- Q, Kvod Rabenu, Long Great Life.
As we are about to read Parshas Yisro, telling the story of Kabbalat Hatorah (receiving of the Torah) and as from former questions the Rov well knows, I also teach Judaic studies in a Jewish day school. So I have a few questions that I need an answer for my young students. And I thank greatly the Rov for answering me again and again.
First thing they want to understand why do we repeat again and again our Torah learning so we wont forget. The kids are not accustomed to do that with other teachings?
A. Firstly, as already informed in other questions, we must explain that our Torah gives a grand amount of importance on gathering and amassing Torah knowledge and not to, Hashem forbid, forgetting one’s learning. Throughout the Talmud and Medrashim our Sages tell us of numerous activities which one should avoid since they are “kasha l’shichcha,” they may cause one to forget his Torah knowledge.
The Mishnah in Pirkei Avos (3: 8) teaches that one who forgets what he has learned is considered to be deserving death. The source for this is a verse in Parshas Va’eschanan, which says: “Only beware for yourself and greatly beware for your soul, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen and lest you remove them from your heart all the days of your life, and make them known to your children and your children’s children” (Devarim 4:9).
Likewise the Gemara in Menachos (99b) mentions in the name of Reish Lokish that someone who forgets what he has learned has transgressed the negative commandment of the same posuk.
The Gemara explains that since the verse uses the words “hi’shamer” (beware) and “pen” (lest), this verse constitutes a negative commandment. This prohibition is cited by the Smak (9, 105), Smag (Lo Saaseh 13) and Yireim (28).
Rabbi A. Bartfeld as revised by Horav Shlomo Miller, Horav Yaakov Hirschman, Horav Dovid Pam, Horav Aharon Miller and Horav Chanoch Ehrentreu and Horav Kalman Ochs Shlit’a
Important Numbers
