אות - עה

I heard in his name from a while ago that he related: he learned all four parts of the Shulchan Aruch three times. The first time he learned them as their plain meaning; the second time he learned and completed them and knew for every law in the four parts of the Shulchan Aruch its root in the Gemara with the commentary of Rashi and the Tosfos; and the third time he learned and completed them and merited to know for every single law the secret of the mystical intention of that law — why the law is thus according to the esoteric dimension. And as it is said, all this was in his youth — for afterward he returned and completed them several more times. And his way was always to learn very very much all his days until the very end, even during the grave illness he had toward the end. And even though the burden of the community weighed upon him — he was much engaged with us and with all his followers to draw them near to the service of Hashem, and to give us counsel in all our affairs etc. — and also his mind was always wandering in lofty and wondrous attainments always etc. — even so he engaged in the simple study of Torah abundantly every single day. And he was not preoccupied at all — rather he was always in composure of mind. And in this matter there was a wondrous novelty and it is impossible to tell of it at all. And because of this he had leisure for everything. And his study was always with very great speed.

And he would study many folios of the Shulchan Aruch in one hour, with all the commentaries surrounding the four Shulchan Aruchs that are printed in the large volume — which are the Turei Zahav (148) and the Magen Avraham (149) and the Beer HaGolah (150) and the Pri Chadash (151) and the Ateres Zkainim (152) and the like in the other sections. And he related that in the time when people are preparing themselves to pray in the morning — from when they begin to gather until they begin to pray — in that hour he would study four folios of Shulchan Aruch (153). And similarly all that he studied of Gemara or Shulchan Aruch or the like — all of it was with very great speed. And he told us much about this matter — that it is good to study quickly and not to be overly precise in one's study. Rather to learn simply with diligence. And not to confuse one's mind greatly during study from matter to matter — rather to see to understand the thing simply in its place. And if sometimes one cannot understand one thing, one should not stay there long but should leave that matter and study further on. And generally one will afterward know by itself what one did not understand at first, when one studies in order with diligence further on.

And he said: one does not need in study anything more than the recitation alone — to say the words in order, and one will understand by itself. And one should not confuse one's mind at the beginning of one's study by wanting to understand immediately — for because of this it will be very difficult immediately and one will not understand at all. Rather one should insert one's mind in the study and say it in order with diligence, and by itself one will understand. And if one does not understand immediately — one will understand afterward. And if there remain some matters that even so one cannot penetrate their meaning — what of it? For the virtue of studying much surpasses all else, as our Sages o.b.m. said (Shabbas 63a): "Complete it and then understand it, even if one does not know what one is saying," as it says (Psalms 119:20): "My soul craves with longing" etc. (154). For through the abundance of study — studying quickly and meriting to study much — one will merit to go through those books one is studying many times, completing them and returning to start and completing them again and again. And through this one will understand by the second and third time all that one did not understand at first — all that is possible to understand and to grasp their meaning.

And he spoke very greatly about this matter, and it is impossible to explain these things in writing properly. But in truth it is a very good advice in the matter of study. For through this one can merit to study very much — to complete many many books, and one will also merit to understand the matters more than if one had studied with great precision, for that greatly disrupts study. And many people have stopped their studies entirely through their excessive precision. And nothing remained in their hands. But when one accustoms oneself to study quickly as mentioned above without much precision, the Torah will be preserved in one's hands, and one will merit to study very much — Gemara and all the Poskim, and Tanach and Midrashim and the books of the Zohar and Kabbalah and all other books. And it is already explained (above 28) in the discourse of Rabbainu o.b.m. that it is good for a person to go through in his lifetime all the books of the holy Torah. And once Rabbainu o.b.m. calculated what a person needs to study every day — that the day is not sufficient for it. That is: to complete every year the Shas with the Rif and the Rosh, and all four large Shulchan Aruchs, and all the Midrashim, and all the books of the Zohar and Tikkunim and Zohar Chadash, and all the Kabbalistic books of the Ari o.b.m. (155). Also one needs to study some measure each day with a bit of deep analysis. And he calculated many more things. Also one must recite Psalms every day, and many supplications and requests. And then he told much about this — that one must study with great speed and diligence and not confuse one's mind with excessive precision from matter to matter. And these things are tried and tested.

Also he did not command to review his study immediately — rather his will was always to study the book or the Shulchan Aruch one is studying in order from beginning to end with diligence, and then to start a second time and complete it entirely. And so again and again. Also he said: one should not be alarmed by what he warned — that one must study so much every day — for even if one does not merit to study that much, even so one can be a truly upright person. And he also already told about this: that one can be an upright person even if one cannot study at all — and even a Tzadik one can be even if one is not a scholar at all (156). Only a baal hasagah [one with deep attainment] can only be so when one is a scholar in Gemara with the commentary of Rashi and Tosfos. But an upright person and a complete Tzadik — even a completely simple person can merit this. "It is not upon you to complete the work, yet you are not free to desist from it" (Avos 2:16).

148. RAK: Abbreviation for "Turei Zahav." Composed by Rabbi David bar Shmuel HaLevi of Lvov; first printed in the year 5406. 149. RAK: Abbreviation for "Magen Avraham." Composed by Rabbi Avraham Abba Gombiner of Kalish; first printed in the year 5425.

150. RAK: Composed by Rabbi Moshe Rivkas of Vilna; first printed in the year 5418. 151. RAK: Composed by Rabbi Chizkiyahu di-Silva of Jerusalem; first printed in the year 5451.

152. RAK: Composed by Rabbi Menachem Mendel Auerbach of Kretchin. He passed away in the year 5449.

153. RAK: See Chayai Moharan, The Greatness of the Wonders of His Attainment, entry 25. 154. RAK: See Avodah Zarah 19a.

155. RAK: A total of approximately 30,000 folios of study per year. 156. RAK: Zohar Part I, 59b; Nitzotzei Oros there, entries 5-6. See below 211.