Thursday, June 12, 2014
Ethics of our Fathers: Chapter 3 Mishna 11: Torah is not another academic subject!
9:38 PM | 
Posted by
Rabbi Chaim Coffman |
"Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa says: 'Anyone whose fear of sin takes priority over his wisdom, his wisdom will endure; but anyone whose wisdom takes priority over his fear of sin, his wisdom will not endure.'"
The first part of the Mishna explains that when one's fear of sin takes priority over his wisdom his wisdom will endure. Why should that be? The reason is because when one concentrates in staying away from bad influences and things that will cause them to transgress, he becomes a greater person spiritually.
When a person learns the goal is to envelop the ideas and make it part of them. As a person grows in spirituality and constantly stays away from negative influences he will perform mitzvos as he has properly learned how to keep them. A person does not have to drive themselves crazy and constantly think that maybe they will transgress...but a person has to know his true inner self.
A person knows where their strengths are and what they need to work on and stay away from. This would seem to be a natural thing but nonetheless the yetzer hara (evil inclination) constantly works against a person to try and cause them to transgress. We have to always be on guard and use whatever resources we have not to fall in the yetzer hara's hands.
If wisdom, though takes priority over his fear of sin, his wisdom will not endure. The reason is that one is learning Torah but not actualizing it. This means that although they feel that learning Torah is important, they are learning it like another subject that seemingly has no effect on their life.
Torah is not like any other academic subject. Its teachings are eternal and have the ability to transform a person. As we say when we return the Torah to the ark, "Etz chaim hi lmachzikim bah" (the Torah is a tree of life to those that grasp it), we understand that the Torah strengthens us more than we strengthen it. The word "lmachzikim" is in the causative form which means that the Torah is giving us strength!
Although we need to put our best effort forward in learning Torah, the reality is that the Torah is really empowering me because I tune in to its precious timely message. Learning for learning's sake is good, but the messages the Torah tells us are supposed to change us and make it part of our reality. If we don't do that, we degrade the Torah and treat it G-d forbid like another academic subject!
The first part of the Mishna explains that when one's fear of sin takes priority over his wisdom his wisdom will endure. Why should that be? The reason is because when one concentrates in staying away from bad influences and things that will cause them to transgress, he becomes a greater person spiritually.
When a person learns the goal is to envelop the ideas and make it part of them. As a person grows in spirituality and constantly stays away from negative influences he will perform mitzvos as he has properly learned how to keep them. A person does not have to drive themselves crazy and constantly think that maybe they will transgress...but a person has to know his true inner self.
A person knows where their strengths are and what they need to work on and stay away from. This would seem to be a natural thing but nonetheless the yetzer hara (evil inclination) constantly works against a person to try and cause them to transgress. We have to always be on guard and use whatever resources we have not to fall in the yetzer hara's hands.
If wisdom, though takes priority over his fear of sin, his wisdom will not endure. The reason is that one is learning Torah but not actualizing it. This means that although they feel that learning Torah is important, they are learning it like another subject that seemingly has no effect on their life.
Torah is not like any other academic subject. Its teachings are eternal and have the ability to transform a person. As we say when we return the Torah to the ark, "Etz chaim hi lmachzikim bah" (the Torah is a tree of life to those that grasp it), we understand that the Torah strengthens us more than we strengthen it. The word "lmachzikim" is in the causative form which means that the Torah is giving us strength!
Although we need to put our best effort forward in learning Torah, the reality is that the Torah is really empowering me because I tune in to its precious timely message. Learning for learning's sake is good, but the messages the Torah tells us are supposed to change us and make it part of our reality. If we don't do that, we degrade the Torah and treat it G-d forbid like another academic subject!
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