HaRav Shach zt'l, in the preface to the third edition
of Avi Ezri, wrote, "Even though [Chazal] have said
that a person should always learn, even shelo lishmoh
for by means of shelo lishmoh he will come to
lishmoh and, in addition, limud shelo lishmoh is a
mitzvah -- this is only concerning the mitzvah of
limud. With regard to that which concerns the
seguloh of Torah to save one from every bad
midda -- from jealousy, lust and desire for honor,
which remove a person from the world -- rationally, this is
only through limud kemitzvoso. Even though eventually
it [shelo lishmoh] will bring to lishmoh
nonetheless, until then, the person is in great danger . . .
"
HaRav Shach bases this chiddush on Rabbi Meir's
statement in the sixth perek in Ovos: "Whoever
engages in the study of Torah lishmoh is privileged to
many things." What Rabbi Meir teaches us about the
exceptional dividends and advantages that come from learning
Torah applies when the limud is lishmoh. Then,
in addition, as his ma'amar continues, "The whole
entire world is worthwhile for his sake alone."
Rabbi Meir goes on to list the many virtues that are found in
a person whose Torah is lishmoh. Such individuals are
considered to be a friend and beloved [of Hashem]. They love
and give joy to HaKodosh Boruch Hu and to His
creations. They are adorned with humility and reverence. They
are suitable to be righteous, devout, honest and trustworthy.
They are kept far from sin and near to merit. They give us
guidance. They implant within us wisdom, understanding and
are a source of strength. They are given sovereignty, power
and accurate discernment. They have insight into the secrets
of the Torah. They are like effervescent wellsprings and
unceasing rivers. They become modest, patient and forgiving
of personal insult. They become great and are exalted above
all creations.
This is the boundless power of lishmoh.
Further, the more a person is engrossed in Torah, the more
critical is the need for the limud to be
lishmoh. This is understood from what the Ramchal
zt"l writes in the eleventh chapter of Mesillas
Yeshorim: "Kovod haTorah is that the one who has
learned extensively will likewise achieve righteousness and
the correction of his middos. And any lack of this by
the one who has learned a lot will cause a disparagement to
the Torah itself and, Heaven forbid, bring disgrace to
Hashem's Blessed Name. For Hashem has given us His Holy Torah
and has commanded us to be occupied with it; and through this
to reach our perfection."
Torah is clearly the means to our perfection. However, in
light of HaRav Shach's chiddush, only limud lishmoh
could achieve such results and until then, "the person is
in great danger."
Perhaps the most tragic example of Torah shelo lishmoh
is the life of Acheir. Originally, a great talmid
chochom whose name was Elisha ben Avuya, in his later
years he became so corrupt that eventually his name was
stricken from the Talmud and from then on he was
referred to only as Acheir -- the "other."
Acheir became heretical in his beliefs and rebellious in his
deeds, even affecting others. He was also called
"kozteitz beneti'os," one who would "cut down
saplings." The Talmud Yerushalmi, Chagigah (2:1)
relates how Acheir would enter a beis medrash and see
young talmidim learning with their rov. He would
confront them and ask them why they were there. He would tell
each talmid what trade he was suited for: a mason, a
carpenter, a fisherman, or a tailor.
According to the commentary Korbon Eidah, Acheir was
in fact challenging them with the issue: "What benefit does
their learning have for them. For in the end they will not be
successful with their Torah." Rather, this one's expertise is
to be in masonry or in carpentry or to be a tailor.
Consequently, since the young ones heard this -- that they
would not have success in Torah -- they would leave their rov
and go out to work.
When he was about to die, his talmid Rabbi Meir was
told. He approached Acheir with the hope that his
rebbe would finally repent. The Talmud Yerushalmi
reveals that in fact Acheir cried tears at the time of
his death. So Rabbi Meir was encouraged and thought to
himself, "It seems that he departed having done
teshuvoh."
Nevertheless, the Talmid Bavli, Chagigah 15b states
that after Acheir's death, his judgment of punishment was not
begun, nor was he allowed to enter the Next World. The
gemora explains that his judgment in Gehennom
could not start because of the merits of his efforts in
Torah. Nonetheless, he could not enter the Next World because
of his sins.
This spiritual limbo continued until Rabbi Meir intervened
and requested that upon his own death, Acheir's judgment
should begin. Rabbi Meir reasoned that it was better that
Acheir be judged, for at least then there would be hope of
him finally coming to Olam Habo -- not for the sake of
the punishments, but because the purification alone is
worthwhile.
The gemora continues to relate that in fact, when
Rabbi Meir passed from this world, a column of smoke began to
rise from the grave of Acheir. This was a sign that Acheir
was now being judged in Gehennom. The Maharsha
zt"l in his commentary on the gemora reveals
that this was necessary so it would be publicly known that
the request of Rabbi Meir was accepted and the judgment of
Acheir in Gehennom had then begun.
Years later Rabbi Yochonon also intervened on Acheir's
behalf. He asked that Acheir should be able to enter Olam
Habo and so, with the death of Rabbi Yochonon, the column
of smoke ceased -- a sign that Acheir was allowed entry to
Olam Habo.
Rav Yechezkel Levenstein zt"l in his sefer Ore
Yechezkel (S. Elul p. 103) quotes the sefer
Cochavei Ore as having made a calculation of the years
between the passing of Rabbi Meir and the passing of Rabbi
Yochonon. In total, the time of Acheir's judgment in
Gehennom approached one hundred and fifty years! This
does not include Acheir's limbo that lasted from his death
until the intervention of Rabbi Meir, for until Rabbi Meir
appeared before the Beis Din Shel Ma'aloh, no
judgments in Gehennom were allowed to begin.
Rav Dessler zt"l (Michtav MeEliahu 4, p. 193-
201) has a detailed and insightful explanation of this
gemora. Crucial to his explanation is that, "The whole
purpose of Gehennom is to make the rosho into a
receptacle for kedushoh . . . This is for someone
whose whole essence in Olam Hazeh was without
substance and significance."
People who, in their lifetimes, clung to material gain and
worldly pleasures, thereby lost their opportunity to cling to
kedushoh and ruchniyus. If a desire for an
association with kedushoh was not nurtured during
one's lifetime in Olam Hazeh, then a transformation
that creates an affinity for kedushoh must take place
in Gehennom.
Therefore, Rav Dessler continues, that person who, in Olam
Hazeh, "was occupied with Torah, was already fashioned
into a container for kedushoh in Olam Hazeh.
For even if the learning was shelo lishmoh,
nonetheless certainly many others were influenced and many
benefited from his Torah knowledge. So certainly Acheir, who
became a vehicle for the learning of Rabbi Meir, the godol
hador."
Therefore a tragic paradox occurred. Acheir could not be
admitted to Gehennom because, as Rav Dessler explains,
"That Torah, even shelo lishmoh, prevented the painful
feelings over the deficiencies caused by his transgressions .
. . However, this is nonetheless a futile situation. For as
long as the impurities of the transgressions were not removed
from his soul -- through remorse -- the inherent, truthful
elements that were in it would not be acknowledged. They were
still buried under the weight of the transgressions,
materialism and the shelo lishmoh. Consequently, . . .
he was not able to attain the Olam Habo that was
really his, according to his greatness."
Rabbi Meir could save his rebbe for it was Rabbi Meir
who expounded the opinion that "Whoever engages in the study
of Torah lishmoh is privileged to many things;
moreover, the whole entire world is worthwhile for his sake
alone." Undoubtedly, Rav Dessler explains, all the virtues
that Torah lishmoh instills in a person were
personified in Rabbi Meir. Therefore in Olam HoEmes,
Rabbi Meir's shining example -- once he reached there --
could prove to Acheir just how much the excellence of Torah
lishmoh can achieve and how much he had lost.
This would be effective only when Rabbi Meir entered Olam
Habo. Rav Dessler explains that it was Rabbi Meir's
"intention that after his death, Acheir should be able to see
the immense difference between him and Rabbi Meir -- and then
be anguished over the depth of his lowness compared to the
repute of his talmid." This realization would evoke
the pain of remorse that is crucial to the process of
purification in Gehennom. If so, its gates would now
be open for Acheir's passage.
Rav Dessler then writes about how Rabbi Yochonon was able to
secure Acheir's entrance into Olam Habo. In brief,
Rabbi Yochonon, once he passed from this world, had the
ability to forge a bond with Acheir. The deeply buried traces
of lishmoh that were within Acheir were brought to
life by the influence of Rabbi Yochonon.
Although the stains of Acheir's sins and the void of his
Torah shelo lishmoh prevented his release from
Gehennom there was hope for Acheir, for there were
some traces of lishmoh within Acheir's
neshomoh. During his life, there must have been some
Torah, some mitzvah, that he did lesheim Shomayim.
Then, when his neshomoh was finally cleansed from all
his transgressions, it could ascend from the depths of
Gehennom to be joined, through the kedushoh of
his Torah lishmoh, to the Creator. The shelo
lishmoh within him was powerless to help him.
Nonetheless, even within Acheir, there was enough lishmoh
to receive a reward in Olam Habo.
Once an association was established between the
lishmoh of Rabbi Yochonon and the few elements of
Acheir's lishmoh, that removed all the remaining
impurities and Acheir was then free to receive his deserved
portion in Olam Habo.
The combined efforts of Rabbi Meir and Rabbi Yochonon were
thus able to save Acheir. Rabbi Meir could only arrange to
allow Acheir to enter Gehennom and start his
judgments. The shame to Acheir from the realization of how
much life and meaning Torah lishmoh brings to the
world could be aroused by Rabbi Meir. However, Rabbi Meir had
no ability to free Acheir from Gehennom.
Rabbi Yochonon, witnessing the steady column of smoke from
Acheir's gravesite, exclaimed that surely something more
could be done in order to allow Acheir to eventually receive
his eternal reward. Hence, Rabbi Yochonon took it upon
himself to intervene on Acheir's behalf. What made Rabbi
Yochonon successful beyond the efforts of Rabbi Meir?
The Rambam zt"l in Hilchos Talmud Torah 3:5
writes, "The beginning of the judgment that is made on a
person is on that which concerns his learning, and then on
the rest of his deeds. Therefore, Chazal say that a person
should always engage in Torah, whether it is lishmoh
or shelo lishmoh, for by means of shelo lishmoh
he will come to lishmoh."
HaRav Shach asked in his sefer Avi Ezri: "What
difference does it make if the beginning of our judgment is
on divrei Torah or afterward? In any case, a person is
judged for everything and on every deed -- whether it is a
transgression of what one should not do, or the neglect of a
positive command. What incentive lies in the fact that the
beginning of the judgment is on divrei Torah?"
HaRav Shach answered: "Based on what the Rambam wrote in
Hilchos Talmud Torah 3:3 that the mitzvah of
`talmud Torah is equivalent to all the mitzvos
combined, for limud will bring to observance.' If so,
without limud, there will definitely be a great lack
of practice -- and lack of observance was because there was
no limud. Therefore, the beginning of a person's
judgment is on divrei Torah, for that is the primary
cause that there was no observance."
The claims made about any lack of observance, will always be
traced back to the lack of limud.
In the course of his explanation, HaRav Shach makes note of
the gemora in the eighth perek of Kalla
Rabosai that deals with Rabbi Meir's ma'amar about
the virtues of Torah lishmoh. Due to a specific
question, the gemora concludes that Rabbi Meir cannot
be of the same opinion as that of Rabbi Yochonon, who deems
that Torah shelo lishmoh is a justifiable means of
limud.
Instead, the gemora determines that Rabbi Meir must be
in agreement with Rabbi Akiva, who says that it is better not
to be born into this world if one's Torah will be shelo
lishmoh.
Rabbi Yochonon opposes this idea and deems that Torah should
be learned, even though it is shelo lishmoh -- for
Torah should not be forsaken even if there are no spiritual
motivations for the limud at all. Rabbi Yochonon
understands that even if a person has, Heaven forbid,
forsaken Hashem (which was the case with Acheir), Torah still
has an inherent potential to eventually bring one to learn
Torah lishmoh -- for the sake of Hashem.
This is quite different from the opinion of Rabbi Meir who,
like Rabbi Akiva, says that Torah shelo lishmoh is
unacceptable -- for the whole world has significance and
purpose only by means of Torah lishmoh.
It was specifically Rabbi Yochonon's influence that could
free Acheir's neshomoh. For he held that even if a
person has, Heaven forbid, forsaken Hashem -- nonetheless,
Torah should be learned even shelo lishmoh. Torah
shelo lishmoh still has the potential to result in
Torah lishmoh. Appropriately, it was Rabbi Yochonon,
and not Rabbi Meir, who could connect with any faint traces
of lishmoh in Acheir's neshomoh and thereby
allow it to rise from Gehennom to Olam Habo.
Although Rabbi Meir and Rabbi Yochonon held two very
different opinions about the power of limud HaTorah shelo
lishmoh, when it came to saving Acheir's neshomoh,
HaKodosh Boruch Hu, in His eternal Wisdom and through His
infinite Kindness, placed in their hearts a mutual desire to
save Acheir. For even the slight trace of lishmoh in
the course of Acheir's life, Hashem guided his Creation to
salvage, revive and grant a reward for it in Olam
Habo.
The Rambam writes in his Commentary to the last
Mishnah in Makkos, that one of the basic
principals of Jewish faith is, "that when a person will
fulfill one of the six hundred and thirteen mitzvos properly
and as prescribed, without incorporating any intention of
worldly intent in any form, but rather it is done lishmoh,
be'ahavoh . . . through this he is privileged to life in
Olam Habo."
This is based on Rabbi Chanania ben Akashia's statement in
that Mishnah: "HaKodosh Boruch Hu wished to
bestow merits on Klal Yisroel therefore He gave them
Torah and mitzvos in abundance."
The Rambam concludes, " . . . that there are so many mitzvos,
that it would be impossible for a person during the course of
his life not to do one of them to perfection. The fulfillment
of such a mitzvah gives life to his soul through its
accomplishment." The Rambam testifies that every one of us
has the intrinsic potential for lishmoh and
HaKodosh Boruch Hu has blessed us with the means --
Torah and mitzvos -- to express it in this world, and then to
be privileged to life in Olam Habo.
