The Secret of Torah Lishmah: When Do the Lips of the Tanna'im Murmur in the Grave?
Class No. 73 | * Friday, Parashas Bereishis, 28 Tishrei 5757 - Opening of the Zman (study term) at the Shaarei Torah Yeshiva for youth in the Kloyz in Beis Yisrael
A profound discourse on the abysmal difference between learning Torah lishmah (for its own sake) and learning out of pride. Through Talmudic stories about demons and the secret of toiling in Torah, it is explained how learning with humility revives the Tanna'im (Mishnaic sages) in their graves, and what true effort is required from every Torah student.
The Demon from Mechoza and the Unspilled Cups
The Gemara tells of a demon named Hurmiz bar Lilisa. This demon would run at tremendous speed along the battlements of the wall of the city of Mechoza, leaping from one to the next. Below, a rider galloped on a horse at top speed, yet the demon outpaced him. The rider had no idea that the demon was running above; he was simply galloping on his horse, but he could not catch up to him.
Another story describes how this same demon would jump between two bridges over the Dunag River. A mule stood on each bridge, and the demon would leap from mule to mule. The novelty was not the jump itself, but the fact that on that day, massive storm winds were raging, about which it is said, "They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths." Despite this, the demon held two cups filled to the brim with wine, and he would pour the wine from cup to cup while jumping, without a single drop falling to the ground.
A Jewish Demon: When the Torah Becomes a Battering Ram
Rebbe Nachman explains the meaning of these events in Torah 12 (Likutey Moharan). There is a concept of a "Jewish demon"—a person who is capable of learning Torah, but he learns it shelo lishmah (not for its own sake). He learns in order to boast and to provoke his friend, to say, "I am a greater Torah scholar than you; I am more of a genius than you."
Such behavior shows that demons have impregnated him. After all, the Torah was given from Heaven to bring a person to humility and lowliness. When a person learns Torah *lishmah*, even if everyone insults him, despises him, and pinches him—he remains silent and does not retaliate. This is the clear sign that his Torah study is for its own sake.
A yeshiva must be established for one purpose only: learning Torah lishmah. Young men, pure and innocent, can learn Torah for its own sake because they do not yet have the evil inclination for honor in such a strong way. In contrast, those who learn Torah to boast and provoke are the ones who persecute those who learn Torah lishmah. One who learns Torah shelo lishmah cannot tolerate the one who learns for its own sake. He will speak against him, taunt him, and call him derogatory names. But the one who learns Torah *lishmah* accepts everything with love.
The Agony of the Tanna'im: Harsher Than Iron Combs
When a person learns Torah lishmah, with humility and lowliness, he brings immense spiritual satisfaction to the holy Tanna'im—Rabbi Akiva, Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, Abaye, and Rava. When a person learns their Torah for its own sake, their soul returns to their body and their lips murmur in the grave. The Tanna literally waits for someone to learn his Torah so that they will restore his vitality.
But if, Heaven forbid, a person learns Torah shelo lishmah, out of a desire for honor or to speak ill of his friend, he causes hellish agony to the Tanna'im. Rabbi Akiva turns over in his grave and cries out: "Even when they raked my flesh with iron combs, I experienced delight, but when you learn my Torah *shelo lishmah* and think about honor—you cause me tortures worse than any iron combs!"
The Tanna'im suffer so much from learning done with pride that the Sages said regarding one who learns shelo lishmah:
"Whoever teaches a student who is not worthy, a carcass is better than him."
The Tanna feels that it would be better to place a carcass in his grave than to have his Torah read out of pride and the pursuit of honor.
How Does Pure Torah Descend to a Place of Pride?
The question arises: The Torah is so holy and pure. Every letter in it was emanated from the supernal worlds, from Adam Kadmon (Primordial Man) and from the Ohr Ein Sof (Infinite Light). How is it even possible that a person could take such a pure light and learn it shelo lishmah, out of pride and contempt for others?
The great tzaddikim, like the Tanna'im, would learn Torah with tremendous dveikus (attachment to Hashem) whose entire purpose was to draw down vitality to the angels and the supernal worlds. So too with Moshe Rabbeinu, about whom the holy Zohar says that all his Torah study was intended to create yichudim (spiritual unifications) in the upper worlds. Moshe was separated from worldly matters, holy and pure, and every utterance that left his mouth unified the supernal Sefiros (Divine emanations).
In contrast, Aharon HaKohen was in the aspect of a "shoshvin" (groomsman). He would descend to the people, going from house to house and from tent to tent. When he would see a young man in the yeshiva struggling to understand what Abaye said and what Rava said, Aharon would sit and learn the Gemara with him. Moshe Rabbeinu operated in the supernal worlds, whereas Aharon HaKohen brought the Torah down to simplicity, to the children and the youth. The world cannot exist solely on the supernal unifications; it needs the drawing down of Divine abundance below, into simple reality. This abundance descends to the world specifically in the merit of those who learn Torah lishmah, out of earnestness and humility.
The True Toil of Torah: Breaking One's Honor
Moharnat (Reb Noson of Breslov) explains that the Torah is only sustained in one who kills himself over it. What is this death and toil in Torah? After all, every child and every person loves to learn Torah; there is no greater pleasure than studying the Gemara. The true exertion is not merely the intellectual effort, rather, toiling in Torah means breaking one's pride.
To break the thought of "I am a scholar, I am smart, I understand better than everyone else." On the contrary, a person should rejoice if his friend is wiser than him. We must study Torah exactly as we put on tefillin – out of an acceptance of the yoke of Heaven, without any pride, solely to bring gratification to the Creator, may He be blessed.
When a person exerts himself to break his arrogance, even if it is difficult for him to understand a page of Gemara, his one page is worth more in Heaven than a thousand pages of someone who learns easily but out of pride. The entire purpose of the Torah is to merit dveikus (cleaving) to Hashem, may He be blessed, in truth and earnestness.
Part 1 of 3 — Lesson No. 73