Waiting to greet HaRav Hirsch in France
On his recent trip to France, HaRav Moshe Hillel Hirsch said:
We are celebrating in honor of the yeshiva in Aix-les-Bains. Eighty years ago the gaon HaRav Chaim Chaikin zt"l founded this yeshiva to spread Torah and yir'oh in France. With siyata deShmaya he was very successful, and his yeshiva produced roshei yeshiva, rabbonim and baalei batim who were deeply connected to Torah and avodas Hashem. This had a tremendous effect of the entire community to value Torah and those who learn Torah.
When HaKodosh Boruch Hu heard Klal Yisroel say, Naase venishma He said right away that they should build a Mishkan, "They shall make Me a Mishkan and I will dwell among them." We must understand the link between Naase venishma and building the Mishkan.
For example, you have a sick patient and a doctor. If the patient is dying and only one doctor can save him, he will not ask,"How does it work?" Rather he will consent immediately since he has not alternative. That is what Klal Yisroel saw.
The Ramchal explains that the purpose of man in the world is to cleave to his Creator — just to come close to Hashem. HaKodosh Boruch Hu says that the way to come close to Hashem is through the Torah. In that situation one does not ask, "What does it say?" just like the sick patient does not ask his doctor for explanations.
HaRav Hirsch shlita
When Hakodosh Boruch Hu heard Naase venishma He heard that Klal Yisroel wanted Him unconditionally, that they understood that their purpose is to come close to Hashem. Therefore Hashem right away said that "They shall make Me a Mishkan and I will dwell among them." Since you want Me.
This is our obligation today. When we talk of Torah and Torah study, we are speaking of the thing that is our very purpose in life. How do we show HaKodosh Boruch Hu that we want Him? Buy learning Torah, fulfilling mitzvos, educating our children in Torah institutions.
If we really know that our purpose is to be close to HaKodosh Boruch Hu and we want our children grow up like that, we bring them to Torah institutions, to yeshiva ketanos that are entirely Kodesh, because there the child receives the teaching that his entire purpose is to come close to HaKodosh Boruch Hu by the mitzvah of learning Torah. If there are also secular studies, especially in France, it cools the child down, and chas vesholom instead of the child becoming a yorei Shomayim and great in Torah, it produces the opposite.
Some parents say, "Who knows about parnossoh? Who knows what will be? Who knows if my child will succeed in Torah learning?" And they say that we will do both.
First of all this is a very serious question. Just like in any serious situation, one must ask. One should not just decide on his own.
Another point, rabbosai, there are parents and bochurim who say that maybe they will not succeed in learning Torah and I will wind up with nothing, not with Torah and not with a secular education.
The Chofetz Chaim said the yetzer hora comes to one who has decided to do a good thing, even when it is difficult, and they yetzer hora comes do infuse him with a feeling of inferiority. He says to him: You? Are you such a great tzaddik that you will do this? A bochur will say, "Do I have such great ability that I can succeed?"
The Chofetz Chaim says, "You can be sure that this is the yetzer hora speaking!"
We have to be thoroughly aware of what the purpose of everyone is, and to decide based on this.
