At Shoham's Bar Mitzvah, my Zayde and I made a Siyum. It was time to finish Masechet Brachot, our second Masechet since we started learning during the first lockdown. What a privilege it is for me every day to start it with Zayde. It was my turn to give the Dvar Torah, so here is a paraphrased version of what I said:
One of the Mishnas in Masechet Brachot speaks about that the Chassidim would get up early and sit for an hour before Tefilla. This can mean different things according to different people. Some say they sat and thought about what do Daven for. We know hundreds of year later, Rebbe Elimelech of Lejansk created a Prayer before Prayer. But either way, it is a way to prepare for Davening.
My learning with Zayde is my preparation for the day. It's that window of Ruach within the TenBis and materialism of HiTech city in Tel Aviv, or before a day of working from home. 8:30-9 is blocked off in my calendar every day for learning.
By learning with Zayde, I get 3 benefits.
1 - I get to learn the words on the Daf.
2 - I get to discuss topics around the subjects and themes of the Daf with Zayde.
3 - I get to learn with Zayde, and more importantly, learn Zayde. To me, Zayde is the epitome of כי הם חיינו ואורך ימינו, and a person to learn from. Whether now in retirement, or even while working, Zayde's center of life was Learning Torah, and no matter how much time you have each day, whether 9 hours, or 30 minutes in the morning, as long as it is the center of your day, it should be the center of life.
Masechet Brachot represents this theme as well. A Bracha is a way to raise the seemingly mundane to a higher spiritual level. By making a Bracha on an apple, we are changing something physical by giving it a spiritual status.
May we learn for many more years together and finish many more Masechtot.
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