Parashas Behar - Bechukosai *Shavous Incorporated* Learning Torah = Blessings !

This week's Dvar Torah has been sponsored for:
Refua Shelema: Rozet Bat Shafika
May you have a quick recovery!
(If you would like to sponsor a Dvar Torah, feel free to email me: SharingTorah@gmail.com)
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Shavuos is approaching very quickly and I'm not sure whether I'll be able to write a dvar Torah for then, so I will incorporate one for Shavuos here.

Parashas Bechukosai opens up with, "If you go in My statutes... You will be deserving of all My wonderful blessings." Upon reading this, I wondered why does it say, "go" in My statutes as opposed to, If you 'keep' My statutes, or If you 'learn' My statutes?

The word 'go' implies that you are traveling somewhere. You are doing anything other than being stationary. It seems a little out of context at first.

When I originally started learning Torah, I had a really difficult time. I didn't grow up religious and never really learned how to learn (or pray). I didn't enjoy learning, and felt it was a waste of my time (little did I know). When I came to Israel, I felt like everyone around me had gotten a head start because of their background in learning. I was getting frustrated because I wasn't able to keep up with my friends, which affected my motivation. There were days I would learn, and there were days I would take breaks.

There was a point where I told myself (of course with the help of my Rabbis) to forget about everyone else, and to work harder. I wasn't going to get anywhere if I was 'on and off'. I needed to stay on and so I did. I put in the extra time to work on learning. I didn't take any 'days off' like I use to. After MANY months, I started to see a change in the way I was learning. (It was frustrating during the periods I didn't see any improvement, but) I was improving and understanding more. It gave me a sense of accomplishment, which lead to motivation.

I once asked several people a question to see what their response would be. "If you were trying to get somewhere, and there were two roads: Road A which was shorter but had a lot of traffic or Road B which was longer but was smooth driving the whole way there; which road would you choose? They will both get you there at the same time." I don't remember anyone saying they wanted to drive on Road A. The reason is: because people feel happy and accomplished when they are constantly doing something.

When Hashem tells us to "Go in My statutes", He is saying, "Learn My Torah continuously. By going in My ways, you will merit My many blessings."

We see a similar concept by Shavuos. There's a minhag (custom) brought by the Zohar to stay up all night learning Torah. It's based on the Midrash which says that the Jews overslept the night before receiving the Torah and Hashem had to wake them up. So we stay up all night to make up for their oversight. The Ari'zal writes that one who does not sleep the night of Shavuos and toils in Torah should merit to live out the year and no harm will occur to him.

May we all merit to have a life full of blessings and Torah.

Have a wonderful shabbos and (I know it's a little early) a meaningful Shavous,
Nisso