Know Thyself
Learn Torah, Win a Lexus SUV!
by Yaakov Salomon

Quick. What do Jack Nicholson, Kirk Douglas and Jason Alexander have in common?

(Hint. It’s not what you think.)

Answer: Their pictures have all appeared in advertising material inviting people to attend events focused on Jewish education.

Around the world, but especially in the United States, there has been a virtual explosion of programs available to help us learn more about our Jewish heritage, traditions, and significance. A plethora of tapes, books, seminars, retreats, websites, and CD’s, trumpeting the beauty of our religion, are easily attainable in nearly every region where a Jew resides. It is truly remarkable.

But the staid, formal lecture series of yesteryear seems to be going the way of the land-line phone and the double-breasted suit. Increasingly rare is the educational event that does not feature a celebrity appearance, pre-game sushi, enhanced audio/visual effects, or Kabbalah. Some organizations have even coined the term edutainment to describe their method of curriculum development!

I suppose we should not be surprised. Such is the way of the world. If you want people to come, you’ve got to give them what they want. And what do they want? They want excitement, allure, the exotic, some action, perhaps even the peculiar. So what’s next? Will we have to resort to a splashy ad campaign,

“LEARN TORAH, WIN A LEXUS SUV!!!!”

OK, so we’re not surprised. But the question I have is, “Why?” Why must we dress up something that really should sell itself? Shouldn’t the absolute wonder and truth of Torah be sufficient to attract the masses of meaning-seeking souls amongst us? Furthermore, this phenomenon of needing charming enticement and beguiling persuasion is not limited to attendance at educational functions. We even do it to ourselves at home. And it is equally perplexing.

As much as we might enjoy the time we spend listening to an informative tape or CD, or reading a really fascinating book, essay, or Torah concept, or logging on to a “really cool” Judaica website – somehow, we often resist doing it again. It defies any rational explanation.

It usually goes something like this.

“So, let’s see…last night I spent 45 minutes listening to a fascinating tape about the Torah’s view on euthanasia. It made me think about things I had never in my life considered! Like the value of time, the human potential, what a ‘soul’ is, and stuff like that. Truthfully, it was the best ‘therapeutic hour’ I had experienced off the couch in a long while.

Hey! Here’s a CD of a talk given by the very same speaker! He was great. This one is about how the Patriarchs dealt with sibling rivalry. Sounds rather appealing; something I am sure to enjoy.

Well…on the other hand…those weeds in the back yard sure do need my attention – they look so neglected, the poor things. And isn’t tonight the night that PBS is showing that award-winning special on llamas in Mozambique? I wouldn’t want to miss that!”

You get the picture. No matter how much we truly enjoyed delving into a Torah concept last night, tonight – everything else…ANYTHING else appears to be more enticing. ABSURD, but oh so true. And that’s why the PR guys are ‘forced’ to fancy up nearly every program that tries to teach us something really important and help us understand life better.

It reminds me of a talk once given by Rabbi Noah Weinberg, Dean of Yeshiva Aish Hatorah in Jerusalem.

“What is your greatest pleasure in this world?” he asked a group of parents.

“Our children, of course,” they dutifully answered in unison.

“And what is your greatest pain?” he inquired further.

“Why, our children, of course!”

He was making the point that contrary to common belief, pain and pleasure are not opposites. They are actually very closely connected. More often than not, we cannot access genuine pleasure without expending the effort. So he pushed the audience just a bit more. Choosing a newly married couple, Rabbi Weinberg asked them a very personal question.

“Tell me, if you don’t mind, how many children do you think you’d like to have?”

They thought for a moment, whispered a bit, and then cooperated.

“Three, maybe four,” was their honest response.

The audience applauded.
“That is truly beautiful,” remarked the Rabbi. “But tell me,” he pushed on, “if having children is so gratifying, why wouldn’t you want 14 or 15 of them?”

He paused…then continued, not waiting for their response. “What’s wrong? Too much pleasure…or too much pain?”

The answer was, of course, quite obvious. Most of the time, when faced with a pleasurable experience that requires real effort, we end up surrendering to our disdain for pain. In other words, too often we are really not pleasure seekers – we are comfort seekers.

For most of us, learning Torah – be it on a tape, from a text, at a lecture or a class, or from a website – pleasurable though it may be, still rings our internal work bells. As a matter of fact, studying anything probably stirs within us some negative associations related to our school days – where demands, expectations, exams, homework, competition, REPORT CARDS (ugh!), marks, and parental disapproval were the order of the day.

So, to a certain extent, we all suffer from PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder, scholastic type) that just won’t allow us to fully enjoy a valuable learning experience. That’s why those Mozambique llamas suddenly seem so fascinating.

We need to remind ourselves that those days are over. The de-programming must begin. You will not be graded when the class is finished (I promise). Your parents (or children) will not be apprised of your progress or your deficiencies. You can even leave the class early WITHOUT A NOTE FROM HOME!

The insights and wisdom awaiting you are incalculable. Torah is not some esoteric or cryptic course of study. It is not designed to make you feel oppressed or guilty or even sophisticated. It is neither a lesson in history nor a voyage in mystery. It might astound you; at times it will confound you. But more than anything else, studying Torah is like making a new and great friend. And like a great friend, Torah is not only dependable, consistent, and fascinating, it really speaks to you. There is no topic, no matter how contemporary, innovative, or complex, that it does not address. It is the ultimate instruction manual, written by the Manufacturer, disseminated by His most trusted Think Tank, and cherished by His loyal constituents for more than three millennia without pause or interruption.

So next time you get the urge, the tug, or the notion to open a page or two, don’t expect your brain to simply give you the “full steam ahead” message. It just doesn’t work that way. A venture this profitable will bring some conflict with it. That’s OK. Consider yourself re-programmed and ready for battle. It is a war, well worth fighting.

Victory awaits you.