Bible Study - the joy of.2138

THE JOY OF BIBLE STUDY.

Ref. 2138

Bible Reading: Psalm 119:105

A) In a classic work, it is stated that you should feel joy whenever you study the Bible or pray. (Mishnah Bmrah 1:10)

B) The wise man lives a life of pleasure.

If pleasure seekers would only be aware of the great potential for pleasure through studying wisdom, they would give up seeking physical pleasures and would focus on obtaining wisdom. (Chochmah Umussar, vol, I, p. 298)

C) When a person studies the Bible and derives pleasure from his studies, his whole being cleaves to the Torah. This is the fundamental aspect of studying the Bible: to feel great joy and pleasure when you study, for then WHAT YOU STUDY BECOMES PART OF YOU. (Rabbi Avraham).

At the close of a holiday, the students of the Lakewood Yeshiva were engaged in their usual Simchas Yom Tui, (holiday festivity) in the dining room. Rabbi Aharon Kotler, the Rosh Hayeshiva, had spoken off a relevant topic and was in an elevated mood. At the termination of his talk, the students generally sang a tune to the words from Psalms, “Were it not for Thy Torah being my delight, I would have succumbed to my poverty. . .”

Rav Aharon interrupted the singing, “Imagine! David, the King, was tremendously wealthy. Yet King David felt himself drowning in a sea of poverty, but for the Torah, his only enduring, transcending possession.” A student of his writes that the vision of Rav Aharon exclaiming those words conveyed more than any conceivable lecture the ultimate fulfillment and happiness to be found in Torah. The student concluded that one could clearly see in Rav Aharon that with Torah as his possession, he lacked nothing. (Rabbi Shaul Kagan Jewish Observer, May, 1973)

When Rabbi Aharon Kotler, the Rosh Hayeshiva of Lakewood, was told that someone was depressed his initial reaction was to repeat his Talmudic lectures to that person. Because of his love for Torah he felt tremendous joy and delight when his mind was immersed in the intricacies of the Talmud. He knew that anyone who would be able to feel even part of the intense pleasure which he experienced when engaged in Torah would be able to overcome feelings of sadness, (Heard from Rabbi Moshe Carlebach)

D) When you experience joy in learning something new, you will remember it for a much longer period of time. The more joy you feel when you learn Torah concepts, the greater will be your retention of what you have studied.

E) In the prayer recited daily for the mitzvah of Torah study (Vehaarev nah) we ask to feel the sweetness of Torah study. We easily feel the pleasure of giving into our desires; to overcome them we need to feel the pleasure of Torah study as a balance, When a person finds it difficult to overcome his desires it is because he lacks an equal feeling of pleasure in spiritual matters, (Lev Eliyahu, vol, I, p, 177)

F) If a person lacks pleasure from his Torah studies, he will have complaints that he does not have success, This will lead him to think that he will find satisfaction and pleasure only in physical and material areas, His attitude could result in his rebelling against studying Torah.  He will not be aware that the source of the problem is within himself, (Rabbi Mordechai Gifter;Pirke fimunah, vol, 2, p. 22)

G) If a person who studies Torah fails to experience pleasure, it would be a mistake for him to feel guilty and upset. Such feelings would just make it more difficult for him to enjoy studying. Rather, a person who does not experience pleasure should accept himself. His focus should be on gaining more knowledge, Be careful not to compare yourself with others, for envy is a prime cause of lack of pleasure in one’s studies, As you continue to gain more and more knowledge, you will eventually feel pleasure, For many this will be a slow process, so be patient. Persistence and diligence will pay off in the end.

H) Some people fail to take pleasure when they study Torah because they have a strong desire to know a large amount in too short a period of time, Concerning them, Rabbi Chayim of Volozhin applied the passage: “We should be happy with our portion” (Pirke Avos 6:6). This means that we should be happy with the Torah knowledge that we obtain little by little, as long as we try to master what we have learned. lf a person studies an amount that is too large for him at one time, he will forget what he learns, (Ruach Chayim 6:6)

A factor that destroys the pleasure of Torah study for many people is the demand for finishing. While it is important to want to know and understand as much as possible, some people go about this with feelings of anxiety which are counterproductive. This anxiety makes their studying painful and the consequence is that they actually understand less than if they would be more relaxed. This is especially true for people whose major goal is to finish rather than to fully understand or to enjoy the process of studying, By giving up their demand to “finish,” they will cover more ground and will remember what they studied much longer.

I)   Every person, regardless of his level of understanding, has the ability to derive pleasure from his Torah studies, Rabbi Akiva and the ViIna Gaon derived pleasure from their level and a young child can appreciate what he studies on his level. (Rabbi Yeruchem Levovitz ;Daas Chochmah Umuswr, vol. 2, p. 67)

J)  In a letter to someone who found it difficult to study Torah the Chazon Ish wrote: “Some people find it hard to be diligent in their Torah studies. But the difficulty persists only for a short while if the person sincerely resolves to submerge himself in his studies. Very quickly the feelings of difficulty will go away and he will find that there is no worldly pleasure that can compare with the pleasure of studying Torah diligently,” (Kovetz Igros, vol, I, no. 8)

K) When you toil in Torah studies feel joy in your efforts even if you have not been creative. It is a mistake to feel discouraged and to consider Yourself unsuccessful if you have sincerely toiled in your studies. The toiling itself is success and you can feel satisfaction and joy, (Rabbi Noson Wachtfogel, mashgiach of Lakewood Yeshiva, Sichos Mussar, p, 71)

L)  Your feeling joy when someone else studies Torah shows that your joy when you study has as its source a sincere appreciation of Torah and not merely your personal gain. (Rabbi Chayim of Volozidn; cited in Hachofetz Chayim, vol, 3, p. 819)

Anyone who loves Torah will be full of happiness and joy when he sees a budding scholar who can be compared to a beautiful tree which Will soon give off sweet fruit. (Pachad Yitzchok, Igros Liksovim, p. 239)

M)        A follower of Rabbi Yehuda Aryeh Leib, the Gerrer Rebbe and author of Sfas Emes, was the rabbi of a community in a town where there were no other chasidim. He complained to the Gerrer Rebbe about his loneliness and inquired whether it would be wiser for him to move to another town where there were other chasidim. The Rebbe’s reply was, “If you have a Gemara that you can study, you need never feel lonely.”