If a person neglects to immerse himself in the study of Talmud and Halacha, in all its depth and breadth, and delve into the understanding of belief and the deeper understanding of Torah, and instead he focuses on listening to lectures that are meant to inspire, but lack a depth of Torah and do not deepen one's understanding, he is like someone who wishes to create a bonfire out of twigs. The fire will ignite quickly, but just as quickly it will burn itself out.
In the same vein, someone who views Torah as a means to inspire himself to pray better and to live a more inspired life, but does not delve into its study with an appreciation of the value of the Torah and its study, then his prayer will end up lacking consistency, strength and depth which can only arise from chopping the strong trees of delving deeply within Torah, in all its facets, with toil and effort. Otherwise, he is embarking on a path that is weak and contains many pitfalls as he is lacking balance by overdosing on the emotional without having a solid, logical base. It can also lead a person to only following his emotions, and to think that his emotions are defined by Torah.
On the other hand, if a person only studies Torah, but neglects his prayer, it is like building a bonfire out of many logs, but with nothing with which to ignite it. If a person just learns with his intellect, but does not inspire his heart and invest in its purification, he is likely to have a constipated soul that is truly distant from what he is studying. The Torah is lofty and disembodied, and can only be appreciated with inspired feelings that need prayer, Tehillim, songs and desire for a divine relationship. By focusing solely on Torah study and ignoring the service of the heart, his prayer will lack life and substance and he will never understand the depth of the Torah in which the light of God is found.
א"ב רמ"ב
In the same vein, someone who views Torah as a means to inspire himself to pray better and to live a more inspired life, but does not delve into its study with an appreciation of the value of the Torah and its study, then his prayer will end up lacking consistency, strength and depth which can only arise from chopping the strong trees of delving deeply within Torah, in all its facets, with toil and effort. Otherwise, he is embarking on a path that is weak and contains many pitfalls as he is lacking balance by overdosing on the emotional without having a solid, logical base. It can also lead a person to only following his emotions, and to think that his emotions are defined by Torah.
On the other hand, if a person only studies Torah, but neglects his prayer, it is like building a bonfire out of many logs, but with nothing with which to ignite it. If a person just learns with his intellect, but does not inspire his heart and invest in its purification, he is likely to have a constipated soul that is truly distant from what he is studying. The Torah is lofty and disembodied, and can only be appreciated with inspired feelings that need prayer, Tehillim, songs and desire for a divine relationship. By focusing solely on Torah study and ignoring the service of the heart, his prayer will lack life and substance and he will never understand the depth of the Torah in which the light of God is found.
א"ב רמ"ב
No comments:
Post a Comment