The Rebbe Rayatz once said at a farbrengen that it’s impossible to have a proper comprehension of Chassidus, the inner mystical dimension of Torah, if one does not have a chush in Naginah, a sensitivity to song.
Now Rabbi Chatche Faigen, the legendary Mashpia and mentor, was known to be tone deaf. He was approached by his students who asked him, How can you teach us so eloquently if you cannot sing?
He replied, “Zingin kennich nisht, ubber ah chush in neginah hub ich,” which translates to, I may not know how to sing, but I have an appreciation for music. This anecdote sheds light on the comparison found in this week’s parshah, haazinu, in which the Torah is compared to a song. What does this analogy teach us? What insight does song add to our relationship with Torah?
Perhaps, much like music, just as one does not need to be the greatest musician, singer, or maestro to appreciate music, when it comes to Torah, even if one is not the greatest scholar, and they have not mastered its learning, one can still have a profound connection to its message. Embedded and inherent in who we are is our ability to appreciate the Torah and its eternal relevance.
Perhaps this is also the prerequisite perspective that Yom Kippur asks of us. Teshuva too, is not only about mastery. It’s about the journey. The process of dirshu Hashem biheematzo, of seeking to become close to Hashem. That’s an integral part of teshuva. It’s our eagerness to change and pivot from where we are that elicits Hashem’s forgiveness.
In Judaism, it’s not only about results or about the P&L’s it’s about the investment, the effort. When we take that step, when we extend ourselves, Hashem celebrates our growth. When we finish a mesechta, a Talmudic tractate, part of the nussach we say is, “Ano anu ameilim, viheim ameilim, anu ameilim umikablim sechar, hem ameilim veaynam mikablim sechar.”
(“When a Yid toils, he receives reward. When others toil, they receive no reward”). How does this make sense? We see many other areas outside of Torah produce a tremendous amount of profit. How can we say that only with Torah does one’s toil receive reward? The Rebbe gives a beautiful insight. The evaluation of your company is result oriented.
It’s the profit and losses that determine the value. There’s no reward in the work, only in the outcome. But Torah celebrates the process, the effort, and the investment, and imbues them with inherent meaning and value. Our journey is not only about the destination, but the value of each step taken. Wishing you an elevated and fulfilling journey this Yom Kippur.
