Approaches to Study: "One must know its length and
breadth"
The Chofetz Chaim asked Maran R' Yisroel Salanter whether it
is preferable to review a subject under study several times
or to strive for a broader grasp by covering many subjects,
even if one would not know them each as thoroughly. The reply
was, "One must know the gamut of the length and breadth of
Hashem's Torah."
The Chofetz Chaim explained this reply in his characteristic
way, through a parable: Someone who only concentrates upon
one part of the Torah — to what can he be compared? To
a person who expended all of his money to buy himself a nice
hat, without leaving over any for the purchase of suitable
clothing to match — and is left threadbare.
If "Hashem's Torah is perfect and whole," and you know all of
it, then it "restores the spirit." With regard to practical
halochoh, he used to quote the Vilna Gaon in
Mishlei (13:25; 15:8) who says that it is better for a
person to study a small amount and review it constantly so
that he knows it thoroughly, than to accumulate a great deal
of half-baked information which is ultimately not even a
proper acquisition by him. (Chofetz Chaim al
haTorah)
Why Begin with Nezikin?
I have found it stated in the writings of our master in the
name of Morenu R' Yisroel Salanter regarding the custom of
commencing the study of Shas by children with Seder
Nezikin. Ostensibly, one should begin elsewhere in the
Talmud. He said that the laws are not necessarily dictated by
human logic — for example that if a person's chicken
breaks his neighbor's plate, he is liable to pay. What
relevance does this have to him? Perhaps if it was discussing
the damage made by a child, it would make more sense.
However, when a person has not studied these laws in his
youth, he finds it difficult to absorb the logic of the oral
Torah when it is introduced to him at a later age and to
accept it. (R' Y. Meltzan — Seder LaMishneh)
How Much Did the Ancient Sages Study?
Maran R' Yisroel said: "The ancient chassidim used to
pray for nine hours each day (see Brochos 32b); they
devoted only two hours to sleeping, like the Vilna Gaon, and
ate, like him, for the mere span of half-an-hour all told,
and they engaged in business for another half-hour in order
to earn the entrance fee to the beis medrash. This is
how they had enough time left over to devote twelve hours to
study. Even thus, the gemora asks, "How was their
study preserved?" How was this enough?
It replies that they were perfect chassidim. Thus,
whatever they learned remained intact. Had this not been
true, they would have had to study more and more. This should
be an important lesson for us! (R' Yeruchom: Notes of R'
Y. Warshner)
Between Rabbi and Doctor
R' Yisroel said: "It is accepted that when a poor man comes
to a rov with his halachic question, the rov addresses it
immediately. He even interrupts his own meal in order to
provide the answer. If the question is complex and difficult
and involves a great financial loss, he turns his full
attention to it. He pores over the relevant seforim,
delving into them backwards and forwards until he can come up
with a hetter.
"When a rich man comes before a rov with a question, he does
not make an extreme effort to immediately address it or to
find a legitimate halachic means of judging in his favor so
as to spare him financial loss.
"The opposite is true by a doctor. When he is summoned to the
bedside of a wealthy patient, he rushes off to him, even in
the middle of the night. But when he is called to minister to
a poor man who has fallen ill, he evades the summons with all
kinds of excuses and only goes when he absolutely must.
"Why is this so?
"Because a doctor is very different from a rov. A rov did not
undertake his studies in order to become a practicing rabbi,
but rather learned Torah for the pure sake of Torah, in order
to keep all of its commandments, which include helping the
poor and supporting the penniless. When he is ordained as a
rov, he continues to follow in the Torah path which is to
show mercy to the poor.
"Not so a doctor. He undertakes his medical studies for the
very sake of becoming a doctor, for practicing medicine as a
means of livelihood, and not for the purpose of gaining
medical knowledge. He does not necessarily yearn to help
people but to make money through this particular profession
which is prestigious and very remunerative. When he becomes a
doctor, he panders to the rich and flatters them, since they
will show him honor and enrich him.
"Along comes a new entity called a Rabbinical College which
aims at turning the rabbinate into just another profession, a
means for acquiring prestige and wealth. The students in a
rabbinical seminary have enrolled for the initial purpose of
becoming rabbis. These future rabbis can be no more than
doctors, who will flatter the rich and disdain the poor."
(Midor Dor)
The Hidden Face of Hashem
Several disciples once came to Maran HaGaon R' Yehoshua Leib
Diskin ztvk'l and told him that they had visited R'
Yisroel Salanter and had asked him to tell them an original
dvar Torah. He had put them off, saying that he was
already very advanced in age; his memory was failing him and
if he didn't remember what he had learned in his youth, he
certainly did not produce novella now in his old age.
They pleaded with him until he agreed to say a
chiddush on Bovo Kama, which happened to have
already been printed in a publication in his name. R'
Yehoshua Leib then said to the young men that they should
know that just as most people try to show off their good
deeds and boast their Torah knowledge to others, it was R'
Yisroel's special talent and strength to conceal his
greatness and not to show its extent, which was indeed vast
and remarkable.
Devote Intensive Study to the Rishonim
When I was fourteen years old, my father z'l brought
me before R' Yisroel Salanter and had me say a
chiddush that I had innovated in gemora. He
asked me which seforim I studied from. When I told him
that I studied from his own Ohr Chodosh on
Pesochim and Kiddushin and the like, he said as
follows, "My son, listen to my advice. Study Choshen
Mishpot with Ketzos Hachoshen and Machaneh
Efraim. Study primarily from the works of Rishonim like
the Ramban, the Rashbo and the Ran." (R' Daikes'
introduction to the Ruach's Sefer Droshos)
"And If You Say: One Can Say . . . "
I remember the gaon of Wolpo, R' Yisroel Salanter,
explaining one of the reasons why, to our regret, Jews study
secular subjects in Lithuania. We must admit that there are
many fine, upright young men who fill their bellies with
Torah and some even cover hundreds of pages gemora
with Tosafos, and yet — they know no more than [the
standard formulas:] " . . . and if we are to say . . . then
we must say . . . and if we are to say . . . then . . .
"
But they lack the very sweetness of the arguments. They
should want to know why was the question asked? What
did Tosafos innovate? But they do not savor a drop of the
sweetness; they lack the intellectual curiosity and do not
seek the appeal of Tosafos' mental processes.
But to differentiate a thousand times, when it comes to
secular studies, the bit of intellectual sophistry that these
studies contain is immediately felt and appreciated, but no
more than that — for they contain no depth, no
intrinsic value, and nothing hidden beyond their surface
attraction.
He wanted to keep me in Vilna to study in his manner with the
rest of the yeshiva students at least several hours a day.
But upon hearing that, I immediately went my way, thinking
that I was not up to it . . . And now, I deeply regret my
haste. (R' Naftoli Silberberg — Darkei Chaim)
A Question Regarding Less than a Prutoh
One Wednesday, the fifth day of Chanukah 5665, a siyum
was held by the students of Eitz Chaim in Yerushalayim over
Bovo Metzia. After the students were duly tested, they
sat down to partake of a festive meal, after which, the
kos shel brochoh was poured for R' Shmuel Salant.
He lifted up the cup and turned to the students, saying, "My
dear sons! I have just been reminded of an event that
happened to me seventy-five years ago. I was dining together
with my young friends when, in the middle of the meal, one of
them asked for a glass. He poured himself some water, drank
it, and somehow, the glass slipped and broke. I stood there
and suddenly, I said to my friends, "`In the breaking of this
glass, we cannot help but ask a question on the
gemora. Who here knows what I am referring to?' One of
my young friends, who later became the famous R' Yisroel
Salanter, replied: `The gemora is in Bovo Metzia.'
"
He turned to the students in Eitz Chaim and asked, "Tell me,
my dear children. What was I talking about? Where is the
gemora which we were both referring to?"
Finally, one of them said, "On daf 96 there is a
question raised whether if damage is accidentally caused to
something worth less than a penny, one must pay. The use of
the glass for that one quaff of water is valued at less than
a penny.' " After hearing this correct reply, R' Shmuel
Salant raised his cup and began the blessing, his eyes
shedding tears of gratification. (Toras Rabbenu Shmuel
Salant)
A Thick Volume in the Laws of Yichud
HaRav Chaim Kanievsky told me that he heard the following
from Maran R' Y. Gordon ztvk'l, Rosh Yeshivas Lomza in
Petach Tikva, who heard from his father-in-law, HaRav A.
Shulevitz ztvk'l who was the disciple of Maran R'
Yisroel Salanter.
The latter told him that whenever he boards an electric tram,
he cannot help fearing that he is transgressing the
prohibition of yichud. [He resolves that] if he were
to decide at any point that he was truly violating that law,
he would truly jump off the moving tram! Throughout the ride,
he keeps pondering the question of yichud and by the
time he has arrived at a halachic conclusion, he has already
reached his stop and can debark. Then he stops thinking about
it. He notes that if he were to jot down all those thoughts,
halachic deliberations and innovations which occur to him
while making those tram trips, he could fill a thick volume
just on the subject of yichud, alone. (Dvar
Halochoh)
Of Primary Importance — Review
A letter to my dear friend, the chosson . . . R' Arye
Leib:
May Hashem be with you and shower you with success.
Even though it is difficult for me to answer you with regard
to questions that differ with every person and his character
makeup, it being difficult to judge in such matters,
nevertheless I will not ignore your request altogether.
According to your personal nature, I believe you would
benefit from three daily shiurim: 1. Maintain a period
of general study without dwelling on fine points even when
the simple textual explanation falls short. Still, you should
review the material several times in order to remember the
basic principles. Perhaps this would be best by covering
straightforward gemora with Rashi. 2. Study of the
gemora and Tosafos with the aim to thoroughly
understand the text. 3. A more intensive study of a certain
subject (a work on responsa might help), or dealing with that
masechta which you studied with Tosafos. It does not
really matter which you choose to be your main
undertaking.
Your main object should be review in order to know the
gemora. The intensive study should be slow and
comprehensive, each day a bit, or more if the time is
opportune. Your goal should be to acquire a thorough grasp
and knowledge in study so that you can eventually judge for
yourself how to proceed. Study with serenity, with a willing
spirit and safeguard your health — and all will be well
with you.
Your uncle, seeker of your welfare, Yisroel
(From a letter of guidance in study)
To Study Disregarding Personal Inclinations
If I had come to tell Morenu the tremendous impact he has on
us through his ways and words, we would never suffice. So let
me be brief:
Each summer, you spoke to us — the members of the Kovno
Kloiz — every Shabbos morning. The essence of
your words was that a person must toil in his youth before
the yoke of adulthood and family fall upon him. He must study
the Torah of truth, purely for truth's sake and not because
something appeals to him. For otherwise, a person will never
reach the goal of horo'oh and will be privy to many
pitfalls. This is a very important and basic teaching, upon
which a great many middos depend.
Last Elul, R' Simchah Zissel from Kelm paid us a visit,
remaining here until after Yom Kippur. Morenu spoke to us
almost every day of the month until after Yom Kippur, evoking
tremendous arousement. But he spoke in a soft voice, with
minimal emotion and modesty, not like previously.
The gist of his words was to pray with the congregation for
that precious pearl which Hashem gave us in this world, which
is Yom Kippur. This day is so significant that one must take
advantage of it and not allow it to pass without its making
the proper impression or without repentance. Who can know if
our prayers were answered or not?
Your friend and admirer, who seeks your welfare and success,
whose soul is intertwined with your own,
Naftoli Amsterdam
(Ohr Hamussar)
