07 Feb YISRO: UNDERSTANDING TORAH

We have concluded
that Torah
observance is for
everyone. Even if one
falls to low levels,
Hashem wants him
to be His servant and
study His Torah.
Nevertheless, some
people feel that
Torah study isn’t for
them because they
don’t understand
what they are
studying.
For them, we quote
a lesson from the Chidushei HaRim
(Shavuos): “Hashem Yisborach gave
us the Torah as a gift, and Chazal
(Bava Basra 65.) tell us that when one
gives a gift, he gives it with a good eye
(generously).
Similarly, when Hashem gives us the
Torah, he gives it with a good eye. This
means He gives us the strength and the
wisdom that is needed to understand

the Torah.” Hashem didn’t only give us
the Torah; He also gave us the tools and
the ability to understand it.
Furthermore, we must know that Torah
study is supposed to be hard. If you
find that understanding the Torah is a
challenge, you are in good company
because this is the true meaning of
“toiling” in Torah study.
The Gemara (Megillah 3) teaches,
“The Targum (translation) of Nevi’im
was taught by Yonoson ben Uziel…
and Eretz Yisrael shook four hundred
parsah by four hundred parsah. A bas
kol announced, ‘Who is revealing my
secrets?’
Yonoson ben Uziel stood up on his feet
and said, ‘I am revealing the secrets.
And You know that I didn’t do it for
my honor or my family’s honor. I
translated Nevi’im for Your honor, so
there shouldn’t be many machlokes in
Yisrael…’”
The Tosfos Ri”d asks, why did Eretz
Yisrael shake four hundred parsah when

Yonoson ben Uziel translated
Navi? Isn’t this the purpose of
the Torah, that people should
understand it? What did he do
wrong?
The Tosfos Ri”d explains that
Yonoson ben Uziel made Torah
study easy. Now, when one
wants to understand a pasuk in
Navi, he just looks in Targum,
and knows the explanation.
He will not need to work hard
to understand its meaning.
This isn’t the way Torah is meant to be
studied. There must be a component of
toil before one can truly understand it. It
shouldn’t come easy.
A very creative scholar built himself a
rotating table. He placed many sefarim
on the table, and when he needed a
Chumash, for example, he didn’t have to
stand up to get it.
Instead, he remained seated and just
turned the table until the Chumash
appeared in front of him. When he
needed a Gemara, he revolved the table

some more, and the Gemara was in
front of him.
Therefore, if a person finds Torah
difficult to understand, he must know
that Torah is meant to be difficult and
requires toil. If he sets himself to the
task, he will understand it.
It might be bitter for him at first, but it
will soon become sweet. As Rashi (19:5)
writes, “If you accept on yourselves [to
study and to keep the Torah], it will
become sweet for you from now on
because all beginnings are difficult.”