Solitude And Community - Part 1

Based on Pachad Yitzchak Shvuos Maamar 15 from Maran Ztz"l:

There are two statements of Chazal that seem similar but are really different. "Torah maivee lidei zihirus" - Studying Torah brings one to become more careful [about keeping mitzvos]. Hamaor she-ba machziram limutav" - The light of Torah will cause people to return to goodness. Emotion and middos are intensified when people are in a large group. Watch how excited people get at a concert of sporting event or at a rally for a good cause. In contrast, the intellect craves solitude. When you need to think you go to a quiet place and concentrate on your thoughts.

In halacha we also find such a distinction. Mitzvos should be done "bi-rov am" with large numbers of people. If you can daven with a minyan of 30 people or a minyan of 300 people it is better to daven with the 300 people. But we find no such halacha of bi-rov am with respect to Torah study.

The contrast between intellect and emotion is rooted in the kabbalistic teaching on the pasuk said to Adam Ha-rishon וכבשוה ורדו בדגת הים ובעוף השמים ובכל חיה הרומשת על הארץ - subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea, the fowl of the heaven and over every animal that creeps upon the earth. Meaning, that since man has been given the power to rule over the animals he also can rule over the middos of his soul. Animals too have middos [Chazal say that had the Torah not been given we would have learned the middah of modesty from a cat, the middah of not stealing from an ant etc.] so middos represent the more animalistic side of the human being which must be ruled by his intellect.

Taking this line of thought one step further we can understand the difference between intellect and middos and emotion. Animals were created למינו or למינהו - by species. Man was created as an individual. The most human part of man is his intellect whereas the areas of middos and emotion represent his more animalistic side. Thus, in man himself we find a dichotomy. His intellect craves solitude as man was created as an individual while middos thrive on large numbers of people as animals were created en masse [forgive the French. Couldn't resist...:-)].

To be continued bl"n...