Meriting the Great Light

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

The Parsha of Noach begins with the words: “These are the generations of Noach – Noach, was a perfectly righteous man; with G-d did Noach go” (Bereishis 6:9).

Midrash Tanchuma (3) comments on this verse: Hashem forged a special bond with Yisrael because of their willingness to study the Torah sheb’al peh. The Midrash goes on to say that this special bond requires that one study Torah sheb’al peh day and night, and forsake many of the pleasures of this world. When one does so, in the end he will merit a great light.

Usually, there is some sort of connection between the verse and the words of a Midrash. Here, the verse talks about the descendants of Noach, and the Midrash is speaking about the Torah sheb’al peh – something different entirely!

The Midrash is trying to resolve a question in the verse. Namely, the verse begins: “These are the generations of Noach…” We would expect what follows to be a list of Noach’s descendants. Instead, the verse goes on to describe the attributes of Noach himself!

Rashi gives two answers: First, the verse in fact wanted to state Noach’s descendants, but once a tzaddik is mentioned, good things should be said about him. Rashi then adds a second answer, that “the main ‘descendants’ of a tzaddik are his good deeds.”

Anaf Yosef says that Midrash Tanchuma is offering a third explanation – the main “descendant” of Noach was Noach himself! Rashi explains (in verse 7:2) that Noach learned Torah. His Torah study transformed him, connecting him to Hashem and elevating him. Therefore, it is as if he literally re-created himself. Before building a family, one should first build oneself up spiritually, and that is what Noach did.

The Midrash is telling us that the way to build yourself in Torah is to put yourself totally into it. If you study Torah day and night, meaning without taking breaks in the middle to chat or the like – you will grow. The Midrash adds that one who does this merits a great light. The light of Torah elevates you, and also, it gives indescribable pleasure, as the Ohr Hachaim (Devarim 26:11) states, that “if people would know the great joy of Torah study, they would go wild over it.”  All this is included in the “great light” that the Midrash speaks of.

Rav Nosson Zvi Finkel would advise people to review this Midrash in order to understand how important diligence in Torah study is.

Rav Yechezkel Levinstein cites a Tosafos from in Chagiga (15a) to shed light on a verse that is usually understood as meaning, “all’s well that ends well.” The verse is tov acharis davar mereishiso (Koheles 7:8). Now, while this may seem a logical reading of the verse, Rav Levinstein notes that Tosafos gives a different understanding: The end will be good only if its beginning is very good. If a beginning is less than perfect, as times goes by the imperfections will come more and more to the fore, harming the end result.

This is a lesson for all of life, but Rav Yechezkel would say that one major application for us is the beginning of the zman. Right now we are beginning the winter zman in yeshiva. Now is the time to resolve that this zman will be one of steady aliya in Torah. If we start out the zman with full dedication, trying as hard as possible to avoid any breaks in our learning, Hashem will help that the entire zman will be successful, and we will merit great light.

However, just putting all our energy in Torah is not enough. The Sages state (Nida 70b) that alongside one’s learning, one should always “beg for wisdom from the One to Whom wisdom belongs.” Torah certainly needs heavenly assistance, and a person must pray intensely for it.

Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz would add that when praying for success in Torah, we should feel that we are davening for the most important thing in our life. He showed this from what the sages say (Temura 16a) about Othniel ben Knaz, who was a great Torah scholar in the times of Yehoshua bin Nun. It was he who restored thousands of forgotten halachos through his power of pilpul. Still, Othniel Ben Knaz would pray to Hashem to give him still more Torah. “Without this, I will go to my grave sadly,” Othniel would say. Torah was his whole life!

Once, when the Mir Yeshiva was still in the town of Mir, Poland, a new zman was starting and  bachurim arrived to be tested and perhaps accepted into the yeshiva. Among them, one bachur stood out in all aspects – he had already managed to learn a great deal, and his refined middos were apparent to all. People wondered to themselves: How could such a young boy already have reached such a high level?

“I can explain,” said the mashgiach, Rav Yerucham Levovitz.

“This boy’s father and I used to learn together as chavrusos when we were bachurim. After his father got married, I continued to learn with him once a week, in his house.

“One time, I knocked on the door and there was no answer. I knocked again and still no answer. I tried to hear if he was at home, and I overheard him crying, inside. I was concerned. What was he crying about?

“I knocked again, and when I received no response, I cautiously entered the house and saw this boy’s father crying off in a corner. I approached him and asked if everything was alright.

“He told me: ‘I have wonderful news. Today, a son was born to me.’

“‘Mazal tov,’ I told him. ‘But if so, why are you crying?’

“Now, just at the very beginning, I’m trying to daven as much as I can that my son grow up to be a tzaddik and talmid chacham…”

“This is the power of prayer!” concluded Rav Yerucham.

May this zman be one of continuous aliya!