Learning ... And Life

What does learning Torah have to do with real life?

Tonight I was learning a gemara and let out a krechtz. My Gila'la looked at me with concern and asked what had happened. I told her that an engaged girl died prematurely - in the gemara I am learning. The gemara wonders about the halachic implications but I was saddened by the loss. 

What do these ancient stories have to do with MY life. Wouldn't I do better to help my wife and wash the dishes or something??

The basic answer is that Torah is the Word of G-d and there is NOTHING more elevated than that. Torah IS life so the question of what it has to do with life is moot. [It is painful to encapsulate what many books wouldn't encompass in two sentences but the nature of this blog is to strive for brevity].

But an additional benefit......

Learning is about seeing problems and then solving them. After the solution we are glad we had the problems because they triggered further analysis which yielded new-found clarity that would have been absent if not for the problems.

Life is FILLED with problems. Our job is to solve them and then discern how beneficial the 'problems' were. Every challenge of life is a boon to growth.

Thanks for letting me share:).