Arousing One’s Appetite
I have a disciple who was a seasoned businessman in France. Every hour of his day was devoted to his business. When I asked him to dedicate just one hour a day to Torah study, he claimed that his business did not allow even this small window of time for Torah. But his answer did not sit well with me.
I knew that this man was a big sports fan. Whenever a major soccer event was to take place, he would put all of his business transactions on the back burner and focus his concentration solely on the game. This act proved self-incriminating. If he could steal some time from his business for a sports event, then surely he could make time for a weekly Torah session.
He tried to dodge my suggestions, but I would not take no for an answer. I pressed on until he could take the pressure no longer. He finally agreed to set aside one hour a week for Torah study. He felt he was doing me the biggest favor in the world.
But – wonder of wonders! A transformation began taking place in his soul. The more he learned, the greater grew his thirst for more Torah knowledge. Within a short time, he was adding hours to his study schedule. To date, he spends half a day studying Torah! With siyata di’Shemaya, he has succeeded in resolving difficulties of our earlier and later Sages. One can truly apply to him the words of David Hamelech (Tehillim 34:9), “Contemplate and see that Hashem is good; praiseworthy is the man who takes refuge in Him.”
