The Secret of In-Depth Study: How to Break Bad Character Traits
Lesson No. 56 | Tuesday, Parashas Shmini, 20 Nissan, 5th day of Chol HaMoed Pesach 5756 (Continued in No. 57)
Studying Gemara (Talmud) with iyun (in-depth study) and profound concentration is not merely about acquiring knowledge; rather, it is the only tool for purifying the mind and breaking bad character traits. Through toiling over the disputes of the Tanaim and Amoraim (Talmudic sages), a person draws upon himself "Anpin Nehirin" (a shining countenance) and subdues all negative desires and impulses.
Rebbe Nachman of Breslov teaches us that it is an absolute obligation to study the disputes of the Tanaim and Amoraim within the Gemara. Studying the Gemara straightens out all the twists and turns in the mind. A person must toil and grapple with the Talmudic topics, with the Tanaim and Amoraim, and with all the commentators on the Shas (Talmud)—the Rashba, the Ritba, the Meiri, the Rambam, the Raavad, the Kesef Mishneh, the Tur, and the Shulchan Aruch.
Only after he grapples with all of them will he see the light. His mind will become straight, and then he will merit the concept of:
"Know what to answer an apikoros (heretic)."
Through this immense effort, when the mind literally feels like it is "exploding" from so much toil, all the spiritual filth within the mind explodes along with it. Then, a person understands everything straight, draws down wisdom, and comprehends every matter deeply and accurately.
The Only Tool for Breaking Bad Traits
Rebbe Nachman says in Torah 101 that it is impossible to break any bad character trait without *iyun* (in-depth study). A person might walk around with bad traits, with arrogance, speaking lashon hara (evil speech), guarding his eyes poorly, and other terrible spiritual blemishes, and it all stems from the fact that he does not study in-depth.
A person, by his very nature, is made of material heavier than the entire earth. As Reb Noson explains (Hilchos Arev 5), only the true tzaddik miraculously holds him up so that he does not crack the earth open from the sheer weight of his burden. However, to truly break free from bad traits and rectify oneself, a person is obligated to dive into the depths of the Torah.
The Difference Between Israel and the Nations
The fundamental difference between us and the nations of the world is iyun (in-depth study). The non-Jews can study the Tanach (Bible), and even study Gemara and Rambam in universities, but for them, it is only to know "what is written." They have no understanding of what iyun is, what it means to debate back and forth (pilpul), to understand what is difficult, and to get down to the root of the logic. For us, the Torah is the words of the living God, and we must know where every utterance is drawn from and what its root is.
When Hashem appeared from Mount Paran and wanted to give the Torah to all creations, the nations of the world refused to accept it. What were they afraid of? They were afraid of in-depth study! They knew that in-depth study would break their bad character traits. They can manage with a simple commandment like "Do not murder"—even a dictator who murders millions claims he is doing it for the sake of "peace" and "order." But in-depth study does not allow for such deceit; it uproots the evil from its very source.
Drawing Down "Anpin Nehirin" (A Shining Countenance)
There are two forces in the Torah: "Seventy Anpin Nehirin" (shining faces) and "Seventy Anpin Chashuchin" (dark faces). One who delves deeply into the wisdom of the Torah merits the Anpin Nehirin, reflecting the verse, "A man's wisdom illuminates his face." Through this, the yoke of government and the yoke of worldly struggles are removed from him, and all the subjugation, desires, and bad traits of the idolaters—which represent the Anpin Chashuchin—are nullified within him.
The more a person grasps with his intellect—and the intellect of the Torah is higher even than prophecy—the more he subdues the grip of the nations of the world and the bad traits within him. When a person studies Torah with *Anpin Nehirin*, he becomes holy, and he can no longer tolerate any bad trait. He puts his ego and his desires to death in the tent of Torah, and he merits to truly be called "Adam" (man), whose essence is true intellect and the wisdom of the Torah.
Part 1 of 2 — Lesson No. 56
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