EXCUSES?

Dear Family,

I hope you are all well.

Mazal Tov to Chanie for the birth of a nephew in Eretz Yisrael. Wishing you many simchos!

We are coming up to Shavuos next week BEH, which is the time of the receiving our Torah.

In last week's Pirkei Avot, chapter 5: mishneh 6, it speaks about 4 types of learning ability:

• One who is quick to understand but quick to forget, he will remain with nothing (keep trying)
• One who is slow to understand but slow to forget, will eventually have much knowledge.
• One who is quick to understand and slow to forget, has received a good portion from Hashem. (keep remembering that this is really from Hashem)
• One who is slow to understand and quick to forget, has received a 'not good' portion from Hashem. (keep trying)

A student once explained to R' Yechezkel Levinstein, that because he simply could not learn, he would be exempt from learning (it is a Mitzvah to learn Torah).

R' Yechezkel answered 'There are 2 types of people who don't learn - those who have an excuse and those who do not.

It would seem that you fall into the first group, and therefore you will not be punished for not learning.

In truth however, you are the one losing out by making excuses, because at the end of the day, you will remain ignorant.'

Thank you Batsheva for keeping up our weekly learning of Pirkei Avot on Shabbos afternoon!

Wishing everyone a Gut Shabbos and Gut Yom Tov, and to receive the Torah with Joy and Inwardness.