyan Torah. Even though several reasons are stated,
it is worthwhile reviewing the thoughts of the Chossid
Yaavetz as quoted in Midrash Shmuel as follows:
Torah can only reside in a [human] vessel which is devoid of
evil traits and filled with worthwhile attributes. This is
what Hashem hinted at when He said (right before Mattan
Torah), "Prepare yourself for three days time. Do not
approach a woman" (Shemos 19:15). The Jews were
also told to launder their clothing and to purify it from the
contamination and dirt which prevent a soul from ascending.
All the chapters preceding this are filled with important
practices which draw a person's soul closer to its Creator
and rouse a person to better serve Him.
This is why it is customary to study this chapter before
Shavuos, commemorating the Giving of the Torah, in order to
draw Divine mercy upon those who are already worthy, as
happened to our ancestors in this season. The entire chapter
evokes a yearning for Torah and a love towards it. And even
if the other chapters talk about this as well, this one is
wholly devoted to the subject of acquiring Torah and it is a
summary of all that precedes it.
To be sure, we must always strive to acquire Torah, but this
particular season is more conducive to it due to the impact
and inspiration which Jewish souls received at that time in
history and which sparks and re-ignites our own souls at this
time as well.
This chapter is called Kinyan Torah because it
concerns those important traits which must precede our
entering a covenant of Torah. They must enter a person like
water so that he delve in Torah purely for its own sake, just
as it is written about Rachel, the wife of R' Akiva. "She saw
that he was unassuming and said [to him]: I will agree to be
married to you on condition that you go study." In the end,
he became the famous R' Akiva.
This chapter begins with the teaching of R' Meir, who was his
disciple, and it is studied right before Shavuos, which
commemorates the Giving of the Torah. R' Simcha Zissel of
Kelm zt'l wrote a letter to his son on erev
Shavuos (in Ohr RaShaZ, parshas Emor), explaining
that this is why we count forty-nine days before the Giving
of the Torah: they are an introduction, a preface, to the
acquisition of Torah in nature, to prepare a person so that
he and the Torah will be one. It is written first, "That his
desire be Hashem's Torah," and afterwards, "and he shall
delve in his own Torah . . . "
Upon each of the forty-eight days one should study a
different `gateway' so that on the forty-ninth, they will all
be united into one single entity. By being unified, a person
will find it easier to enter the inner sanctum of the secrets
of Torah, which is wholly sweet and preciously desirable.
There is no better preparation than this.
How fitting it is to conclude with the words of the Ohr
HaChaim on Chukas where he writes: There is no
commandment which does not incorporate esoteric secrets which
were revealed to Moshe. A person should strive to acquire
Torah through the forty-eight ways enumerated in Mishnas
Chassidim, for then he becomes privy to the secrets of
Torah which were revealed to Moshe at Sinai. Moshe revealed
these secrets, as well as the reason and the basis for the
mitzvos, to the Jews of his generation.
"And you shall heed My commandments" (Vayikra 26:3).
On this posuk he comments that this can be fulfilled
through acquiring the Torah in the forty-eight ways mentioned
in Pirkei Ovos (Mishnas Chassidim). Not everyone who
desires Torah can possess it. He must do so through the 48
steps. This is what is meant by "If you walk in My statutes."
If you wish to possess Torah, you must fulfill the condition
of "and you shall keep My commandments and do them." This
refers to the 48 steps.
In Emunah uBitochon (chapter 3, os 9) by the Chazon
Ish, it is written that the Torah is acquired through 48
ways, each of which is supernatural; one must leave behind
habit, human nature and foibles, and strive for perfection
until he reaches the stage where he is not disturbed or
hindered in his devoted aspiration and powerful diligence.
Why is Prayer Not Included in the 48 Steps?
In maseches Niddah 70b we find: The people of
Alexandria asked R' Yehoshua ben Chananya what a person
should do in order to grow wise. He said: Let him increase
his Torah study and reduce the time he spends in engaging in
trade.
They said: But many have tried that and not succeeded. What
then?
Let them ask for mercy from the One Who possesses all the
wisdom, as it is written, "For Hashem shall grant wisdom;
from His mouth, knowledge and understanding" (Mishlei
2:6).
What does this mean? Why did he have to suggest that they
increase their study time if wisdom is dependent upon Divine
mercy? Because one without the other is of no avail.
In other words, since one cannot achieve or attain anything
without prayer, it is clear that even Torah knowledge cannot
be acquired without accompanying prayer. In fact, the lack of
prayer is a very crucial reason why so many tried to increase
study time but found that they did not increase their wisdom.
If this is so, it seems strange that no mention was made of
prayer as one of the forty-eight ways of acquiring Torah
knowledge.
We also found it written in Pirkei Ovos (1:2) that the
world stands on three things: Torah, avodoh, gemilus
chassodim. Rabbenu Yonah explains that avodoh
signified the sacrifices, but now that the Beis Hamikdosh
is destroyed our prayers take the place of those
sacrifices. "And to serve Him with your whole heart." How
does one serve with the heart? Through prayer.
Prayer is not only a substitute or an aid; it is a goal unto
itself. Anything that is lacking in the world is purposely
this way in order to get us to pray to Hashem and worship
Him. Prayer is a pillar unto itself, equal to Torah and
gemilus chassodim in the upkeep of the world and the
channeling of Hashem's bounty to the world, both materially
and spiritually.
If we lack wisdom to fully understand Torah, we must pray to
Hashem for that understanding. Indeed, Torah is not different
from any of the other things that require our prayers. For
prayer is not so that we fill our lack in Torah, but rather,
our lack in understanding Torah is so that we pray for
wisdom!
The pillar of prayer is certainly not a unique requirement
for the acquisition of Torah but each and every step, every
acquisition, requires separate additional prayer to succeed
at it, for you can't have one without the other. So you see
that prayer cannot be enumerated separately from the forty-
eight steps for building a Torah crown, since it must
accompany each one. It is a major supporting pillar for the
whole world and not merely one of the ways to gain Torah.
Acquiring `Yishuv' can only be Done through Sitting in
[Yeshiva] Study
What does beyishuv (one of the 48 steps) mean?
Rashi says that one must literally sit, sit and learn, for
the more one does that, the more knowledge one can absorb, as
mentioned before, "What shall a person do in order to be
wise? Let him increase his yeshiva."
Why, indeed, is a place of Torah study called a
yeshiva? We find other names for this, such as beis
medrash. But since acquiring Torah knowledge is the most
difficult of all, one who doesn't have the patience, the
sitzfleish to apply himself, to be diligent, to study
without interruption, cannot achieve this kinyan. We
shall now attempt to explain what it means "to increase one's
sitting."
Studying biyeshiva was already practiced by our
Ovos. We find it written in Yoma 28b that our
ancestors were always involved in yeshiva and never
stopped learning. "Avrohom Ovinu was old and sat in
yeshiva . . . Yitzchok Ovinu was old and sat in
yeshiva . . . Yaakov Ovinu was old and sat in
yeshiva . . . "
Studying in Yeshiva Means Being Occupied in Eternal Life
and Forsaking Temporal Life
It is written in Taanis 21a that Ilfa and R' Yochonon
were studying Torah together. Being both poverty stricken,
they decided to stop learning and engage in business to keep
themselves alive. After all, they argued, the Torah does
state that "there shall be no pauper in your midst" (Devorim
15:4). And so, they left the walls of the beis
medrash.
They were sitting eating their bread near a crumbling wall
which threatened to collapse, when two [invisible] angels
came and one said to the other, "Let us topple the wall onto
them and kill them." Why? Because, explains the
gemora, they were abandoning eternal life (says Rashi -
- Torah) in exchange for temporal life [preparing to earn a
livelihood]. The second angel replied, "But one of them is
destined to become great in Torah. His time has not yet come
to die."
R' Yochonon heard this but he realized that Ilfa didn't, and
he concluded that it must apply to him and not to Ilfa. "I
will return to the beis medrash," he said to himself,
"and fulfill the verse, `For there shall never cease to be
paupers in the midst of the land.' "
At first, R' Yochonon felt it was permissible to seek his
livelihood by going out to work so as not to starve, but
having heard the words of the angels, he decided to enter the
other category mentioned in the Torah and live in poverty.
And so, Ilfa went forth to seek his fortune, while R'
Yochonon returned to the beis medrash where he was
shortly afterwards appointed rosh yeshiva. It was customary
at that time for those who appointed a rosh yeshiva to
support him in material comfort.
And they said to Ilfa, "Had you continued to stay here and
study, we would have appointed you as our head, as we did to
R' Yochonon." He was very perturbed at these words and went
to the harbor, where he climbed up on a high ship's mast,
declaring, "Whoever has a question [in Torah] to ask, can
still ask me." . . . despite the fact that I am engaging in
trade and not study.
Along came R' Chiya and R' Oshiya with their questions, which
Ilfa was unable to answer. Thereupon, he cast himself into
the water and drowned.
R' Yochonon became a famous rosh yeshiva who had many
disciples in his lifetime and after his death. To this day,
his lips `murmur in the grave' each time his teachings are
reviewed. In contrast, Ilfa lost his Torah knowledge, even
though in his prime, he had been considered very astute and
brilliant. So we cannot help but see the power of yeshiva, of
sitting and persevering in study.
Let us further examine the words of the angels, "They are
abandoning eternal life in exchange for temporal life." A Jew
must view the world, his goal in life, as Torah being "our
life and the length of our days." A Jew must bear in mind
that every moment which he spends in the beis medrash
is a moment of eternity. How can he countenance the thought
of leaving that, of exchanging Torah study for momentary,
mundane activities of no lasting value. Above all, it is
denigrating the honor of Torah!
A person may, of course, argue that setting aside eternal
life to engage in mundane activities is dictated by need; he
is being coerced by circumstances to do so. The answer is
that perhaps this is true, but he must not rely on this
argument. It does not altogether address his problem. We see
that at the onset, both R' Yochonon and Ilfa felt they were
forced to leave their study and decided to seek work. But
they made this decision on their own, when they should have
asked their masters and teachers.
This was the prosecuting argument of the angels. And this
argument is still as valid today as it was with regard to R'
Yochonon and Ilfa. Whoever has the opportunity to remain
within the sanctuary of the beis medrash, to acquire
more Torah knowledge and occupy himself with eternal life, is
required to do so. If at any point he feels forced to leave
those walls, he must weigh this matter very carefully and
consult his Torah superiors before doing so. He must realize
that if he does opt to leave, he is verily abandoning eternal
life in exchange for mundane life.
In Hilchos Talmud Torah (perek 3:13), the Rambam
states: "For it appears that he showed no deference to the
words of Torah at all. So long as he is able to continue
studying Torah and does not do so, or if he studied at length
and then left his study in favor of worldly pursuits - - he
is considered to be abusing and offending the word of
Hashem."
The Difference Between a Ben Yeshiva and a Secular
Student
In Letter 74 of a compilation of his responsa and
correspondence, HaRav Yitzchok Hutner zt'l writes an
essay titled, "It is good for a man to bear the yoke [of
Torah] in his youth." He quotes Maran HaRav Chaim Volozhiner
ztvk'l who insisted on changing the terminology that
was prevalent in his days regarding yeshiva life. Instead of
using "yeshiva student," he preferred to call his disciples
bnei yeshiva.
Why did he feel it important to change the accepted usage? By
illustration, R' Yitzchok Hutner explains the difference
between a secular university student who listens to lectures
from his professors and the thousandfold difference of a
yeshiva student listening to a shiur from his rov. He
compares them to a nursing mother and a cook.
They both provide nourishment, but whereas the cook processes
the material at her disposal, the nursing mother gives of
herself, of her own flesh and blood. The nursing mother is
feeding her infant so that he should grow and be strong; she
is willing to give of her very essence for that purpose. The
cook, on the other hand, is only interested in producing a
tasty meal from the ingredients at hand and nothing more; she
does not give anything of her own resources or essence.
This is the difference between a university lecturer and
lehavdil a master teaching Torah. The latter provides
his students with his own lifeblood; he gives from his
quintessence, his very core. The professor merely teaches the
material at his disposal, without adding any element from
within himself. The moment his pride is injured, his whole
spirit will be shattered.
It should also be remembered that if the rov were not
teaching, he would be learning Torah on his own and improving
himself, raising himself to a more exalted spiritual level,
in greater measure than the mere time allotted for giving the
shiur. In this aspect, as well, the Torah teacher is
sacrificing his own self for the sake of his pupil.
This, then, was the pressing reason why R' Chaim changed the
terminology from "yeshiva student" to "ben yeshiva" or
"ben Torah." In other words, the yeshiva hall is not a
place where spiritual food is prepared, but a virtual place
for soul sustenance and nourishment.
This obligates the Torah student to persevere in pure
yishuv, sitting power. He may be considered a student
even if he comes and goes, but he is only called a ben
yeshiva if he perseveres in sitting, staying put, because
the act of sitting in study application is the source of a
person's vitality; it is the origin of his nurture,
nourishment, and his designation as a true ben
Torah.
This is the acquisition of yishuv, as Rashi notes,
that he amplify and increase his yishuv, for yeshiva
— sitting and learning — is eternal life. Chazal
tell us that one must yarbeh biyeshiva, for whoever
disconnects himself from Torah is as if he is detaching
himself from life.
Based on material from the sefer Matnas Chaim, by
HaRav Matisyohu Salomon on the 48 Steps to acquire
Torah.
