Balancing Torah Study and Family Life: The Rosh Yeshiva's Wisdom for Navigating Earthly Duties with Heavenly Goals

It's like clockwork that not even two years after a young gentleman has gotten married, two years out from his wedding, that he'll be back in Yeshiva walking through the halls with a bit of a briskness in his step, eagerly looking for the rest of Yeshiva's office to ask him a question that seems to be really bothering him. And all the other married guys on the sideline will watch this young man look for the rest of Yeshiva's office with a bit of a smile, for we all know what's bothering him. We all had the same question. We all asked the same question. We all got the same answer from the rest of Yeshiva, and the question probably goes something like this, where the kid opens up the door, says to the rest of Yeshiva now, rebbe, I'm so worn out. I need to be able to study the Talmud because I need to know what God wants for me and my family and how God wants to be served. He is the master of the world. But also last night my kid had a fever. God forbid. I was at the doctor this morning. Last night I had to go to Walgreens and Walmart and my wife asked if I pick up food for the family. And then two nights ago I was in Munsey for a great-grandparents-had-there-130th wedding anniversary. I'm exhausted and I can't find necessary time ample time to be able to study God's Torah. So what do I do Actually? Yeshiva would probably give him a smile as he would roll over his chair to the Svarem Shrine, pull out the first of the volumes of the safer Yadah Chazakah from the Ram Bomb, open up the Laws of Talmud Torah. In chapter one, law number eight. He would probably read it out loud for the young man and say well, the Ram Bomb says that Khol-ish, yis-mi, yisrael, every single young man of Israel, is obligated to live in Talmud Torah. Now maybe you'll say but it's really hard. Do you know what I got on my plate? You know my obligations. Well, the Ram Bomb says whether you should be poor God forbid or whether one should be wealthy, diversifying your portfolio, setting up your 401k and organizing your investments. It can be distracting whether one be healthy or whether one be mentally challenged, whether one be young and energetic and they can't sit still, or whether one be an adult that they feel so worn out that they cannot possibly study properly, or whether one be in the worst possible situation, that they cannot study because they are so destitute that they have to go maxer al-apsachim, to go knock on doors and look for a handout, to spend up their time collecting to make ends meet. Maybe still, and perhaps even worse than that, says the Ram Bomb. Or even if one has a family wife, kids, obligations or Shashi'va would say, with a smile, he's still obligated to find time to learn. Or Shashi'va would probably stick out his hand and say welcome to the club. It's such a beautiful distraction and everyone wishes they could have it. People welcome it. One should remember, though, that Talmud Tayra is like Tfilin, like Mzuzo. It's an obligation, no matter how distracting life may get. One should remember that in studying Torah, the minimum requirement you don't need to finish everything. Set up some time in the morning and set up some time in the evening. Sh'inam Ar-Rahighisabayyamavalayla, that's it. Make sure that you learn a little bit by day and a little by night, because while we do not have to finish all of Torah, we are not free ones to be able to say that it's too much and just give up. So, no matter the distractions and I hope they're all good and happy, family-oriented distractions make sure that you set up some time to learn Hashem's Torah in the morning and some time in the evening.