How Rabbi Shach Found Torah in Every Moment of Life

1. During the War, He Studied Torah in the Attic

It was the time of Israel’s War of Independence. Every home had to stay completely dark at night so no light could escape, or it could put people in danger from enemy attacks.

The darkness was heavy and depressing for many. But Rabbi Elazar Menachem Man Shach had a different kind of struggle. He couldn’t imagine going so many hours without learning Torah. For him, stopping his Torah learning simply wasn’t an option.

So he found a solution. He quietly took a ladder, climbed up to the attic, lit a small candle, and sat alone in a corner, learning Torah, the greatest joy of his life.

It’s moving to note that during those very days, when the Jewish settlement in the Holy Land was fighting for its survival, the first volume of his sefer Avi Ezri was born. In his introduction to that volume, published during the war in 1948, he wrote, “Written with tears, in Jerusalem which is currently under siege and distress, outside the sword bereaves and inside there is fear.”

For someone truly connected to Torah, there’s no difference between peaceful times and times of war. Every moment in life is a chance to grow through Torah, and in that he found real joy.

2. Two Mitzvot at Once, Even While Caring for His Sick Wife

The great Torah scholars teach us that even pain or challenges aren’t reasons to stop serving Hashem. Of course, there are times when someone can’t learn as usual whether from physical pain, stress, or sorrow. But even then, there are ways to stay connected.

Rabbi Shmuel Wosner once visited Rabbi Shach and found him sitting quietly at his wife’s side while she was ill. It was clear Rabbi Shach was fully present and taking care of her, but his lips were moving. At first, Rabbi Wosner assumed he was praying for her, so he stood silently so as not to disturb him.

But a moment later, Rabbi Shach turned to his guest and explained, “Right now, I can’t focus on deep Torah study. And I can’t take my mind off caring for the Rebbetzin either. So I’m saying verses of emunah, verses about faith and that way I’m fulfilling two mitzvot at once: learning Torah and strengthening my faith.”

3. Even in Pain You Can Still Learn and Earn Eternal Reward

At another difficult time, when Rabbi Shach couldn’t concentrate as he usually did because his wife’s health had declined and he was waiting anxiously for test results, he turned to his students and shared a story from the great Rabbi Yisrael Salanter. The message he shared was meant to comfort and inspire them, and it revealed how deeply Rabbi Shach valued every moment of Torah learning.

He told them: “When I find it hard to focus, I remember what Rabbi Yisrael said in one of his fiery talks. He spoke about how every Jew has a responsibility to learn Torah. After the talk, a simple and sincere Jew came up to him and said sadly, ‘Rabbi, I never learned. I don’t know how to study Mishnah, Gemara, or even Chumash. What can I do? How can I ever fulfill the mitzvah of Torah learning?’

Rabbi Yisrael didn’t back down. He asked the man, ‘What do you do each morning?’ The man answered, ‘I wash my hands, put on my tzitzit, say Modeh Ani, put on my tallit and tefillin, go to shul, and then begin my day.’

Rabbi Yisrael told him, ‘So say those things out loud to yourself each day. Say, “In the morning, a Jew washes his hands, puts on tzitzit, says Modeh Ani, puts on tefillin, and goes to shul.” Every one of those is a halachah, a law from the Torah. And repeating halachot is Torah learning! You’ll earn the mitzvah of learning Torah, and your reward will be great!’ And the man’s eyes lit up.”

Rabbi Shach looked at his students and continued, “Of course, for us, on a regular day, we’re expected to do more than that. We can’t just say halachot and call it a day. But in times when learning deeply is too hard and when the heart is heavy or the mind is tired, this kind of Torah learning is still precious. It still counts. And it’s something every Jew can do.”

He added, “That’s what I try to do when things are hard. I say to myself, ‘A Jew must keep Shabbat. A Jew must fast on Yom Kippur. A Jew must take a lulav on Sukkot.’ And just like that, I’m learning Torah, and it brings comfort to my soul.”

About Rabbi Shach
Rabbi Elazar Menachem Man Shach (1899–2001) led the Ponevezh Yeshiva for fifty years and served as the president of the Council of Torah Sages of Agudat Yisrael and later Degel HaTorah. He was considered one of the greatest Torah leaders of his generation, and countless Jews from the Haredi-Lithuanian world followed his guidance.

From ‘Orchot HaChaim,’ courtesy of the Dirshu website.