Question:
Question: The Rav has many sefarim – which sefer of the Rav does the Rav recommend I should start with? Should I start from the Rav’s original sefarim [Bilvavi Mishkan Evneh], or should I start with the Rav’s peirush on Mesillas Yesharim…? Answer: I don't understand the question at all. From the time of the giving of the Torah until today, the shelf is full of so many sefarim. How did you deal with that until now, of which sefarim to learn? There are many sefarim on the shelf…. Question: What I mean to ask is, should I start with “aleph” [the first volume of Bilvavi] or should I start with “beis” [the second volume of Bilvavi]? Answer: If you’re starting from “Aleph”, start from “Anochi Hashem Elokecha” (“I am Hashem your G-d”). If you’re starting from “Beis”, start from “Beraishis Bara Elokim.” (“In the beginning, G-d created”) Question: I do not understand – what “Beraishis” is the Rav referring to…? Answer: The raishis (beginning) does not begin with me. That is exactly the point. There is a long journey to take way before these sefarim. There are some things to take from the earlier sefarim and there are some things you can take from the sefarim of our times. But you cannot begin from that point; you must begin from the words of our earlier Sages, and to build everything from there. Question: But their words are too closed (inaccessible) to us. Answer: And how do you start learning the works of the earlier sages? Do you start from Rabbeinu Yonah, or Ramban, or the Chovos HaLevovos? Question: I am not talking about those sefarim – I am talking about your sefarim. Answer: The question is: from where are you coming, before you got there? After you figure out what comes before [these sefarim], you can then know from where you should continue. [Editor’s Note: The Rav’s humorous answer (which also contains his humility, for he did not impose upon the person asking the question that he specifically learn his sefarim), contains much depth to it, and perhaps it can be explained as follows. The Rav has oft-quoted the concept mentioned in our sefarim hakedoshim that there are “two beginnings to Creation” – a beginning that starts from “Beraishis”, which starts with the letter ב , and a beginning that starts from the Ten Commandments, “Anochi Hashem Elokecha”, which starts with the letter א. The א represents emunah, and the ב represents the wisdom of the Creator, which is contained in the Torah. There are two paths one may “start” from – either from emunah directly bonding with Hashem, or from wisdomTorah.]Answer:
Editor’s Note: Since this was a Q & A dialogue we showed it as above
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