The Neshamah Emanates from the World of Pleasure
Therefore It Is Man’s Nature to Seek Pleasure
With this understanding, it behooves us to reflect on our sacred obligation to study Torah in order to satisfy the true desire and pleasure of the neshamah. We will refer to what the esteemed Rabbi Avraham of Slonim, zy”a, presents in Yesod HaAvodah (Part 2, 7), in the name of the esteemed Rabbi Moshe of Kobrin, zy”a. He explains that it is man’s nature to constantly pursue the pleasures of Olam HaZeh, because the Jewish neshamah emanates from the world of pleasure. Therefore, even after being born into this world, a person continues to seek that pleasure. If he fails to find pleasure that satisfies the neshamah, he will seek pleasure that satisfies the body. He writes something similar in his sefer Beis Avraham (Likutim p. 301a): It is known that every Jew’s neshamah comes from the world of pleasure. Therefore, it is his nature to seek pleasures; if he does not find pleasure in service (of Hashem), he is liable to resort, chas v’shalom, to material pleasures.
We can explain his sacred message based on a teaching in the Gemara (Berachos 17a): "העולם הבא אין בו לא אכילה ולא שתיה ולא פריה ורביה ולא משא ומתן ולא קנאה ולא שנאה ולא תחרות, אלא צדיקים יושבין ועטרותיהם בראשיהם ונהנים מזיו השכינה". In Olam HaBa, there is no eating, no drinking, no procreation, no business negotiations, no jealousy, no hatred and no competition. Rather, tzaddikim sit with their crowns on their heads and delight in the radiance of the Shechinah. Now, we are familiar with the concept taught in our sacred sefarim based on the Maggid Meisharim (Bereishis). The malach who appeared to the Beis Yosef revealed to him the reason that the neshamos descend to this world, even though they enjoy being in the world of the neshamos. It is because they do not wish to eat “bread of shame”—i.e., receiving something that they did not earn. Therefore, they descend to this world to earn the pleasure through the study of Torah and performance of mitzvos.
Accordingly, the esteemed Rabbi Moshe of Kobrin explains that since a Jew’s neshamah comes from the world of pleasure, where the neshamos delight in the radiance of the Shechinah, a Jew continues to long for that pleasure even after he is born into this world. If he succeeds in finding this pleasure for his neshamah, he will be at peace. But if he fails to do so, the yetzer hara intervenes and replaces the true spiritual pleasure the neshamah seeks with the fake, bogus material pleasure of the body.
One Should Pray that Earthly Delights Do Not Enter One’s Body
Undoubtedly, the genuine, true pleasure of the neshamah is the study of Torah, in keeping with the passuk (Tehillim 19, 9): "פקודי ה' ישרים משמחי לב"—the orders of Hashem are upright, gladdening the heart. Hence, it urges a person to study Torah. Yet, as the wisest of all men teaches us (Koheles 7, 14): "זה לעומת זה עשה האלקים"—G-d created the world with corresponding equal and opposite forces. As such, the yetzer hara wages a trying, incessant battle to the bitter end against the neshamah. It substitutes the pleasures of Olam HaZeh for the pleasure of studying Torah. Once it succeeds in luring a person to pursue physical pleasures, it has the upper hand and controls that person; the person can no longer resist those temptations.
In the words of the Midrash (Koheles Rabbah 1, 13): "אין אדם יוצא מן העולם וחצי תאוותו בידו"—a person does not leave this world with only half of his craving in his hand. If he has one hundred dollars, he wants two hundred; if he has two hundred, he wants four hundred.
This explains magnificently what the Gemara (Kesubos 104a) relates concerning Rabeinu hakadosh: "בשעת פטירתו של רבי זקף עשר אצבעותיו כלפי מעלה, אמר רבונו של עולם גלוי וידוע לפניך שיגעתי בעשר אצבעותי בתורה, ולא נהניתי אפילו באצבע קטנה". As Rebbe was departing from this world, he straightened his ten fingers upwards toward the heavens and declared, “Master of the Universe, it is revealed and known to You that I toiled with my ten fingers in Torah, and I did not derive pleasure even from my little finger!” Tosafos comment in the name of the Midrash that they learned a vital lesson from this: While a person prays that Torah should permeate his being, he should pray that earthly delights should not permeate his being.
Let us explain this based on our current discussion. The pleasures of the body are diametrically opposed to the pleasures of the neshamah. As we learn in the Mishnah (Avos 6, 4): "כך היא דרכה של תורה פת במלח תאכל ומים במשורה תשתה, ועל הארץ תישן וחיי צער תחיה, ובתורה אתה עמל, ואם אתה עושה כן אשריך וטוב לך, אשריך בעולם הזה וטוב לך לעולם הבא". This is the way of the Torah: To eat bread with salt, to drink water in small amounts, to sleep upon the ground, to live a life of hardship, and to toil in the Torah. If you do so, you are praiseworthy, and it will bode well for you. You will be praiseworthy in Olam HaZeh, and it will bode well for you in Olam HaBa.
This is also the message conveyed by the following Gemara (Berachos 63b): "מנין שאין דברי תורה מתקיימין אלא במי שממית עצמו עליה, שנאמר זאת התורה אדם כי ימות באהל". From where do we learn that words of Torah can only be retained by someone who is willing to sacrifice himself on its behalf? For, it says (Bamidbar 19, 14): “This is the Torah of a man who dies in a tent.” This prompted Rabeinu hakadosh to attest to the fact that he abstained from the pleasures of Olam HaZeh, so that he would be able to delight in the pleasures of the Torah. To which the Midrash states: While a person prays that Torah should permeate his being, he should pray that earthly delights should not permeate his being—because bodily pleasures destroy the pleasures of the Torah.
