[Avodah] Torah and Life

[Micha Berger]

On Mon, May 17, 2010 at 01:53:31PM -0400, Yitzchok Levine wrote:
: The following is from RSRH's essay Sivan I, The Collected Writings of 
: RSRH Volume I.

: But why then is this celebration [of the giving of the Torah] itself 
: on so small a scale, so quiet,
: and restricted in the Torah to the fleeting span of but a single day? And
: on that day itself the celebration is marked by scarcely one positive
: symbol, and is expressed merely in a negative way-by abstaining
: from doing any work!

See Gush's recent Shavuos email, RAL on Torah and Life.
http://www.vbm-torah.org/archive/chag70/shavuot70-a.htm
Teaser:

    Many people assume there is a contrast -- if not conflict --
    between Torah and "life." In this view, "life" includes all the
    practical, "serious" spheres whose participants contribute to
    the world and help develop it. As opposed to them is the "Torah,"
    with which young people who have not yet moved on to "real life"
    amuse themselves. Unfortunately, echoes of this view are even to be
    heard within the beit midrash. Many yeshiva students do not relate to
    Torah study as "life" itself, but rather as preparation and training
    for life.

    In the chapter on the word "life" in his Studies in Words (Cambridge,
    1967), C.S. Lewis points out that when a person speaks about "real
    life," he refers to those elements of life which he values most
    highly. Thus, for example, many people relate to a business deal
    as an expression of "real life," while writing poetry or engaging
    in philosophy are pursuits not deemed worthy of such a dignified
    title. Lewis claims that the source of this mistaken distinction
    is to be found in "the deeply ingrained conviction of narrow minds
    that whatever things they themselves are chiefly exercised on are
    the only important things, the only things worth adult, informed,
    and thoroughgoing interest" (p. 292). He finds this distinction
    unacceptable, since it means that "everything except acquisition
    and social success is excluded from the category of 'real life'
    and relegated to the realm of play or day-dream" (ibid.).

    Lewis' analysis of the prevailing attitude towards spheres of secular
    thought is all the more applicable when it comes to engaging in
    Torah. Many Jews believe that the Torah is relevant only within a
    constricted area, and they attempt to discover at which points this
    area coincides with "life" -- the world in which they themselves are
    engaged. In many cases people think this way even if they are not
    aware of it. The frequently posed question, "What are you going to do
    when you leave yeshiva and go out into the big wide world?" actually
    reflects an attitude that regards Torah as a sphere external to
    life. Obviously, such a view -- in which utilitarian activities
    take precedence over the realm of thought -- is deficient from any
    self-respecting religious and spiritual point of view. Of course,
    we value yishuvo shel olam, developing the world, and the people
    involved in it are certainly worthy of praise. But we must be firm
    in our opposition to the view that engaging in divrei chokhma,
    Torah and matters of the spirit, is not "real life."Many people
    assume there is a contrast -- if not conflict -- between Torah and
    "life." In this view, "life" includes all the practical, "serious"
    spheres whose participants contribute to the world and help develop
    it. As opposed to them is the "Torah," with which young people who
    have not yet moved on to "real life" amuse themselves. Unfortunately,
    echoes of this view are even to be heard within the beit midrash. Many
    yeshiva students do not relate to Torah study as "life" itself,
    but rather as preparation and training for life.

:-)BBii!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             If you won't be better tomorrow
micha at aishdas.org        than you were today,
http://www.aishdas.org   then what need do you have for tomorrow?
Fax: (270) 514-1507              - Rebbe Nachman of Breslov