ENJOYING LEARNING [#16979]

Does connection to Torah have to be through enjoying learning? Does it need to be an intellectual connection or emotional? Can one connect to the Torah without enjoying learning? Can one enjoy learning Torah even if he doesn’t clearly understand what he’s learning and he doesn’t have sugya clear in his head? Is enjoying learning an intellectual enjoyment, and if yes, does it have to be a learning that makes one understand what he is learning and be clear and organized about it? Without understanding one’s learning, can one still enjoy his learning intellectually? Does learning always have to be enjoyable, even when one is learning something he’s not really interested in learning and he’s only learning it because he has to (i.e. hilchos Shabbos)?

Learning the Torah is not a superficial pastime. It is an intrinsic connection that one has to the Torah. There are 2 parts to it: lishmah and shel lishmah. The most complete level of lishmah is when one is intrinsically connected with the Torah above all pleasure, for he is one with the Torah, and this is the havayah of the soul, a level which is hidden from most people, which is sometimes revealed to a person on a very partial level. Learning shelo lishmah has many levels to it. The innermost level of shelo lishmah (which is the most ideal form of shelo lishmah) is to learn with enjoyment, and even more so, to learn because one is enjoying the Torah, because he understands what true enjoyment is. Chazal were referring to this ideal level of shelo lishmah when they said that one should learn even shelo lishmah, because it will lead to lishmah. From learning with pleasure, a person can come to the level where he learns on a level that is above pleasure. Rav Chaim Volozhiner said that a person always needs shelo lishmah, meaning that a person always needs to enjoy his learning. Learning Torah from enjoyment is discussed in Chasam Sofer (Shabbos Shuva), Ksav Sofer Beraishis 49:15, Meiri to Berachos 2a, Gra on Mishlei 20:13, and in Yalkut Shimoni Ekev.