I
“If you listen to my mitzvos, to love Hashem with all your heart and all your soul, I will provide rain for your land and you will gather your grain, your wine and your oil.” (Devarim 11:13-14, the second parsha of Shema).
The Gemara (Berachos 35b) records a dispute between R’ Yishmael, who rules that one must work (derech eretz) to gather grain or otherwise earn a living, and R’ Shimon ben Yochai (Rashbi) who advocates that one’s work be done by others. Rashbi explains that when Yisrael does not do the will of Hashem, their work is done by themselves, as it says “You will gather your grain.”
Tosfos ask, if one observes mitzvos and loves Hashem with all his heart and soul, how can Rashbi call him one who does not do the will of Hashem? They answer cryptically: they do His will, but not totally, as they are not totally righteous (tzadikim gemurim).
The Gemara concludes: many did like R’ Yishmael and succeeded; like Rashbi and did not succeed. Accordingly, the Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 156:1) states unequivocally: after davening, learning and eating (Orach Chaim 155), he must go to work (yelech la’asakov). Moreover, as per Avos (2:2) “All Torah study that has no work with it will end, and lead to sin,” presumably to dishonesty to support his family.
Nonetheless, as the Gemara (35b) states, Torah study should be primary (ikar) and work secondary (arai), so that both will last.
The Maharsha expands on Tosfos’ cryptic answer. In the first parsha of Shema it says, “with all your resources (me’odecha)” (6:5). The second parsha omits “me’odchem”, implying that money is more beloved than bodily wellbeing (6:6). The punishment is therefore monetary, that their work is not done by others.
The Tanchuma (Noach 3) adds that one who loves wealth and pleasure cannot [properly] learn the Oral Torah, which requires pain and sleeplessness. The way of Torah is to eat bread, drink water, sleep on the ground, live a life of deprivation, and toil in Torah (see Avos 6:4).
Am Yisrael said “we will do and obey” (Shemos 24:7) the written Torah which is small and does not require toil and pain. Later, they stood at the foot of the mountain (19:7) and Hashem said “if you accept the Torah fine, if not you will be buried there.” This refers to the Oral Torah, which is difficult, as strong as death (see Shir Hashirim 8:6).
The love of Hashem with all your recourses (6:5) is achieved when Torah is upon your heart (6:6). This is Talmud, which requires sharp learning (6:7, see Rashi). There is no earthly reward in the first parsha, as the reward is in the next world. The second parsha has the earthly reward for those who perform mitzvos who do not preoccupy themselves with Talmud.
II
The Biur Halacha (156:1) limits the ruling of the Shulchun Aruch, to “go to work”, to the general public, that cannot reach the exalted level of preoccupation with Torah study. The statement that many followed Rashbi and did not succeed implies that a few can succeed . His proof is from the Rambam (Hilchos Shemita Veyoveil 13:13) that one who ignores worldly pursuits that occupy most people, and subsists in this world on his bare needs, is the holiest, whose portion is Hashem forever, i.e. in the next world. This corresponds to the Tanchuma’s description of the first parsha of Shema, and Tosfos’ and the Maharsha’s understanding of complete tzadikim who do the will of Hashem totally.
Traditionally, only very few individuals qualified to be part of this elite group. However, recently, learning in kollel after marriage has seen exponential growth. Until World War II it was virtually nonexistent in America, and counted very, very few in Europe and Israel.
Harav Yehoshua Eichenstein, shlit”a is the Rosh Hayeshiva of Yad Aharon in Yerushalayim. He is the son of the former Chief Rabbi of St. Louis, Harav Menachem Eichenstein, and the son-in-law of the former Chief Rabbi of Yerushalayim, Harav Betzalel Zolty. He attributed this phenomenon to a ruling of the Chazon Ish. As a corrective to the destruction of the world of Torah in the holocaust, learning in kollel should become de rigeur for Charedim, and no longer for the spiritual elite only.
Harav Eichenstein said that this is only a temporary ruling (hora’as sha’a), as anyone who has a brain in his head (mo’ach b’kodkado) realizes. When this period ends should be determined by the gedolei hador, the Torah leaders of the generation.
This seemingly obvious comment generated tremendous controversy (see, and listen to Tzarich Iyun, 15 Iyar 5785). The real issue is how many qualify for the description of the Tanchuma and the Rambam, whose choice to learn in kollel indefinitely is legitimate.
Sadly, however, this issue has been obfuscated by external considerations in Eretz Yisrael. Army service, specifically, and adherence to hierarchal Charedi hegemony generally, skews the discussion and silences dissenting legitimate views.
In America, where the mandate of teaching one’s son an easy and clean profession (Kiddushin 82a) is tied to higher secular education, opposition to “going to work” is increased by this external consideration. The fear of negative influence in the Israeli army parallels the fear of negative influence of a college education.
The exponential increase in draft deferments based on toraso umanoso, Torah is his exclusive occupation, from four hundred in 1948 to almost 70,000 today, is reflected in an equally remarkable explosion in America. In the flagship kollel of the USA, Beis Medrash Govoha of Lakewood, founded in 1942 by Harav Aharon Kotler with a few members, it numbered under 200 when he passed away in 1962. Now BMG has about 7,000 thousand in its kollel, is joined by other kollelim in Lakewood and beyond, and spawned a nationwide movement of kollelim.
All of this is a clear departure from pre-World-War II Charedi Jewry. One hopes that all those supported by communal funds, an innovation based in part on exigency to prevent Torah from being forgotten (Rambam Hilchos Talmud Torah 3:10 and Kesef Mishna at the end) are worthy recipients. One wonders if Harav Eichenstein’s opinion, that this is an obviously a temporary correction, is accepted, even if left unarticulated publicly, both here and in Eretz Yisrael.
III
Any dispute that is for the sake of Heaven will survive, such as the dispute between Hillel and Shammai (Avos 5:20, this week’s perek). Their disputes survived through their respective disciples, Bais Hillel and Bais Shammai. The Gemara (Yevamos 14b) relates that they argued about issues of the greatest magnitude, including illegitimate children (mamzeirim). Nonetheless, they intermarried when possible. Moreover, they were friendly and affectionate to each other, in fulfillment of “love truth and peace” (Zecharia 8:19). They argued which position was true, but remained at peace with each other. This practice will turn our days of mourning into days of joy (ibid), by eliminating the basic hatred that caused the churban.
Often, as in the dispute concerning “going to work” and army service, halachic arguments center on contemporary scholars’ interpretation of rulings by universally accepted gedolim of recent generations. Sadly, here too the specific issue can be obfuscated by external considerations. These can be ideological, personal, or financial, and can result in a dispute that is not totally for the sake of Heaven. Instead of the appropriate affection and friendship of those who argue only for the sake of Heaven, as Bais Shammai and Bais Hillel, there can be ad hominem public attacks by rabbis on other rabbis. This furthers neither truth nor peace, and only postpones the geula.
There are real issues, both about “going to work” and strict halacha, which need to be addressed dispassionately and peacefully by Torah leaders and scholars. The obfuscation created by external considerations tends to prevent proper discussion of the real issues, and can lead to despicable divisiveness in our community. Let us hope that love of truth and peace will prevail and bring us the ultimate geula speedily in our days.
More divrei Torah, audio and video shiurim from Rabbi Willig