Drip Like Rain
Does learning Torah require personal understanding? Or does it require the absence of ego?
בְּסִיּיַתָּא דִשְׁמַיָא. יוֹם שִׂמְחַת תּוֹרָה ה’תשכ”ג*
“תּוֹרָה צִוָּה לָנוּ משֶׁה מוֹרָשָׁה קְהִלַּת יַעֲקֹב,” (1)
“The Torah that Moses commanded us is a legacy for the congregation of Jacob.”
Rain and Dew
ג) ״יַעֲרֹף כַּמָּטָר לִקְחִי תִּזַּל כַּטַּל אִמְרָתִי,”(15)
“My lesson will drip like rain; my word will flow like dew; like storm winds on vegetation and like raindrops on grass.”
דְמָּטָר בָּא מֵהָעַנָנִים שְׁנַעֲשִׂים מִלַחוּת הָאָרֶץ, ״וְאֵד יַעֲלֶה מִן הָאָרֶץ וְהִשְׁקָה אֶת כָּל פְּנֵי הָאֲדָמָה.״ (16) וְטַּל בָּא מִלְמַעֲלָה.
Rain comes from clouds and clouds come from moisture on the ground. “And vapor ascended from the earth and watered the entire surface of the ground.”
The sun warms water on the ground until it becomes hot enough to evaporate. Water that evaporates from the earth collects and becomes the clouds that produce rain. When sea water is collected in a shallow pool and left to evaporate, salt remains.
Distillation is a process of purifying liquids. Water is boiled until it evaporates and the steam is then collected in a container. When the water evaporates, the minerals and other solids are left behind.
דְכְּמוֹ כֵּן הוּא בְּרוּחֲנִיוּת, שְׁמָּטָר הוּא עִנְיָן(17) שְׁבָּא עַל יְדֵי בִּירוּר וְזִיכוּךְ וְהַעֲלָאת הַמָּטָה, כְּמַאֲמָר רַבּוֹתינוּ זִכרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה(18) עַל הַפָּסוּק, ״יַעֲרֹף כַּמָּטָר לִקְחִי,״ גוֹמֵר, ״שָׁבְרוּ הַבְּרִיוֹת אֶת עָרְפָּן מִיַד מָּטָר יוֹרֵד,״ וְטַּל הוּא גִילוּי מִלְמַעֲלָה.
The same is true spiritually.When creation is refined and distilled, spiritual rain descends. The Midrash explains the verse, “‘My lesson will drip (ya’arof) like rain,’ When creation crushes their stubbornness (arpan), rain will then immediately fall.” The word for “drip” in the verse is “ya’arof” which shares its root with the word “arpan.” Both come from the word “oref,” meaning nape or neck.
All this is in regard to rain. The spiritual significance of dew, on the other hand, is revelation from On High. Dew, unlike rain, comes from above.
Dew happens when objects cool, the moisture in the air collects on them—like grass at night. This is how drops of liquid form on the outside of an cold drink.
Taking it Personally
וְהַטַעֲם שְׁהַתּוֹרָה נִמְשְׁלָה לְטַּל וְלְמָּטָר הוּא, כִּי בְּתּוֹרָה שְׁנֵי הָעִנְיָנִים. הָעִנְיָן דְיְרִידַת הַתּוֹרָה לְמַטָה בִּכְדֵי לְבַרֵר אֶת הָעוֹלָם, דְהַמְשָׁכַת עִנְיָן זֶה שְׁבְּתּוֹרָה הוּא עַל יְדֵי לִימוּד הַתּוֹרָה אַדַעֲתָּא דְנַפְשֵׁי’הּ – ״ יַעֲרֹף כַּמָּטָר לִקְחִי,״ וְהַתּוֹרָה כְּמוֹ שְׁהִיא מְצַד עַצְמָהּ, דְהַמְשָׁכַת עִנְיָן זֶה שֶׁבְּתּוֹרָה הוּא עַל יְדֵי עֵסֶק הַתּוֹרָה לִשְׁמָהּ – ״ תִּזַּל כַּטַּל אִמְרָתִי.״
The Torah can be learned in two ways: One way is to learn Torah according to our own personal understanding. The other is to learn Torah the way it is On High. Because of these two traits, Torah is compared to rain and dew.
Learning Torah based on our own understanding refines the mind—our logic becomes Torah logic. One of the reasons the Torah (and its mitzvos) was given is to refine creation. The Torah as it descended to this world in order to refine and “distill” creation is like rain(, “…My lesson drip like rain…”). Torah as it fits in the human mind is affected by the effort invested in learning. How much Torah is understood and internalized is how much it refines the mind.
The way to experience Torah the way it is On High, is to learn it for it’s own sake. When we learn Torah for its own sake, we’re learning G-d’s lesson, (“…My words [descend] like dew…”). Learning Torah for its own sake, is learning Torah on its own terms—G-d’s Torah. Learning Torah in such a way, is not about understanding it as much as it’s about accepting it.
וְאוּלַי יֵשׁ לוֹמַר, דְעַל זֶה אָמְרוּ (19)כָּל הַקוֹרֵא וְשׁוֹנֶה הַקָדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא קוֹרֵא וְשׁוֹנֶה כְּנֶגְּדוֹ, שְׁעַל יְדֵי עֵסֶק הַתּוֹרָה לִשְׁמָהּ הוּא הַמְשָׁכַת וְגִילוּי הַתּוֹרָה כְּמוֹ שְׁהִיא מְצַד לְמַעֲלָה, הַקָדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא קוֹרֵא וְשׁוֹנֶה, טַּל דְתּוֹרָה(20.)
This is the reason why our Rabbis taught, “[When] anyone who learns Torah [for its own sake], the Holy One Blessed Be He learns across from him.” Learning Torah for its own sake, exposes Torah the way it is On High—”the Holy One Blessed Be He learns across from him,”—the way G-d learns Torah. In this way Torah is like dew—it’s from above and descends below unchanged.
Nigle and Chassidus
וְיֵשׁ לוֹמַר, דְשְׁנֵי עִנְיָנִים אֵלֶה (מָּטָר דְתּוֹרָה וְטַל דְתּוֹרָה) הֵם גַלְיָא דְתּוֹרָה וְפְּנִימִיוּת הַתּוֹרָה(21). שְׁבְּנִגְלָה דְתּוֹרָה שְׁנִתְלַבְּשָׁה בְּדְבָרִים גַשְׁמִיִים, הָאוֹר הָאֱלֹקִי הוּא בְּהֶעְלֶם, וּבִּכְדֵי שְׁהָאוֹר יִהְיֶ’ה בְּגִילוּי בָּאָדָם הַלוֹמֵד אֶת הַתּוֹרָה הוּא עַל יְדֵי שְׁיִזַכֵךְ אֶת עֲצְמוֹ, דְזֶהוּ שְׁ״זָכָה נַעֲשִׂית לוֹ סַם חַיִּים(22),” דְעַל יְדֵי שְׁ״זָכָה״ מִלְשׁוֹן ״זִיכוּךְ״ אָז דַוְּקָא ״נַעֲשִׂית לוֹ סַם חַיִּים.״ וּבְּפְּנִימִיוּת הַתּוֹרָה הָאוֹר הָאֱלוֹקִי הוּא בְּגִילוּי.
These two traits (rain and dew) relate to the revealed parts of Torah (nigle) and the deeper and more esoteric parts of Torah (p’nimius haTorah). In nigle, the Torah involves itself in mundane matters— crime and punishment, real estate, measurements, etc.—as a result the G-dliness of Torah is not easily perceivable. In order to perceive the Godliness of nigle, one has to learn with the intent to be purified by the Torah. As our Rabbis taught, “If he merits (zacha), [the Torah] becomes his elixir of life.” “If he merits”—“zacha” of the same root as “zichuch,” to purify—then “it becomes his elixir of life.” In P’nimius haTorah, like Kabbalah and Chassidus, G-dliness is more readily perceptible.
To be refined by Torah and to perceive the G-dliness in Torah, we must do two things: Firstly, we must learn Torah trying to develop a personal understanding. Secondly, we must have the intent to become refined from it. Being that nigle deals with mundane matters, it can be more readily understood, facilitating this process.
וְלְהוֹסִיף, שְׁגַם לְאַחֲרֵי שְׁהָאָדָם מְזַכֵךְ אֶת עֲצְמוֹ, שְׁאָז גַּם בְּנִגְלָה דְתּוֹרָה הָאוֹר הוּא בְּגִילוּי, אֵינוֹ כְּהַגִילוּי שְׁבְּפְּנִימִיוּת הַתּוֹרָה. דְכֵּיוָּן שְׁהָאוֹר שְׁבְּנִגְלָה דְתּוֹרָה מְּלוּבָּשׁ בְּדְבָרִים גַשְׁמִיִּים הַמַעֲלִימִים אֶת הָאוֹר, לָכֵן גַּם לְאַחֲרֵי הַסָרַת הַהֶעְלֶם אֵין הָאוֹר בְּגִילוּי כָּל כַּךְ כְּהָאוֹר שֶׁבִּפְּנִימִיוּת הַתּוֹרָה(23).
Even after the G-dliness in nigle becomes perceptible, it isn’t as revealed as in p’nimius haTorah. Being that nigle involves itself in physical and mundane matters, its G-dliness is never fully exposed.
וְזֶהוּ שְׁנִגְלָה דְתּוֹרָה הוּא מָּטָר דְתּוֹרָה, דְשְׁנֵי עִנְיָנִים בָּזֶה. שְׁבְּלִימוּד נִגְלֶה דְתּוֹרָה צְרִיכָה לִהְיוֹת הָעַבוֹדָה דְ״זָכָה,״ הַלִימוּד אַדַעֲתָּא דְנַפְשֵי’הּ לְזַכֵךְ אֶת נַפְשׁוֹ – עַל דֶרֶךְ הָעִנְיָן דְ״שָׁבְרוּ הַבְּרִיוֹת אֶת עָרְפָּן.” וְגַם אָז, הָאוֹר הָאֱלוֹקִי שְׁמֵאִיר לְהָאָדָם הוּא כְּמוֹ שְׁהוּא מְּלוּבָּשׁ בָּעוֹלָם – מָּטָר. וְהָעִנְיָן דְטַּל תּוֹרָה הוּא בְּפְּנִימִיוּת הַתּוֹרָה.
Nigle is like rain in two ways: The first is that nigle must be learned with the intent to be refined (zichuch) from it. That happens by understanding and internalizing Torah in a personal way—developing and refining our opinion. This is similar to the way the Midrash explained, “When creation crushes their stubbornness (arpan), rain will then immediately fall.”
The second is, that even after the G-dliness in nigle is exposed, it’s limited to the confines of this world. Since nigle involves itself in mundane matters, only as much G-dliness as can “fit” in physicality can be revealed.
P’nimius haTorah on the other hand, like dew remains clearly G-dly—unchanged by its descent into this world.
Summary
Torah is compared to rain and dew because of two variant ways of learning. It is compared to rain in that it cleanses and refines the world. Rain also comes from evaporation—vapor ascending from the ground. Similarly in regard to Torah, the effort placed on learning and the intent of the learner affects the way it is perceived and how it refines the world. The “rain” way of learning Torah is by bringing concepts down to personal understanding—engaging the mind and subjective opinion. Dew however, descends from above and isn’t a result of “earthly influence.” The “dew” experience of Torah, is learning for its own sake; accepting the Torah on its own terms—Torah the way G-d learns it.
This is also the difference between nigle and Chassidus. The G-dliness in nigle is not readily perceptible. Nigle, like rain, refines and cleanses the learner. And just like rain is affected by evaporation from below, the G-dliness in nigle is more perceptible when the learner has the right intention. Chassidus however, is always clearly G-dly. And like dew, it’s not a result of the actions or intentions from “below.”
Exposing the G-dliness in nigle is twofold: the perceiver and what is being perceived. On one hand, the one learning nigle refines himself enough to be able to perceive the Holiness therein. On the other hand, Torah fulfills its G-dly purpose in being sent down to this world: to refine creation.
*. ) יצא לאור בקונטרס שמע”צ ושמח”ת – תנש”א, “לקראת שמע”צ ושמח”ת .. ערחה”ס, שנת ה’תנש”א”.
מאמר זה הוא המשך למאמרים שלפניו ד”ה יבחר לנו גו’ דראש השנה, ד”ה וכל אדם גו’ דשבת תשובה וד”ה בסוכות תשבו דיום ב’ דחג הסוכות שנה זו (תשכ”ג) – לעיל ע’ א ואילך; ע’ עד ואילך; ע’ קעח ואילך.
1. ברכה לג, ד.
15. האזינו לב, ב.
16. בראשית ב, ו.
17. ברוב המקומות איתא, שירידת המטר הוא ע”י זיכוך המטה. ובהמשך וככה תרל”ז הנ”ל, שזהו ענין המטר – ראה ד”ה שיר המעלות לדוד הנה מה טוב גו’ דל”ג בעומר ה’תשכ”ב ס”ו, ובהערות שם (לקמן ח”ג ס”ע רעג ואילך).
18. ב”ר פי”ג, יד.
19. ראה תדא”ר פי”ח. יל”ש איכה רמז תתרלד.
20. כ”ה בלקו”ת שם (עו, רע”א). אבל ברוב הדרושים שבהערה 8, דהקב”ה קורא ושונה כנגדו הוא מטר דתורה. וראה לקמן ס”ד.
21. ראה גם המשך תרס”ו ע’ שז, דענין הירושה דתורה (שהוא מצד הבירורים דתורה) הוא בגליא דתורה, וטל תורה הוא פנימיות התורה. [אלא, שבהמשך תרס”ו שם, שטל תורה (פנימיות התורה) הו”ע מתנה דתורה].
22. יומא עב, ב.
23. וע”ד המובא לקמן ס”ה שהגילוי דהוי’ ע”י תיקון ההסתר דאלקים אינו כהגילוי דהוי’ עצמו.