Nature is Determined By the Torah

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

In Parshas Beshalach, the sea split and allowed the Jews to pass through it. The Midrash (Shemos Rabba 21:6) states that when Hashem commanded Moshe to split the sea, Moshe asked, “Hashem, You swore that the land would always remain the land, and the sea would remain the sea. How can I change that?”

Hashem replied that the sea had been created on the condition that it would split for the Jews when they left Egypt.

Still, the Midrash continues, the sea refused to split at Moshe’s approach. It claimed that it had been created on the third day, but man had been created on the sixth day. Therefore, it did not have to follow Moshe’s orders.

The Midrash concludes that Hashem stood at Moshe’s right side, and the sea split.

The Ohr HaChaim (Shemos 14:27) asks two questions. Firstly, if Hashem did make the condition that the sea split for the Jews, how could the sea refuse? Second, the Sages (Chulin 7a) tell us that the river split before the Tanna, Rebbe Pinchas Ben Yair, so that he could continue on his way to fulfill a mitzvah. Why did the river not refuse to split for him, too?

The Ohr HaChaim explains that the “condition” referred to is that all of nature is subservient to the Torah, and those who toil in its study. This is why the river split willingly before Rebbe Pinchas ben Yair. However, in Moshe’s time, the Torah had not yet been given. Thus, the sea was unwilling to alter its nature. Hashem stood to the “right” of Moshe (see Devarim 33:2, where the Torah is referred to as Hashem’s “right”) to show that Moshe was already connected to the Torah that he would soon receive.

Nature is subservient to Torah because Torah is the purpose of creation (Rashi, Bereishis 1:31). More specifically, Hashem desires that the Jews toil in Torah (Toras Kohanim, Vayikra 26:3). Thus, those who toil in Torah day and night are the purpose of creation. If so, it makes sense that Hashem is ready to change nature in order to help great men fulfill the world’s purpose. Indeed, like the river split for Rebbe Pinchas Ben Yair, there were other gedolim throughout the generations who merited open miracles for the sake of Torah and mitzvos.

It would seem as though affecting creation through Torah study is something possible only for the rare Torah giants of our nation. However, the Mishna (Avos 3:5) implies that to a lesser extent, every Jew can cause the natural world to assist him in his Torah study. “Whoever accepts the yoke of Torah upon himself removes the yoke of the government and the yoke of derech eretz.” The Midrash Shmuel translates derech eretz as “the normal way that the world works.”  When a Jew takes on Torah study as his responsibility, the normal operations of the world change to accommodate him.

Rav Chaim of Volozhin writes (Nefesh HaChaim 4:16) that this rule applies even to a person who cannot accept the yoke of Torah study at all times. A Jew may need to allot certain hours of his day to engaging in a livelihood. However, if the time that he devotes to learning are used properly – i.e. he immerses himself entirely in learning, not letting anyone or anything interrupt him – “He will merit that the troubles of this world will not bother him. Hashem will provide him with special protection, and will carry out his will.”

Rav Zilberstein relates that one of the regular participants in a daily Gemara shiur in Bnei Brak was once out of town. He heard a report that traffic on the only road back to Bnei Brak was at a standstill. Not losing hope, he prayed to Hashem that he not miss his shiur. Somehow, when he reached the area of the reported traffic jam, he found only smooth, flowing traffic.

Indeed, many Jews can tell of unexpected financial benefits that came their way and made it possible for them to keep to their learning seder.

The Nadvorna Rebbe would tell his students, “Even those of us whose prime or sole occupation is Torah study and teaching must not assume that we have accepted the yoke of Torah. Each of us must make sure that for a few hours every day, we learn with every ounce of our concentration. We must not let in any distractions or even one word that has nothing to do with Torah. Even if we cannot learn this way the entire day, these hours constitute our acceptance of the yoke of Torah.

“How can we reach this level? Before you start learning, tell yourself, ‘I am about to embark on the most important deed one can do in this world.’ Imagine two businessmen about to close a major deal. Suppose one of them gets a phone call. Even if it is about something important, will he put the business deal aside to take the call? No! We must feel at least this strongly about Torah study.”

The Rebbe concluded, “If a person develops this attitude, he will be able to learn with such concentration that nothing will distract him!”

Rav Elyashiv lived this way. Those around him knew that during his learning sedarim, no one was allowed to disturb him unless it was a matter of life-and-death. Rav Morgenstern recalls that once, he was permitted to ask Rav Elyashiv a question while he was learning. He began by politely asking if he could interrupt the Rav for a moment. Rav Elyashiv did not respond. He raised his voice somewhat, and tried gesturing to get the Rav’s attention, to no avail. Family members noticed this and told him, “If you do not go over and tap the Rav on the shoulder, he will not know that you are there.”

When construction was being done in the room adjacent to where Rav Elyashiv was learning, the deafening drilling noise was heard throughout the neighborhood. However, when Rav Elyashiv was asked later if the noise bothered him, he replied, “Noise? What noise?”

May we be zocheh to accept the yoke of Torah!