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Chapter 6

Mishnah Two

Mount Horeb is another name for Mount Sinai, famous as the site where G-d gave the Torah. The word Horeb, חורב comes from the same Hebrew root as does חורבך, churban, meaning “destruction.” Why does Rabbi Levi refer to Mount Sinai by the term that designates “Mount Destruction”? We would have expected the opposite, for Torah brings structure and security to the world, fashioning it into an edifice.
The truth is that the Torah has a double-edged power. For people who seek the Torah, it brings fulfillment and structure to their lives.

Dedicated to Robert Wright

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Chapter 6

Mishnah One (continues)

From a teaching by Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin, Ruach Chaim.
The Zohar comments that before Sinai, all the creatures were controlled by the cosmic forces. Once the Torah was given to Yisra’el they were freed from the control of these forces. Indeed, one who studies Torah for its own sake actually controls the forces of nature. He can change them at will, and they fear him. In this context, the Mishnah comments that Torah gives him sovereignty and dominion.

Dedicated to Deana McGluflin

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Chapter 6

Mishnah One (continues)

He loves the Omnipresent, he loves people . . .
We said one that learns Torah for its own sake is a “friend” and “beloved” of both G-d and people. It is the study and practice of Torah that infuse the world with its values. Since Torah flows from G-d, and Torah lives in people, a person who is embodiment of Torah is tightly bound up with both G-d and mankind.
Indeed, one who learns Torah for its own sake is the vehicle through which the spiritual and physical lanes of existence unite.

Dedicated to Deana McGluflin

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Chapter 6

Mishnah One (continues)

From a teaching by Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin, Ruach Chaim.

The Torah shields and saves. Mitzvoth (commandments) shield but do not save. The mitzvoth actually represent a healthy diet and life style. When a human being performs a commandment they are surrounded by an aurora of holiness that shields them from their own evil inclination. However, once a human being becomes sick through the sins they have committed, and then they are required Torah study for its own sake, because the evil inclination attacks aggressively the impurity in their own heart. The Torah not only shields them from the evil inclination, but it also purges the evil in their heart and makes that individual fit to embark upon the journey of righteousness and repentance.

In memory of Jerry Dean

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Chapter 6

Mishnah One (continues)

From a teaching by Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin, Ruach Chaim.
Humility is not just a mitzvah, meaning a set of rules and actions which a person has to follow, rather humility is a state of mind. A person must naturally develop an attitude as to where they are not so important, so they feel they are humble toward others (Pirkei Avot 4 Mishnah 1).
In memory of Jerry Dean

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Chapter 6

Mishnah One (continues)

From a teaching by Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin, Ruach Chaim.

The world was created for the sake of the Torah and those that believe in it. As the Talmud explains HaShem created the world with a stipulation that the Jews had to accept the Torah. Otherwise the entire universe would revert to Tohu-Va-Vohu. Therefore the Zohar states that HaShem, the Torah and those that believe in it are One. The Midrash also expounds on this concept, HaShem calls the Jewish Nation, “My perfect Dove” (Song of Songs 5:2).

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Chapter 6

Mishnah One (continues)

From a teaching by Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin, Ruach Chaim.

Anyone that studies Torah for its own sake merits many things. Not only is that, the entire world, the entire Creation, worthwhile for them. He is called a beloved friend, he loves the Omnipresent One, he loves people and he makes HaShem glad. And he gladdens people, and the Creation. The study of the Torah clothes him in humility, and in fear of HaShem, and it prepares him to be righteous and straight forward. It distance him from sin and brings him close to merit.

Dedicated to Cherrie Shackleford and Son’s

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Chapter 6

Mishnah One (continues)

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Commentary from the Sefer Ruach Chaim by Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin.
Rabbi Chanania ben Akashia says: The Holy One, Blessed is He, wishes to confer merit upon Yisra’el; therefore He gave them Torah and mitzvoth in abundance, as it is said (Yeshiyahu 42:21): “HaShem desired, for the sake of His righteousness, that the Torah be made great and glorious.”

Dedicated to Bobby and Alice Richardson

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Chapter 6

Mishnah One (continues)

Emunah channel is here. For Info www.torahfaith.org

Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin says, “Anyone that studies Torah for its own sake.” Some people may think that the idea of studying Torah for its own sake means studying in-order to come close to HaShem. According to that kind of logic a person should spend all their time singing praises to Him.” There is a Midrash that tells David requested of HaShem that He grant one that recites the Psalms that be considered as if the person had studied the Laws of Negaim and Ohalot (Tehillim 1).

Dedicated to Bobby and Alice Richardson

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Chapter 6

Mishnah One (continues)

Emunah channel is here. For Info www.torahfaith.org

Torah endows him with counsel and understanding and he uses it to benefit others. If one follows the counsel he receives from this scholar, G-d will grant him strength over his enemies.

Dedicated to Debbie Orschell

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Chapter 6

Mishnah One (continues)

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Happiness flows from completeness, just as grief is the result of loss and deficiency. Since the world was created to provide us with opportunities to enrich our lives through Torah, it is clear that Torah brings completeness into our lives and hence to the entire world. A person who engages in sincere Torah study gladdens the Omnipresent, for he fulfills the verse “G-d shall rejoice in His works” by bringing completeness to His works.

Dedicated to Debbie Orschell

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Chapter 6

Mishnah One

Emunah channel coming soon. For Info www.torahfaith.org

The term “Torah” is used in different contexts to refer to various aspects of the Torah. It may refer at times to a Torah scroll; to all Scripture; or to the laws of the Torah. In this chapter, Maharal considers Torah in its fullest scope, as an entity that embodies all truth. Here, “Torah” refers to ontology and law; theory and practice; values, principles and relationships; history and philosophy; as articulated or implied by G-d’s communication to mankind through Moshe. All we know about G-d is in the Torah, and within Torah lies even more about G-d than we will ever comprehend.

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Chapter 6

All Yisra’el has a share in the World-to-Come
Torah and mussar complement each other. Torah illuminates the path that leads to the World-to-Come, while mussar is advice to deal with worldly temptations that draw us away from that path. The living practice of the study of the mussar is called derech eretz—the discipline of civilized behavior and good qualities of character. Avot, as a work of mussar, is clearly a close companion of Torah, as the Rabbis stated. “If there is no Torah, there is no derech eretz; if there is no derech eretz, there is no Torah.

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Chapter 5

Summary of Chapter Five
The mishnayot progress from the level of performing mitzvoth: “Be bold as a leopard . . . to carry out the Will of your Father in Heaven” . . . to the study of Torah, which is superior to doing mitzvoth. “The reward is in proportion to the exertion,” concludes the chapter with the highest level of all, for our ultimate destiny is the reward of the World to Come.
Torah was not given to angels and they cannot earn reward for they do not change and improve, nor do they earn reward for duress, for they experience no difficulty in performing the will of their Creator.

In memory of Jerry Dean

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Chapter 5

Mishnah 26
Their names reflect the number five, corresponding to the Hebrew letter ה, hei. Among letters it is unsuppressed as a symbol of the spiritual for it is only the intangible strength of the life breath with no physical contribution from the throat, mouth, and lips. Hence, the letter hei expresses the essence of conversion, for a convert leaves the nations of the world and takes on the power of holiness that is the strength of Yisra’el. Indeed, the letter hei was added to the names of Avraham and Sarah when they entered into G-d’s holy covenant.

In memory of Jerry Dean

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Chapter 5

Mishnah 25b and 26
Ben Bag Bag wishes to convey the importance of the Torah. “Everything is in it” means that the Torah describes the entire universe, but why would that be so?
Mankind is the point of Creation and hence all Creation is subsidiary to mankind. Furthermore, Torah is the conceptual scriptures that G-d established for human conduct. Since Creation exists to support human existence, the structure of Creation must follow from Torah’s structure for mankind. Hence, Torah is the original premise of Creation, as the Rabbis said, The Holy One, Blessed is He, looked in the Torah to create the world.
If one could fully comprehend Torah, he would have grasped the structure of all existence.

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Chapter 5

Mishnah 25
A man is not a complete entity without a wife. As the Rabbis say: Whoever does not have a wife is not an Adam (person), as it says: “On the day G-d created mankind. . .male and female He created them, and He blessed them and called their name Adam.”
A man’s physical growth is it at its peak at eighteen, and then it is time to grow in another dimension, by expanding his life to include another. This stage of life begins at eighteen and continues until twenty, when he is ready to provide leadership in the household.
It is noteworthy that eighteen is a quarter of man’s life span of seventy years. In this way our lives parallel the sun, which reaches the zenith of its strength at noon, after one quarter of its 24-hour cycle.

Dedicated to Peggy Wingate

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Chapter 5

Mishnah 23 and 24

In metaphysical terms, we may say that things tend to eventually join with their like kind, as water flows to join water. Since the power and strength that underlie being brazen are qualities of fire, the fire of the brazen personality will by nature join the fire of Gehinnom.

In simpler terms, we may explain that the wicked act energetically to go outside the bounds of decent behavior. Hence, it is fitting that they will experience the unconstrained power of the fire of Gehinnom.

Being shamefaced is the opposite quality to being brazen. Such a person is passive and accommodating and hence belongs in the tranquil, stable repose of Gan Eden.

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Chapter 5

Mishnah 22

A Good Eye means benevolent (generous). Avraham would draw travelers in to be guests in his home and he was kind and generous. We see his humble spirit when he refers to himself as dust and ashes while pleading for the lives of the people of Sodom. A meek soul means that one is satisfied with what he has and not desirous of others possessions. Avraham had every right to keep the spoils of war, but he rejected taking anything “from a thread to a shoelace; I will not take anything that is yours”.

Dedicated to Wanda Pennington

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Chapter 5

Mishnah 21 and 22a

What is the reason that: “Whoever influences the masses to become meritorious shall not be the cause of sin?” So that he should not be in Gehinnom (Purgatory) while his disciples are in Gan Eden (Paradise).
What is the reason that “one who influences the masses to sin will not be given the means to repent?” So that he should not be in Gan Eden while his disciples are in Gehinnom.

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Chapter 5

Mishnah 20
There are three categories of disputes. Two of these are diametric opposites: personal conflict, which G-d abhors, and debate that is purely for the sake of Heaven, which G-d helps support. The intermediate category is a dispute that is sincerely motivated, but also has an element of pride or competition. In these, G-d does not intervene.

Dedicated to Barbara Green

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Chapter 5

Mishnah 18b and 19
In Mishnah 19 we find an explanation of the power that lies within the number one, for love is union, and unity endures.
Something that consists of parts, but is an integral whole, has no weakness from within, and no vulnerable seam where destruction forces could take hold. Therefore a solid entity will endure, because there is no factor, internal or external, that will bring it to an end.
Love that is purely union with another, with no element of gain to be had from the relationship, is just such an entity. It has the internal strength of integrity, and it is immune to external attack. Such love endures forever.

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Chapter 5
Mishnah 18
The Oral Law is rich and complex, and incorporates many opinions about each subject. Mishnah 1 through 18 form a self-contained section of Chapter 5. The theme of this Mishnah is that G-d created the world and maintains its existence in conjunction with mankind.
G-d created the world at three levels. The lowest level is the physical existence, and the highest level is spiritual existence. The intermediate level is the plane of form and concept, which, although intangible, are found only in conjunction with substance.

Dedicated to Verne and Gilda John

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Chapter 5
Mishnah 16 and 17
These are the precepts whose fruits a person enjoys in this world, but whose principles remains intact for him in the World to Come; . . . early attendance at the house of study morning and evening . . . and the study of Torah is equivalent to them all.
In this passage, attendance at the house of study is listed separately from the study of Torah because each has its own merit.
There is another reason why the reward for going to study is separate from the reward of the study itself. Going is a physical action, whereas study is an intellectual action, and because the two actions are inherently different they are rewarded independently.

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Chapter 5
Mishnah 14 and 15
Whether one is a staunch character or a flaccid character, their actions will be consistent with their nature. A strong-natured individual will be difficult to anger and equally difficult to pacify. A weak individual will be easily angered and just as easily pacified. It is highly unusual for a person to be firm in one way, such as not getting angry, and soft in another way, such as being easily pacified.

Dedicated to Jeff Dixon

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