Question:
Shalom, l’kavod HaRav. I am in yeshiva and I want to know, what is the best way to learn sefer “Bilvavi Mishkan Evneh”? Is a half hour a day of learning it enough, or is it better to learn it for an hour a day and really think into the words, and to enter into the avodah that the sefer describes?
Answer:
Chazal state that one should first “learn, then explain.” Therefore it’s recommended practically that one should first peruse Part One, from beginning until end, reading it lightly and quickly, to acquire the general perspective: to see the general picture. It is appropriate to do this on a day where you have time off, such as Bein HaZmanim.
After one gets the general picture, it is recommended that one learn a section or two from the sefer every day, and then review it several times. One should review it on an intellectual level and also on an emotional level, sometimes with passion and sometimes with a quiet calmness. One should do so until the words have been absorbed well in his thoughts, and in his calm, refined emotions in his heart. It’s appropriate to do this for 10 minutes a day, or a little more.
After one completes a section of the sefer (for example, the chapter about “Creator and the creations”), one should make an order of the steps of avodah which he will try to practically implement, as described in the sefer.
At any period when one is working on implementing these matters, it is appropriate to review a little bit of the sefer each day, so that one can remind himself mentally and awaken his heart, and to internalize the matters to a calm, refined place of one’s heart. It is appropriate to do this for a few minutes each day.
Besides for this, it is clear and simple that it’s appropriate for a person on any level, and throughout one’s life, to learn the classic, fundamental sefarim, of the earlier centuries and later centuries, so that one can know and recognize the ways of our Sages and be able to go in their footsteps, for all of our life.
Categories
