Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Partners in Torah

When someone wondered whether it was really worth it to make a Yissachar and Zevulun agreement with someone and asked Rav Shach, zt”l, he found that the rav was in favor.
Rav Shach answered, “You lose nothing by making such an arrangement. Therefore, even if you are eking by on your own, you should still sign this agreement, since the extra money will enable you to learn better since you will have less pressure from money, which leads to more mental clarity.
He added, “You need not worry about losing a portion of your eternal reward in the next world, since the reward of Torah in the next world is eternal and cannot be diminished by sharing it with another.”
To another student Rav Shach explained, “When it comes to making such an agreement we can apply the dictum of our sages, 'זה נהנה וזה לא חסר'—‘This one gains and the other loses nothing by it.’”
Rav Shach would also encourage laymen to take the initiative to support Torah study. “When a person who supports those who study Torah leaves the physical world—even if he himself never learned anything—he will know all the Torah that was learned with his support. You must know that the greatest bliss will be afforded those who learned Torah and those who supported those who learned.
He added, “If you think about it you will understand that if one was able to pay to know a mishnah or chapter or even a complete tractate, he would surely be willing to pay anything he could afford—even in this world where we don’t see the pristine greatness of Torah. How much more will this be true in the next world, where we will see the holiness and preciousness of every word of Torah. Surely, the one who gained the Torah will be thrilled with the Torah waiting for him, especially if he himself was unable to learn as is fitting.
“When a person thinks about this, he will surely race after those who learn to attain the merit of Torah. I am sure you will take these words—which emerge from the holy works of the Choftez Chaim—to heart and merit all the wondrous reward of those who support Torah.”

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