Ki Savo: Gaining Weight From Torah

Okay, Rabbi side going to have Shabbos one of our Torah on parshas Ki Savo. You should rejoice with all of the good that Hashem gives you. There is a very interesting tradition both in and in the world of Lithuanian Torah about a certain phenomenon that's actually quite interesting. A tradition from Rabbeinu Hakadosh of Lublin, Reb Leibel of Lublin about a guy in his time who is fat even though he was very poor and he was very diligent in learning. And nobody could understand why was this guy so hefty. He did not eat a lot. And the Lubliner Rebbe Reb Leibel Eiger said he achieved his enjoyment and his physical heftiness from learning Torah. His the Torah made him plump. Well, by the way, the Reb Tzaddik Hakohen writes the same thing on Shemini Atzeres. Again, he brings from the Harav Hakadosh of Lublin that there was a guy who became a Baal Basar from the enjoyment of his limud Torah. Which is interesting that the Gemara makes mention that Reb Papa was a Baal Basar. Okay, so you say that's Sifrei This isn't Sifrei Chassidus. They would never say that in Lithuania, would they? We know the Vilna Gaon ate very little. He slept very little. He learned day and night and he was very strong. Reb Reuven Feinstein writes in the safer Pirkei Sholom Pirkei Avos Pirkei Mishnah Chof Hey, this is quoted in the safer Adirei Hatorah on page 1,689. I have it in front of me. He says, "I heard when I was younger from my uncle." This is Reb Reuven Feinstein saying he heard from his uncle. His uncle's grandfather saw the Vilna Gaon. I don't know how that's really possible. I don't see how that's possible. Maybe his great uncle, his great great uncle. I don't know. And I'm sorry. His grandm- his uncle's grandmother saw the the Vilna Gaon. And she said the Gaon was very tall and he had a double chin. That the Vilna Gaon had a double chin. He had what's called center [music] koffel. How do you understand that? It's said in the name of the Gra that when Chazal say Torah weakens koach shel adam, that's if you learn Torah shelo lishma, but if you learn Torah lishma, the Torah is mosif koach. >> [snorts] >> Now, if there was anyone who ever learned Torah lishma, it was the Vilna Gaon. So, it's an idea that spiritual enjoyment can give somebody physical stamina and heftiness. Anyway, visamachta b'chol atov asher nosan lacha Hashem Elokecha. Rabbosai, have a great Shabbos. Shkoyach. Shabbos. Shabbos shalom. Good Shabbos.