Petach Libenu

The blog, Peftach Libenu, was started by Rabbi Dr. Eliezer Shore as a follow-up to his course: "Emotional Intelligence: The Role of Emotions in Torah and Secular Studies," which he teaches at Michlalah College in Jerusalem. The goal of the blog is to present engaging and original material, as well as open a discussion among rabbis and educators, as to the importance of finding meaning, emotion and spirituality in Torah study. 

The name of the blog is based on words found in the u'vo l'Tzion prayer, in the morning prayer service:

Siddur, Krakow, 1596

בָּרוּךְ הוּא אֱלֹקֵינוּ שֶׁבְּרָאָנוּ לִכְבוֹדוֹ. וְהִבְדִּילָנוּ מִן הַתּוֹעִים. וְנָתַן לָנוּ תּוֹרַת אֱמֶת. וְחַיֵּי עוֹלָם נָטַע בְּתוֹכֵנוּ. 
הוּא יִפְתַּח לִבֵּנוּ בְּתוֹרָתוֹ. וְיָשֵׂם בְּלִבֵּנוּ אַהֲבָתוֹ וְיִרְאָתוֹ וְלַעֲשׂוֹת רְצוֹנוֹ וּלְעָבְדוֹ בְּלֵבָב שָׁלֵם

Baruch hu, Elokenu, she'beronu le'kevodo, ve'hivdilanu min hatoyim,
ve'nosan lanu Toras emes, ve'chayeh olam nota be'sochenu
Hu yiftach libenu beToroso, ve'yosem be'libenu ahavaso veyiraso
ve'la'asos retzono u'le'avdo be'levov sholem

Blessed is He, our G-d, who created us for His glory,
and separated us from the errant,
who gave us the Torah of truth,
and planted eternal life within us.
May He open our hearts to His Torah,
place the love and fear of Him in our hearts,
and the desire to fulfill His will and serve Him wholeheartedly.

The request that G-d open our hearts to His Torah is repeated several times in the morning prayers. In the second blessing over Torah study, we request "v'ha'arev na... et divrei Torosecha b'finu." "May the words of Your Torah be sweet in our mouths." That is, Torah study should not be merely an intellectual exercise, but something that is sweet and pleasurable. Later, in the blessing before the Keriyas Shema, we ask G-d to "...implant understanding in our hearts, so that we may lovingly comprehend and perceive, listen, learn and teach, observe, perform and maintain all the words of the teachings of Your Torah." At the end of Shemonah Esrei prayer, we ask G-d "open my heart to Your Torah," and again, in the passage from the Zohar recited upon opening the ark before the Torah reading: petach libai b'oraysa. Most noteworthy is the Keriyas Shema itself (which is technically not part of the prayers, but a bit of Torah study in the middle of the prayers), in which we say: "And may these words [of Torah], which I command you today, by upon your hearts..." 

From this, and from many other sources, it is clear that the main goal of Torah study is not merely to bring the Torah into our minds, but into our hearts, as well. As R. Tzadok HaKohen writes (Tzidkas HaTzaddik 133) "The main words of Torah are those that enter the heart." Only this type of study has the power to transform a person, as R. Tzadok continues to explain.

Of course, implanting Torah in our hearts, and the hearts of our children and students, is not an easy task. As. R. Menachem Mendel of Kotzk said on the words of the Keriyas Shema above; "Why does the Torah command us to put the words of Torah upon our hearts? Surely they should be within our hearts."

And he answered: "The reason is that it is not always easy to implant the words of Torah within our hearts. However, if they are at least upon our hearts, when the heart opens up, they will fall in."

I believe this is the goal of every true Torah educator. Not merely to put the words of Torah upon our pupils' hearts, but to actually help them open their hearts, so that the words of Torah may truly enter in.

פתח לי פתח כחודו של מחט ואני אפתח לכם פתח כפתחו של אולם