Speaker: Rabbi Nasan Maimon. What is true limud Torah? מכח אל הפעל – the progression from potential to actualization.
00:00 – PARAGRAPH 24 (about halfway through, from the words מיד חזר השטן למשה ושאל לו עוד הפעם ) – Continuation of the dialogue between Moshe Rabbeinu and the sutra achra – evil inclination – at the Yam Suf – Red Sea. The sutra achra keeps asking “Where is the Torah?”
04:29 – Moshe Rabbeinu’s responses to the satan were literally true.
06:24 – Acquiring the depths of the Torah through overcoming obstacles is similar to steering a ship at sea through all kinds of weather.
09:24 – True kabbalas HaTorah – receiving the Torah – is not something convenient or comfortable. The truth is acquired through mesiras nefesh – self sacrifice – and ratzon – yearning.
12:28 – Q&R about the difficulties in acquiring the Torah, since “Lo beshemayim hi”. (Parshas Nitzavim; Devarim 30:12)
*15:05 – CLIP for Parshas Nitzavim. לֹ֥א בַשָּׁמַ֖יִם הִ֑וא לֵאמֹ֗ר מִ֣י יַֽעֲלֶה־לָּ֤נוּ הַשָּׁמַ֨יְמָה֙ וְיִקָּחֶ֣הָ לָּ֔נוּ וְיַשְׁמִעֵ֥נוּ אֹתָ֖הּ וְנַֽעֲשֶֽׂנָּה – “It is not in heaven, that you should say, “Who will go up to heaven for us and fetch it for us, to tell [it] to us, so that we can fulfill it?” Rashi: “If the Torah were still up in heaven, you would have been required to get up to heaven… but that’s not the case…” Instead, all a person needs is a mouth and a heart. He has to express his yearning for the Torah verbally to Hashem, in order to access the Torah.
*18:16 – Hashem is not setting us up for failure. He does not send obstacles a person can’t overcome if he really wants to. Everything depends on the intensity of a person’s desire for truth and holiness.
*18:40 – יָפָה אַתְּ רַעְיָתִי כְּתִרְצָה – “You are beautiful, my beloved, as you desire…” (Shir HaShirim/Song of Songs 6:4). The beauty of Am Yisrael is our desire for holiness.
22:00 – Every response that Moshe Rabbeinu gave to the sutra achra was actually true. “The Torah is not in a library, it’s with Hashem. If you want the Torah you need to find a way to connect with Hashem – talk to Him! Don’t just sit in your library, jump into the mikveh!”
21:57 – With regard to Torah study: “Nothing can stand in the way of ratzon – the power of the will” (Megillah, Chidah).
23:59 – One of the most difficult challenges in learning Torah is witnessing disputes between rabbis.
26:50 – The conclusion of the midrash about Moshe Rabbeinu: truth is the seal of Hashem. Emes is found only by someone who is determined not to deceive himself.
29:02 – Q&R about receiving the Torah “immediately” through self-sacrifice.
30:14 – Analogy based on כִּי תִּמָּלֵ֣א הָאָ֔רֶץ לָדַ֖עַת אֶת־כְּב֣וֹד יְהֹוָ֑ה כַּמַּ֖יִם יְכַסּ֥וּ עַל־יָֽם – “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of Hashem, as waters cover the [floor of] the sea.” (Chavakuk 2:14).
31:00 – NOTE and anecdote about the challenges facing the present generation in teaching our children to pray.
*32:57 – PARAGRAPH 25. Tikkun Layl Shavuos is structured based on the principle of מכח אל הפעל – from potential to actualization.
45:00 – Each sefer in the Torah is a progression מכח אל הפעל. A series of examples are given from the Written and Oral Torah.
43:55 – Closing blessings.
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