By Daniel Keren
Rabbi Eli Reisman
One of the featured speakers at the recent December 25th Hakhel Legal Day Yarchei Kallah Event in Flatbush was Rabbi Eli Reisman, Rosh Chabura, Kollel Hora’ah of Torah Vodaas. The topic of his lecture was a look into “The Yissachar Zevulun Relationship.”
A Way to Fulfill One’s Obligation to Learn Torah
But what if the person is incapable of learning Torah (either because he doesn’t know how to learn Torah or he is too busy to do so.) He can nevertheless fulfill his obligation for the mitzvah of Talmud Torah by financially supporting a Torah scholar, and thereby allowing this Torah scholar (Yissachar) to more easily learn without financial worries and thus become an even greater scholar, he becomes a Zevulun.
One cannot pay someone for the zechus (the merit) of Torah that was already learned. Rabbi Reisman said that you as a potential Zevulun can only get the mitzvah for supporting someone else to learn Torah as a Yissachar in the future. There is something unique in having a share in this type of Talmud Torah.
One cannot obtain a share in the mitzvah of putting on tefillin or in waving a lulav and esrog by paying for a pair of expensive phylacteries or lulav set for another person to utilize and get a share in that person’s mitzvah and thereby exempt himself from performing that same mitzvah.
In Parshas Zos Berachos, Moshe Rabbeinu mentions Zevulon before Yissochar which appears to show the importance of the donor over the recipient. They share the reward of Yissochar’s Torah learning equally.
Part Time Options to Support Torah Learning
Rabbi Reisman brought up the question about whether someone can establish a Zevulon Yissachar relationship by offering to pay a Torah scholar for two hours a day of his Torah learning. Is this a worthwhile venture? Some poskim (Torah halachic scholars) say yes and others disagree. Rav Chaim Volozner strongly writes on the topic that for a Yissochar (Torah scholar) to refuse such a limited request of a Zevulun is emulating the evil middos (character trait) of the wicked citizens of Sodom.
The concept of the Zevulon-Yissochar partnership is not tzedokah (charity). You cannot become a Zevulun (Torah supporter) by paying out from your maisah money. It is rather a business deal. Similarly, a Zevulun-Yissochar relationship is not limited to chomesh (20%) of one’s income, because it is not a matter of tzedokah, but rather is in the realm of an actual business investment.
Reprinted from the January 26, 2024 edition of The Jewish Connection.
