We may not remember what we ingested each time we learned, but our Torah learning builds us much more than the food we eat
It was close to 1 a.m., and I was exhausted after a grueling day. I was eager to collapse into bed, and yet, there was something more to do, the day still incomplete until it was done. Before putting the day behind me, I sat down to learn.
Baruch Hashem, learning Torah has been a core of my entire adult life. In addition to the rigorous schedule of shiurim I’m fortunate to teach, I have had a daily chavrusa for many years — even though our schedules occasionally get away from us. Due to emergencies, the need to travel, or unexpected interruptions, there are days when our learning together simply doesn’t happen, and, shamefully too often, neither does most of my personal Torah learning.
So what makes a person who is desperate for sleep find the energy and willpower to stay up just a little bit longer to learn? What changed that made me sit down to learn that night, fighting off exhaustion?
Seven and a half years ago, we had the privilege to broadcast the Siyum HaShas at our shul, the Boca Raton Synagogue. Throughout the inspirational evening and the electric speeches, my chavrusa and I kept looking at each other. We didn’t even need to say the words. Our glances communicated our new commitment: We were going to join the daf yomi movement and finish Shas together.
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