In the second of the
three Berachot that comprise Birkot Ha'Torah – the series of blessings we recite
each morning over Torah learning – we include a prayer that we and all our
descendants should be devoted students of Torah. Some Rabbis teach that one should have
special intention when reciting this prayer that his children and all his
offspring should grow into Torah-committed adults.
This second Beracha
concludes, "Baruch Ata Hashem Ha'melamed Torah Le'amo Yisrael" – "Blessed are
You, O G-d, who teaches Torah to His nation, Israel." This formulation reminds us that Hashem
Himself teaches us Torah. Although we
are, of course, required to invest maximum effort and exertion in the pursuit
of Torah knowledge and understanding, we cannot attain any knowledge or
comprehension without Hashem's assistance.
Whenever we attend a class, or open a book to learn, Hashem is there
with us teaching us the material, and it is only because of Him that we know
all that we know and understand all that we understand. I was privileged to learn with several great
Rabbis who, when they encountered a difficult passage or a difficult concept,
and were struggling to understand the material, they turned to Hashem and
prayed for His help. They truly
understood that G-d is "Ha'melamed Torah Le'amo Yisrael," that He is the one
teaching us whenever we learn.
This text of the
Beracha should also remind us of the great stature of Torah educators. I once visited the Skverer Rebbe together
with a prestigious educator in our community, and the Rebbe turned to him and
asked what he did. He replied that he
teaches Torah.
"You are emulating
your Creator," the Rebbe said. "He is a
teacher – and you're following in His ways."
Teaching Torah is a
special privilege, and a job which should elicit our respect and esteem – if
for no other reason that a Torah educator is doing precisely what Hashem does.
The final blessing of
Birkot Ha'Torah concludes, "Baruch Ata Hashem Noten Ha'Torah" – "Blessed are
You, Hashem, who gives the Torah."
Significantly, we speak of Hashem giving us the Torah in the present
tense. He did not give our nation the
Torah only once, at Mount Sinai. Every
time we learn, He is giving it to us anew.
Each and every day, and at every moment, we have the opportunity to
renew our connection to Hashem by receiving the Torah from Him. We must cherish every such opportunity and seize
every moment we can to strengthen our bond with our Creator by inviting Him to
give us the Torah anew.
