There’s a beautiful message from Eliyahu HaNavi in his Tana D’vei Eliyahu Rabba (21,5) that’s almost a direct call to us - the balabatim who are busy supporting our families and involved in our communities, and still take time out of our days to learn.
Message One
When Bilam came to curse Klal Yisrael, what did he find them doing? Tana D’vei Eliyahu says he found them sitting in groups and learning:
וּכְשֶׁבָּא בִּלְעָם בֶּן בְּעוֹר אֵצֶל בָּלָק מֶלֶךְ מוֹאָב לְקַלֵּל אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, הָיָה בָּא וּמוֹצְאָן לְיִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁיּוֹשְׁבִין קְהִלִּין קְהִלִּין וַעֲסוּקִים בַּתּוֹרָה
The mefarshim say every shevet had its own yeshiva. Every nasi was the rosh yeshiva of his shevet, gathering his people to learn.
That’s why his curses turned into brachos around Torah. And one bracha was specifically the pasuk Mi mana afar Yaakov u’mispar es rova Yisrael.
Talmidei chachamim are called afar Yaakov? Afar is dirt or soil. Why afar? Because in the batei medrash they sit in rows - just like when planting and harvesting, this is done in rows. And because Yaakov himself sat in the beis medrash of Shem v’Ever; talmidei chachamim are referenced as afar Yaakov. And these afar Yaakov, the people sitting and learning, they protect Klal Yisrael like klei zayin, like weapons:
מַאי מִי מָנָה עֲפַר יַעֲקֹב וּמִסְפָּר אֶת רֹבַע יִשְׂרָאֵל, אֶלָּא כַּמָּה עָפָר יֵשׁ בָּהֶן בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁהֵן עוֹסְקִים בָּהֶן בְּדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה שֶׁהֵן מְגִינִים עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל וְדוֹמִין לִכְלֵי זַיִן
Message Two
Inspiring language from Tana D’vei Eliyahu. Look how many balabatim there are in Klal Yisrael who are osek baTorah:
כַּמָּה בַּעֲלֵי בָתִּים יֵשׁ בָּהֶן בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁעוֹסְקִין בַּתּוֹרָה, וְכֵן הָיָה מִיּוֹם שֶׁבָּחַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא בְּאַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ עָלָיו הַשָּׁלוֹם וְעַד עַכְשָׁיו
The mefarshim explain since they’re not necessarily as great as the great talmidei chachamim, they lower themselves like afar in order to learn from them.
How often do we put ourselves in a position where we can learn from rabbeim, from magidei shiur?
This the beauty Bilaam saw in Klal Yisrael.
And I’d add - in our generation, so many of the balabatim are talmidei chachamim themselves. They’re learning, inspiring, teaching others. They’re not only the afar; they’ve become the talmidei chachamim themselves.
This bracha is the kavana of the tefila we say after Shemoneh Esrei:
וְנַפְשִׁי כֶּעָפָר לַכֹּל תִּהְיֶה, פְּתַח לִבִּי בְּתוֹרָתֶךָ וּבְמִצְוֹתֶיךָ תִּרְדּוֹף נַפְשִׁי
Because we’re able to make ourselves like afar - like Avraham Avinu said, V’anochi afar va’eifer - that’s how the Torah we learn stays with us. Chazal say:
אֵין דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָה מִתְקַיְּמִין אֶלָּא בְּמִי שֶׁמַּשְׁפִּיל עַצְמוֹ כֶּעָפָר
That’s our tefila 3 times daily. P’sach libi b’Sorasecha. How? After v’nafshi k’afar lakol tihye. If we are humble and give ourselves the chance to learn from others, that’s how we’ll have success in our learning - and merit p’sach libi b’Sorasecha.
Gut Shabbos,
Rabbi Moshe Schwed
