Hayom Yom 11 Elul - Studying Torah in this world and in the world to come
The daily Hayom Yom with Rabbi Yosef Katzman · Rabbi Yosef Katzman
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Show Notes
שַׁבָּת פָּרָשַׁת תֵּצֵא תּר"ג
On Shabbos Parshas [Ki] Seitzei, 5603 (1843),
בְּשׁוּלְחַן קִדּוּשׁ הַיּוֹם
at the daytime Shabbos meal,
הוֹאִיל הַצֶּמַח צֶדֶק לֵאמֹר
the Tzemach Tzedek said:
עוֹלָם הַזֶּה הוּא עַלְמָא דְּשִׁיקְרָא
“This World is a world of falsehood.
לָכֵן הִנֵּה גַם בְּהַטּוֹב מְעוֹרָב פְּסוֹלֶת
Therefore, even the good is mixed with dross
וְצָרִיךְ בֵּרוּר בְּדֶרֶךְ מִלְּמַטָּה לְמַעְלָה וּבְדֶרֶךְ מִלְמַעְלָה לְמַטָּה
and requires refinement working upwards from below and working downwards from above.
הָעוֹלָם הַבָּא הוּא עַלְמָא דִקְשׁוֹט
[By contrast,] the World to Come is the World of Truth.
הִנֵּה גַם הַדְּבָרִים בְּדִבְרֵי תּוֹרָה הַמְדַבְּרִים בְּעִנְיָנִים הַנִּרְאִים לְחִסָּרוֹן
Thus, even when the Torah discusses issues that appear to be shortcomings,
הֲרֵי כְּמוֹ שֶׁלּוֹמְדִים אוֹתָם בְּגַן עֵדֶן הֵם מַעֲלָה
when studied in Gan Eden they are [understood as] positive qualities.”
וְהִתְחִיל לְנַגֵּן, וְהֶרְאָה בְּיָדוֹ הַקְּדוֹשָׁה לְאוֹת כִּי יְנַגְּנוּ אִתּוֹ
He began to sing a niggun and motioned that those around him should join him.
בְּנֵי הַצֶּמַח צֶדֶק הִתְחִילוּ לְנַגֵּן וְאַחֲרֵיהֶם עָנוּ כָּל הַחֲסִידִים בְּקוֹל שִׁיר שֶׁהִלְהִיב הַלְּבָבוֹת
His sons began, and then all the chassidim joined in the heart-stirring melody.
כְּשֶׁגָּמַר לְנַגֵּן אָמַר הַצֶּמַח צֶדֶק
When it came to an end, the Tzemach Tzedek said [by way of example]:
בְּעַלְמָא דֵין אִיז דעֶר טַייטְשׁ פוּן דעֶם מַאֲמָר (סַנְהֶדְרִין צט. ב)
“There is a Talmudic phrase, ‘One who studies Torah lifrakim’ (Sanhedrin 99b).
הַלּוֹמֵד תּוֹרָה לִפְרָקִים אַז עֶר לעֶרעֶנט תּוֹרָה צַייטעֶנוַוייז
In our material world, this phrase means ‘one who studies Torah from time to time.’
אִין גַן עֵדֶן טַייטְשְׁט מעֶן דעֶם מַאֲמָר
In Gan Eden, it is understood
אַז עֶר לעֶרעֶנט תּוֹרָה אוּן דִי תּוֹרָה נעֶהמְט אִיהם פאַנאַדעֶר
as referring to one who studies the Torah and the Torah takes him apart.
דִי דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָה דעֶרנעֶמעֶן אִיהְם
The words of the Torah permeate his very being.”
Text and Translation courtesy of Sichos in English
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