Delight in Deciphering Difficulties
A wealthy man once approached me with an offer I could not refuse. “I heard that the venerated Rav wishes to build a yeshiva in Ashdod, which will cost a couple of million dollars. I would like to donate one million dollars toward this enterprise, thereby assisting the Rav in disseminating Torah.” He removed a checkbook from his pocket and, with a flourish, scrawled in this huge sum.
- Dormitory of Yeshivat Torat David, Ashdod
When he handed me the check, he noticed that I was not grinning from ear to ear, as he had expected. Since his intention was to bring me pleasure, he was surprised not to see any show of joy on my face. He could not help but ask me, “Is the Rav dissatisfied with my donation?”
My reply was forthcoming. “I am extremely happy with your donation. But my face reflects joy only when I succeed in understanding a sugya of the Talmud. That is when pure, undiluted joy suffuses my heart. Any other show of joy or laughter is not real happiness.”
The joy I feel when I am steeped in Torah study overflows from my heart. It is contagious and enables me to affect everyone around me. This happened to me once when I finally understood a Torah topic with which I had been having difficulty. Out of unbridled joy at ultimately untangling the complexities of the sugya, I asked a passing man to sit beside me so that I could share it with him. He was very tired and initially demurred. But I pulled him toward me to hear what was making me so happy. Eventually, he was caught up in my ecstasy and rejoiced with me.
The joy of Torah is real and infectious. In Tehillim (19:9), David Hamelech states, “The orders of Hashem are upright, gladdening the heart; the command of Hashem is clear, enlightening the eyes.”
