This week’s reading contains one of the more famous cases of a Medrashic teaching that clearly departs from the plain meaning of the words. Discussing the laws of purity and impurity, the Torah says, “This is the teaching: when a man dies in a tent, all who come into the tent, and all that is in the tent, will be impure for seven days” [19:14]. In context, this verse is clearly about becoming impure and restoring a state of spiritual purity.
The Medrash, however, learns something entirely different from the verse. The word “Torah” literally means teaching, and the beginning of the verse above can be translated as “This is the Torah: when a man will die in a tent…” And thus the Talmud at the end of Brachos (the first tractate, p. 63b) quotes Rebbe Shimon ben Lakish (known as Reish Lakish) as saying, “how do we know that Torah is only established in a person who puts himself to death over it? Because it says, ‘This is the Torah: when a man will die in a tent’!”
Needless to say, suicide is certainly not what Reish Lakish had in mind. What he meant, instead, was taking one’s self out of “the world” to study. This, too, can be interpreted in different ways. Primarily, he was speaking to the need of great scholars to place Torah ahead of everything else. As many have noted, the level of intensity and dedication expected of students in a Yeshiva is worlds above that of even the most elite universities. The traditional images of scholars studying late into the evening, depriving themselves of sleep not to meet a deadline, but on a regular basis throughout their years, is no exaggeration. Most people do not reach such a level, and can only look with admiration at those who develop that stamina, to sleep fewer hours simply in order to get in more learning.
But even for those of us not engaged in study full time, there is still a lesson for us in the words of Reish Lakish: that when studying, it is worth trying to minimize distractions. The same way you turn off your phone in an important meeting, you turn off your phone when studying. You find times in the day when you will not be disturbed.
There was once a businessman who made a schedule for himself, blocking off the morning for study, and refusing to conduct business until after 12:30. But a group came to town, wanting to arrange a large deal with him, and asking to meet at 10 AM. He refused, even at 11 or later, even though he knew the group would leave and he was going to sacrifice the deal.
He got a call, later in the day, from the head of the other company himself. He said that they would stay late, and close the deal—because he knew that a person who was that careful to keep to his principles would act with integrity in business, too! So his “loss” of hours blocked off for study led directly to his gain.
There are many similar stories, but the message is greater than financial: to take yourself out of the world, and truly devote yourself to study, is how to make the greatest of all profits.
