Letters Dec. 2024

Rabbi Moshe Ben-Chaim

Reader: How do we deal with loss: both of family and finances? 

Rabbi: The greatest strength in life must come from the wisest people with great troubles and what they did to gain strength. I refer to King David who endured catastrophe after catastrophe but wrote 150 chapters of Psalms depicting his devotion and trust to God, and what brought him happiness. And they aren't just his writings, but as he said, Psalms were God's divine inspiration speaking through him (Samuel II, 23:2). That means King David's words are absolute truths, because they are God's solutions to all of our calamities and needs, and how to find emotional fortitude and spiritual strength. And it's not only King David, but our patriarchs also were subjected to harsh and sometimes elongated distress. Torah is the optimal resource God gifted to us to help us in every corner of life and every corner of our minds. Torah answers how we are to think and act in all matters, which provides security, strength and peace.  

Reader:  Why do Torah Jews fail to find happiness? 

Rabbi: A person can follow Torah in a rote fashion, without understanding the philosophy and without penetrating Torah's wisdom. Both philosophy and seeing Torah's depth are crucial for enjoying life. Philosophy gives one a sense of life's true purpose, it gives us meaning. And grasping Torah's depth is the true enjoyment that surpasses all other imagined pleasures. Therefore, many Jews can be depressed as they don’t truly follow Torah’s philosophy an fail to see Torah’s wisdom. 

If one fails to understand the reasoning for any mitzvah, it will not be of any value to the person, and following that law will be difficult. If one does not understand man's psychological design, he will not understand Torah’s purpose, which in part is to assist a person’s healthy, psychological life. And he also will not be able to refine his values and character traits which will lead to more peace and fulfillment. As Rabbi Israel Chait taught, one cannot simply be psychologically sound, he must also have the correct philosophy. Therefore, understanding of the mitzvos is crucial. Our greatest satisfaction comes from our core element: our soul. Without engaging our soul—our intellect—we are missing out on the core of life, which cannot lead to happiness. Appreciation of God's wisdom seen in halacha, gemara, and Tanach surpasses any other activity. Rabbi Chait explained Pirkei Avos 6:4:

Such is the way [of a life] of Torah: you shall eat bread with salt, and rationed water shall you drink; you shall sleep on the ground, your life will be one of privation, and in Torah shall you labor. If you do this, “Happy shall you be and it shall be good for you” (Psalms 128:2): “Happy shall you be” in this world, “and it shall be good for you” in the world to come.

Rabbi Chait explained this does not mean that one should seek a life of privation. But it means that even if a person following  true values ends up with meager means, his Torah studies will not be affected because of his value of Torah overall other considerations. This mishna is a barometer for one who truly values Torah due to the great enjoyment he finds in its study. This mishna reveals the level of contentment one derives from Torah wisdom, that despite dire conditions, his Torah is never compromised.