Behar- Bechukosai- A growing person...
For Year 2 of Parsha Lesson, I will be focusing on one practical middah, character trait, to think about in the week ahead and steps we can take to attain it.
Background
In the second of this week’s Parshas, Bechukosai, the Torah tells us of the tremendous blessing that will come to the Jewish nation if they follow in the ways of Hashem, followed by the tremendous calamities and suffering that will befall the Jewish nation if they do not follow in the ways of Hashem and the Torah. Unfortunately, we can bear testimony to the truth of this Parsha- with our perspective of Jewish history of the past few thousand years.
Rashi, both at the beginning of Bechukosai where the Torah is relating the blessings (the first Rashi of Bechukosai) and then again at the beginning of where the Torah relates the suffering and tragedy (26:14) tells us that the main point to focus on is whether or not we are ‘toiling in studying Torah.’ Rashi is teaching us: what is the main point to be aware of to determine if we are moving in the right direction and towards attaining Hashem’s blessing, or unfortunately, the suffering and punishment? If we, personally and as a community, are toiling in the study of Torah.
Question
Why is this so important? Imagine for a second that there is someone who keeps ALL of the Torah, with all of its details and intricacies, fully, but does not toil in the study of Torah- is that so bad? If one were to listen to all of the commands of Hashem, but does not exert themselves for the study of Torah- is this reason to have to endure suffering?
And conversely, say someone is ignorant as to what the Torah says and what Hashem wants of him- yet this person is toiling in the study of Torah- is this person ‘good’ and doing what Hashem wants him to?
Answer
In order to answer this question one needs to have the proper perspective of this world and the purpose of creation.
The Mesillas Yesharim- the definitive sefer (book on Torah) which tells us the purpose of this world, life and why Hashem created this world and people- writes that the reason why man was created was in order to be afforded the opportunity to improve themself and to come closer to Hashem. This is Man’s mission and the way to either fulfill their potential or to, unfortunately, fail. There are many ways in which one can become close to Hashem, but that is the destination of all of Humanity. The world, then, is but the means to facilitate this mission.
Therefore, Hashem put into this world all of that which Man needs to become close to Hashem as well as challenges and obstacles which Man must fight and struggle against in order to become ‘stronger’ and more capable of closeness to Hashem. This world, therefore, is intended to be a ‘boot-camp’ of sorts for Man to be able to attain greatness for Man’s eternal life in the next world. The means of closeness to Hashem are the mitzvos of the Torah, the challenges and obstacles are the allures of the physical world- things to lust for, things which will tempt Man to violate the commandments of Torah and make Man less straight and holy.
The Mesillas Yesharim continues and explains that the ONLY way that Hashem created for Man to be able to conquer the obstacles of this world is the study of Torah.
Therefore, it is now clear why this specific aspect- toil in the study of Torah- is the most important aspect to focus on. Since Man is never static, Man is either improving or degrading, it is therefore most important to focus on this aspect- toil in the study of Torah- in order to get a quick check of whether a person is heading in the right direction or not.
Since this world’s purpose is to serve Man in his mission to become closer to Hashem, the world will therefore be uplifted and blessed as Man makes use of it to fulfill his mission. Similarly, the world will be degraded and laid waste to if Man is using the world to indulge himself- thereby failing in his mission and wasting his opportunity.
Lesson
Toiling in the study of Torah, to both know what the Torah says as well as toiling to understand the logic of the Torah as explained to us by the great sages of each generation, is the only way for someone to grow and fulfill their potential in this world. In order to be successful against desire, lust, physicality- which serve to draw a Man away from Hashem’s ways- Man must toil in the study of Torah.
First Step
The First Step towards toiling in the study of Torah is to set aside an amount of time, even 3 minutes, towards learning a Mussar sefer (book) such as the Mesillas Yesharim. This will help one to start laying the proper foundation for a life devoted to studying Torah, understanding Torah and being able to be engaged in true self-perfection.
Not the self-perfection of the various secular programs devoted to self-help, whose failures can be seen in the world around us, but rather towards the self-perfection for which Man was created: to follow in the ways of Hashem.
Have a wonderful Shabbos!
Rabbi Eli Meir Kramer
