Delivered By Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, Rosh Yeshiva of Slabodka in Bnei Brak
Recently, in light of the economic situation brought about by the Gaza War, the Rosh Yeshiva delivered at an assifa in Binyanei HaUmma, a new emphasis on an important point of Hashkafa
Prior to Matan Torah, Hashem told Moshe Rabeinu, to convey to Klal Yisroel (Shmos 19:5), “And now, if you obey Me and keep My covenant, you shall be to Me a treasure out of all peoples, for Mine is the entire earth.”
Chazal, in Mechilta D’Rabi Yishmael (Parshas Yisro) interpret the phrase “והייתם לי” to mean that the bnei yisroel should be entirely devoted to Hashem and engage solely in Torah study, and not in other matters.
Based upon this, Harav Aharon Kotler zt”l, said that ideally, the ideal situation is for all of klal yisroel to study Torah all their lives and not be involved in anything else but Torah study. However, since this is not attainable, since people need to earn a living and engage in worldly matters in order to sustain themselves. However, in order to ensure the survival of klal yisroel, it is essential that at least a significant part of them be engaged in Torah study with no other concerns.
In Eretz Yisroel, for the past century, it was known that her Bnei Torah were engaged in Torah study for their entire lives. Even though there were also some kollelim and yeshivos abroad, when people came to Eretz Yisroel, they knew that the primary goal was to study Torah all their lives without being involved in other matters.
However, in the past twenty years, it has become clear that it is no longer possible for all avreichim to learn for their entire lives even in Eretz Yisroel, as Harav Aharon Kotler, zt”l mentioned regarding the general population of Klal yisroel. Obviously, there are those who need to be involved in other aspects to earn a living, etc.
Although initially there was no special focus on these individuals, and many fell between the cracks. However, today, this matter has expanded, and although Baruch Hashem the great majority of the Bnei Torah population remain within the category of “והייתם לי סגולה”, likewise, there are those who also work and are unable to engage solely in Torah study for their entire lives.
It is imperative, however, that our attitude toward them should not be that they are balei batimwho merely have a connection to the Torah, rather, our attitude must be the exact opposite:
They are Bnei Torah who had to engage in earning a living.
This is both how they must view themselves, and this is how they must be viewed by all Bnei Torah.
This is not merely a turn of phrase or a characterization in semantics or language. They are truly Bnei Torah and that must be seen and expressed in three ways:
- In thought: Understanding and knowing that these bnei torah wish they could study Torah all their lives, and what other activates they engage in besides Torah study is only a necessity because they have no choice.
- In the observance of Halacha: The observance of Halacha at home and at work should be exactly like a full-time Ben Torah, including all other matters such as tefilah, tznius, and other Halachic issues. Regarding material matters, those who work for their livelihood can elevate their conditions according to their means above the simplicity that avreichim There is no reason for any difference between them.
- Limud haTorah: Even those who work for their livelihood need to set aside specific times for Torah. The Chafetz Chayim, zt”l, writes extensively on the matter of keviaas itim, and of the importance of establishing regular study times for Torah study for each individual.
Kovaya Itim for Torah study has three aspects to it:
- Kvias Itim – means studying each and every day on a regular basis. There is no day that can go by devoid of Torah study.
- Kvias Itim means setting aside a specific amount of time, an hour or two each night, as many hours as one can.
- Kvias Itim also means that they should not think that, since they are not avreichim, they do not need to delve deeply and understand what they are studying on a very deep level. They erroneously think that they should learn quickly with little understanding, this is actually incorrect. They are Bnei Torah who had to become involved in other things. However, when they are learning, they need to learn with a full depth of understanding according to their particular talents.
I know avreichim Talmidei chachamim in America who work for their livelihood. When they return from their jobs at four or five PM, they go directly to the Beis medrash for second seder.
I also know an individual who even published a sefer; he studies complex topics and publishes seforim. In America today, this has become widespread, with some following a simple daily daf gemara and others delving more b’iyun, resembling the bnei torah in yeshivas.
In conclusion, the Chafetz Chaim cites Rabbeinu Yonah in a letter who states, “People who neglect their work and go home when they are idle or occupy themselves with trivial matters, their iniquity is great, and their sin is severe, as they belittle the Torah. If only they understood that there is no end to the reward for Torah study, they would surely return to the beis medrash!”
This fundamental point must be remembered – even those who work for their livelihood remain Bnei Torah. They are workers yet are still Bnei Torah in all aspects. Therefore, Bnei Torah who work should be collectively included in the category of Avreichim and not as simple balei batim.
Each and every one should study according to his own particular ability. Various inclusive frameworks should be established within the kollelim. They should include those who study more analytically, as well as those who study ingreat depth, and those who focus on Halacha and similar subjects.
By achieving this, we will be mekadesh shem shamyim, those who work for their livelihood will not depart from the category of “Bnei Torah.” May the ribono shel olam grant strength to these Bnei Torah to achieve the maximum that they can as true Bnei Torah in all the aforementioned aspects. May Hashem grant them the special strength needed to face the challenges that come from their involvement in work, and succeed in both areas. Amain!
The editor can be reached at [email protected]
Please note: The Rosh Yeshiva shlita will be in the United States for the dinner on January 28th at the Marriot for more information email [email protected] Rav Yeruchem Olshin shlita will be the guest speaker.
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9 Responses
ideally, the ideal situation is for all of klal yisroel to study Torah all their lives and not be involved in anything else but Torah study.
This is not correct. That was the attitude of the Meraglim y”sh, who wanted to stay in the Midbor because it was a Kollel, and didn’t want to leave it for Eretz Yisroel, where the avodas Hashem was be working in fields and building houses and all the other things that are necessary to build up a country and sustain a society. They wanted to eat Mann and learn Torah and they thought that was the ideal, and Moshe Rabbenu had ch”v gone off the derech by telling people that this was only a short break, and after a year at Har Sinai they would have to go work in Olam Hazeh.
But that’s not what Hashem wants. He wants us to work in the world, and that is why He made it so that we can’t live without doing so. He wants us to engage with Olam Hazeh and make it holy — precisely as this rov recommends. He wants us all to be benei torah, by behaving as recommended here; by making our Torah the ikkar and our work the tafel, even if work occupies more hours than Torah does. We should be working while thinking of Torah, not learning while thinking of work. But work we must.
And yes, there must be a core who don’t work and are full time learners — Shevet Levi. As the Rambam says, anyone can become a Levi by dedicating himself to full-time learning. But it is absolutely not the ideal that the whole nation should be Leviyim. And even Leviyim are to have fields and vineyards, and animals grazing, in the belt around each of their cities, because they should also keep the mitzvah of Yishuv Eretz Yisroel, in addition to their learning.
Only after Moshiach comes and the Avodas Haberurim is complete will it become Hashem’s will that we should all do nothing but learn, and foreigners will rise up to take care of our flocks and of our children so we don’t have to work at all.
i don’t ever comment here, but this is great news! the chareidi ideology in EY which promotes torah, unfortunately has caused many to look down at those who go to work, making it almost impossible for any change to take place within the system, even when many should be going to work and helping the world in that way, instead of staring at the walls in the BM. those who can learn should and must. they are holding up the world. but for many, at some point when it is clearly “not going” there must be a second respectable option, like we have in america. to be a zevulun and a baal melacha (חז”ל שיבחו את המלאכה) who is נהנה מיגיע כפיו and still a real ben torah. without damaging the core message of the importance of torah, we can fix the issues of chareidi society from within.
this is a great flicker of hope!
who the h*** does Millhouse think he is to write this is not correct
789644 – he is someone who is following what the Chasam Sofer said about there being an Inyan to physically and economically develop Eretz Yisrael in particular.
This Drash of “v’hyisrm li segula” is far from pshat, and is far, far away from many other ma’marei Chazal. The fact.that the entire Drasha hangs from the premise that this is the unquestioned ideal provides significant grounds for questioning it.
an Israeli Yid.
@millhouse ideally everyone should learn, its the curse of adam harishon that you have to work to bring food on the table. And yes hashem told us to conquer E”Y and work the land, but thats just like any other mitzvah that you stop learning to go be mekayim, for example teffilin. Now your point about leviyim also being mekayim the mitzvah of Yishuv E”Y doesnt prove that someone outside of E”Y ideally should work, furthermore according to alot of achronim the mitzvah of Yishuv E”Y now days is a mitzvah HAKIYUMIS not a mitzvah HACHIYUVIS. So yes if one is one has to go out to work he should, and its a mitzvah but it would be ideal for klall yisroel to not have to work so you can soley focus on studying torah. This is not a contradiction to the yissachar zevullun partnership.
Looking forward to your response!
Alouk, again you are presenting the opinion of the Meraglim y”sh, and Hashem showed us what He thought of that.
After Moshiach comes and the Avodas haBerurim is complete, then you will be right. But bizman hazeh it is NOT ideal for the whole nation to be in kollel. Only shevet Levi is supposed to be in kollel, and even they have to do some yishuv E”Y. According to the Rambam Shevet Levi includes anyone who volunteers to be part of it. But the rest of the nation is supposed to work, and that is lechatchila, not bediavad, because work in olam hazeh is the purpose of our existence here. To learn Torah we could have remained in Gan Eden.
The interlude in the Midbar was an exception, and it was to prepare us for living in E”Y. It was never intended to be a permanent situation, and was originally only supposed to last one year, not forty. Lo nitna Torah ela le’ochlei hamann, but then they were expected to take that Torah they had learned and bring it into the outside world, not to remain in Kollel, eating mann, for the rest of their lives.
@millhouse and all those that did not protest against it.
the sin of the meraglim was not listening to moshe (the gedolim of there time), and deciding there own haskofos (and dont worry they had long shtikel toras to prove they were right), plain and simple.
Always backwards in coming forwards.
How much inestimable spiritual benefit would there have been to the Jewish people as a whole had just a single Israeli Litvish Gadol had the foresight or the gall to say something this fundamental and axiomatic twenty years ago.
The problem with this article is the need for it itself, Chazal always held melacha and baalei melacha in high regard. Melacha is a chiyuv in shulchan aruch siman orach chaim 156, no need to apologize no need for ego boosting.
As pointed out by the Rambam and others, the Avos, Tannaim, Amoraim, Rishonim and many Achronim pursued parnassah bekavod.
All our tefillos at the most holy of times ie yamim noraim and birkas kohanim ask for this.
The gemara states openly lo kol adam zoche lshnei shulchanos we see shnei shulchanos is a zechus not the other way around.
The chovos halevavos in shaar habitachon speaks at length of the aveira of someone who neglects his fiscal responsibilities in the name of bitachon.
The sefer Yosef Ometz explains the words of the chovos halevavos extensively his words are printed in some new editions of chovos halevavos after shaar habitachon.
At the end of the day its about kavanah lshem shamayim. Echad hamarbe echad hammamitu belvad sheyechaveinlibo lashamayim.
There are many people whose work for a living has alot more kavanah lshem shamayim then their fellow peoples learning!
This condecending attitude towards working people is new to Judaism. It is seemingly a reaction to the Haskala movement thar rose before the war. That movement is thankfully mostly dead. It is time to return to the original and authentic Judaism.