Hard Work Around A Bon-Fire

Tonight we had a LOVELY bonfire together with pizza and [the ikker] Torah. It was so relaxing and peaceful. But the 'person' [will remain nameless in order to protect his identity] who spoke, emphasized that life is about עמילות, toil and hard work. Everyone works hard but fortunate is he who works at Torah.

One shouldn't see toil as a means towards an end [i.e. understanding and knowing the material] but an end unto itself. By toiling one is fulfilling his purpose. People don't like to toil because they see it as an annoying obstacle to success but they don't realize that toil IS the success. When one is cognizant of this he begins to ENJOY the hard work. He learns deeper and harder and reveals the treasures that inhere within our Torah.

It says [in Parshas Vayechi] about Yissachar וירא מנוחה כי טוב ויט שכמו לסבול - He saw that rest was good so he worked hard [in Torah]. What does THAT mean? If rest is so good he should rest and not work hard. Answer: The greatest feeling of menucha comes when one is working hard at what he should be doing in this world. If he sits and does nothing it engenders a feeling of restlessness.

That is in a nutshell what I learned tonight.

The joy of hard labor in meaningful pursuits.

AHHHHHHHHHH:)

I thank the hosts and organizer:).