Rabbi Dovid Soloveitchik
R’ Dovid Soloveitchik explains with an incident from his youth. As a youngster in Brisk, R’ Dovid Soloveitchik observed a Jew who was perpetually happy. A wide smile always appeared on his face, and no situation would ever drag him down.
One day, R’ Dovid encountered this fellow in the mikveh. He was groaning deeply, with a sadness that seemed to emanate from the deepest parts of his soul. It was completely out of character for a man who never showed any despair, and shocked R’ Dovid to the core. Upon returning home, R’ Dovid shared his astonishment with his father, the Brisker Rav.
The Brisker Rav
“But he is always so happy. What happened today that he couldn’t control his sadness like he usually does?” asked R’ Dovid.
“It wasn’t specific to today,” the Rav explained. “This fellow is a true scholar and he staves off his sorrow with the constant study of Torah. The joy it brings him keeps a smile on his face. In the mikveh, however, he is forced to stop. It is forbidden to learn there so his pain overwhelmed him.”
This Jew in Brisk merited to constantly reside with his Creator through the study of Torah. It enabled him to see the beauty of Hashem despite his difficult situation. Torah adjusts the lens through which we look at our personal difficulties and struggles.
Everything Hashem does carries incredible beauty, even in places where it is not apparent on the surface. Studying Torah enables us to always perceive that as an absolute truth. When we live with Him, we realize His sweetness.
Reprinted from the Parshas Ki Savo 5784 edition of At the ArtScroll Shabbos Table. Excerpted from the ArtScroll book – “Steps to the Throne” by Rabbi Nosson Muller.
