14 Jan CHAZAK, CHAZAK, V’NIS’CHAZEIK!

This week, we take
leave of Chumash
Bereishis and start
Chumash Shmos. As
we close the final aliya
of sefer Bereishis,
we say in shul three
times, “Chazak.” The
Elya Rabbah says that three times the
value of chazak in gematria is 345,
which is the same numerical value
as the word Moshe, to remind us that
the Torah that was given by Moshe
Rabbeinu. Rav Leibel Katz, zt”l, zy”a,
in his wonderful sefer Ohel Aryeh, says
that chazak is an acronym for choreish,
zorei’yah, kotzer – to plow, plant and
harvest, teaching the lesson that Torah
learning needs a strong effort. There is
no quick fix when it comes to learning
Torah. It takes painstaking work, like
tilling a field with all of the steps such
as plowing, planting and harvesting. As
Rabbi Berel Wein, shlit”a, points out,

one of the 48 Kinyonei HaTorah, tools
to acquire the Torah, is yeshiva, to sit
and study. You can’t become a talmud
chacham without wearing out the seat
of your pants.
The Pri Chadash however explains
that we say chazak, chazak, chazak
three times as words of encouragement
for, as the Gemora says in Masechtas
Sanhedrin, “Torah mateshes kocho
shel adam – The Torah weakens the
constitution of man,” and thus it needs
constant encouragement.
We must realize that we all have
a yeitzer hara, an evil inclination
that preys on us every day. As the
Gemora teaches us, “Yitzro shel
adam misgaber alov b’chol yom – A
person’s inclination prevails upon him
every day.” Similarly, the Gemora
in Masechtas Berachos says that the
perennial battle of life is against the
yeitzer hara, as it teaches us, “L’olam
yargiz adam yeitzer tov al yeitzer hara –

A person should always incite his good
inclination against his evil inclination.”
While the yeitzer hara has many
arrows in his quiver, and his aim is
focused on getting us to speak lashon
hara and to fight with our spouse, to
look at the wrong things, and to say
hurtful words, there is nothing that the
yeitzer hara tries harder to accomplish
than to stop people from learning
Torah. Torah is the yeitzer hara’s
nemesis, as the Gemora in Masechtas
Kiddushin states categorically, “Barasi
yeitzer hara, barasi Torah tavlin lah – I
(Hashem) created the yeitzer hara and
I (Hashem) created the Torah as the
antidote against it.” Therefore, at the
very top of the yeitzer hara’s agenda is
to stop a person from learning Torah.
The Chofetz Chaim, zt”l. zy”a, explains
that this is the reason why, although
the yeitzer hara is not lazy and is not
one to procrastinate, he didn’t fight
with Avraham nor did he fight
with Yitzchak. The yeitzer hara,
says the Chofetz Chaim, waited to
battle with Yaakov. The Chofetz
Chaim explains this is because the
yeitzer hara is willing to live with
the chesed, kindness, of Avraham
and tolerate the avodah, service, of
Yitzchak. But, when it comes to the
Torah of Yaakov, it’s all-out war.
Forewarned is forearmed. When
it comes to going to a shiur, a
lecture, the yeitzer hara will tell us
it’s too cold, it’s too slippery, you
won’t find parking, it’s not nice to
leave your wife, you’re too tired,
the shiur is boring, ad infinitum.
It’s also encouraging to know that,
“L’fum tzara agra – According to
the difficulty is the reward.”
Since there is so much to overcome
when embarking on the study of
Torah, its reward is proportionately
that much greater. This knowledge is
very important for the young mother
and wife as well. The mother who
prays by the candles for her children
to be talmidei chachamim, and
reads them stories by the bed about
tzadikkim, the mother who celebrates
their Torah milestones with sincere
happiness, she will reap the rewards
of Torah. The wife who doesn’t make

her husband feel guilty for going out in
the night or spending the morning on
Sunday in pursuit of Torah study but, to
the contrary, shows her admiration and
appreciation of her husband’s Torah
accomplishments, is actively sharing
in her husband’s Torah efforts.
Our public chanting of chazak, chazak,
v’nis’chazeik in unison, says the Pri
Chadash, is a reminder to be strong in
our resolve to make Torah study the
mission statement and mainstay of our
lives. In the merit of our Torah learning,
may Hashem bless us with long life,
good health, and everything wonderful.