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Why does Avos teach that neglecting Torah (תורה) study leads to many distractions, and how does this connect to Israel's exile? The shiur develops the principle that humans were created for productive work, with Torah study as the ultimate fulfillment of this need. When people don't take learning seriously as meaningful work, they feel psychologically empty and fill the void with potentially destructive activities.
In this pre-Shavuos shiur, Rabbi Zweig presents a profound understanding of Torah (תורה) learning as the ultimate source of human fulfillment. He begins by contrasting Jewish emphasis on universal Torah education with other religions that discourage educated laypeople, establishing that Torah learning is equally obligatory for all Jews. The shiur centers on interpreting the Mishna in Pirkei Avos: "Im bataltu min haTorah, yesh l'cha bitulim harbeh" - if one neglects Torah study, many distractions follow. Rabbi Zweig argues this isn't merely stating the obvious about finding distractions, but reveals something deeper about human psychology and fulfillment. He connects this to Rashi (רש"י)'s explanation that Israel's exile resulted from neglecting Torah study, which seems to contradict the Torah's explicit statement that exile came from not observing the sabbatical year.
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Pirkei Avos - Im bataltu min haTorah, Talmud Sanhedrin - Adam leolamo yula
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