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The following is from Chochmo U"Mussar by Rabbi Dr. Salomon Breuer,
who succeeded his father-in-law, RSRH, as rov of Frankfurt. It is
from his commentary on Parshas Naso.<br><br>
<font size=3>In the word <i>beha'alosicha </i> the Sages find an
additional challenge: </font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3>
</font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3>In front of the Menorah was
an elevation consisting of three steps which the priest had to climb when
he turned to the task of caring for the Menorah. This seems to signify
the following thought: if the priest wishes the wick to receive its light
from the Menorah-flame and then to burn on by itself - i.e. if he desires
his Torah to inspire the hearts and minds of his people and to help it
attain the strength which will protect it from sin and weakness - he must
succeed in climbing with his flame "an elevation of three
steps!" <br><br>
</font><i>V'ahavta eis HaShem Elokecha, B'chol l'vav'cha, uv'chawl
nafsh'cha, u-v'chol m'odecha</i>.
<font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3>Love your God; "love Him in
such a way (Yoma 86) that you cause others to love the Name of God".
When is this the case?
</font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3>He
</font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3>who has studied, absorbed
God's teaching from the mouths of the Sages, talks pleasantly with his
fellow-man, proves honest and
</font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3>straight
</font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3>in his business dealings and
social relationships, of him it will be said: hail to him who has studied
the Torah, hail to his father, his teacher, who has taught him the Torah;
look at him who has studied the Torah, how fine are his manners, how good
are his deeds! - But he who has sat at the feet of the Sages and studied
the Torah, but proves unreliable and irresponsible in word and deed, in
business and social dealings - what is then the judgment of his
fellow-men? Woe to him who has studied the Torah, woe to his father, his
teacher, who has taught him the Torah! Fortunate are those who have not
studied the Torah - just look at this Torah-scholar, how ugly are
his manners, how perverted his deeds!<br><br>
</font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3>It
</font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3>is not his mere scholarship
which enables the teacher to win over the hearts of his disciples for
God's Torah. </font>The secret of his success lies in his character
qualities, in his mode of living: <i>V'ahavta eis HaShem
...</i><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3>,
</font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3>love your God in such a way
that you cause others to love the Name of God.
</font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3>If
</font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3>your own learning has not
motivated you sufficiently to love God, how should others learn it from
you. He whose Torah knowledge fails to inspire him towards wholehearted
devotion to the Will of God "with all his heart, all his soul and
all his resources"; he who fails to demonstrate in his own life that
the Divine Will rules and hallows every beat of his heart, every breath
of his life, every particle of his possessions; he whose life is a denial
of the Torah precepts which he praises with his lips - he will never be
able to inspire others to draw their light from his Torah-flame which
leaves his own life in wretched darkness . </font></body>
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