Not Missing Sudden Inspiration

Gemara: A person should never refrain from being in the beit midrash (study hall) for even a moment, for this halacha [above] was learned in the beit midrash for many years without its reason being revealed until Rav Chanina bar Akavia came and explained it.


Ein Ayah: Some intellectual insights linger on and are available to all those in the area to deal with at any time they want. Yet, there are also "lightning bolts" that appear only at specific times, although they are products of constant diligence. It is just not obvious how they came to be when they did.

For this reason, one should not miss an opportunity to be in the beit midrash by reasoning that he can make up the time later. Sometimes a moment of inspiration will cause a spiritual light to be discovered, and one will not be exposed to the greatness at a different time.

As an example, the halacha about the boat of the Jordan had been known for years, but its reason had not been known. To appreciate the reason [see above] about the fact that an idea that comes from a less spiritual source can become defiled is one that could not be appreciated if it had been known all those years. It required a burst of inspiration to realize how the mundane impacts on the sacred in this context. It could be lost by one who was out of the beit midrash for even a short time. "Fortunate is he who listens to Me to diligently frequent My doors daily to guard the posts of My opening, for those who find Me find life, and will have Hashem’s good will" (Mishlei 8:34-5).