By Rabbi Naftoly Bier
In פרק כ“ד:ס“ג , chapter 24 verse 63 it states: “ ויצא יצחק לשוח בשדה “ . The Talmud ברכות כו:י translates it to mean that יצחק , our patriarch Isaac went to pray ( שיח , to speak). רבינו בחיי , Rabbeinu Bachya (1255-1340) writes that the literal meaning is that “he went out to be entertained, enjoy, and to walk between the trees.” ( לשוח from the words שיח השדה , the growth of the land.) Why does the Torah mention that he went to enjoy “the foliage”? What is the lesson for us?
תהלים קל“ו , Psalms chapter 136, is termed הלל הגדול , the “Great Praise”. דוד המלך , King David delineates 26 praises we should offer to Hashem; each praise concludes with the same mantra; כי לעולם חסדו , His kindness is eternal.
While articulating that Hashem is the source of all, that He organized with precision all the celestial bodies, that He took us out of Egypt and punished the Egyptians, took us through the desert, gave us the land of סיחון ועוג , and always raises us and supports us; never once does it mention that He benefacted to us the greatest gift – Torah.
Chazal teach us that the number 26 (praises) corresponds to the fact that only after 26 generations did the world receive the Torah. Again, why isn’t it mentioned; it does mention the traveling in the desert and the conquest of land that took place after מתן תורה? Providing sustenance and protection is throughout our history!
The ספורנו , Sforno, in his classical commentary to the Psalms provides a preface to each psalm as to the intention and purpose of it.
He writes, “In this psalm, King David is admonishing us that those who will be living in the days of Moshiach, when one will be able to pursue Torah study. Mitzvos with full diligence and dedication due to the harmony and peace in the world; make sure to constantly praise and thank Hashem for all the benevolence He has benefacted the human race in general and particularly Klal Yisroel. He therefore mentions some wonders of nature in his creation of the world (relevant to all) and his caring and guiding of Klal Yisroel.
Why is דוד המלך admonishing us? For human nature is that when we are relaxed, joyful, and have no challenges, we become self-absorbed. When משיח comes, we will be ecstatic, euphoric, for we will be learning Torah all of the time, while being supported by the אומות העולם , nations of the world.
Human nature is that we forget that everything we have – everything – is a gift from Hashem, including the ability to study Torah, and that every word we learn, we are guided by Hashem to have a more expansive, spiritual understanding of all of what transpires on a daily basis.
The רמח“ל , Rav Moshe Chaim Luzzatto in Derech Hashem Part IV, 2:5, explains, “ that the study of Torah was created not only to inform us as to what we should do, but to be connected to השפעת השם , gaining a true essence of nobility and supremacy, resembling the true nature of Hashem. This idea is not only relevant to the one who studies Torah, but to all of creation.
But it demands the constant rectification of one’s deeds and a sense of awe of Hashem (‘ יראת ה ). This includes the manner of one’s sitting posture (Rav Moshe Feinstein זצ“ל never leaned back on a chair) and to treat all ספרים , books with utter respect. If not, one’s Torah study will be devoid of its sanctity and be a frivolous exercise.”
How does one accomplish this difficult, attained attitude? After all, one feels exhilarated that one is learning Torah, enwrapped in an environment detached from the wider world?
Dovid HaMelech is cautioning us; if one doesn’t take the time and expend true effort to appreciate the total beneficence of Hashem to all of humanity and to Klal Yisroel, one’s ’עבודת ה, service of the Almighty, can become an exercise of elitism, an activity of pride in one’s “intellectual pursuit” of Torah.
יצחק אבינו – according to one Medrash – was returning home from גן עדן . The first action he does according to רבינו בחיי is to take a walk through the woods – to attribute all to Hashem. When it comes to the beautiful world – the verdant, luscious landscape – it’s only Hashem’s doing. In order not to mistaken oneself and to attribute one’s accomplishments and one’s knowledge of Torah to their intellectual efforts and input – one must constantly appreciate all the Divine gifts.
Immediately after his “walk in the woods”, Yitzchak marries Rivka. The lesson is to have a successful marriage, both spouses must eternally view that they have been gifted by Hashem with one another; with no thoughts that the “other” owes them. Just as nature is a perfect gift from Hashem, so is one’s spouse!
