© 2008 by Robert Lepor. All rights reserved.
In our numerous sins, a very great [number of] people grow lax from involvement in Torah [study] and don’t [even] consider the great punishment that is [awaiting them] as a consequence of [their] bittul Torah[1]. [The aforementioned teaching relates to that] which is written in “Midrash Mishlei”[2] [in] chapter ten, [as follows]: “Rabbi Yehuda said, ‘Come and take note of the harshness of The Day of Judgement, for in the future, The Holy One, Blessed is He, Will Judge the entire world… [The person] who possesses [knowledge] of Scripture [that he had learned in this world], but does not possess [knowledge of] Mishna, arrives [on The Day of Judgement], The Holy One, Blessed is He, turns His Countenance from him, and the hinges of gehinnom are strengthened with respect to him… and they take him and send him to gehinnom. [Concerning] the person who possesses [knowledge of] two or three orders [of mishna], The Holy One, Blessed is He, says to him: ‘My son, why didn’t you learn all of the halachos?’… [The person] who possesses [knowledge of all of the] halachos, arrives [before HaShem on The Day of Judgement. Thereupon, HaShem] says to him: ‘My son, why didn’t you learn Toras Kohanim[3]? There is [found] within [Toras Kohanim]…’ One who possesses [knowledge of] Toras Kohanim, arrives [for judgement]. The Holy One, Blessed is He, says to him, ‘My son, why didn’t you learn The Five Books of The Torah? For within [The Five Books of The Torah there exist the mitzvos of] k’rias sh’ma, tefillin, and mezuzah.’ One who possesses [knowledge of] The Five Books of The Torah, arrives [for judgement. Thereupon], The Holy One, Blessed is He, says to him: ‘My son, why didn’t you learn Talmud?’… The person who possesses [knowledge of] Talmud comes [to judgement. Thereupon], The Holy One, Blessed is He, says to him, ‘My son, since you involved yourself in [the study of] Talmud – you have glanced at The Merkavah… how The Throne of Glory stands… how the Chashmal stands… and with how many faces it turns… see [this teaching] over there [in “Shocher Tov”], at length.
[1] “Bittul Torah” is idleness from involvement in Torah study.
[2] This teaching is found “Shocher Tov”.
[3] “Toras Kohanim” refers to The Book of “Vayikra” (Leviticus).
Chapter 7
In [this chapter] the reward of one who supports his children’s involvement [in] Torah study, shall be explained, and, in contrast, [this chapter shall also discuss] the magnitude of [the] punishment [awaiting the person] who, Heaven Forbid, does not support his children to [enable them to] be involved in Torah [study]
In [this chapter] the reward of one who supports his children’s involvement [in] Torah study, shall be explained, and, in contrast, [this chapter shall also discuss] the magnitude of [the] punishment [awaiting the person] who, Heaven Forbid, does not support his children to [enable them to] be involved in Torah [study]
In our numerous sins, a very great [number of] people grow lax from involvement in Torah [study] and don’t [even] consider the great punishment that is [awaiting them] as a consequence of [their] bittul Torah[1]. [The aforementioned teaching relates to that] which is written in “Midrash Mishlei”[2] [in] chapter ten, [as follows]: “Rabbi Yehuda said, ‘Come and take note of the harshness of The Day of Judgement, for in the future, The Holy One, Blessed is He, Will Judge the entire world… [The person] who possesses [knowledge] of Scripture [that he had learned in this world], but does not possess [knowledge of] Mishna, arrives [on The Day of Judgement], The Holy One, Blessed is He, turns His Countenance from him, and the hinges of gehinnom are strengthened with respect to him… and they take him and send him to gehinnom. [Concerning] the person who possesses [knowledge of] two or three orders [of mishna], The Holy One, Blessed is He, says to him: ‘My son, why didn’t you learn all of the halachos?’… [The person] who possesses [knowledge of all of the] halachos, arrives [before HaShem on The Day of Judgement. Thereupon, HaShem] says to him: ‘My son, why didn’t you learn Toras Kohanim[3]? There is [found] within [Toras Kohanim]…’ One who possesses [knowledge of] Toras Kohanim, arrives [for judgement]. The Holy One, Blessed is He, says to him, ‘My son, why didn’t you learn The Five Books of The Torah? For within [The Five Books of The Torah there exist the mitzvos of] k’rias sh’ma, tefillin, and mezuzah.’ One who possesses [knowledge of] The Five Books of The Torah, arrives [for judgement. Thereupon], The Holy One, Blessed is He, says to him: ‘My son, why didn’t you learn Talmud?’… The person who possesses [knowledge of] Talmud comes [to judgement. Thereupon], The Holy One, Blessed is He, says to him, ‘My son, since you involved yourself in [the study of] Talmud – you have glanced at The Merkavah… how The Throne of Glory stands… how the Chashmal stands… and with how many faces it turns… see [this teaching] over there [in “Shocher Tov”], at length.
[1] “Bittul Torah” is idleness from involvement in Torah study.
[2] This teaching is found “Shocher Tov”.
[3] “Toras Kohanim” refers to The Book of “Vayikra” (Leviticus).
