R’ Hillel Eisenberg shares a story with Torah Anytime that happened in the 90s to a non-religious Jew named Steve Goldman. He had money, came from a wealthy family, and he was a top student in his class at Harvard. After experiencing some medical challenges, he moved to Princeton University where he met and befriended Rabbi Gruman from Bet Medrash Gavoah, New Jersey. Rabbi Gruman invited him for Shabbat, and Steve accepted.
After the Friday night meal, Rabbi Gruman took Steve on a tour throughout the Yeshiva (which at the time was only one building). He showed him the large dining room, the bet medrash and then he brought him downstairs to the basement library, called the otzer—treasure house. It was one of those long winter Friday nights, and the room was packed with men learning ancient sefarim. The books were piled on ever table, many with yellowed pages and taped together. Steve froze. He just stood there staring at the sight.
Saturday night as Steve was about to leave Lakewood, he approached Rabbi Gruman and quietly asked him to go down to the otzar one more time. Again, Steve stood there transfixed. Finally, Rabbi Gruman and told him that he did not understand. At Harvard and Princeton Steve had access to the most perfect, prestigious and largest collections of books and resources. Why is he getting so overwhelmed with a basement full of falling apart books?
Steve looked at him and said the most powerful words. “At Harvard when you go into the library I see people reading books. Here I see people living them.”
That is what Torah is, a way of life. It is not just a subject, culture or nostalgia. Torah is life; It is what the world is built around. That is why we learn even when it is uncomfortable and inconvenient for us. Torah is not what we do it is who we are. That is the secret to Jewish survival after so many have tried to kill us all. No matter how twisted and dark this world gets, there will always be a Jew somewhere learning Torah. We live the Torah to keep it alive.
Reprinted from the Parshat Tetsaveh 5786 email of Jack E. Rahmey based on the Torah teachings of Rabbi Amram Sananes.
