Who Finds Learning Torah The Most Difficult - R. Aharon Pessin - TorahAnytime.com

We're Shelanu Levanon. We are commanded to learn Torah day and night. If we had to make a list and put the person on top of the list, who is the person that should find it the most difficult to learn Torah? Whom should we put on the top of the list? A poor person? A rich person? A person who has all kinds of afflictions, he's sick? A young person with a lot of excitement? Earthly desires? A very old person? Who should be at the top of the list? A poor person who goes collecting? Who tops the list? >> [clears throat] >> Poor? The person who finds it the most difficult to learn Torah, and even he has to learn Torah. But who tops the list? >> [snorts] >> Poor? Rich is harder than poor? Even the guy who's going collecting, he knocks on your door every single day. Then? A sick person? He's bedridden, it's not hard for him. Who's the one most distracted because of situation? Is it because he is sick, because he is poor, rich? Who is the one who has the most distractions? It's exactly my shaila. The rich one? We're in agreement. What does that mean, no ability? So learn what you can learn. The Rambam breaks the differ. Listen to Halacha in the Rambam. Hilchos Talmud Torah, not to be believed. I think it's very encouraging. Kol ish me Yisrael chayav be Talmud Torah. Everybody in Klal Yisrael, if you're part of the nation, you are obligated to to learn. That's in perek aleph, Halacha ches. The Rambam now starts counting. Who are these people who are chayav be Talmud Torah? Obviously, kids under 13 are not hired, right? Only So who are these people who are hired in Talmud Torah? Whether Ben Ani whether he is poor or even Ben Asher. That means an Asher, a rich person, finds it more difficult. We're going from the Kal V'chomer. Ben Shalom B'gufoy, whether his body is intact, everything is fine. Ben Ba'al Yisurim, he is sick, he has all kinds of problems. Ben Bachur, whether he is young and energetic and full of earthly desires Ben She'Yesh Zaken Gadol She'Kocho Tashash, he is so old, he doesn't HAVE ANY MORE KOACH. HE IS STILL OBLIGATED. Afilu Haya Ani Amispalnes Min Ha'Tzedaka Umichazer Al Ha'Pischim, even if he is so poor that he has to go collecting, it seems that he tops the list. But the Rambam says if you think we reached the top of the list, no, I have one more guy for you. Who can be? We We can't do everything everybody that we mentioned before, no? One more person we FORGOT ABOUT. AFILU [screaming] Ba'al Isha U'Banim Chayav Likvo'a Lo Zman L'Talmud Torah Bayom U'Valayla, She'Ne'emar, V'Hagisa Bo Yomam Valayla, EVEN IF HE HAS A WIFE AND KIDS. AFILU SAYS RAV CHAIM KANIEVSKY, it's Meduyak from this Rambam that this person has the most dis- distractions most from everybody else. But guess what? Even he has half Talmud Torah. Since we do learn, I hope, we try, I think it's very encouraging. It's saying that WE'RE ABLE TO OVERCOME THE MOST CHALLENGING THING THAT THE HALACHA CAN TELL, AND yet we sit and learn. Baruch Hashem.