Everyone Must Undertake to Improve, Especially With Regard
to Torah
Everyone must leave with the resolution to improve, to make
some undertaking, to realize that Rosh Hashonoh and Yom
Kippur are approaching and to come "before Hashem" with at
least something small in hand. When one has an audience with
a minister, one looks for a small gift to take with and give
him, as a means of entering into discussion.
The most important area for making undertakings is Torah
study. Boruch Hashem, almost everyone has completed
the masechteh and after another zman has gone
by, we'll know another masechteh and so on. Today,
[even] this leads to becoming geonim and scholars.
There is no need to specially pursue novel thoughts and
intricate discussions. New ideas come into one's mind by
themselves in the course of one's learning, for I'm not
talking about [the type of learning that is] mere translation
of the words — ivreh teitsch. One has to learn
in order to gain thorough knowledge of what one is learning
and be very determined to immerse oneself in one's learning.
That means that one's mind should be on one's learning at all
times.
The times of the sedorim should be observed to as well
as those of prayer. Some retire late while others go to bed
early but lie in bed chatting and talking, gathering together
in the rooms. One should go to sleep on time.
Although I'm speaking to you like this, who knows what will
be with me? I am an old man but whatever I can do, I must do.
I ask of you — "your camp should be holy"!
(Devorim 23:15)
The street is treif. To whatever extent one can avoid
travelling, one should avoid it. I have been told that this
is the situation even in Yerushalayim! "Your camp shall be
holy"!
We must make progress in our learning. When someone grows in
his learning he is not helping anyone else; he's helping
himself. His learning improves and [eventually] he becomes a
great Torah scholar. Things will go well for him and his
future will be better as well. He will be cleverer, have a
better understanding of things and will find a better
situation in life. We want things to go well and it will be
easier to find a livelihood.
May Hashem grant us a kesivoh va'chasimah tovoh.
*
Understanding Tefilloh
Talmidim asked HaRav Shach where in the prayers of the
Yomim Noraim they should have finding a suitable match
in mind.
He replied, "In the words sab'einu mituvecho (satiate
us from Your goodness)."
He might have had the following gemora in mind
(Yevomos 62): "Rav Tanchum said in the name of Rav
Chanilai, `Every unmarried man lives without joy, without,
blessing and without good.' The gemora derives the
lack of good in being unmarried from the posuk, "It is
not good for man to be alone" (Bereishis 2:18), where
we see that being married is synonymous with good.
(From Tel Talpiyos, published by Kehillas Chanichei
Hayeshivos, Bnei Brak, Tishrei 5765: Conduct During the
Month of Mercy in the Company of the Luminary, Our Master,
zy'a)
*
Answer Us Like You Answered Avrohom Ovinu
I once went to see HaRav Shach on erev Yom Kippur
night. Amongst other things, I asked him about the prayer we
say in selichos, "He who answered Avrohom Ovinu on Har
Hamoriya will answer us; He who answered Yitzchok Ovinu when
he was bound on the altar, will answer us." In the prayer for
protection from children's illnesses we also ask Hashem to,
"answer us like You answered Avrohom Ovinu on Har
Hamoriya."
My question was that it seems from here that our forefathers
prayed to Hashem to prevent Yitzchok being slaughtered as an
offering and that their prayers were answered. This is
amazing [because we know that Avrohom and Yitzchok were both
ready to comply wholeheartedly with Hashem's command to
perform the Akeidah, which would seem to preclude
their praying that it be averted].
HaRav Shach didn't even let me finish my question. He
immediately responded with a cry of, "Ihr fregt gut!
(You're asking a good question!) I'll explain. Every morning
we ask Hashem, `Don't put us in a situation where we'll be
tested.' Why do we make this request? Trials are very
valuable; one elevates one's spiritual level by withstanding
them. One must conclude that since there is a possibility of
one's failing a trial, it is worthwhile praying not to
encounter it at all. It is preferable to avoid the danger of
stumbling and lowering one's level, even at the cost of
missing an opportunity to climb higher.
"This was the thrust of Avrohom's and Yitzchok's prayers at
the Akeidah. We have no doubt that they could have
stood up this tremendous trial, would they ultimately have
been called upon to do so. However, in their great self-
effacement our holy avos were concerned that they may
chas vesholom fail the test at the last minute. They
therefore beseeched Hashem to remove it altogether."
HaRav Shach adduced support for his reply from the medrash
(Bereishis Rabba 56:8): "Rabbi Yitzchok said, `When
Avrohom wanted to bind his son Yitzchok he said to him,
`Father, I am a young man and I am concerned that my body
might shake from the fear of the knife and I will distress
you. The shechitoh may be invalid and the offering
will not fulfill its purpose. Therefore, bind me very tightly
. . .' Here we clearly see their concern lest they not
succeed in withstanding the trial fully.
On fasts and in selichos, we pray that Hashem answer
us like He answered the prayers of Avrohom and Yitzchok that
they should not be tested.
[In reference to Avrohom Ovinu's prayer being answered on Har
Hamoriya , the Maharsha in Chiddushei Agados on the
second perek of Taanis writes however, "Not
that he was answered by Yitzchok's not being slaughtered.
Rather, his request that `Hashem should select a lamb
Himself' (Bereishis 22:8)."
Rav Tzvi Rotberg, head of Machon Mishnas Rabbi Aharon
showed me the following medrash (ibid. 11): " `And a
mal'ach . . . called a second time and said, `I swear
. . .' ' Why was this oath necessary? He [Avrohom] said,
`Swear to me that you will not test me any more in the
future, nor my son Yitzchok.' " The Eitz Yosef writes,
" `that you will not test me any more' — because if
chas vesholom I would not have listened to you, I
would have lost everything that I toiled for all my life. His
fear was that he would not withstand his trial, therefore he
made this request." This accords exactly with HaRav Shach's
explanation.
On the same occasion, I merited HaRav Shach showing me what
he'd written about the Akeidah in Avi Ezri
(Mahadura Kama, Hilchos Yesodei HaTorah:6), according to
the view of Rav Yehoshua Leib Diskin zt'l, that there
was an element of trial in the prophecies of all the prophets
besides Moshe Rabbenu. Since they were conveyed with a
certain degree of unclarity, there was room to explain the
prophecy in a different way than it was intended and the
trial was to convey the true message.
When he had finished, HaRav Shach said to me with a smile,
"You ought to pay me a million dollars for such a
vort!"
(From Nitzotzei Eish, in memory of Rabbi Eliyahu
Shraga Niehaus z'l, from the section Amud
Ha'eish, in memory of HaRav Shach.)
