חובה להוגי תורה ללמוד גם מוסר
The obligation of Torah thinkers to also learn Mussar
זֹאת הַתּוֹרָה לָעֹלָה לַמִּנְחָה וְלַחַטָאת וְלָאָשָם וְלַמִּלּוּאִּים וּלְזֶבַח הַשְלָמִּים: (ז:לז)
This is the law of the olah [burnt-offering], the meal-offering [mincha], the sin-offering [chatas], and the guilt-offering [asham], and the inauguration-offering [milluim], and the sacrifice of the peace offering [zevach hashelamim]. (7:37)
Chazal expound this posuk (Menachos 110a) ‘Reish Lakish said, “Why is it written ‘This is the law of the olah, of the mincha, of the chatas, and of the asham? Whoever engages in the study of Torah is considered as if he offered an olah, a mincha, a chatas and an asham.” Rava said, “’of the olah, of the mincha, etc.’ should simply say ‘olah, mincha, etc.’” Rather, Rava said, “Whoever engages in Torah study needs neither an olah nor a mincha nor a chatas nor an asham.” (As if it said ‘This is the Torah – no olah, no mincha’). R’ Yitzchak said, “Why is it written ‘This is the law of the chatas; this is the law of the asham? Whoever engages in the study of the Torah of the asham is regarded as if he offered an asham.”
This teaching contains three expositions. As an introduction to their explanation, we must remember that our Torah is eternal, and just as in the time of the Bais HaMikdash the sinner was obligated to bring a karban, so it is in our time as well. But since the Bais HaMikdash was destroyed and we cannot bring karbanos, we need something that serves as a replacement for the karban. Therefore, the holy Amoraim explain in the laws of the karbanos to understand from them what serves as their substitute.
Rebbe Yitzchak concluded from the posuk before us that the laws of the karbanos stand in place of the karban, since the light and sanctity that are awakened from the power of the karban is hidden in the laws of the karban, and as brought down in many holy seforim, that the light of every mitzvah or moed [holiday] is hidden in the laws of the mitzvah or moed.
Reish Lakish adds and expounds that it is not specifically the laws of the karbanos that serve as a substitute for the karbanos, rather, in all sections of the Torah, whatever topic it might be, one can think about extending the holy light of the karban. The sanctity of the karban is the light that connects the person to his Creator, and the person finds this sanctity in the Torah in general, for whoever thinks about it will find an attachment to the Creator Baruch Hu.
Rava comes and adds that whoever is engaged in Torah does not need any karban! This is because the substitution was given generally for something that is similar to it, but the attribute of the Torah is greater than the attribute of the karban, and it is not proper to say that it is a substitute for it. True, once one is engaged in it, he surely does not need the karban or a substitute for it, since he has already attained this greater attribute.
The person should learn from this and understand how much kedusha he can extend by thinking about Torah. Aside from today, because of our many sins our city was destroyed, our Bais HaMikdash has been laid to waste, our dear ones have been exiled, and the glory has been taken from the house of our lives, through the power of engaging in Torah one can merit to arouse satisfaction in the Heights like when the Bais HaMikdash was standing.
However, in order to arouse satisfaction for our Maker with our Torah, we are obligated to also think about sifrei mussar, for the main desire of Yisbarach Hu is that the person delve in Torah to purify his heart and character traits [midos]. It is not possible for the person to achieve this unless the person knows Who he is serving, and to Whom he is saying, and what is the intent that is requested of us when we think about the Torah. This is not possible to attain without studying mussar.
HaGaon HaTzaddik Rebbe Zundel Kroizer once told me, this was when I asked him to explain the intent of the Rambam (Hilchos Yesodei HaTorah Perek 2 Halacha 2) which speaks about becoming closer to Hashem Yisbarach by thinking about the wisdom of the attribute. First, I will quote the Rambam:
‘What is the way to love Him and fear Him? When the person contemplates His actions and great amazing creations, and he sees within them that His wisdom is immeasurable and without limit, he immediately loves, praises, glorifies, and has a great desire to know the Great Hashem, as Dovid said (Tehillim42:3), 'צמאה נפשי לאלקים לקל חי' – ‘My soul thirsts for G-d, the living G-d', and when one thinks about these very things he immediately recoils, is afraid, and knows that he is a small low creature standing with limited understanding before the One with total understanding. As Dovid said (Tehillim 8:4-5) 'כי אראה שמיך מעשה אצבעותיך... מה אנוש כי תזכרנו' – ‘when I behold Your heavens, the work of Your fingers... what is a frail man that You should remember him’, and based on these words I will explain great general principles from the action of the Master of the Worlds so there will be an opening to understand, to love Hashem, as Chachamim said on the topic of love, that from this you will recognize Who said and the world will be.’
The Rambam continues and explains there that when a person contemplates the wisdom of nature and the orbit of the world, he comes to recognize the Creator and sees that he is but a small low creature, and with this he will come to love the Creator and he will understand His greatness.
The Rambam concludes (Perek 4 Halacha 12), ‘When the person contemplates these things and recognizes all the creations from the angel to the person and sees the wisdom of HaKadosh Baruch Hu in all creatures, love will increase for the Omnipresent and his soul and flesh will crave to love the Omnipresent Baruch Hu. From his lowness he will fear and awe that he is one of the holy creations. He will be like a utensil filled with shame, empty.’
The words of the Rambam troubled me, for we see many goyim study these wisdoms – nature, astronomy – yet they do not recognize the greatness of the Creator, the opposite, they are the biggest deniers of G-d, Rachmana litzlan.
I once asked R’ Zundel this question and he answered that really everything depends on the intent of the one who studies and his purpose, If one wants to seek the greatness of the Creator through nature, as the Rambam explained, then study will increase emunah. But if he only comes to recognize and to know the wisdom of nature, his study will not add emunah, this is not his purpose, and he will not attain it because he is not interested.
It is similar with learning Torah. If one engages with the desire to get closer to Hashem and fear Him, then he will achieve this, but if for another purpose, it is not possible to achieve. For the person to have the proper intent, he must learn mussar.
To our dismay, many disparage mussar, this causes to be almost no difference between a yeshiva man and a baal habayis. Though the yeshiva bot sits and learns Torah, but when he comes to shul to daven, there is no difference between them, the yeshiva boy does not value his Tefillah, he davens as coldly and quickly as the baal habayis standing next to him...
