אֵלּוּ דְבָרִים שֶׁאֵין לָהֶם שִׁעוּר. הַפֵּאָה, וְהַבִּכּוּרִים, וְהָרֵאָיוֹן, וּגְמִילוּת חֲסָדִים, וְתַלְמוּד תּוֹרָה. אֵלּוּ דְבָרִים שֶׁאָדָם אוֹכֵל פֵּרוֹתֵיהֶן בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה וְהַקֶּרֶן קַיֶּמֶת לוֹ לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא. כִּבּוּד אָב וָאֵם, וּגְמִילוּת חֲסָדִים, וַהֲבָאַת שָׁלוֹם בֵּין אָדָם לַחֲבֵרוֹ, וְתַלְמוּד תּוֹרָה כְּנֶגֶד כֻּלָּם:
These are the things that have no measure: <i>Peah</i> [corner of the field which, while harvesting, must be left for the poor], <i>Bikurim</i> [First-fruits that must be brought to the Temple and given to the priest], the appearance-sacrifice [brought to the Temple on Pilgrimage Festivals], acts of kindness, and the study of the <i>Torah</i>. These are things the fruits of which a man enjoys in this world, while the principal remains for him in the World to Come: Honoring one's father and mother, acts of kindness, and bringing peace between a man and his fellow. But the study of <i>Torah</i> is equal to them all.
Hakhsharat HaAvrekhim
Indeed the awareness of your enjoyment is as we have described, but there is more to it. There are reasons behind your enjoyment, and these reasons are unknown to you. Similarly, this enjoyment that you are aware of, the satisfaction of victory, is rooted in something unknown to you. A portion of your soul has stripped away a polluted garment of evil hisragshus, and you have now gained the revelation of this portion of your soul. The secret reason behind your newly found enjoyment is the closeness to kedushah that your perseverance has afforded you. Yes, it has brought you closer, but be aware that you have come closer to the kedushah that exists within yourself. You have come closer to your soul. Consider how far away you had been, and the great step you now took to come back. You took an awakening of desire within you and used it to reveal a portion of your soul rooted in the face of the ox on God’s holy chariot, now revealed free of the evil garment. Therefore, dear Bachur and Avreich, if you truly want to take good care of your soul and be a baal nefesh, then don’t wait any longer and seize the opportunity. Take this revelation and awakening of your soul and use it in the same way that you did with the first and second kinds mentioned above, namely expanding the revelation and pouring it into a mitzvah or Torah study, which is equal to them all. And it shall be well with you.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
