A shmuess about aspirations in Torah, as we
approach the Siyum HaShas of Daf Hayomi.
Part I
"He lighted upon the place and tarried there all night
because the sun was set. He took one of the stones of the
place and put it under his head, and lay down in that place
to sleep" (Bereishis 28:11). Our sages (in Midrash
Rabbah) pointed out that to write both "lay down" and "to
sleep" is superfluous. Moreover, should the Torah not have
been more concise? Instead of writing "and lay down in that
place" it apparently would have been sufficient to write "and
lay down there."
Chazal deduce from these questions that the Torah is
emphasizing to us that Yaakov Ovinu only slept "in that
place" — but during the previous fourteen years when he
was in the house of Ever studying Torah, he did not sleep at
all in such a regular manner of lying down especially to
sleep.
From the beginning of the posuk, "he lighted upon the
place," our Sages learned that Yaakov Ovinu initiated
tefillas Arvis (Brochos 26b, Midrash Rabbah
Bereishis 61:9). This shows us the sharp contrast between
tefilloh and Torah study. tefilloh has a set
quota: three times a day during the week, four times on
Shabbos, and five times on Yom Kippur. In addition, there are
fixed times when to say tefilloh: Shacharis
until the fourth hour of the day, minchah from six-and-
a-half hours until nightfall, ma'ariv from nightfall
onward. There are also limits about how much time should be
set aside for tefilloh: "The early chassidim
would tarry one hour [before praying], pray for one hour, and
again tarry one hour" (Brochos 32b).
On the other hand, the avodas Hashem of Torah study
has neither set times nor any limits. "You shall meditate
thereon day and night" (Yehoshua 1:8) —
throughout the week, as well as on Shabbos and Yom Tov. "When
you sit in your home, while you walk in the road, when you
retire and when you arise" (Devorim 6:7). Only in rare
incidents and special times is it ruled, "It is a time to
work for Hashem, they have abrogated Your Torah"
(Tehillim 119:126). Studying Torah is not limited to
specific times.
The Ladder's Steps
"And Yaakov awakened out of his sleep (mishnoso)"
(Bereishis 28:16). "R' Yochonon said from his
studying (mimishnoso)'" (Bereishis Rabbah
69:5). Perhaps the posuk is suggesting that Yaakov
Ovinu reached this high level wherein, "behold, Hashem stood
beside him" (v. 13) not only because of the tefilloh
that he prayed that evening, but also because of the Torah he
had studied in the beis midrash of Shem and Ever.
Undoubtedly tefilloh was the ladder's first stage, but
most of the ladder's steps were made of Torah study —
what Yaakov Ovinu studied with Shem and Ever.
Torah study is also the proper preparation for
tefilloh. We fervently pray three times daily in
Shemoneh Esrei: "Return us, our Father, to Your
Torah," and only afterwards "and draw us closer, our King, to
Your service" (referring to tefilloh).
Continuous Torah study empowers a person's frequent
tefillos to be effective and be willingly accepted by
the Ruler of the World.
The Time of Your Song
(Sotah 35a) — "Rovo expounded: Dovid was
punished (that Uzah died through him — Rashi) because
he called divrei Torah songs, as is written: `Your
statutes have been my songs in the house of my pilgrimage'
(Tehillim 119:54). HaKodosh Boruch Hu said to
him, `Of divrei Torah it is written, "Will you set
your eyes upon it? It is gone" (Mishlei 23:5) —
and you call them songs? I will make you err about something
that even small children studying with their rav know."
What was the flaw in Dovid Hamelech's comparing divrei
Torah to songs?
Songs of praise to Hashem are the climax of man's service to
Him. The Ramban writes (in parshas Bo) that the
Creation's main objective is for people to show their
gratitude to HaKodosh Boruch Hu. "Heaven wants nothing
from this lowly world except that a person should be aware
[of Who created him] and thank Elokim Who created
him."
Why then was Dovid Hamelech punished by calling divrei
Torah songs? The Maharsha explains "that a song is in
man's mouth for only a short time, but divrei Torah
are forever. They should not depart from his mouth, so that
they will not be forgotten by him."
This is as we wrote above. Torah study is unlike
tefilloh. Torah is studied without any interruptions.
Yaakov Ovinu studied for fourteen years without lying down to
sleep. Tefilloh, however, has its set times. After
praying tefillas Arvis a person lies down to sleep,
because tefilloh has a specific time: "The time of
[Your] song has arrived" (Shir HaShirim 2:12).
Adopting one maseches for a person to become
proficient in, and in which he will continually try to be
mechadeish, entails many advantages. It also grants
him continual study without interruptions, since it is easier
for him to be always occupied with that familiar
maseches.
The Second Luchos
After HaKodosh Boruch Hu was reconciled with Am
Yisroel after the sin of the eigel, Moshe ascended
to the Heavens to receive the second Luchos. Moshe
stayed there forty days and nights to receive the Torah and
afterwards to review it.
The question is quite obvious: We can well understand that
Moshe needed to study the Holy Torah forty days and forty
nights when he received the first Luchos. But why did
he need to stay in Heaven an additional forty days and nights
for the second Luchos? He already knew the Torah from
the first time. From the first giving of the Luchos
until the second, only forty days had passed. It would seem
that for him to review the Torah would have required only a
short time, if any at all. If so, it should have been enough
for Moshe, who was commanded to hew these Luchos, to
ascend to Heaven so that HaKodosh Boruch Hu would
carve the Ten Commandments on them, and then to return to the
people. An alternate possibility would have been for Moshe to
receive a short summary of what was written on the
Luchos and immediately afterwards descend to bnei
Yisroel. Surely one of these should have been done in
order not to create, chas vesholom, another situation
where bnei Yisroel would sin while Moshe stayed in
Heaven!
Many answers have been proposed to answer this question. We
will offer an answer according to what we have written above.
The Torah is coming to teach us that reviewing too, should be
done patiently. Unfortunately there are those who think that
reviewing is something effortless, a superficial study,
looking over the main points in the sugya and that is
all.
Reviewing is no different from the first time one studies a
sugya. Just as the first time around he studied
patiently and carefully, so should he when he reviews. For
the second Luchos Moshe needed another forty days and
nights although HaKodosh Boruch Hu had, just a short
time beforehand, studied the whole Torah with him. There are
no shortcuts for reviewing. It is incorrect to claim, "I
already know this subject," "It is a pity to waste time on
it," or, "It is enough to review the main points."
Any subject that we want to know well must be reviewed well.
Let us make a kal vochomer: if, when Moshe learned the
Torah from Hashem Himself, he needed to review, then still
more when one learns from people who are merely flesh and
blood it is necessary to review. We must repeat again and
again that it is wrong to deprive ourselves of proper
review.
"One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity
or for any sin, in any sin that he sins. According to two
witnesses or according to three witnesses shall a matter be
established" (Devorim 19:15). Nothing remains with a
person if he studies only once without reviewing. Even when
the Torah was taught by HaKodosh Boruch Hu and Moshe
Rabbenu was the pupil it was necessary to review.
Unquestionably when the teacher is a human being and the
pupil is not on Moshe's level, study without reviewing the
material is worthless.
End of Part I
HaRav Avrohom Tzvi Margolis is the Rav of Carmiel and the
founder of Mifal HaMasechtos. This shmuess was
presented to the members of the Mifal HaMasechtos on Shabbos
Parshas Vayeitzei, 5757.
