Preparing for Shavuos: Taking Limud Hatorah To The Next Level {Hashkafa in the Workplace}

Hinzugefügt: 2026-05-16

[00:00:00]This Torah class is brought to you by torahanytime.com.

[00:00:05]The instructions were 2 minutes no Tyra.

[00:00:08]The no Tyra part's easy.

[00:00:10]Um on behalf of Tyra links um welcome everybody to wel- welcome everybody to this wonderful edition of Hashkofa in the workplace with a very special guest.

[00:00:21]Just before we start request from the alum over here one of the flagship programs of this Mesa Tyra links in this building is our summer internship program where over the years we have been Zacha to host hundreds and hundreds of not yet from students who spent 6 to 8 weeks in Lakewood in businesses ideally that are manned by people who take Hashkofa in the workplace very very seriously and the impact that your businesses have had on these students has been literally life-changing. And we I'm asking the alum if anybody here has the wherewithal and the ability to take an intern over the summer in any of their offices or they can connect us with those who do, we would deeply appreciate it. Uh Rebbe Zikats will be our point person if you could speak to them or to me.

[00:01:14]Thank you very very much. Without further ado, Rebbe Zikats. Welcome everybody. I'm not speaking. Just um usually Rebbe Mati Lunger is the one to do this, but he Baruch Hashem is making a Simcha on Sunday, a bris, and uh he was a little tied up. Of course, Rebbe Mati as always with the Simcha without the Simcha is uh been working and hustling 24/7 I would say for every VOD and every Memorial Day event and just the all the arrangements. He really uh gives it all he's got.

[00:01:43]So, uh here I am very quickly. Just introduction. Thank you to Tyra links as usual for hosting and giving us all the the Bais Medrash and everything with that's needed for arranging everything.

[00:01:56]Just uh a few have that are involved and um always here to help. Sure Wolf, David Diamond, Sam Zimmerman and Dovi Swade always giving their hand and helping us out.

[00:02:09]And I can I can have but just want to say a real thank you to the island that comes every time to every speech. If you come every time or sometimes, it's it's really the island that that makes this event successful. All the events successful because if not for the island, it wouldn't happen. So I'm inspired every time that the island keeps coming and wants to hear and the boxing and looking to stay and because of that there's thousands and thousands of people that are here the show room afterwards on tour anytime and other places. So it's really a big slot that the island has and it's a visit for those that are arranging it. Um Daniel Goldstein who came from the five towns today and he's no introduction.

[00:02:53]All I could say is that when I want such a tour anytime guy or you know podcasts or online show room, but when I get into the car and I turn on 107.9 and it's a Daniel Goldstein, it's momish a simcha.

[00:03:05]And I'm able to hear him. It's so good to smack always to hear momish a pit map of my goal is as you call it every glass. It's great honor to be here in era of Torah.

[00:03:17]>> [clears throat] >> Today we've gathered in preparation of Kabbalat Torah, the of Shavuot about Torah to strategize, to think how we could upgrade our Torah, how we could upgrade our Kabbalat Torah.

[00:03:34]And in base of madrish believe it is I would like to try out a new idea.

[00:03:42]This is the idea I've never said before.

[00:03:45]So you never heard this on 107.9.

[00:03:49]Even though I don't even know what they play on 107.9. It's It's from somewhere between 10 and 15 years ago.

[00:03:56]Sometimes people email me from Lakewood, could I ask you, you said this, you said that. I have no recollection.

[00:04:05]I want to start off with a lamdus, a gishmaka lamdus, and I think it's going to revolutionize our appreciation of the Yom Tov of Shavuos havealenu letayva.

[00:04:17]We'll start off with Rav Chaim. Rav Chaim has a famous kasha benigeya Pesach. Everybody knows the kasha. Fract Rav Chaim, what's special about the mitzvah leil seder, the mitzvah of sippur yetzias Mitzrayim? The pasuk says lemaan tizkor es yom tzeischa me'eretz Mitzrayim kol yemei chayecha. There's a mitzvah every single night of the year of zichrus yetzias Mitzrayim. What therefore is special about the night of the seder? We make a whole big deal. We prepare for weeks. We have divrei Torah.

[00:04:48]We have hagados. People have dozens of hagados, hundreds of hagados. And we get very excited about the mitzvah of sippur yetzias Mitzrayim. We do the exact same thing every single night of the year.

[00:04:59]The famous kasha of Rav Chaim. Rav Chaim famously gives three answers.

[00:05:04]Rav Chaim says night of seder question and answer. Maskil beginos umaasim beshvach. You have to be doresh ta'amei demitzvos. Rav Chaim's famous three answers.

[00:05:14]I want to share with you a new answer to this question, something somebody showed me.

[00:05:21]In an amazing sefer called Minchas Soiles. The Minchas Soiles is a peirush on the Minyan Hamitzvos of the Av Beis Din of Dukla, the grandfather of Pinchas Hirschprung. He has a go'inus.

[00:05:35]He has the following go'inus.

[00:05:37]He says like this.

[00:05:39]Fundamentally, there is no difference whatsoever between the mitzvah of sippur yetzias Mitzrayim the night of the seder and zichrus yetzias Mitzrayim every single night of the year.

[00:05:49]But he clears the following chokira, interesting chokira.

[00:05:53]What would happen if a bochur became a bar mitzvah after Pesach?

[00:06:00]So that year, he wasn't mekayem the mitzvah of sippur yetzias Mitzrayim.

[00:06:06]Says the Minchas Soeles, in his opinion, he would be patur from the mitzvah of Zechiras Yetzias Mitzrayim at night for the entire year.

[00:06:17]You hear this chiddush? That if a bochur becomes There's a famous Ksav Sofer.

[00:06:21]What if somebody becomes bar mitzvah during Sefirah? So the first 15 days, let's say, he counted as an eina b'chiyuva, does he Is he allowed to count with a bracha after the first 15 days?

[00:06:33]This is a different shaila. Let's say somebody became a bar mitzvah after Pesach, let's say in Tammuz. Says the Minchas Soeles, for that year, the bochur is patur from the mitzvah of Zechiras Yetzias Mitzrayim.

[00:06:46]Why?

[00:06:47]He says like this, the ikkar mitzvah is sippur.

[00:06:52]To tell the whole story.

[00:06:54]And if you're patur from sippur, then you're patur from zechira. So what's he saying?

[00:07:00]It seems he's saying as follows.

[00:07:02]What are you doing every night of the year? You're saying the pasuk "Ani Hashem Asher Hotzeisicha M'Eretz Mitzrayim." You're just basically quick reminder, check, check, check.

[00:07:14]If you spend one night a year telling the whole story in great detail from beginning to end, and you're maskil b'ginos, and you're mesayem b'shvach, and you go through the entire Haggadah from Halachma Anya till Ga'al Yisrael, and you got the whole story, then it will be sufficient on every other night of the year to just make a mental check.

[00:07:34]Okay, check. "Ani Hashem Elokeichem Asher Hotzeisicha M'Eretz Mitzrayim."

[00:07:38]"Ani Hashem Elokeichem." Good. Good.

[00:07:39]Good. Good. But if you never relived and you never accounted the whole story in great detail, then what are you doing every night of the year? You're not going to be yotzei just with a small little mental check by saying that pasuk. In other words, there's a concept that small reminders will only be sufficient provided that at least once a year you have the full complete experience in living color. That's the chiddush of the Minchas Chinuch. According to this, we have a new answer to Rav Chaim's kasha.

[00:08:11]Rav Chaim wants to know what's the difference between sippur and zichira?

[00:08:16]The answer is fundamentally there's nothing different. It's just there is no mitzvah of zichira every night of the year unless at least once a year on leil seder you went through all the details and you relive the story. So, how does this apply to Kabbalas HaTorah?

[00:08:31]There's a famous yesod that Rav Aharon Kotler advanced. I'm in Lakewood, I got to, you know, you have to know how to quote.

[00:08:39]Actually, by the CM HaShas maybe in Tav Shin Nun Aleph, Rav Elyashiv said this over from Rav Aharon.

[00:08:48]It's since been published in the Mishnas Rav Aharon.

[00:08:52]An amazing idea.

[00:08:55]We know there's a great miracle. There's a miracle of Ananei HaKavod, so we commemorate it. We have a Yom Tov called Sukkos.

[00:09:01]There was a great miracle, the miracle of Yetzi'as Mitzrayim, so we have a zicharon, we have a Yom Tov for Pesach.

[00:09:07]We remember it every night of the year.

[00:09:09]And yet the greatest event that ever happened in the history of the world, it happened in the year 2448.

[00:09:16]By the way, the Chida says, how do you remember it? It's the year Chibas Am.

[00:09:21]Chibas Am gematria 2448.

[00:09:24]Hashem's love for us. Hashem gave us the Torah in the year Chibas Am. You'll figure out the gematria on your own.

[00:09:31]Beis is the year 2000, okay? Beis mem It's 2448.

[00:09:36]Beis Tav Mem [snorts] Ches. The year 2448. It's the greatest event that ever happened in the history of the world.

[00:09:43]More eyewitnesses saw Kabbalah Torah than any event in world history. There are 2 to 3 million Yidden witness Kabbalah Torah. The Rambam says Gadlu al kol gedula. You need to magnify Kabbalah Torah in your mind greater than any event that ever happened. And yet ask Rav Aaron, there is not one single mitzvah or a calendar date that commemorates Kabbalah Torah. Even Shavuos itself technically says Rav Aaron is not a zecher. It's zman zman matan Torah sinai. But it's not exactly to commemorate matan Torah.

[00:10:22]Why is it that the greatest event that ever happened in the history of the world is not commemorated with a mitzvah?

[00:10:30]That was Rav Aaron's kasha.

[00:10:33]And Rav Aaron said, you only need to commemorate things that happened.

[00:10:38]You only need to remember things that happened.

[00:10:42]We don't need to remember right now the shiur that's being given because it's being given right now.

[00:10:48]We don't need to make a zicharon for the shiur in Torah Links because it's in the middle of happening.

[00:10:54]You don't remember something that is in the process of happening. Says Rav Aaron Cutler, you think Kabbalah Torah was a one-time event that happened 3300 years ago and now we have to look back and commemorate it?

[00:11:07]Every time you learn a shtickel Gemara, every time you learn a pasuk, in that act of limud ha Torah is latent all of the revelations and all of the power and the entire awe-inspiring experience of matan Torah is being relived the moment you learn Torah. It If it happened 3300 years ago, you need to commemorate it.

[00:11:34]But it's happening in real time every time you learn, every time you learn Gamara, every time you learn Mishna, every time you learn Chumash, every time you hear a shiur, says Rav Aaron Kotler, when you learn psukim of Torah, the entire all the secrets of creation are latent in that piece of Torah that you're learning. The same experience of kol Gadol lo yosef Rav Aaron quotes the pasuk kol Gadol lo yosef Targum says pasak meaning the voice of Har Sinai continues, it's continuous. That experience doesn't need to be remembered, it's happening again.

[00:12:14]If we could add This is supposed to be chizuk for those in the workplace. It's chizuk for every every thoughtful Jew.

[00:12:25]Anybody who limud haTorah means something to.

[00:12:29]I'm not here today to tell anybody to learn more.

[00:12:32]Baruch Hashem, there's a lot of limud haTorah, but there's there are very easy ways to take the learning that we're doing and to catapult them to a completely different stratosphere. One way I would humbly suggest is imagine if every time we learned, we would have the following thought.

[00:12:51]I'm standing on Har Sinai and the Ribono shel Olam, the Noseinai Torah, is giving me the Torah mitochei eish b'kol Gadol lo yosef and it's mamesh the Ribono shel Olam is speaking to me and my nafshi yotzei b'dabro, my soul is on fire because I'm reliving the experience of Har Sinai. Imagine if we felt that way.

[00:13:11]Imagine if we just had that simple thought that my limud haTorah right now is sameach k'nismat Torah miSinai.

[00:13:19]That would be a different limud haTorah.

[00:13:22]Nefesh haChaim famously says in Shaar Dalet perek vav b'oisoy ha'eish Adam oiseh but I am a matter called Tava sham I see me put at the time that he had learned Torah.

[00:13:36]Every word that we emit with our mouth at that very moment Han Han Advarim yo it's him to be a whole gummy is Barack oise is man mish. The Rebonish I'm is saying the words along with us as if he's giving us the Torah from Sinai.

[00:13:56]The Gittin tells a story with Pilegesh what exactly happened? Why the guy get angry at his wife? Some say he found a fly in his drink. Some say Nima Matza.

[00:14:09]So the Gamara says that they asked the Rebonish I'm a lam.

[00:14:12]They asked the Eliyahu what's the Rebonish I'm saying right now? What's the Rebonish I'm doing right now?

[00:14:18]And Eliyahu said the Rebonish I'm is saying Evyasa Ben Kachu I am here. Yo in a son Ben Kachu I am here.

[00:14:26]That as these Tanaim were learning the Sugya Pilegesh and each respective Tana was saying their viewpoint at that very moment the Rebonish I'm was saying those very words together with the Tana.

[00:14:40]That's a well known Gamara.

[00:14:42]But how the Nefesh Chaim applies it is astounding. So says the Nefesh Chaim when I learn Torah when you learn Torah You're you're not you might not be a Tana by the way.

[00:14:54]You might not be an Amora. You might not be a Gaon. You might not be a Rishon you might not be an Achron. You're a Jew learning Torah in 2026. When you say Torah the Rebonish I'm Keviachol is saying the words along with you and the experience is no less than Kabbalas Torah Mamash.

[00:15:16]Says the Nefesh Chaim this is what it means Toyiv Li Toras Picha.

[00:15:23]Toras Picha that means with we're saying Torah, it's Torah's picha of Hashem, but mamash. Imagine if we just had one brief thought before we began to learn. I'm standing on Har Sinai to be the Torah straight from the Hashem.

[00:15:44]And it's not exaggeration, it's not hyperbole, that's what's happening.

[00:15:51]Says the Hashem quoting the Zohar, "Man by Hashem kill all your Torah the Sinai."

[00:16:01]Lakewood is a good place. I'm very happy to be here. Five Towns is pretty nice.

[00:16:06]They don't have they don't have Hashem.

[00:16:09]Magnificent Hashem on you know every half a block like they have in in Lakewood. It's our Torah. But still it's not Har Sinai. No, it's Har Sinai. When you open up the Torah, you're at Har Sinai and the Torah is giving you the Torah. You ever think about that?

[00:16:29]When was the last time you thought about that? Imagine if a person had a routine that every seder they had, they had a split moment of thought before they began to learn, "I'm standing at the Sinai to be the Torah from the Hashem."

[00:16:50]So it occurred to me that maybe this is what we need to do on the of Shavuot.

[00:16:56]Similar to what we do on Pesach. See, on Pesach we recount the whole story of Hashem so that the next night and the next night and the next night I could just think I am Hashem. Check, check, check, check. And each night of the year we check, we refer back to the night we stayed up many hours into the night reliving and saying the whole story. So, all we need to do as long as once a year we relive the experience, we could connect to it nightly.

[00:17:31]And if one day a year you revved yourself up and you came to shul to hear the Aseres Hadibros and to imagine yourself standing on Har Sinai and to stay up a little bit later than you're used to, to push yourself and limud haTorah with the attitude, with the perspective that today is the day that Klal Yisrael is mekabel the Torah on Har Sinai. If one day a year you have an emesdike kabalas haTorah, then every seder limud you have the whole year, you could just check check. Okay, I'm learning mussar now, I'm learning Chumash now, I'm learning Mishnah now. I am reconnecting to the great momentous occasion of kabalas haTorah that I dedicated myself on Vov Sivan.

[00:18:17]Maybe that's the role of the Yom Tov of Shavuos that could elevate and inject and transform our limud haTorah for the entire year.

[00:18:27]I think that could be very powerful.

[00:18:30]That's something to learn more.

[00:18:32]Just one simple thought could fundamentally catapult our learning to a different stratosphere.

[00:18:43]I want to share with you another idea.

[00:18:47]The simplest idea you ever heard.

[00:18:51]I think it's so simple but I don't think anyone's doing it.

[00:18:56]You tell me, I hope I'm wrong.

[00:18:59]I don't think people are doing it.

[00:19:02]There's a siman in Shulchan Aruch.

[00:19:05]Siman Samech Aleph.

[00:19:07]Seif Dalet.

[00:19:09]Yesh omrim she'ein mitzvas tzricha kavana.

[00:19:14]f'yeishaim mem shem mitzvahs tzrichos kavana v'chein halacha Remember such a sif in Shulchan Aruch?

[00:19:24]That machaber paskens mitzvahs tzrichos kavana.

[00:19:29]Do you know what that means, mitzvahs tzrichos kavana?

[00:19:32]That means if you pick up a lulav and esrog and you don't have the formal kavana, I know you know you're picking up a lulav, but you don't have the formal kavana I am being m'kayem the mitzvah that the Ribono Shel Olam commanded me do you get credit for the mitzvah or do you not get credit for the mitzvah?

[00:19:48]The halacha is you do not get credit for the mitzvah. That's what the Shulchan Aruch paskens. Do you know the Shulchan Aruch was written by an Orthodox rabbi?

[00:19:58]So what would it mean if somebody went to morning seder and they learned for four hours b'iyun Gemara, Rashi, Tosafos with the Maharsha and Rav Chaim and they forgot to have the following thought I have kavana to be m'kayem the mitzvah d'oraisa of Talmud Torah.

[00:20:16]Do you get s'char for the learning or do you not get s'char for the learning?

[00:20:21]You don't get s'char for the learning.

[00:20:24]The Chofetz Chaim writes, what a shame it would be if somebody goes upstairs and they dedicated their whole life to Torah mitzvahs and they were not careful to be m'kayem mitzvahs. So So you say, "Well, what do you mean? The Chayei Adam!" I know the Chayei Adam.

[00:20:41]Chayei Adam says, and don't get I don't want to get you to get too nervous, Chayei Adam says that since otherwise what in the world would you be doing dedicating your entire morning to sitting at a chair opening up some book with ancient information if not for the fact you wanted to do a mitzvah. So the Chayei Adam therefore says b'di aved you're you get credit for the mitzvah.

[00:21:01]Pal, you live in Lakewood. When was the last time you did something only b'di aved?

[00:21:05]You wanted You don't do In Lakewood, they don't do things b'di eved.

[00:21:09]You When you went to buy your dal and minium, you asked the guy, "I want a b'di eved lulav and esrog."

[00:21:16]I never saw I never in my life saw a guy go and ask to buy a b'di eved. "I only want a lulav and esrog that I'm yotzei b'di eved." "Can I have b'di eved parshiyos?" "Can I have a b'di eved matzah?"

[00:21:30]Guys buying a matzah $500 a pound.

[00:21:34]He's pa He packs up the k'zayis in this plastic ziplock bag before the before Pesach. He has his timer, and the moment the time comes, he puts the entire 20 k'beiyim on his throat, and he swallows it in one gulp to be m'kayeim all the shitos.

[00:21:52]But why so why when it comes to Talmud Torah would somebody want to only be yotzei the mitzvah b'di eved? I think it would radically upgrade a person's Talmud Torah if they would get into the habit of doing the following before they learn.

[00:22:07]I have kavana to be m'kayeim the mitzvah of Talmud Torah.

[00:22:11]How's that? If that's all I came for, it was k'dai.

[00:22:15]Seriously.

[00:22:16]Are people doing that?

[00:22:19]Are people doing that? You tell me.

[00:22:22]I think people forget to do this.

[00:22:26]Before you start learning in the morning, you need to have this kavana.

[00:22:31]By the way, this is for chizuk for people in the workplace.

[00:22:34]So, there's another kavana to have.

[00:22:37]So, first I just want to remind you I'm going to remind you again, before you start to learn, the simple kavana to m'kayeim the mitzvah d'oraisa of Talmud Torah, and that you're preparing yourself to be m'kabel the Torah from the Ribono shel Olam k'neged Sinai u'Misinai.

[00:22:57]But I have another kavana. You go to work in the morning, it's a mitzvah, you know? It's a mitzvah d'oraisa.

[00:23:04]Chovos Halvavos says there's a mitzvah of hishtadlus.

[00:23:08]The mitzvah is V'yonah Hashem Elokecha b'sochecha gan hagan u'l'ovdah u'l'shomrah. Chovos Halvavos says the mitzvah of hishtadlus.

[00:23:19]It's a mitzvah d'oraisa of hishtadlus.

[00:23:23]Or the Gemara says in Bava Metzia the hada'asum es haderech asher yelchu bah zu beis chayeihem. It's a mitzvah of earning a livelihood. Am I allowed to say that here?

[00:23:35]There's a mitzvah in the Torah to earn a living.

[00:23:39]Now, many people they spend many hours in the office from 9:00 to 5:00.

[00:23:45]You could take those 8 hours and you could be mekabel sachar for all 8 hours with the following kavana. I have kavana to mekayem the mitzvah d'oraisa of making a living.

[00:23:57]But why else am I doing it? Why else am I going to work?

[00:24:00]Not sure if the chayav adam applies to that mitzvah.

[00:24:04]Not sure. There could be other reasons a person goes to work other than to be mekuyem that mitzvah.

[00:24:11]So, the first idea that I want to present to you is a lamdus. I think the same way the Minchas Soleles says that as long as one night a year you relive the experience of Yetzi'as Mitzrayim, every subsequent night you can merely check it off, check it off, check it off. Ad kidei kach that if you have a bar mitzvah bochur who missed leil seder, he's patur from zichrus Yetzi'as Mitzrayim the whole year.

[00:24:36]The same thing if we really galvanize ourselves and dedicate ourselves that this Shavuos is going to be a Shavuos where I'm reliving the experience of Kabbalas HaTorah when I hear the Aseres HaDibros, when I stay up late at night, I am wholeheartedly dedicating myself to mekabel the Torah from the Rebbe Shel Olam as a way of transforming my limit of Torah the whole year.

[00:25:03]Then every time you learn, you could just check off.

[00:25:06]I'm reliving her Sinai. I'm reliving her Sinai. I'm reliving her Sinai.

[00:25:11]I think that could be a very powerful uh upgrade and transformation in our learning.

[00:25:17]I want to talk about the Indian of Kvius Itim LaTorah and as a technique to relive the experience of Kabbalas HaTorah.

[00:25:28]We all know there really two parts and two dimensions of Limud HaTorah. There's a mitzvah whenever you have time we should try to learn. Hegeh Sabalyom Ubalayla.

[00:25:39]But besides that besides learning when you can, there's also a concept of Kvius Itim LaTorah.

[00:25:48]We know Lachmei Assum Shana they're going to ask Kavato Itim LaTorah.

[00:25:53]To make set times, time in the morning, time in the night.

[00:25:57]What's the concept of being Kovea Itim LaTorah?

[00:26:01]Why do I need to have set times?

[00:26:03]If I'm learning whenever I can, if I'm learning whenever I have the opportunity, if I'm learning whenever I have availability, why is it important to learn at set times? I'm not going to be learning more or less because of that. Anyway, we're supposed to try to learn whenever we could learn.

[00:26:22]Reb Moshe Shapiro, HaGaon Reb Moshe Shapiro has an amazing idea.

[00:26:27]Probably the most famous question when it comes to Kabbalas HaTorah, the question of Tosafos in Shabbos, Medrash Tanchuma Parshas Noach, what was the response of Klal Yisrael when the Rebbe offered us the Torah? On the one hand, the Gemara says in Shabbos Perek Amar Rebbi Avdimi bar Chama bar Chasa, Melamed Shekofa Aleihem Har Kegigis.

[00:26:48]Basically, the Rebbe coerced us to be Mekabel the Torah. He shoved it down our throats.

[00:26:53]Hashem said, "You want it? You I don't care if you want it or not. I'm coercing you to be mekabel the Torah. I'm forcing you to be mekabel the Torah. If you don't want it you want the Torah? Great.

[00:27:03]Otherwise, I'm going to kill you right now. Sham take for us him. You want it?"

[00:27:07]And we said, "Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Thank you very much."

[00:27:10]We were forced to be mekabel the Torah and yet Tosefta asks, "Why did the Ribono shel Olam have to force us to be mekabel the Torah? We said na'aseh v'nishma."

[00:27:19]We said na'aseh v'nishma.

[00:27:22]The Maharal in Or Chadash, Netzach Yisrael, in Gur Aryeh, in Netzach Yisrael, Maharal advances the following idea.

[00:27:33]Says the Maharal, "Of course we wanted it. Of course we were willing to take it and we accepted it lovingly.

[00:27:40]But what would the message have been if the Ribono shel Olam would have said, 'Oh, here's the Torah. You want it?

[00:27:45]Great. I'm so happy you want it.'"

[00:27:48]That would imply that if we wouldn't have wanted it, the Ribono shel Olam would not have given it to us.

[00:27:55]That would imply that Torah is up to our discretion.

[00:27:59]But Torah can't be up to our discretion.

[00:28:02]The whole world stands on it.

[00:28:04]If not for the Torah, the world would cease to exist. You think the Ribono shel Olam could say about something so important, "Here, would you like it?"

[00:28:12]And we would say, "Hmm, let's we're going to think about it. We'll get back to you." What? Meanwhile, the whole world is in in the balance whether it will exist or not? That would indicate Torah is not so vital. It's not so important. It's not so critical. How could the Ribono shel Olam leave the very foundation of the world up to our discretion? So says the Maharal, "It's a good thing we wanted it. It's beautiful that we wanted it. But the Ribono shel Olam needed to show that the Torah is more important than something that's left up to our discretion. And therefore, the Ribono shel Olam forced us to be mekabel the Torah to show the whole world stands on the Torah and it can't be left up to our discretion.

[00:28:52]So, if I were to ask you, how did we accept the Torah?

[00:28:58]Did we want it?

[00:28:59]Or were we forced?

[00:29:01]What's the answer?

[00:29:03]Yes.

[00:29:05]We wanted it, but we were also forced.

[00:29:10]So, as I going to remember Shapiro, therefore, the Torah of our learning also has to have two dimensions to it.

[00:29:19]You should learn whatever you can learn.

[00:29:21]Whenever you have free time, you have time that frees up, there's no mitzvah to sit on your phone and randomly press buttons or scroll.

[00:29:29]You know that? There's no mitzvah to be on your phone excessively.

[00:29:34]It's not even halakha. It's not doesn't It's not even LP Musar. It's not even Minag Yisrael.

[00:29:40]There's no Minag to waste time.

[00:29:46]But if the only learning we would do is when we have free time, then we would only be commemorating the fact that the Ribasham gave us the Torah because we want to learn.

[00:29:58]But what's going to demonstrate that the Ribasham coerced us to be Mekabel the Torah to show that it can't be left up to our discretion. It can't be because we're able to It can't be because we want to. It's because without the Torah, everything would disintegrate and cease to exist. What will commemorate that element of Kabbalat haTorah?

[00:30:21]That's commemorated by Kavata Itim laTorah. Kvius Itim laTorah re- uh commemorates, celebrates, memorializes that the Torah was given in a fashion that it was Kuf Aleph Yam haKigigas. I'm learning now in the morning not because I'm able to not because I have time. The truth is I don't have time.

[00:30:45]And I'm not able to.

[00:30:47]I'm doing it because it's cuff aleph hakak I accepted upon myself I'm learning these 15 minutes every morning. I accepted upon myself I'm learning this half hour every night.

[00:30:58]It's not because I want to. It's not because I'm able to. I don't want to and I can't.

[00:31:03]But I'm doing it anyway.

[00:31:05]That's the of reliving Har Sinai. That's the element that we mentioned. Now it's not enough just to learn. You need to tap into the fact that when when a opens up his Gemara he's reliving the experience of Har Sinai. That's an element of item Torah.

[00:31:23]Now listen to this.

[00:31:26]You ever hear of the Rashbi?

[00:31:28]Reb Shimon bar Yochai.

[00:31:29]Reb Shimon bar Yochai he was very into learning. You heard about it? He was a big master mate.

[00:31:33]He didn't he wasn't even tell for Krias Shema.

[00:31:42]So the Gemara says what about us?

[00:31:44]No, only the Rashbi. The Rashbi Torah Yomi say. The Rashbi didn't interrupt for anything. So he didn't have to he was putter from from tefillah.

[00:31:57]But we we interrupt for other things. So we're liable.

[00:32:01]So ask the Chofetz Chaim what?

[00:32:04]Because we make one mistake we should make a second mistake. Chofetz Chaim says please tell me what's greater?

[00:32:10]Torah or tefillah?

[00:32:12]What what's more valuable? Torah or tefillah? If Torah is more valuable so just because we interrupt for other things we make the one wrong decision but at least let's learn instead of say davening. Why only the Rashbi doesn't have to go to the tefillah?

[00:32:27]Because he doesn't interrupt for anything else. But we we do have to interrupt. Why? Because we interrupt for other things. Well, that's one mistake.

[00:32:34]Why make another mistake?

[00:32:37]In the value system, what's greater, Torah or tefillah?

[00:32:43]Says the Chofetz Chaim, you can't look at it that way.

[00:32:47]It's not what's greater, Torah or tefillah.

[00:32:49]There are two kinds of Torahs.

[00:32:52]There's Torah that's consistent and there's Torah that's not so consistent.

[00:32:59]Consistent Torah is on a different planet than Torah that's not consistent.

[00:33:07]The Torah of the Rashbi that he never interrupted.

[00:33:11]He never got distracted. His Torah is on a different stratosphere. His Torah is superior to tefillah.

[00:33:19]But our Torah, it's on a much lower level.

[00:33:25]So we interrupt our Torah. That kind of Torah, you're going to have to daven.

[00:33:29]That kind of Torah is not going to trump tefillah. It's a categorically, fundamentally different level of Torah.

[00:33:36]Torah all depends on consistency.

[00:33:43]So I want to tell you something.

[00:33:45]If I came here just for this, it was also worth it.

[00:33:49]Here's the thing.

[00:33:51]There's a lot of Torah these days.

[00:33:53]Many people would say there's more Torah in 2026 than in 1926 and in 1826.

[00:34:02]And it could be it's true.

[00:34:04]I don't know.

[00:34:05]There are definitely more lomdei Torah today than ever.

[00:34:10]However, Torah that's not consistent, that's interrupted, that's distracted is not the real thing.

[00:34:23]And I'm going to share with you a hanhaga tovah that's going to change your life.

[00:34:30]Shouldn't learn with your phone on you.

[00:34:34]You shouldn't learn with your phone on you, period.

[00:34:36]Because so long as it buzzes, and it dings, and it clicks, and it shakes, and it lights up, so you just spent 50 minutes, you only learned 30 seconds, a minute, 40 seconds, 15 seconds, 17 seconds, 16 seconds, and then you wonder, "I don't really feel a big aliyah from my learning." No kidding, why don't you try learning?

[00:35:00]Torah has to be kavious.

[00:35:04]You could give 10 minutes to learning, so give it 10 minutes uninterrupted. You could give 20 minutes to learning, give it 20 minutes uninterrupted.

[00:35:14]The main kedusha that's generated from Talmud Torah is uninterrupted Talmud Torah, not if your phone is on you and it's on, you're giving like what percent of your brain are you actually giving to it?

[00:35:30]Not a very high percent.

[00:35:33]And now I want to touch it from one more angle.

[00:35:37]And hopefully we'll still be friends, but I I want to just conclude with uh the following from the Novi Khagai.

[00:35:47]In the times that Kali so returned to rebuild the second Beit Hamikdash, the question is was it the time yet?

[00:35:55]Were they ready for it? Was it the appropriate occasion to rebuild the second Beit Hamikdash?

[00:36:01]So the Ribono Shel Olam came to Khagai to challenge the Kohanim with the following question. Now listen to this.

[00:36:09]You ever wonder, you ever experience, you shouldn't ever have to go there. You ever go to the city, and then after like 2 minutes, you feel contaminated?

[00:36:19]You feel sullied to have to even be in such an environment.

[00:36:25]And it's not like you you didn't you didn't look at anything. You were just there and already you feel it lowered you.

[00:36:33]And sometimes you could go into a show and not only for 2 minutes, you could learn for an hour.

[00:36:40]And you don't necessarily [snorts] feel the same Aliyah corresponding to the Yireida you felt when you were in a place that wasn't so holy.

[00:36:49]Why is it does it seem so much higher harder to get an Aliyah than to have a Yireida?

[00:36:59]Good question David, no?

[00:37:02]How are you?

[00:37:04]Good.

[00:37:06]So Navi Haggai comes to the Kohanim and the Navi Haggai says to the Kohanim, "I have I have a question for you. I have a simple question for you.

[00:37:14]What's the Halacha if you have Kodshim and you take the Kodshim and you go over to a Kohen and you touch him with the Kodshim, what happens to him? Does he become Kodesh?"

[00:37:27]No.

[00:37:28]Does anything happen to him? Nothing happens. "What do you mean? He touched Kodshim." Big spiel. Oh, there's no nothing happens when you touch Kodshim.

[00:37:38]What on the other hand if you go over to a Kohen and you put him you touch him with a Tamei Nefesh, what happens to him?

[00:37:47]He becomes Tamei.

[00:37:49]So the Navi Haggai asked the Kohanim, "Could you please explain to me why is it when you touch Kodshim nothing is transferred and when you touch Tumah Tumah transfers immediately?" Says Haggai to the Kohanim, "That's what you guys are like."

[00:38:05]Says the Malbim, look it up perek bet pasuk aleph to three dalet in Haggai.

[00:38:11]Says the Malbim, the Navi was telling Klal Yisrael, "Why is it that if you merely touch Tumah you become Tamei? If you merely come into contact with Aveira a little bit, it starts to change you.

[00:38:25]And yet, when you come into contact with kedusha, it has very little effect on you until you do the following.

[00:38:34]Until you immerse yourself in it.

[00:38:37]Until you immerse yourself in kedusha, it won't really affect you.

[00:38:42]Says the Navi Haggai, explains the Malbim.

[00:38:46]That's because our body is physical and our body is chumrius's stuff.

[00:38:53]And therefore, it's susceptible to tumah. It has a commonality with tumah.

[00:38:58]So, the moment it comes into contact with tumah, it affects the body.

[00:39:04]But when you just learn a little bit or you just diving a little bit, what's it going to change? Your fingers?

[00:39:13]Your skin? Your your flesh? Your bones?

[00:39:18]It needs to come into contact with your neshama. You need to be completely immersed in it. Your Torah and tefillah will have a tremendous effect, but you need to get it out of a vecha.

[00:39:30]Otherwise, it's not going to change you.

[00:39:32]It's not going to impact you.

[00:39:36]And that's why it's very important, especially if we spend most of our day working, the moments that we have for Torah and tefillah have to be immersive. Immersive means without distraction, without phone.

[00:39:53]So, I don't care what not in the base medrash. The time of tefillah, it has to be immersive. I'm focused on the words. I'm trying to feel the words. When I'm learning, I'm trying to put my mind and my heart into it. But if I'm just learning in a superficial way or in a distractible way, don't wonder why you don't feel an aliya.

[00:40:16]You're not going to feel in Aliyah. It doesn't work that way.

[00:40:21]Kedusha has to be an immersive experience.

[00:40:27]This Shavuos, if we prepare ourselves, we dedicate ourselves, that we're focused, not just staying up all night, not just learning a lot.

[00:40:39]We're focused on trying to relive the experience of Kabbalas HaTorah, so that every time we open up a safer to learn, we could have the simple kavana, we're tapping into that the noise in our Torah right now when we're learning is saying these words, and he's giving it to me, and I'm sameach k'naaseh v'nishmah, it will transform your learning throughout the entire year.

[00:41:06]Simple kavana.

[00:41:08]To mekayem the mitzvah d'oraisa of talmud Torah.

[00:41:13]And to remember and to recognize that in order for the learning to change us, it can't be just touching us on the outside. It has to be immersive, but if it's immersive, the Torah will transform us into a b'riah acheres l'gamrei.

[00:41:32]Because midah tovah merubah, that's for sure.

[00:41:35]If touching tumah makes you dramatically different, then if you touch Torah in the right way, with the right intention and the right immersion, it will catapult you ad l'rakia, ad k'dei kach, at the moment that you say your words, the Ribono Shel Olam is right there with you. It's tovly Torahs picha.

[00:41:56]May'afeh zahav u'kesef, so we should be zocheh to a yom tov of true Kabbalas HaTorah with all the brachos HaTorah, ohr hayamim b'mina, u'smolah osher v'chavod. Agon yom tov k'chasher sameach. Thank you. You've just experienced another Torah class brought to you by torahanytime.com.