Moreshet Shaul: Thoughts on the Blessing on Torah | Various Rabbis | Beit Midrash

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As we mentioned last week, Rav Yisraeli’s son-in-law, R. Yisrael Sharir, recently published an important three-volume set of Si’ach Shaul, which presents Rav Yisraeli’s teachings and addresses on various topics of Torah thought. This publication has inspired us to once again share Rav Yisraeli’s Torah insights with English-speaking readers. Thus, as of this week (and for a considerable amount of time forward, b’ezrat Hashem), this column has resumed its original title: Moreshet Shaul.

The sin of the Tree of Knowledge needs explanation. It seems that one might think that he can set for himself, according to his own judgment, what is good and what is bad, based on intellect. This is false because the intellect can only use and apply previous precedents.

Moreshet Shaul (21)

Various Rabbis

1 - Moreshet Shaul: Thoughts on the Blessing on Torah

2 - Moreshet Shaul: Rebirth Through Torah

3 - Moreshet Shaul: Recognize Your Place

In this case, when Adam and Eve took from the Tree of Knowledge, they already set the precedent for themselves – a person has a right to decide for himself what his values are. However, this is already the sin, as the Torah determines, "Do not add on to the matter that I am commanding you today, and do not detract from it" (Devarim 4:2).

The blessing we make on Torah study is: "… Who chose us … and gave us His Torah." In the blessing before Kri’at Shema, we add and request: "Our father, the merciful father … put wisdom in our hearts, to understand and be enlightened." This impassioned prayer is specifically that which can serve as the blessing for Torah, as this is what is required for there to be Torah.

At the end of the morning prayers, we add: "He shall open our hearts to His Torah, and He shall place in our hearts love and fear of Him." If the heart is not opened by the Torah, it is not possible to reach any significant level of love and fear, because the basic principle is that there is a need for Torah. In other words, the divine principle of free will does not allow one [after doing the basics of service of Hashem] to follow that which he desires to do.

On the contrary, why was the Torah given to Israel? It is because they are brazen (Beitza 25a). In other words, if they were not so, then their personal traits would have turned out to be destructive. That is why the fact that Bnei Yisrael did not make the blessing on the Torah caused the destruction [of the Second Temple] (Bava Metzia 85b).

"… Who chose us … and gave us His Torah." When an important person turns to me, I feel satisfaction if I can fulfill his request. This satisfaction is so much more evident when the Creator of the World Himself turns to us with requests, and not privately but with thundering sound and powerful flashes. What an honor it was! Imagine the contentment we have if we can fulfill His request.

"… and He planted the eternal life in our midst" – We see so clearly, from the earliest of historical times, that we are an eternal nation who have that which gives us eternal life – the Torah. This idea is brought home by Rabbi Akiva’s parable of the fish (Berachot 61b). A fox tried to convince a fish to come on to land to protect himself from the fisherman, and the fish responded and that if in the place it is capable of living, it is in danger, imagine what would be in the place where it is incapable of living. This is what Rabbi Akiva did with his life. He was killed by the Romans for teaching Torah, and through his death bequeathed us life.

Moreshet Shaul