Vayechi
The passuk states יששכר חמור גרם רובץ בין המשפתים, Yissachar a bony donkey who crouches between the borders. The Gemara brings: a person should always make himself like an ox with a yoke, and like a donkey with a load, for divrei Torah. An ox has a special strength to plow the earth by making furrows and preparing the earth to have fertile soil and be suited to bring forth produce. This is as the passuk states ורב תבואות בכח שור the ox enables there to be much grain. The donkey has a different role, it carries the produce which was harvested from the field to the granary and to be stored.
The Chofetz Chaim explains that by learning there are also two parts: Just as an ox makes furrows in the ground and prepares the soil, so too one needs to work hard on understanding the Torah, opening up his mind and clarifying the truth. Also, just as the donkey carries the load, so too after one understands the Torah he can then put the divrei Torah which he learned on his heart, so that it should not leave him his entire life. He should continuously review over and over the divrei Torah so he should never forget what he learned.
The Torah states about Yissachar “A bony donkey which crouches between the borders.” It doesn’t say that he takes off his load and leaves his packages, rather, he crouches while holding his load. This teaches us that just like the donkey always carries its load we too should always have the Torah loaded on our backs. HaRav Pinchos Sheinberg zatzal gave advice, “When you close the Gemara, take Abayei and Rava with you as צידה לדרך, provisions for the way, to have Torah thoughts in your minds.” The mitzvah of talmud Torah is day and night. Since it is never neither day nor night, there is always a mitzvah of talmud Torah.
Rashi explains Yissachar carries the yoke of Torah like a donkey who travels day and night and doesn’t rest in a stable. The next passuk states “and he saw menucha that it was good, and the land that it is pleasant, and he bent his shoulder to carry the burden.” The Chofetz Chaim asks: Torah is as sweet as honey, if so, what is this comparison of Torah being a heavy burden that one needs to carry? The Chofetz Chaim explains with a mashal: A jeweler went on a business trip and spent all of his investment money, leaving only enough to return home. On his way back someone approached him with the most beautiful stones he had ever seen saying, “I’ll sell them to you for very cheap.” The jeweler couldn’t resist and he gave away his first class travel money to buy the stones, leaving himself only the bare minimum for the trip. He was unaccustomed to such poor conditions, but whenever he felt unhappy or upset he would take out his stones and he would be filled with joy and happiness. So too, explains the Chofetz Chaim is with Torah and mitzvos. A person is sent down into this world for a short trip to acquire Torah and mitzvos, with hardships along the way. If someone were to feel unhappy because of the hardships, he should think about the menucha and tov that will be the reward in the next world, and this will encourage him!
