In the Parsha of this week Yisro reprimanded his son in law Moshe Rabenu about his behavior (that’s how it is with some fathers in law, - no sooner did they arrive, when they begin to criticize...). Moshe Rabenu was overexerting himself, Yisro claimed. He was spending all day, every day, teaching Torah to the Jewish people. This was bound to tax his health. “Novoil tiboil” said Yisro to him, “You will adversely affect your own wellbeing. This is not the way to run things. You need to delegate, you can’t run a one-man-show!”
The Eibishter, as we know, supported Yisro’s position, and thus Yisro was instrumental in adding a Parsha to the Torah; - the Parsha of appointing judges.
The obvious question is: What was Moshe thinking? Isn’t the idea of ונשמרתם מאד לנפשותיכם of paramount importance? Isn’t caring for our wellbeing a priority in the Torah from a spiritual perspective as well (as the Baal Shem Tov said: A small flaw in the physical body translates into a large spiritual flaw). Couldn’t Moshe himself think of the idea of appointing additional Rabbonim to ease his burden?
In a beautiful sicha (in chelek teszayin), the Rebbe addresses this issue with regards to the Yidden. The Rebbe clarifies the difference between the way Moshe Rabbenu viewed the Yidden and the way Yisro viewed them.
But what about Moshe Rabbenu himself? Why was he, seemingly, unaware, of the implications of his conduct to his own health, of the “pikuach nefesh docheh kol haTorah” that related to it?
Perhaps we can have one way of understanding it in light of the above story: Moshe Rabbenu was, after all, the ultimate Rosh Yeshiva of Klal Yisroel. Like Reb Nochum, in the story, Moshe Rabbenu derived his entire pleasure in life from teaching Torah to his talmidim – to all of bnei Yisroel -, from delivering his shiurim to them and clearing up all of their doubts.
Moshe was well aware that, from a physician’s point of view, his exertions could be deemed hazardous to his health. But he knew, as well, that for him this was his whole pleasure, his whole joy in life. Like Rabi Akiva expressed with the famous moshol of the fish and the fox, Moshe Rabbenu knew that the abstaining from giving shiurim could be a greater hazard for him than delivering them.
Yisro, in contrast, came from a different perspective. He was still new to the world of Torah, was still being taught by Moshe to appreciate Torah (as Rashi teaches in this week’s Parsha). He was not yet able to relate with such a connection with Torah to the point that the Torah becomes one’s entire pleasure and enjoyment, one’s entire life and soul. Yisro, therefore, complained: Novoil tiboil, this is a conduct that will weary you out, you are overdoing it, you will have burnout, you will bring about a mid-life crisis. This can’t be the Torah way, you must slow down, you have to share the burden, לא תוכל עשו הולבדיך.
(You will ask: If that is the case, why did Hashem concur with Yisro, unlike in the story, where the Rebbe concurred with the Rosh Yeshiva? But I don’t have to answer all of the questions, and definitely not all in one email....)
The lesson for us is clear: In this week’s Parsha we learn about kabolas haTorah. And while the first approach to Torah, the foundation, is with kabolas ol, with “naaseh venishma” (or, as the Alter Rebbe writes in Tanya ראשית העבודה ועיקרה ושרשה היא היראה), that is merely the beginning, the foundation. But that has to lead to a stage in which learning Torah is not merely with kabolas ol, as a burden and a responsibility, but with pleasure and enjoyment, with geshmak and fargenigen. It has to be with the genuine sense and feeling that this is חיינו ואורך ימינו.
[This was also one of the central themes of the farbrengens of chamisha asar b’shevat (which we just celebrated): The Rebbe would frequently speak on these occasions about the importance of learning Torah with pleasure and enjoyment, just as the fruits of trees are not necessities, but sources of taanug, - of pleasure and enjoyment].
There are times when it is important for us to ask and enquire: ‘What is my obligation? What is required of me?’ But when it comes to learning Torah, we have to be like a fish in water, - that sees this as its very life, and can’t imagine being separated from it. As the Rebbe illustrated on one occasion: A bochur learns without paying any attention whether the seder is over, whether he is on his free time etc. He learns with complete dedication, - this is his life!
[R’ Mottel Kazliner a”h once visited Russia (when that became possible). In one city, he encountered an old chosid who was a relic from Lubavitch. The old chosid had been sent there by the Rebbe Rashab to be a shoichet, and it was as if time stood still for him, - he lived there and performed his duties completely out of touch with any developments in the world. [In the course of their conversation he asked R’ Mottel “Vos macht der Rebbe der zun? Ich hob gehert az er iz zeier matzliach”]. Needless to say, for R’ Mottel this chosid was a yekar hametzius, a precious gem, and they spent much time farbrenging together to their mutual enjoyment. Before R’ Mottel left, the Yid told him to take a souvenir, to remember him with. This Yid had an original samech vov, a mimeographed booklet (from before they were printed). This was a real collector’s item, and R’ Mottel asked if, perhaps, he can take it. However, for the old chosid this was no collector’s item; - this was, rather, his precious sefer chassidus with which he learned. He therefore looked askance at R’ Mottel’s request, and exclaimed: “Dos kent ir nit nemmen, dos iz chayus” [This is not ‘up for grabs’,- this is my life]!].
On another occasion the Rebbe declared: “You don’t properly understand something in Torah? That has to bother you to the point of not being able to fall asleep at night!”
As we read Parshas Yisro, about kabolas haTorah, and הימים האלו נזכרים ונעשים, let us use the opportunity to ensure that we are not merely learning to fulfill our obligation, but truly immersing our entire being in the experience. This is reflected in the fact that even when we have an excuse, and even perhaps a very legitimate excuse to cut down on our Torah learning, our shiurim and/or our kevius itim (and no excuse is more legitimate than the one Reb Nochum had), nonetheless we disregard all of our explanations and justifications and apply ourselves fully and wholly to limud haTorah.
L’chaim! May we all take advantage of the zman gromo – Parshas Yisro, the Shabbos following chamisho osor b’shevat etc. - to evaluate our Torah learning and shiurim and determine how to increase and improve them, and may the Eibishter bring us immediately the TORAH CHADOSHA MEI’ITI TEITZEI with the immediate revelation of Moshiach Tzidkeinu TUMYM!!!
Rabbi Akiva Wagner
לזכות 'רב ברוך מרדכי בן 'חיה אסתר ש"ל רפוק"ו רפוט"ו אויוש מתוך בריאות הנכונה ס"וכט
