Keeping Focused On Our Mission

By Rabbi Moshe Krieger, Yeshivas Bircas HaTorah (www.bircas.org)

Jews are expected to avoid enslaving themselves at all costs. In Parshas Behar numerous halachos are taught concerning this principle.

If a Jew’s livelihood dwindles to the point that he sells himself into slavery, his relative is expected to redeem him (Vayikra 25:48). If the relative fails to do so, it is every Jew’s obligation to make sure that the master does not abuse his slave (ibid. 53). In addition, a Jew’s term of servitude cannot go beyond the 49-year term known as “Yovel” (ibid. 54).

Afterwards, Hashem declares: “Because the Children of Yisrael are to Me as slaves; they are My slaves, whom I took out of the Land of Egypt” (ibid. 55). Why does Hashem have to state twice that the Jews are His slaves?

The Sages (Kidushin 22b) explain that the verse stresses that we must be Hashem’s slaves alone, and not slaves of other slaves. One might think: “What is wrong with selling myself as a slave on condition that whenever there is a mitzvah I have the right to do it? If the master agrees to buy me on such terms, what’s wrong?”

To this Hashem replies that we must be His servants exclusively. No other yoke must be upon us. A Jew’s energy and resources must be devoted only to Hashem. Moreover, a Jew’s mind must be free to focus solely on Hashem, unencumbered by any other servitude.

Rabbeinu Yonah states (Shaarei Teshuva 2: 21) that we should envision ourselves as if we have been sent to this world on a mission to do Hashem’s will. When we come to the Next World, we will have to testify that we were faithful to our mission. As we go about investing efforts in the various aspects of our lives, we must make sure that our energy is going toward advancing our true purpose in life; our sole mission.

If we cultivate other interests, devoting our time and resources to different matters until avodas Hashem becomes secondary, how embarrassing it will be to testify on our day of judgment!

There is a problem, though: Each of us bears in some way the yoke of earning a living. This means dealing with pressure. When a person is under pressure, this might cause him to put in too much effort into his livelihood. His focus is now turned away from avodas Hashem.

The sages give us a practical solution. In Pirkei Avos (3), it states that one who accepts upon himself the yoke of Torah is freed from the yoke of livelihood. The Chofetz Chaim (Shemiras Halashon, Shaar HaTorah 3) says that “accepting the yoke of Torah” means that after consulting one’s Rav to determine how much of his day must go toward Torah study — that amount of time each day must be inviolate. Although he may devote a few hours each day towards his livelihood, this must never be at the expense of his fixed times for learning.

Consider a Jew on his way to the beis medrash to start his morning learning seder, when he is suddenly offered a lucrative business deal, or is informed about a problem that will cost him dearly if not addressed immediately. Accepting the yoke of Torah means that he must not forego his morning seder. He may reason that today, he will be full of worry or misgivings about the deal he passed up — how much will he learn anyway? The sages urge him: Do not give in! Hold on to your fixed times for Torah study as if your spiritual life depends on it. When a Jew does this, promise the Sages, Hashem will help ease his financial burden, enabling him to put his mind fully into his learning.

How does this work? The Sefas Emess explains, when Hashem declares: “You are My slaves,” this means He does not want us to have any other yoke upon us. If we show Hashem that we truly want His yoke, and want to be His slaves alone, Hashem will certainly help us.

Rav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv was known for his rigid adherence to his learning sedarim. Many times people tried to enlist his participation in matters of great importance to the Torah-observant public, but he kept his personal involvement to a minimum, so as not to take away from his learning seder.

One notable exception was when Rav Shach founded Degel HaTorah, holding two major rallies, one in Jerusalem and the other at the Yad Eliyahu Stadium in Tel Aviv. Due to the political situation prevailing then in Israel, the founding of Degel HaTorah was viewed in the international news media as an event of historic importance. When Rav Shach insisted that Rav Elyashiv attend, he agreed.

Indeed, Rav Elyashiv’s attendance made a tremendous impact, as his willingness to give of his time for such an event was the greatest demonstration of how important it was.

When the event came to a close, many people approached Rav Elyashiv to thank him for his participation and describe the effect his attendance made on the public. Rav Elyashiv’s main concern was to get home as soon as possible.

“I’m missing 2 and a half hours of learning,” he told one of his grandchildren. This grandchild relates that soon after Rav Elyashiv arrived at home in the middle of the night, he made up his lost 2 and a half hours of learning — even though this meant losing more than half of his usual night’s sleep.

May we be zoche to accept the yoke of Torah!