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To Learn and to Teach

"And if your brother grows poor and his means shall fall with you, then you shall relieve him" (Vayikra 25:35).

"And You Shall Relieve Him" -- Also in Torah Study and its Understanding

The Torah commands us to help and sustain a neighbor who became impoverished, to assist and support him in every way possible. And if this holds true with regard to one whose material means dwindled and who lacks a means of livelihood, then surely it also applies to one who is meager in his intellectual endowments, one who encounters difficulty in his study and who requires a directing, supporting hand.

We frequently come across someone who is weak in understanding and who begs us to devote a few moments of our time to study with him. This might be a student in yeshiva, a young man in kollel whose capacity is limited, or a Jew who toils for his livelihood and asks us to devote some of our time to teach him. It is not easy to answer every plea, and certainly not when it demands an extended period of time, or on a daily basis.

But one who studies with another who lacks understanding or capability to grasp a simple paragraph in Mishneh Berurah, for example, or a page in gemora, has earned the merit of a kind act that is no less than that of lending money or giving charity to one who lacks means. Indeed, this chesed is even greater, since if it is true that "one who causes another to sin is worse than if he had killed him," then certainly one who increases his friend's spiritual merit is greater even than one who saved him from death.

@Sub Title="Whoever Made Him a Wise Man, Can Also Make Him a Fool"

In Midrash Rabba, Chazal expounded upon a verse in Mishlei: "We find it written: `The poor and the man of knowledge met together; Hashem gives light to the eyes of both' (29:13). Similarly, `The rich man and the poor man met together; Hashem made them all' (22:2). The poor man is one who is poor in his Torah knowledge, and the man of knowledge is one who studies one or two daily study sessions.

"The poor man stood by the learned man and said: `Teach me one chapter.' And he taught him. As a result, `Hashem gives light to the eyes of both.' They both receive reward in this world and the next. `The rich man and the poor man met together.' Again, this refers to one who is rich or poor in Torah. Said the `poor' one to the `rich' one: `Teach me one chapter.' But he refused. He mocked him and said, Where shall we begin? At the very beginning or at the end? But `Hashem made them all.' The One Who made this man wise can also make him stupid, and the One Who made this one stupid, can make him wise" (Shemos Rabba 34:4).

The Midrash describes two encounters between a scholar and a boor. In the first instance, the wise man agreed to the poor man's request and studied with him. As a result, both gained a portion in both this world and the next. In the second instance, the `rich' man, that is, the learned man, not only refuses to study with his neighbor, but even abuses him and says, `What would you like to study? Mashkin?' which is the last perek in Shas, or `Mei'eimosai?' which is the first.

This man should remember that Hashem gave him the power of understanding, to begin with, and the wheel can revolve so very quickly, overturning him to the bottom and raising the boor to the top as a learned Torah scholar!

"If the Master Resembles an Angel of Hashem, Let Them Seek Torah from His Mouth"

The obligation is many times greater with regard to a teacher, be he of small children, of older children, or a maggid shiur in a yeshiva. A teacher can sometimes feel that he is treading the same ground rather than progressing, all because his students fail to grasp the material. They are holding him back, but he reviews the same page of gemora repeatedly, nevertheless. If he lacks a measure of integrity, he will not bother to prepare very much material to teach.

But such a teacher is "doing Hashem's holy work deceitfully." A student who seeks to progress in his studies will not find much to answer his needs by this particular teacher. This man may be a great rabbi, even an erudite scholar, but he is not a dedicated teacher. A student needs a teacher who is prepared to devote and sacrifice himself for his students, even at the expense of his own scholastic advancement.

The Chasam Sofer used to say that when Chazal said that a student should seek a master who resembles a heavenly angel in his eyes, they were referring to one who is prepared to arrest his own academic advancement for the sake of that of his students. For while a person is referred to as one who "walks," because he is capable of rising ever higher, of constantly progressing from one level to another, and similarly of plummeting down - - an angel is considered to be standing for he maintains a constant level from the time he was created. He neither rises or falls from that level.

That is why the angel said to Zecharya Hanovi (3:7), "And I shall make you a walker among those who stand," referring to the angels.

In this light, it was also mentioned by his son, the Ksav Sofer, in the eulogy he delivered over his father:

"As my soul dissolves over the death of my father, my master zt'l, from whose mouth Torah was sought, I must repeat what Chazal said on the verse in Malachi, `For the lips of the Kohen preserve wisdom and Torah shall they seek from his mouth for he is a veritable angel of Hashem, the L- rd of Hosts" (2:7). And they expounded: `If the master resembles an angel of Hashem, then shall they seek Torah from his mouth. And if not -- let them not seek Torah from his mouth' (Chagigah 15b).

"My father used to explain this so beautifully: that a teacher who seeks to be of the utmost benefit to his students and wishes to lead them to true perfection must sacrifice himself for their sake without paying any attention to the great amount of time expended therein, during which he could have advanced his own knowledge to a far greater degree. Instead, he patiently delves into the questions and explains his words well.

"If, on the contrary, he begrudges his time and effort and the loss to his own academic progress, his students will not maximize their potential. In such a case, a student were wise to shun such a teacher. This is the meaning of a master resembling an angel. He is one who remains at a single level - - like the angel who remains at the level he was created -- and forfeits his own progress to higher levels for he is ultimately interested in his students reaching their maximum and is willing to sacrifice himself for their sake. Such a master is what students should seek, to him should they be devoted and subservient."

"Love Your Neighbor as Yourself" -- This is a Great Principle in Torah

In the opinion of the Chasam Sofer, the obligation to teach others is absolute, immutable, even at the cost of self- improvement and advancement in study.

The Chasam Sofer explains the dictum of Rabbi Akiva which says, "`Love your neighbor as yourself' -- this is a major principle in Torah." According to R' Akiva, he notes, this is a vital principle, but only in Torah study. Elsewhere, the Torah tells us, "And your brother shall live with you," and R' Akiva maintains, "Your life supersedes that of your neighbor."

How, asks the Chasam Sofer, can we reconcile the seeming contradiction between these two verses? Either your interests come first or those of your neighbor are equal to yours.

When it comes to matters of this world, your life is uppermost. But with regard to spiritual matters, matters of Olom Habo, to Torah study, here the Torah commands, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."

In other words, even though when a person studies with one who is intellectually weaker than he, he seems to be losing out on his own advancement for he could have progressed far quicker on his own during this time, still he is duty bound to help and teach others. This is what R' Akiva stresses: "This is a vital principle in Torah," for in Torah study, a person should not give himself preference to his friend. He must advance his friend in Torah study as he would himself.

According to the Chasam Sofer, a person is not required to remove himself altogether from his own study schedule for the sake of others, for the Torah said "as yourself." Your interests are on par with his. You are (at least) equal (Toras Moshe: Kedoshim).

The Study Obligation of Others is Not More Stringent Than the Obligation of Charity

HaRav Moshe Feinstein zt'l puzzled over the words of the Chasam Sofer. In his opinion, it is obvious that a person is permitted to take care of his own concerns first. He quotes the words of the Rambam who rules that even when the matter involves his own son, his own Torah advancement supersedes, just like charity. Thus, certainly one's own Torah study precedes that of others.

It is clear, in his opinion, that even when one has thoroughly mastered one or two entire orders of Shas and wishes to study additional subjects, he supersedes his comrade in that study, even though his comrade has not even mastered one single order.

Furthermore, R' Moshe adds that we find with regard to Torah study something that is not present regarding charity. For even if the rule of "your life supersedes" applies, this is only with regard to bread. If Reuven possesses only enough money for a single loaf of bread, should he allow himself preference or must he give the money to his friend? Here, he must eat the bread himself.

If the question is whether to buy meat for himself or bread for his neighbor, it is clear that he must buy bread for his neighbor in order to sustain him before he indulges in meat for himself.

On the other hand, when it comes to Torah study, he is permitted to be concerned for himself, to increase his own knowledge more and more, even if his neighbor has not yet learned anything.

In the end, R' Moshe concludes: "I have even halachically ruled that every talmid chochom, while obligated to study for himself, is obligated, nevertheless, to devote some of his time to teaching others, even though this is at the expense of his own time" (Igros Moshe, Evven Hoezer Vol. 4, chap. 26, par. 4).

To corroborate his words, he quotes the conduct of the amora Rav Preida, who reviewed a lesson with a difficult student four hundred times (Eruvin 54b). During this time he could surely have accomplished a great deal towards furthering his own knowledge. Might he not have been better off utilizing this time for his own benefit? We cannot say that he did not do the right thing, for the gemora testifies that he received the unusual reward of the longevity of four hundred additional years of life! He even bore along the people of his generation to eternal life. So even timewise, he certainly did not lose out in the end!

From here we learn that it is permissible and even commendable to devote time to teach others Torah.

How much time must one allot to others? HaRav Moshe Feinstein zt'l writes in a responsa: "It seems to me that this, too, should be a tithe allotment, that is, a tenth of the time that he devotes to Torah study should be consecrated towards teaching others. It is possible that he may increase this to a fifth of his time, but the matter requires clarification" (Igros Moshe, ibid.).

This is an accepted norm among a good number of our contemporary gedolim: each Torah scholar should devote a tenth of his time to kiruv work, to teach Torah and mitzvos to those who are estranged from them.

A High Price Paid for Teaching Torah Publicly

This was the practice of our Torah sages. The son of the Chofetz Chaim tells of his saintly father, "His study was not for his own sake and merely to fulfill the positive commandment of Torah study. His study was to teach his people, especially the intellectually poor of his people. He therefore chose those subjects that had practical application, areas where many people stumble out of ignorance of the great reward a particular mitzva offers, and the punishment its violation holds in store.

"He also dwelt upon substantial commandments that are scattered throughout the Torah but that only a true Torah scholar can properly perform. It was these that he chose to clarify for the masses, to cull the pertinent information from various sources through the Talmud and Midroshim so as to present it in complete form, accessible and readily comprehensible at a common level, to study and perform.

"My father's soul yearned to do this at all times even though he complained sometimes and said that in order to enrich the public, he was forced to remain a `poor man' in several orders of Shas, that is, he had to neglect his own learning" (Letters of the Chofetz Chaim).

Upon another occasion, when he was in Minsk, his son heard him complaining that he had paid a dear price in exchange for the publication of his works. "I had to set aside Shas for the sake of these works," is how he put it then. His son tried to comfort him saying that when all was said and done, those works also constituted Torah that was disseminated to the masses. These works served as practical halachic guides throughout Jewish communities. To this, the Chofetz Chaim replied, "I know. Still, no matter what you say, it was a high price to pay."

The Torah is Revealed to One Who Devotes His time to Teaching Others

The Chofetz Chaim deplored the fact that he had to set aside his aspirations to master Shas in order to write and publish his works. But we find other Torah leaders testifying that the sacrifice one makes to teach others generates a power to reveal depths in Torah that would have remained hidden from a person or lost by virtue of the lack of time to delve sufficiently into their study. In his marvelous commentary to Shir Hashirim, Rabbenu Shlomo Alkabetz zt'l writes that Heaven unlocks the mind of one who is immersed in teaching others and the inscrutable things in Torah suddenly become obvious to him, all by themselves. This is what he writes:

"R' Nachman bar R' Chisda taught: Why is it written, `Your fragrant oils are pleasant to the smell'? A Torah scholar is likened to a vial of aromatic oil. If it is open, its fragrance is released and dissipates. If it is stoppered, its fragrance is preserved. Furthermore, those things that are hidden from him are revealed to him, as it is written, `Therefore do alomos adore you.' Do not read alomos but alumos, hidden things. Even more: the Angel of Death loves him, too, as can be learned from the homiletic reading of alomos -- al movvess (above dying). And even more: he inherits two worlds; this one and the next, also derived from this many-faceted word which can be read: olomos.

"From all of these we learn an advantageous reason for such a student who is enamored of Torah. His glory will be revealed and will spread far afield. He will disseminate Torah and proliferate in good deeds. This is read in the words, `Your fragrant oils are pleasant.' This is the fragrance of Torah and good deeds which waft aloft and disperse to distances. And since they represent many things, he referred to them as aromatic oils.

"This verse, `Your fragrant oils are pleasant,' can be reconciled with what is written in Midrash Chazis: Just like oil is bitter to begin with and finally fragrant, so is the beginning in hardship and the end most successful. Another explanation for this is that it refers to the Torah that one teaches to others. This reveals more than good deeds, for just like when the stopper is pulled out, then the fragrance is released, so, too, when he teaches, his fragrance will become known abroad.

"A person may sometimes withhold himself from teaching others because he wishes to advance his own knowledge. But who can ever reach the end of Torah and suffice with it? Still, he prefers to study, to ingest, rather than to give over. To this person, the Torah assures that he will not lose out for having given of his time to others, for his study will suddenly come with facility, effortlessly; it will be revealed before him in the very merit of his teaching and reviewing with others. Therefore does it say, `Al kein alomos aheivucho,' alluding to what is hidden. Rashi explains that hidden, esoteric matters are suddenly revealed to him, all by themselves, without any effort on his part" (Ayeles Ahovim leShir Hashirim 1:3).

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