Honoring the Torah: Respect, Conduct, and Dignity

May this morning's shiur be a zechus for a rafuah shalema for Shlomo Ruben ben Hinda, a rafuah shalema for Yisroel Aryeh ben Chanafega, and a rafuah shalema for Semipessi bas Sheindol.

I found in the Sefer O Yosef Chai from the Ben Yishchai, the concept of Shemiras HaTorah requires Five components, properly living, doing mitzvos, Torah learning, teaching, ideally, includes the following five components.

Ma'aseh, v'dibor, v'chavona, u'machshava, ra'usa d'libor.

Now, what are these five things in English? The action.

The speaking, the Kavanah, which is the intention to complete or fulfill the mitzvah.

The Makhshaba is not the same as Kavanah, because Makhshaba is what I'm doing, focusing on what I'm doing while I'm doing it.

Kavanah usually comes before I begin to do it.

What do I intend to accomplish when I do what I'm about to do? Makhshaba is staying focused while I'm doing it.

Ra'usa d'libah is Aramaic.

I'm not sure why we got Aramaic at the end here.

Maybe because it's from the Zohar or Kaddosh.

And ra'usa d'libah, it means the desire of the heart, that there's more than a cognitive decision.

I'm choosing to do this because I want to, because I believe it's appropriate, because I think it's important, whatever I think this or think that about it, which is certainly important.

The Ben Yishai is pointing out that ideally there is a passion.

There's an emotional engaging when we learn Torah, teach Torah, model Torah, do mitzvot, that it's more than a cognitive experience.

It's an emotional connection and passion in what we're doing as well.

I just thought that was interesting.

It's not part of Pirkei Avos.

I wanted to share it with you.

I came upon it last week.