“Who Has Time?”

Rabbanim, morai, v'rabbosai. The topic is crucial. It's difficult to overstate the importance of the topic of how to allocate time, how to prioritize in using our time. And for the simple reason that if one wants to define what life is, we all want to live a long life, we all ask the Ribono Shel Olam for Arichas Yamim. We bench each other on a birthday Arichas Yamim v'shanim. And ultimately the definition of life is time. That's what life consists of. The difference between a short life and a long life is so many extra years. And ultimately for that extra life, for that life to be meaningful, it's a function of how we use the time. So it's difficult to think of a more important or more central topic than tonight's topic of how we use our time, how we prioritize. And it's for that reason that we are devoting the shiurim tonight to this topic. On the other hand, it's a very difficult and in a certain sense impossible topic to tackle. And that is because the most one can hope to do is give general guidelines, but there are so many variables involved in everyone's personal situation that ultimately, even after hearing all the guidelines, there's a need to individualize and there's a need to apply it very specifically in a very individualized fashion to one's own life, to one's own set of circumstances, and the most, the most which we can hope to do is touch on some of the guidelines. It reminds one of the Mesillas Yesharim's conclusion after I'm a big baki in midas hazehirus in Mesillas Yesharim, not because I'm such a zahir, but because that's what he begins with, that's at the beginning. So we don't usually get too far in Mesillas Yesharim, it's a wonderful sefer, but it's, don't usually get that, don't get so far in it. But occasionally, you know, sometimes you open a book and you cheat, you want to see what the conclusion's going to be, so I cheated a little bit to see what the conclusion in the Mesillas Yesharim was going to be. And the Mesillas Yesharim says when he finishes writing, he says don't think I really finished because ein ladavar sof. There is no end to this, to this topic. And then he says v'zeh pashut, I'll just read it in the English translation: it is understood, it's obvious that each individual must guide and direct himself according to his calling and according to the particular activities in which he is engaged. The path of chasidus, of saintliness, appropriate to one toraso umnaso whose Torah is his calling is unsuited to one who must hire himself out to work for his neighbor. And the path of neither of these is suitable for one who is engaged in business. This holds true for all of the particulars in the affairs of men, each calling for a path of chasidus corresponding to its nature. This is not to say that chasidus varies in nature, it is unquestionably the same for everyone in that its intent is the doing of that which brings pleasure to Hakadosh Baruch Hu. But in view of the fact that circumstances vary, it follows of necessity that the means by which they are to be directed towards the desired goal vary in kind. And certainly that's exactly what we're talking about tonight. So the most we're doing is giving broad general guidelines, but with the understanding, it's not intended as a cop-out and it's not a cop-out, that obviously everything needs ultimately to be individualized and a shiur can only present guidelines, but it's a conversation, be it a monologue, be it a dialogue, which is necessary to personalize and individualize it. Now before, before discussing how one balances, how one juggles, I'd like to turn our attention to two other very fundamental questions. And the first one is, how much of my time, let's assume that we'll try to compile a list of those things which according to the Torah make demands on our time, right? Whether it's Talmud Torah, whether it's chesed, so we'll try to compile a list. But once that list has b'ezras Hashem been successfully compiled, the question is, well how much of my time do I owe to this list of things? So the Torah says, the Torah says you should learn, the Torah says you should do chesed and we'll, we'll add X, Y, and Z im yirtzeh Hashem. So how much of my time? Is it enough that I sort of... I give I give ma'aser to the Ribbono Shel Olam, and then the rest of the crop belongs to me? So then I give some of my time, or do I owe the Ribbono Shel Olam all my time? Again, we're not discussing what the balance will be, but rather we're discussing how big the pie is that we're slicing up here between things. And here, this is something, and and I have to tell you when Rabbi Taub mentioned that Baruch Hashem I am privileged to to come here on a regular basis, so the the premise for for my remarks this evening is that I I respect the audience, tremendous respect for the audience. I'm not the no what what I'm telling you is is unadulterated. It's a challenging topic in that it's difficult to deal with, and in the course of dealing with it, many things which will challenge us emerge. So let's try to confront that challenge together. If you look in the Sefer HaChinuch for instance, in the mitzvah of Ahavas Hashem, so the Sefer HaChinuch writes in the dinei hamitzvah that a person

ראוי לו לאדם שישים כל מחשבתו וכל מגמתו אחר אהבת השם

that one's goal, one's orientation, should be attaining Ahavas Hashem, love of God. Now this ra'ui perhaps is a little bit of an ambiguous phrase. Is it obligatory, is it is it recommended, is it something ideal, where exactly on the spectrum is it? Well when the when the Sefer HaChinuch concludes, right as as you know the Sefer HaChinuch in his presentation of every mitzvah always concludes with under what circumstances a person is considered to have violated this mitzvah. So when the Sefer HaChinuch concludes the mitzvah of Ahavas Hashem, he says ועובר על זה וקובע מחשבתו בעניינים הגשמיים if a person who violates this mandate of the Torah of Ahavas Hashem and he fixes his thoughts, his goals, be'inyanim hagashmiyim, in material matters ובהבלי העולם שלא לשם שמיים, not for the sake of heaven. Again, he's not talking about earning a parnassah or things like that per se obviously, but he's talking about mundane activities when they become an end unto themselves, right? בעניינים גשמיים ובהבלי העולם שלא לשם שמיים, right? When mundane activities become an end unto themselves, רק להתענג בהם בלבד, just to enjoy, just to have a good time in life, או להשיג כבוד העולם הזה, or to acquire the most worthless of commodities of of honor or fame, so the Sefer HaChinuch says bitel asei zeh, the person is considered in violation of this mitzvas asei of Ahavas Hashem. And it's very, very important to note here, very, very important to note here that there's no distinction drawn here between classes of people, between genders. This is something addressed to each and every one of us, again, no no distinctions drawn whatsoever. We will, I hope, bli neder, im yirtzeh Hashem, we will discuss a little bit the the role of of individuality, which the Mesillas Yesharim has already pointed to, exactly what the precise mix and blend of activities will be that we devote and direct to Hakadosh Baruch Hu is going to vary for each and every one of us, all within the parameters of Torah obviously, but this goal that a person should be working, aspiring, striving to achieving this goal that all of his, all of his time, all of his actions, all of his thoughts, a person is striving to devote and dedicate and direct that to Hakadosh Baruch Hu is something which is an obligation for each and every one of us. Similarly, again, this is not an idiosyncrasy of the Sefer HaChinuch. Similarly, the Rambam writes in Hilchos Deios in discussing the pasuk of bechol derachecha da'ehu, that you have to know Hakadosh Baruch Hu in all your ways, so the Rambam has a similar formulation that

צריך האדם שיכוון ליבו וכל מעשיו כולם לדעת השם ברוך הוא בלבד

that a person has to direct, has to gear, has to orient everything he does in order to know Hakadosh Baruch Hu, to come closer to Hakadosh Baruch Hu. And again, it's it's very fascinating, if you take a look in Hilchos Deios, the Rambam underscores it. If you just try to get a little overview of Hilchos Deios, there are places in Hilchos Deios, there are certain halachos in Hilchos Deios where the Rambam clearly says he's addressing the talmid chacham. And the Rambam begins one of the perakim in Hilchos Deios by saying that a talmid chacham... the same way he's nikar b'chochmaso, the same way he's supposed to be, he's recognizable, he's discernible by how much he knows, he also should be discernible, he should be he should stand out in terms of his exemplary conduct. And then there are many halachos including some Mishnayos in Pirkei Avos, which the Rambam quotes in that context. Right, where he's he's not addressing, he's not addressing us, he's addressing the talmidei chachamim. Now I would have thought, right, if I had been the editor of Mishneh Torah, I would have told the Rambam with all due respect, Rabbeinu Moshe, I think you misplaced this halachah of bechol derachecha da'ehu. Reserve that for the perek which you introduced with כשם שהחכם ניכר בחכמתו. This this lofty goal that a person directs all his energy to Hakadosh Baruch Hu, that's not that's not for me. That's for you, the Rambam, that's for the big talmidei chachamim, but that's not for me. And yet the Rambam amad shelo. And the Rambam says no, that this is something which I'm addressing to everyone. Do we pasken this way? Do we pasken like the Rambam and the Sefer HaChinuch? So in Orach Chayim at the end of Chelek Alef of Shulchan Aruch, so the Mechaber has a siman. It's a it's a short siman. It's one of those simanim in Shulchan Aruch which consist of only one se'if. There are many such simanim, but this is one of those simanim where he says the the siman is entitled that that a person is supposed to be מכוון בכל מעשיו לשם שמים, that whatever a person does, he is supposed to be mechaven l'shem shamayim. There is a Chassidishe vort on the pasuk where Eliyahu challenges the people and says to them, עד מתי אתם פוסחים על שתי הסעיפים, right? So really he means why are you straddling the fence, right? Take take sides. Either you're with the Ba'al or you're with the Ribbono Shel Olam. So there's a Chassidishe vort, עד מתי אתם פוסחים על שתי הסעיפים, how long are you gonna you gonna pay attention to everything else in Shulchan Aruch, but you're not gonna pay attention to those two simanim in Shulchan Aruch, each of which only consists of one se'if? Okay, so is this really what Eliyahu HaNavi had in mind? It's not clear, because there are other simanim in Shulchan Aruch which also only have one se'if, so yeish ladun bazei. But the two simanim which are singled out is the very first one in Orach Chayim of שויתי ה' לנגדי תמיד where the Rema quotes from the Rambam in Moreh Nevuchim, the opening paragraph in Shulchan Aruch of שויתי ה' לנגדי תמיד, that a person is supposed to always have an awareness of being in the presence of Hakadosh Baruch Hu. That's a one se'if, a one paragraph siman. And then the other one is כל מעשיך יהיו לשם שמים which is another one siman se'if. Now none of this those those who may be travel agents who are beginning to worry about their parnassah and vacations, none of this is to preclude vacations. Part of כל מעשיך יהיו לשם שמים is that a person when he needs to relax, he has to relax. And and if he needs to go on vacation, then then he should go on vacation. And if he needs to exercise, he should he should exercise. But the point is that it should be done in that context sincerely, it should be done in that context for that goal that I need to relax in order to be able to continue to use my time and focus my energies on serving Hakadosh Baruch Hu. And be'emes that's what the mishnah in Pirkei Avos of היום קצר והמלאכה מרובה ובעל הבית דוחק is that Hakadosh Baruch Hu has given us so much work to do that it fills the entire day. So the pie that we're discussing and and trying to slice here and in terms of allocating time is all our time. It's not a question of that I'll I'll fulfill I'll fulfill my chiyuvim to the Ribbono Shel Olam in five hours a day, in six hours a day, and the rest is my time. No, all of our time is really meshubad, all of our time is meshubad to Hakadosh Baruch Hu. Again, what that translates into, the precise mix and blend that that translates to, that's what the Mesillas Yesharim already anticipates is going to vary for each of us. Now what things make demands on our time? What what according to the what does the Torah demand from our time? So we're all familiar with the mishnah in Pirkei Avos,

על שלשה דברים העולם עומד על התורה ועל העבודה ועל גמילות חסדים.

Now when mishnah says it, so presumably the mishnah is talking about the macrocosm, right? The mishnah is talking about about the universe. But it's also true what the mishnah says holds true for the olam katan as well, for the microcosm, right? And and every person, every individual is a microcosm, an olam katan, it holds true as well. How do we know that? The Gemara says in Avodah Zarah that כל העוסק בתורה בלבד That one who is solely preoccupied with Torah, and as the Gemara with Talmud Torah, with studying Torah, and as the Gemara soon makes clear, it means to the exclusion of gemilus chasadim, that he's not involved in gemilus chasadim at all, so the Gemara has such a shocking formulation, דומה כמי שאין לו אלוה, like he has no God, it's like he's an atheist rachmana litzlan, if all he does is spend all his time learning Torah and no time on chesed. So clearly, clearly the al haTorah and gemilus chasadim is clear from the Gemara in Avoda Zara. The Gemara then says in the first perek in Masechet Shabbos that כגון אנו מפסיקין בין לקריאת שמע בין לתפילה, that even if we happen to be involved in learning, we would even interrupt our learning to daven, so clearly the pillar of avoda has to be present in our lives as well. So the על התורה על העבודה על גמילות חסדים formula is true again not only for the macrocosm but for the individual, for the microcosm as well. Here we'll come back to this again bli neder, but with regard to avoda and its place in our life, one of the things we struggle with in terms of balancing and juggling and allocating time is what's possible, what's not possible. But very often, we think that the terms possible and impossible are objectively defined and yet circumstances often show that it's not so objective. The most common phenomenon which one sees rachmana litzlan is a person whose schedule doesn't allow him to daven be-tzibbur. Then rachmana litzlan he becomes a chiyuv, he has to say kaddish and all of a sudden it becomes possible that somehow or other even in the winter he's able to daven be-tzibbur Mincha. As difficult as it was, it used to be impossible but now somehow or other circumstances show that maybe it wasn't really impossible, maybe it was really a big nisayon, maybe it was really extremely, maybe even inordinately difficult but wasn't actually impossible. Ve-haraya, now unfortunately rachmana litzlan when he has to say kaddish, so somehow or other he finds the time. So it's very important to be mindful of again what's impossible, what's very difficult. I would venture to think that it's no less of a zchus for parents when a son with tremendous mesiras nefesh juggles his schedule for the 11 months of kaddish to be in shul three times a day to daven be-tzibbur. I would venture to say it's no less of a zchus that he lives his life that way even when the parents are alive, I would think maybe it's even a greater zchus. So why should it be rachmana litzlan that one needs that impetus to make tefilla be-tzibbur a central part of one's life. Now it's true, it's true there is a de'ah in the poskim whether or not tefilla be-tzibbur is absolutely mandatory or whether it just enhances and embellishes. Is it a chiyuv, is it a ma'alah? So some poskim hold it is a chiyuv, some poskim hold it is a chiyuv. Even according to those poskim who hold it's not a chiyuv, we clearly need tefilla be-tzibbur, we clearly need tefilla be-tzibbur for two reasons. Most of us will daven better be-tzibbur than we will be-yechidus, than we will be-yechidus. And second of all, davening be-tzibbur makes davening an anchor in our lives. It means that our lives become oriented around avoda she'be'lev because we organize our schedules. Shacharis is this time, Mincha is this time, Maariv is that time. When one has the luxury of davening be-yechidus, we don't appreciate the importance of tefilla and we don't lend it the same importance and centrality which it should have in our life. But when we make a sacrifice for something, that's what the darshanim quote from Masechet Derech Eretz, that's the way a person fosters attachment is by making sacrifice. So the Masechet Derech Eretz says if you don't like someone, if there's someone you don't like but there's a mitzvah of ahavas Yisrael, how do you get yourself to like him? So the Masechet Derech Eretz says do something for him, do something for him, make a sacrifice for him. Why? Because when you invest in someone, when there's a part of you in that other person, so then you naturally come to love the other person. When parents parents, in addition to the instinctive love which parents have for their children, so that love becomes greater the first time your child is is up at night, or Rachmana Litzlan sick at night and you spend the whole night up with the child, so then the bond that you feel in the morning is a stronger bond, it's a deeper bond cause you've you've sacrificed. That's what the Maseches Derech Eretz says, הרוצה שחברו יאהבהו ידו, something like that, that you want that your friend should become more beloved to you because you you recognize that you don't have Ahavas Yisrael towards him, so you have to sacrifice towards that person. So the same is true not only in terms of bein adam l'chavero, the same is true in bein adam l'makom also. If we want something, if we know that something is very important, Avodas Shebalev, Avodas Shebalev is is difficult to exaggerate its importance, and yet we we recognize that we recognize that, you know, the 6:00 minyan is out the door 6:25, and and I usually five minutes before the minyan is over, so we recognize that maybe maybe we're selling it short and then a person has to sacrifice. I think that the machlokes in the poskim about whether tefillah b'tzibbur is a ma'alah or a chiyuv is is not so relevant to us and that we certainly need to to take it as a chiyuv. So we have that a person has to have in his life Torah, Avodah, and Gemilus Chasodim. In addition, a person has an obligation, it's a mitzvah as Rav Schachter referred to, that a person should should work for parnassah. Obviously our hashkafa is that we don't believe that there's a natural cause and effect in the, you know, in the classical physical sense of the concept between our working and our parnassah. Everything is b'yedei shamayim. Hakadosh Baruch Hu decides how successful we're going to be. הכל מזונותיו של אדם קצובים, Hakadosh Baruch Hu decides how much we're going to earn, what what our salary is going to be, but that notwithstanding, Hakadosh Baruch Hu says that we're supposed to be active, we're supposed to be proactive, we're supposed to exert ourselves to earn a parnassah. And the Rambam talks about this very emphatically in among other places in Perek Gimmel of Hilchos Talmud Torah: כל תורה שאין עמה מלאכה סופה בטילה וגוררת עון, ahuv es hamelachah, etc. that a person is supposed to have a way, he's supposed to have a profession, he's supposed to have a way by which he can earn a living. And finally, the other major demand which the Torah makes on our time in addition to Torah, Avodah, Gemilus Chasodim, in addition to parnassah is is family. And that again as Rav Schachter referred to, both bein adam l'ishto, between a man, a husband and wife, as well as vis-a-vis children. Vis-a-vis children, there are two mitzvos, two chiyuvim with boys who have a chiyuv, there's a chiyuv of Talmud Torah, ולמדתם אתם את בניכם. And then there is a general mitzvah which applies to both sons and daughters. The Meshech Chochma says on the pasuk in Parshas Vayeira, למען אשר יצוה את בניו ואת ביתו אחריו, or something like that, I don't remember the exact wording of the pasuk, that Hakadosh Baruch Hu says, I love Avraham Avinu, ki yedativ, I love Avraham Avinu and I and I have this intimate relationship with him because I know that he will train the members of of his household to follow v'shamru derech Hashem, to follow in the path of Hakadosh Baruch Hu. And the Meshech Chochma explains that this is a source m'doraisa for chinuch, again in a general sense for both sons and daughters. When we talk about chinuch being only m'derabbanan, it means that right now on the 15th of Tishrei that I should tell this boy to shake a lulav, this particular act right now, that's only that's only m'derabbanan. But the general thrust that a person has to spend the time in order to put put his children on the derech Hashem, that the result should be that when they leave when they leave his house and when and when they're beyond the sphere of his influence that it should be v'shamru derech Hashem, that they should guard the path of Hakadosh Baruch Hu, so that certainly is a mitzvah d'oraisa. Now, so we have these these five: Torah, Avodah, Gemilus Chasodim, parnassah, family. How does a person how does a person allocate? So it's interesting that the Rambam in Perek Aleph of Hilchos Talmud Torah in the context of saying l'shalesh, that a person is supposed to divide his learning time into three parts, he studies Torah Shebiksav, he studies Basically Mishnayos, halachos pesukos, and then he studies Gemara, which according to the Rambam means a deeper understanding of parts of Torah and other things as well. So when the Rambam is illustrating this, the Rambam, it's very interesting, the Rambam first says how many hours a day it takes the person to earn his parnassa, and then says, 'now we'll figure out how much time he has left' to divide up in terms of his Talmud Torah. So it seems clear from the Rambam that when you begin slicing up the pie, when you begin dividing up the 24 hours in the day, the first one sees how much time the parnassa takes. It depends how much time the parnassa takes, and then the rest of the time will be divided up amongst other things. But here, and again Rav Schechter touched on this, the question is: so parnassa. So how much parnassa? So the Rambam says, mifarnes es atzmo. He has to find an omnus which is mifarnes es atzmo. Now here too the question is, what exactly does that mean? That it provides him with parnassa, with livelihood. So what does that mean? So here, you know we mentioned before about how sometimes the line between difficult and impossible seems to shift. So too there’s no question that over the centuries, the line between necessities and luxuries has also been a shifting and moving line. And there’s no question, and this is a theme which certainly the gedolim of the past century have been sounding, that our conception of necessities as opposed to luxuries is one which has become very inflated. So a person has to figure out, well first I have to earn my parnassa. But how much time that's gonna take depends upon what a person defines as necessities and what a person defines as luxuries. So the question is: is it a necessity that I have to be able to take my family to a hotel? Is it a necessity that I have to be able to afford an expensive vacation including airfare and everything else? But the type of lifestyle which a person is looking to support is going to dictate exactly how much he has to earn, and that of course is often going to translate into how much money the person has to earn. Now, the Chofetz Chaim used to point out as a mussar haskel, I heard this from Rav Gershon Zaks zichrono livracha. You know the Gemara says in Sukkah and elsewhere, where it talks about the many halachos in the Torah which have to deal with a house, right? A house. So if you've built a new house, then you're excused from going out to war if you haven't yet had a chanukas habayis. And you mention of chiyuv mezuzah, to put a mezuzah depends upon a house. So how big is a house? So I live, I have a few bedrooms, baruch Hashem, and we have a living room, we have a dining room, we have baruch Hashem a nice-sized house. So what's the Torah's conception of a house? So the Torah says it has to be דלת אמות על דלת אמות. It has to be four amos by four amos. But if it's less than that, that's not a house already. But דלת אמות על דלת אמות, that's already a house, and it's inconceivable that a person should have invested all this time and effort to build himself a whole house, דלת אמות על דלת אמות. Six by six, eight feet by eight feet, something along those lines. That was the Torah's conception of a house. Now I can't without being guilty of hypocrisy tell you that we're all supposed to be living in a studio with our families, and that's not what I intend to insinuate either, but it is a helpful reminder and maybe it does give us pause for a moment to step back and really reassess, you know, to what extent our definition and where we draw the line between luxuries and necessities, to what extent that reflects the views of the society in which we live and to what extent that reflects Torah values. The society in which we live, so olam hazeh is the ultimate. Olam hazeh is the ultimate, so that gives you one definition of necessities versus luxuries and one attitude, one approach towards how important even luxuries are, even if one concedes that it's a luxury, but how important it is. But that's not our view of olam hazeh, specifically when that that line between genuine necessities and what are luxuries is blurred, so A, we become guilty of, right, it was just a week ago we read the Ramban's understanding of Kedoshim Tihyu, the Ramban says it's addressing exactly this, exactly redifah achar ha'mosaros where a person where we pursue material excess. Excess materialism according to the Ramban and even if it doesn't violate any other mitzvah, right, even if it doesn't violate any other mitzvah, but it does violate this mitzvah of Kedoshim Tihyu. But there's an even more sobering mistake in in the indulgent and often a little bit too materialistic lifestyle that we live, and and that's the following. You know, the Mishnah in Pirkei Avos tells us that that עולם הזה דומה לפרוזדור בפני עולם הבא that that this world is like an antechamber. It's a waiting room before before Olam Haba. Now, if if someone joins the military, right, so what what do they try to accomplish during basic training? What they try to accomplish is, they try to simulate the type of conditions that he's going to be faced with in a war, rachmana litzlan, because the whole point of of the training is you can't let the person continue to live a lifestyle which won't prepare him for the challenges which await him. So in basic training, so they have to be prepared and they have to be trained to deal, again, with the type of of challenges which a real-life rachmana litzlan wartime situation would pose. So if Olam Hazeh is a simple cheshbon, right, if Olam Hazeh is a is a prozdor before the traklin of Olam Haba, if it's the antechamber before the banquet room which is Olam Haba, then clearly we want to mold our personalities that our personalities should be such that that we'll enjoy Olam Haba, that our personalities are suited to Olam Haba. Now, whatever conception of Olam Haba one takes, whether it's the Rambam's conception that it's a non-corporeal existence, that in Olam Haba only the neshamah exists and and the body doesn't live eternally in Olam Haba, only the neshamah. Or if one accepts what the Yad Ramah insists is the majority opinion—he says it's the more traditional opinion which the Geonim subscribe to—which is that Olam Haba, no, that we live be-guf u-neshamah. It is a corporeal existence, but everyone agrees, the Yad Ramah also agrees, the Ra'avad who who also disagrees with the Rambam, the Gemara does say that in Olam Haba there's no eating, and there's no drinking, and there's no there's no sleeping. Everyone agrees even if eternal life—we should all be zocheh—in in in Olam Haba is guf u-neshamah, is body and soul, but everyone agrees it's not the type of existence of Olam Hazeh. Even if it's body and soul, again, which is the majority opinion, but it's a spiritual, much more spiritual existence. Again, there's no eating, there's no drinking. The Rambam thought those were metaphors for there's no body. The Rambam says, "How can you have a body without eating and drinking?" And the Ra'avad and the Yad Ramah say, no, say it's it's intended literally. It's not a metaphor. It's that we do live eternally in Olam Haba with our bodies, but it's a purely spiritual existence. So if one's if one sort of gears himself and orients himself and molds his personality to to enjoying the pleasures of Olam Hazeh, so that doesn't leave us well prepared for the eternal life, for nitzchiyos of Olam Haba. And in addition to just the Rambam's, you know, specific directive of Kedoshim Tihyu, I think this is also something which which it's very, very worthwhile to to meditate upon. So parnassah again, in in terms of coming back to our allocation of time, so the way the Rambam describes it is first a person has to earn his parnassah, right? Now the Rambam was talking in a different type of economy than we are. The Rambam was talking about an economy where many people were day laborers and that you didn't and you could just every day you could go out and hire yourself up for as many hours as you needed to to earn money for that day. And the Rambam talks about you work three hours a day. So obviously all of that has to be adjusted to the to the economic realities as as we know them. But again, in terms of how much a person needs, so we really need to to rethink very carefully what what are necessities from a Torah perspective and what are luxuries. Now, granted, granted that We can't turn the clock back entirely, right, and granted that I'm not moving tomorrow to a house of, if you have a house with daled amos by daled amos you want to sell, no thank you, I'm not interested. I'm not moving there tomorrow either, but that notwithstanding, lechorah some correction is necessary in terms of where we draw the line between necessities and luxuries. Now, that notwithstanding, and here again, just to return briefly for a moment to the theme of individuality and of individualizing things, let's say a person Baruch Hashem has been so successful in business that he really has enough money to retire now. He could live off the interest for the rest of his life, take care of his family, he could really do it. So does that mean that, again, especially given what we've been talking about, about drawing a line between necessities and luxuries, does that mean a person is supposed to, is he obligated to retire? So the answer again is that's not necessarily the case. This is something which Rav Schechter also addressed and the Mishna Berura, if you look in that siman in reish lamed aleph, which we mentioned earlier, so the Mishna Berura says that again, if the person knows that he's not going to make the most of his time, he's not going to sit a whole day and learn, or he doesn't have enough chesed projects which are going to engage him all day. So then the Mishna Berura says, so such a person, so let him work fifty percent of the time. He doesn't say fifty percent of the time, but he says even if he has enough money, so let's, adapting the Mishna Berura, so let him cut back somewhat, and he should have the kavanah, he should have the intention, even though he already has enough money to live off, that he's going to give more money for tzedaka by continuing to work. Or if he has a business, he's going to provide employment for all kinds of people and do chesed in that fashion as well. So again, in terms of what the implications are, what the implications are if a person has enough for necessities, again, it doesn't necessarily mean that he should stop working altogether, but that this then brings us into the subjective realm where each individual has to find the correct mix and blend. But the point is that a person shouldn't be driven to have to work by setting the standard of what my basic expenses are so high that it just demands that I have to maintain a certain indulgent lifestyle. That's the point. Okay, let's continue. So Parnasa begins, I work so many hours a day, now I have other time to divide up, not too much time to divide up here, but I have a little time, I have some time now to divide up amongst the other things which the Torah, the other demands which the Torah places on our time. Again, let's for argument's sake begin with someone who again, all things being equal, could devote himself to Talmud Torah, both in terms of learning himself as well as Talmud Torah derabim, whether it's giving a shiur, learning with other people, or he could equally well, he's very capable, he's very gifted, he could equally spearhead all kinds of chesed projects. Again, if the person realizes that his kochos, his abilities and his inclinations lie more in one area than the other area, so again, that's going to be reflected in his unique mix and blend. The Or Sameach has a mini-essay in perek aleph of Hilchos Talmud Torah where he makes the point very forcefully. He says that you can't, that what's uniform in terms of the obligation of Talmud Torah is as Rav Schechter mentioned, the kevius itim, the kevius itim which has to be again, not just once a day, but twice, once in the day, once at night. Beyond that, the Or Sameach says you can't equate everyone's chiyuv in Talmud Torah and some people Hakadosh Baruch Hu oriented them in such a way that they have a greater chiyuv of Talmud Torah and some people Hakadosh Baruch Hu oriented them in such a way that there's a lesser chiyuv of Talmud Torah. Now that doesn't mean, the Or Sameach is not implying, and it's very, very important to realize this, that when we keep talking, the Mesillas Yesharim says, right, there are going to be different paths in attaining chasidus, right, there are going to be different, what the exact mix of blend is. is going to vary from individual to individual, so it doesn't mean that if Reuven's mix includes 10 hours a day of learning and Shimon's mix includes only three hours a day of learning, it doesn't mean that Reuven is superior to Shimon, right? That's what the Gemara in Berachos says of אחד המרבה ואחד הממעיט ובלבד שיכוון לבו לשמים. If Reuven is doing again with his abilities, he has created the mix or the blend which matches his abilities and his circumstances, and Shimon has done the same, then Kulam shavim l'tova. So then what each one is doing is equally precious and equally dear to the Ribbono Shel Olam. אחד המרבה ואחד הממעיט. So when we talk about this, there's no superiority or inferiority here, it's just a question of every person has to try to find that correct mix and blend. So when we discuss about if a person could go either way, that he should opt for Talmud Torah, which is what we're about to discuss, again that doesn't imply that when the person looks at himself in the mirror and says, you know, I have tremendous kochos to spearhead lots of chesed projects, I don't have the same kochos in terms of learning, whether it's not having the zitzfleisch or whatever the for whatever temperamental or circumstantial reason, again it doesn't mean that one path is superior, one is inferior. אחד המרבה ואחד הממעיט ובלבד שיכוון לבו לשמים. And again, as we're all familiar with the famous saying of the one of the early masters of Chasidus, Reb Zusha, that they're going to ask him, they won't ask him why wasn't he like Moshe Rabbeinu, they're going to ask him why weren't you like Zusha. So clearly in discussing the fact that there are different mixes and different blends, not one is superior to the other, a person is judged relative to what he could do. Again, that notwithstanding, let's say what happens if a person has the kishronos, he has the abilities, he could go in either direction, again he could be involved in learning and teaching Torah, he could be involved in chesed. So it seems pretty clear that unless we're talking about some pressing chesed project which will not be accomplished otherwise, which is המצווה שאי אפשר להיעשות על ידי אחרים, which will not, either because it's impossible, it can't be, or because others don't recognize the need, it will not be accomplished by others, so then that's what we say in the morning every day after Birchas HaTorah of תלמוד תורה כנגד כולם and then with the Yerushalmi in Pe'ah which the Vilna Gaon quotes in different places of וכל חפציך לא ישוו בה, that every mitzvos, again they don't equal Talmud Torah. So again, all things being equal, a person would devote more of his free time, right, more of the time he has available to himself, again outside of the demands of earning a living, all things being equal, to Talmud Torah rather than chesed. And here I think it's also important to just call to mind, you know, the Gemara in Sukkah in commenting on the pasuk in Eishes Chayil of ותורת חסד על לשונה. So the Gemara in Sukkah asks, so are there two Torahs? One Torah of chesed, one Torah not of chesed? So the Gemara has two answers. The second answer is the Gemara says that תורה על מנת ללמד, if a person studies Torah having in mind to teach others, to share it with others, so that's Toras chesed. If a person studies Torah just for sich, he's studying only for himself and it's nothing which is going to be shared with others, so that's a תורה שאינה של חסד. So there's a very important halacha here in this Gemara and that is that when we talk about that a person can't have only Torah, but within his involvement in Torah he can do chesed also. If it's a chesed for me to give a poor person Rachmana litzlan money so he can buy clothing, so he can buy food, and what if a person is starving spiritually? So that's not a chesed? So that's also a chesed. If you learn with someone who can benefit from your learning, it can be that you're mekarev him, it could be that Baruch Hashem he's already been exposed to Torah u'mitzvos, he's already a committed Jew, but you're helping him, but you have more of a background, the Ribbono Shel Olam blessed you with more of a background and you can help elevate him to a higher level, so that's not only Torah, but that's chesed also. That's Toras chesed. So when we talk about the Gemara in Avodah Zarah about the need, again, that you can't have only Torah, but often Torah can be a vehicle for chesed as well. We spoke already about the importance of tefillah b'tzibbur, just two more minutes and we spoke already about the importance of tefillah b'tzibbur three times a day, and finally in terms of family Schachter spoke about this at some length and I don't want to, I don't want to duplicate what he said, but but just just to repeat in other words that it's not only that, let's say when it comes to chinuch, when it comes to educating, teaching Torah to one's children, it's not only again that maybe this that this has priority over other demands, which it certainly does, but even within Talmud Torah, the primary mitzvah of Talmud Torah, the primary mitzvah of Talmud Torah is to teach, חייב אדם ללמד בנו תורה. That's the primary mitzvah of Talmud Torah and certainly the Or Sameach's mitzvah, the Meshech Chochmah's mitzvah of למען אשר יצוה ושמרו דרך השם doesn't rank any lower and it would seem that in terms of all a person's pursuit and the time he has outside of parnassah that this really has a, that this really has priority that a person again his ultimate chiyuv, his ultimate chiyuv again, hu beno notwithstanding, but a person's ultimate chiyuv is that the children should be veshameru derech Hashem and this certainly has to have priority in terms of how he allocates his time. I would just mention again very quickly and I'm sorry for being a little bit too rushed and therefore too superficial, that when we talk about being mechanech children and that that has to be given priority, so obviously it means specifically and it most often means teaching them, studying with them, training them, but it also means to be an oved Hashem. You know what often when you encounter people who don't have healthy self-confidence or self-esteem, so it's something which affects them in all areas of life and it affects their avodas Hashem also. It affects their avodas Hashem also. So part of the chiyuv chinuch which a person has is not only to sit down and study a pasuk Chumash and Rashi with his son, not only to sit with his children and to imbue them with a love for Torah and a love for Yiddishkeit, but it's also to nurture them and to nourish them that they should grow up again with being very well-adjusted, very secure individuals with healthy, healthy self-confidence and self-esteem and that's also part of the mitzvah. That's also part of the mitzvah. In today's society you can ask menahalim, you ask principals in yeshivas and they'll tell you that very often, I'm actually paraphrasing one now, what happens out on the ball field goes a long way to determining what's going to happen in the classroom. So very often, very often, it's a mitzvah to play ball with your kids. It's a mitzvah to play ball with your kids. If in today's society if that's going to determine to some extent as they're growing up at their age the self-confidence and self-esteem that they have, so whatever a person does to imbue children with the healthy self-confidence and self-esteem is part of the mitzvah of chinuch. They can't have a love, a simchas hachayim, a joie de vivre, a love for Torah, a love for Yiddishkeit if they don't feel good about themselves. Everything begins with that and that certainly is part of one's chiyuv chinuch and again has priority in terms of demands on one's time. And finally just one final he'arah. I apologize for not allocating my time so successfully, but finally one final he'arah. We mentioned a few times beginning with a quote from the Mesillas Yesharim about the individuality and how everyone's mix or blend is going to be different. And again, the important thing to realize is that there's nothing bedi'eved about that. There's nothing second-rate about that. I think Rabbeinu Yonah comments in the Mishna in Pirkei Avos. The Mishna in Pirkei Avos asks the question איזוהי דרך ישרה שיבור לו האדם. What one middah should a person hold on to? Should a person seize? Should a person grab onto? And the Tannaim say different middos. So says Rabbeinu Yonah what kind of, that's sort of a loaded question. Why does there have to be one? Why does there have to be one? So Rabbeinu Yonah says because people usually have a defining characteristic. People usually have a defining characteristic. Let's say the Avos were all identified with different middos, right? Avraham Avinu is identified with Chesed and Yitzchak Avinu is identified with Gevurah and Yaakov is tiferes and then the... It doesn't mean that they neglected the others, but nevertheless they're identified with one more than the other. So you see even by the, even by the Avos, even by Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov, again that the mix, that the blend was not the same. That's the way the Ribbono Shel Olam created us, that we're all different. And that's why ultimately it can only give general guidelines in terms of that the parnassah comes first in terms of deciding how much of the day is left to divide amongst other things, then clearly the ki yedativ of v'shomru derech Hashem next, and then all things being equal between Talmud Torah and and chesed, so a person should fully realize his contribution and his chelek and his shiur in in Torah, and after that chesed, but again that's each person כפי מה שהוא אדם, each person again given the unique, the unique blend of circumstances and abilities which Hakadosh Boruch Hu has given us.