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Why did Rabbi Elazar ben Aroch, described as a brilliant scholar equal to all others, forget his Torah (תורה) learning when he went to places of wine and pleasure? The shiur develops the principle that self-centered pursuit of pleasure destroys partnership with God, even for the spiritually accomplished. His subsequent teaching about going to places of Torah reflects his hard-won insight that merger with the Divine requires complete abandonment of self-interest.
Rabbi Zweig analyzes a complex Mishna from Pirkei Avos where Rabbi Nechurai (Rabbi Elazar ben Aroch) teaches that one should go to a place of Torah (תורה) rather than expecting Torah to come to them. The shiur centers on the Talmudic story (Shabbos (שבת) 147b) of Rabbi Elazar ben Aroch, described as equal to all other scholars of Israel combined and characterized as a 'wellspring constantly producing new ideas' (mayon hamaskaber). When he traveled to places known for their wine (Pergaisa) and bathing waters (Dumuisis), he became entrapped by physical pleasures and forgot his learning. Upon returning, he could not properly read the simple phrase 'hachodesh hazeh lachem' (this month is for you), instead reading 'hacheish haye libam' (deaf were their hearts). Rabbi Zweig explains that this wasn't literal illiteracy but a profound spiritual disconnection. The wine of Pergaisa, he argues, represents ultimate pleasure that caused the exile of the ten tribes. Rabbi Zweig connects this to Noah's post-flood drunkenness, explaining that Noah mistakenly believed his partnership with God entitled him to divine pleasures without sharing the experience with God. The core teaching emerges: true partnership with God requires both parties to be non-self-centered. Self-centered pursuit of pleasure, even by those in partnership with the Divine, destroys the merger and connection. Rabbi Elazar ben Aroch's inability to 'hear with his heart' represents the severing of the non-verbal, intuitive communication that comes from being one with God. His subsequent teaching - that students must go to teachers rather than expecting teachers to come to them - reflects his profound insight that all learning must be pursued without self-centeredness. This approach enables the ultimate merger with God where 'God, Israel, and Torah are one.' The shiur concludes with practical applications for human relationships: the closer and more intimate a relationship, the more both parties must abandon self-interest. Rabbi Zweig explains why Rabbi Elazar ben Aroch became known as 'Rabbi Nechurai' (the illuminator) after this experience - not for his previous brilliance, but for teaching the fundamental principle that non-self-centeredness is prerequisite for the highest levels of Torah learning and divine connection.
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Pirkei Avos with related story from Shabbos 147b
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Why does Avos 4:16 describe this world as a corridor before the palace of Olam HaBa rather than simply stating this world is for doing and the next for reward? Mitzvos are not external tests but transformative processes that elevate our essence, making us worthy of eternal existence. This reframes chinuch completely - mechanical performance without internal transformation produces no spiritual growth.
