Bitul Torah

20 Adar II 5782

“The breast of the waving and the thigh of the raising up you shall eat in a clean place, you and your sons and your daughters with you, for [as] your portion and your sons’ portion they have been given, from the peace offerings of the children of Israel.” (Vayikra 10:14)

How do we learn in the same sentence that the daughters of Kohannim do not have a portion in the sacrifices, yet they are permitted to receive and eat gifts from them?

The first part of the sentence–“you and your sons and your daughters”–comes to include the daughters in eating the breast of the waving and the thigh of the raising. The second part–“for as your portion and your sons’ portion they have been given”–comes to exclude the daughters from having a portion of the sacrifices. How then are the daughters to eat if they don’t receive a portion? From gifts they are given by their brothers and fathers. (Rashi, from Torath Kohanim 10:50)

Where else do you find such concise and elegant reasoning other than in the words of Hashem’s Torah and the Sages who expound upon them? Where else is so much gleaned from so little? Where else is there such a vast expanse of knowledge, consistent and harmonized through and through?

This is after all not hard to understand, for “Torah and the Holy One, blessed be He, are entirely one.” (Tikkunei Zohar)

“The very substance and essence of the intellectual faculties of ChaBaD (chochmah, binah, daat) of the kelipat nogah in the vital soul are actually absorbed into holiness when one studies Torah with concentration and intelligence.” (Lessons in Tanya, Likutei Amarim, end of Chapter 37)

Unlike physical mitzvos which remain external to the one performing them, Torah study fully elevates the intellectual faculties applied to it, whereby they ascend from the realm of kelipat nogah (to which they previously belonged, being a part of the vital soul) to the realm of holiness. Even though we have previously learned that the beinoni is incapable of elevating the faculties of his vital soul, this applies only to the emotive attributes–chesed, gevurah, tiferet, and so on–but not to the more ethereal intellectual faculties of ChaBaD. Through them the beinoni is able to draw the tremendous illumination of the Ein Sof-light into the innermost recesses of his soul.

“Nothing worthless I set before my eyes; the deeds of the wayward I hate; they do not cling to me.” (Tehillim 101:3)

The above exposition of the greatness of Torah study in Chassidus also serves to explain the grave sin of Bitul Torah, neglecting Torah study. It says in Chagigah 5b, “The Holy One, Blessed is He, weeps for three types of people every day – and one of them is the person who is able to occupy himself with Torah study, but does not do so.” In truth, studying Torah should be the default occupation of any Yid. It is only when he must interrupt his study for reasons beyond his control or for the performance of another mitzvah, such as providing a livelihood for his family, that he should take his eyes off the Holy Torah.

This is by no means an easy task, but as always, commensurate with the exertion is the reward. One should also should keep in mind that “From every word that a person learns, a holy angel is created, and those angels advocate for him,” (Vilna Gaon on Mishlei 19:4) pulling him on the proper path and distancing him from all sin and trouble.

There is perhaps no one in our generation who exemplified the value of constant Torah study more than the late Rav Kanievsky ZT"L. If we truly want to honor his memory, we should go in his ways, dedicating more and more of our time and intellectual energy to the study of Torah.