Reb Tzadok HaKohen of Lublin was once known as an illustrious member of the misnagdim, the opponents of chassidus who favored intensive study over ecstatic devotion as the true form of Divine service. Nevertheless, when he was once traveling through the town of Izbhitz he decided to attend a Torah class of the famous Mei Hashiloach, the great Izbhitza Rebbe. The Rebbe’s class began at midnight by wrestling with revealed matters in a passage of Talmud.
By the morning light, the discourse reached the secrets of the deepest matters of the spiritual universe. In their discussion they arrived at the fundamental point: How does one arrive at the knowledge of the Will of Hashem through the actions of man, and at the revelation of Hashem’s presence through the study of the Torah and the fulfillment of its commandments?
Reb Tzadok stayed to discuss the lesson with the Rebbe of Izbhitz after the class. The Mei Hashiloach suddenly broke off the discussion of the lesson, turned to Reb Tzadok and said:
“Here we sit, discussing and analyzing this passage of Talmud with our own mind and intellect, as if we were discussing matters of human wisdom. At the same time we understand that the Torah is Hashem’s, and hidden within it is His very will, may He be blessed. We know that through the process of Torah study, we can learn the Will of Hashem at every moment, at every second. This leads us to feel the presence of the Shechinah which rests everywhere. Our sole objective is to ask: What part of our study this evening has shown us the Will of the Holy One, blessed be He, and how can we use it to proclaim the glory of Heaven to the world? How can we use it to fulfill our obligation to sanctify and love the Name of Hashem in the world?” In hearing the words from the mouth of the Mei Hashiloach, dread descended on Reb Tzadok’s heart, and he began to tremble in his entire being. He asked the Rebbe:
“But how can we understand the Will of the Creator?”
“By means of the study of Torah!” answered the Mei Hashiloach. He continued, “A man who studies Torah must feel as if his feet are standing at the foot of Mount Sinai and he is hearing the Torah from the very mouth of the All Powerful.”
Reb Tzadok stood for a while, immersed in his thoughts. Days later, he would say of this conversation, “I felt as if he had placed burning coals on my heart.”
As a result of this meeting, Reb Tzadok became one of the principal students and chassidim of the Rebbe of Izbhitz and his path. He remained this way for the rest of his life.
Take It To Go!
Chassidus teaches us that learning Torah is not merely an intellectual study of the wisdom of Hashem, but rather it is an intimate encounter with the Shechinah itself, just as it was when the Torah was given on Har Sinai.
This article was found in Nekuda Tova Issue 18.