When one experiences an uplifting spiritual experience, a moment of ruchniyus, studying Torah, or being involved in a mitzvah, that should make an imprint on him. Even after the mitzvah is completed, the imprint should remain. The holy days of Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Succos, and Shemini Atzeres are approaching, and these days should have an impression on us. Even after the yomim tovim leave, their hashpaah should remain.
It states in Parashas Vayakhel (35:1) וַיַּקְהֵל יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּנֵי עֲדַת כָּל אֶת ֶׁהמֹש, "Moshe assembled the entire nation of Bnei Yisrael..." and he taught them to donate towards the building of the Mishkan. After Moshe completed this lesson, it states (Shemos 35:20) מ ִלִּפ ְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּנֵי עֲדַת כָּל וַיֵּצְ אוּ ֶׁהמֹש, "All of Bnei Yisrael left Moshe’s presence."
Isn't it evident that if they left the assembly, they left ֶׁהמֹש מ ִלִּפ ְנֵי, "Moshe's presence?” (See Or HaChaim, who provides three answers to this question.)
The Alter of Kelm zt'l (quoted in Darkei Mussar p.138) answers that the pasuk is telling us that even when they left the presence of Moshe, they remained ֶׁהמֹש מ ִלִּפ ְנֵי before Moshe. Moshe's presence so influenced them that even after they left, the influence remained. Someone who saw them could immediately tell that they were students of Moshe Rabbeinu.
Some people learn in yeshiva, or in kollel, and then, due to circumstances, have to leave and go to work. Even after they leave the beis medresh, it should be obvious where they came from.
The same is true for a ben Torah who goes on a vacation. Even on vacation, the imprint of who he is should be apparent. In all situations, and throughout their lives, it should be seen on them that they were in a beis medresh. Their middos, yiras Shamayim, connection to Torah, should be in a deeper way than others who never entered a beis medresh. The good influences shouldn't depart.
Rav Yosef said (Pesachim 68b) יומא האי לאו אי בשוקא איכא יוסף כמה, "If it wouldn't be for this day (of matan Torah), how many Yosef's would be in the marketplace." We can explain that if it weren't for matan Torah, he would have many personalities. He would be one person when in the market, another personality at home, a third personality while traveling, etc. This is how it is with the goyim, l'havdil. There are goyim who go to what they call "houses of worship." When they are in the "house of worship", they might act with respect, but when they leave, they immediately have another personality. They become standard goyim, like all goyim with split personalities, one at home, one in the worship house, one in the business place, and so on. Rav Yosef said that if it weren't for matan Torah, there would be many Yosefs. This means his personality and behavior would change, depending on where he was at the moment. But now that we have received the Torah, we always remain with the imprint of Torah. The aura of a Ben Torah remains with us wherever we go, and whatever situation we are in.
It states (Tehillim 34:12) 'ה יִרְאַת לִי שִׁמ ְ עוּ בָנִים לְ כוּ אֲלַמ ֶּדְכֶם, "Go, my sons, listen to me. I will teach you the fear of Hashem."
The Skulener Rebbe zt'l asks why the pasuk doesn’t write בנים בואו, "Come my sons?" Wasn’t Dovid Hamelech calling to his sons, to teach them the path of yiras Shamayim? Why does it state בָנִים לְ כוּ, "Go my sons"?
The Skulener Rebbe answered with a story that happened with the Apter Rav. The Apter Rav zt'l once came to a city, and the leaders of the city invited him to daven Shacharis in their large beis medresh. The next morning, the Apter Rav walked towards their large beis medresh accompanied by many people of the city, but the Rav didn't go inside. He said that he sees that the beis medresh is full of Torah and tefillah. The leaders of that beis medresh were happy and proud that the Apter Rav praised their beis medresh, but they didn't understand why he wouldn't go inside. The Apter Rav explained, "Generally, when people leave a beis medresh, they take their inspiration with them for the rest of the day. But I see that when the people here leave the beis medresh, they forget everything they gained, and everything remains in the beis medresh. There is no room for me to enter. The beis medresh is filled with Torah and tefillah, since everyone leaves them behind when they go out."
This is what Dovid HaMelech said, בָנִים לְ כוּ אֲלַמ ֶּדְכֶם 'ה יִרְאַת לִי שִׁמ ְ עוּ, "Go, my sons, listen to me. I will teach you the fear of Hashem." He was teaching them to act with yiras Shamayim, especially when it is לְ כוּ, when they are leaving the beis medresh.
The words אֲלַמ ֶּדְכֶם 'ה יִרְאַת לִי שִׁמ ְ עוּ בָנִים לְ כוּ were inscribed on the building of the beis medresh of Reb Meir Shapiro's yeshiva, "Chachmei Lublin". It was a reminder for the bachurim that their yiras Shamayim should remain with them when they leave the beis medresh.
We can give a mashal of a student who limps while learning in a beis medresh. As long as everyone is sitting and learning Torah, no one recognizes that one of the students is different than the others. But when they walk home, and this student limps as he goes out, then it is noticeable that he is different than the rest. The same can be said about those who go to the beis medresh. As long as they are there, no one sees the differences between the students. But when they leave the beis medresh, some remain strong with yiras Shamayim and some are weak. Then it is noticeable who truly acquired yiras Shamayim in the beis medresh and who didn't.
Chazal (Shabbos 116a) say that the two pesukim (Bamidbar 10:35-36) בנסוע ויהי are a sefer unto itself. This is the reason there are two 'נs surrounding these two pesukim, to show that it is its own sefer.
Tzaddikim (it is also told in the name of the Yeitav Lev zt'l) explain (b'derech tzachus) that בנסוע ויהי, means "When journeying..." This means the whole idea of traveling is a large sugyah that needs to be studied well. An entire sefer can be written on the topic of travel. This is because there are challenges in yiras Shamayim and cautiousness with the mitzvos that come up during traveling, that one might not encounter when at home. When traveling, one has to strengthen his yiras Shamayim, so it will always be with him.
After the parasha of Akeidah, which we say in the morning, there is a tefillah called "Ribono Shel Olam...". In Belz, the custom is that on a day when there is even a minor holiday, they wouldn't say the tefillah "Ribono Shel Olam". Once, there was a minor holiday, and one of the mispallelim announced, "Today, we don't say Ribono Shel Olam". Rebbe Aharon of Belz zt'l immediately corrected him. "Don't say it that way. Say, 'Today we don't say the ונאמרs." (There are several pesukim that begin with ונאמר in this tefillah.) But one should never say "there isn't Ribono Shel Olam Today" because we must always remember that the Ribono Shel Olam is with us. Regardless of where one is – inside or outside the beis medresh – the Ribono Shel Olam is always with him.
