Forewarned is Forearmed: It’s Gonna Be a Year of Massive Bitul Torah Nisyonos
By Rabbi Yair Hoffman
Whether one is a Democrat or a Republican, everyone is in full agreement of one thing: It is not going to be a boring four years, with President Donald Trump at the helm. Everyday someone will come over and say, “Did you hear what Trump just said?” Or, “Did you hear what the President just did?” It seems that almost every hour, he has something up his sleeve.
In terms of Bitul Torah, it is going to be a major challenge for a number of people.
And so here are three suggestions as to how to rise to the challenge – based upon the Sichos of Rav Shalom Meir Yungerman, a talmid of Rav Meir Chodosh and the founder of many institutions in Zichron Yaakov (see Mimeged Shamayim p.62).
Daven – the first step is Tefillah. The Gemorah (Niddah 70b), asks the question, “How do you become wise?” The answer given? Study more and work less. The Gemorah interjects: But many people tried this and it didn’t work!
The Gemorah answers that there’s something even more important: asking Hashem for help. As Shlomo HaMelech says in Mishlei 2:6, “Hashem gives wisdom, and from His mouth comes knowledge and understanding.”
The second important thing is accepting upon ourselves the ohl Torah – the yoke of Torah. As we learn in Pirkei Avos [Chapter 3, Mishnah 5]: “Whoever accepts the yoke of Torah will have removed from them the yoke of government and the yoke of worldly duties.” This means Hashem removes all the worries and distractions of everyday life so they won’t interfere with your learning.
In Bamidbar Rabbah and the Tanchuma on Parshas Chukas, they explain why the Torah was given in the midbar (desert). Just like a desert isn’t planted or worked, someone who accepts Torah’s yoke will have their worldly burdens lifted from them.
The Chinuch Mitzvah 419 teaches: “Anyone who does this will receive a brachah from Shomayim (Heaven). They’ll get help, their worldly troubles will become lighter, and the burden of dealing with other people will be removed. They’ll live b’simchah (with joy) in this world and benefit in Olam Haba (the World to Come). Happy is the ear that hears these words!”
Rav Chaim Volozhin writes in Nefesh HaChaim [Gate 4, Chapter 29]: “According to how much someone truly accepts the yoke of Torah with all their strength, that’s how much their worldly troubles will be removed and extra protection will hover over them.”
The third segulah that will help us here is being very careful about bitul Torah (wasting time from Torah study) at night, which is considered more serious than wasting Torah study time during the day. We find this in the Gemara Eruvin [58a] where Reish Lakish says, “The moon was created only for girsa (Torah study).”
In Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim [Siman 238], we learn that the night was created specifically for learning Torah. Chazal were very strict about wasting Torah study time at night. We learn in Pirkei Avos [Chapter 3], “He used to say… and one who doesn’t add [to their learning] will be taken away.”
Rashi explains this refers to adding night learning to day learning from the 15th of Av onward. Rav Yosef adds that if someone doesn’t increase their learning during this time, “Tikberei Imei” (his mother will bury him) – see Meseches Taanis [31a]. Rashi explains this means they will die before their time.
Tosafos explains further that someone who doesn’t add night learning to their day learning “will be gathered in” (meaning their life will be shortened).
In Sanhedrin [92a], we find Rabbi Elazar teaches that any house where Torah isn’t heard at night will be consumed by fire, r”l.
Rav Yungerman zt”l was niftar some 13 years ago, but his writings are as nogaya and applicable as ever.
There is also another mehalech – which is not so advisable for people still in Yeshiva, but not a bad eitzah for those that are working. Our great Roshei Yeshiva and Mashgichim taught us to always look at all world events through Torah eyes. What relevant MIdos – good or bad are there to learn from this? What Gemorahs are totally appropriate here? Let’s look for the Middah k’neged Middah wherever we can find it. Rav Michel Yehudah Lefkowitz zatzal once said, Why does the world run on Midah K’Neged Midah, – what goes around comes around? Rav Michel Yehudah said, “It is a chessed Hashem!! – Hashem does it so that we will know in what area we should do Teshuvah! Hashem wants nothing more than our Teshuvah – even that of an aino Yehudi. This thought can even help us increase our Ahavas Hashem.
So here we have it. Two ways to deal with the Bitul Torah challenge of four very exciting years of President Trump. Bracha v’hatzlacha!
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