Love of Learning in the Jewish Tradition (1992)

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The Study of Torah Lishmah in the Works of Rabbi Hayyim of Volozhin, Chapters 7-9 and Excurses 1, 4 (1966)

Before R. Hayyim proceeds to elaborate his own definition of lishmah, he presents a brief criticism of the devotional interpretation of the Hasidim. The popularity of the Hasidic view equating lishmah with their version of devekut can be gauged by R. Hayyim's casual remark that this theory is held by "most of the world." The first evidence R. Hayyim offers in disputing the Hasidic thesis is a passage in Midrash Tehillim on the verse, "let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight, O. Lord."

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The Yeshiva and the World (1997)

A Yeshiva is not a place of learning and attitude-building alone. In a yeshiva a student must also prepare and adjust to his future life. And if when in yeshiva he will restrict himself to its ד׳ אמות, and not prepare himself to live in the outer society, to mingle with people even as he inwardly communes with his Maker (as taught in חובות הלבבות), he will not attain the right way in his later career, after he leaves the confines of the yeshiva – and certainly he will not be prepared to exercise influence over the world, which is the mission of every Jew: to sanctify the Name, which is possible only if one is involved with his fellow men... We must therefore strive to find the middle path between the two extremes, such that the yeshiva student will intensively pursue the goals of yeshiva life and, at the same time, seek out occasions to develop relations with the outside world...One must also ponder how best to relate to others. There is nothing more harmful to the influence we can exert on others than snobbism. Our environment does not tolerate arrogance and superciliousness, especially by young people, and one cannot influence others unless he is liked by them.The author of these words is the distinguished Rosh Yeshiva R. Elyah Meir Bloch of Telz.

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Exchange with Prof. Ze'ev Lev about the Mitzvah to Study Torah (1992)

לכ' ש"ב וידידי ומכובדי פרופ' זאב לב שליט"א, שלומך ישגא! חן חן לך שהטיב לשלוח אלי עדתך מאמר ב"המעין" לגי תורה עם ד"א וכו'. לא אפחיד שהתפלאתי על הכנות האינטלקטואלית שלו עד כדי "העזה דקדושה" דבר שהוא כל כך נדיר בדורנו, בעו"ה. הנני גומר את ההלל על כל אלה ואלה במסתו שהאמת נראה בעליל ובגלוי בכאן. אוי לנו שכל כך גברה ההסתגלות לשקר והפחד מפני הבריונים המתחסדים, עד שמגיע "יישר כחך" לאדם שתורת אמת בפיהו, ומגיד את הדברים כמו שהם בלי כחל ובלי סרק, ובריש גלי. אבל כבודו קיים

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