A Jew must always be aware to never engage in bitul Torah. But what exactly is bitul Torah? Isn’t it not engaging in Torah study every second of the day? May H-shem grant us the merit to be able to study Torah every second of the day. But sometimes it’s not practical. You might have to take care of your kids, work a job, clean the house, clean yourself, or eat. And sometimes, we aren’t on the level of the tzaddikim of before. It might be hard for us to focus every second of the day on Torah study. We might feel burnt out, chas v’shalom. There are so many things that, unfortunately, take our yearning eyes away from the light of the Torah. 

What Does H-shem Tell Us?

But what does H-shem tell us? He says that even when you aren’t engaging in Torah study, don’t engage in bitul Torah. When you eat, say a bracha! Every bite should be infused with the knowledge that you are eating to sustain yourself to study Torah better. When you are working long hours to put food on the table, feeling stressed out that you have no time to study, remember that this is where H-shem wants you to be now. And when you have free time to study, learn with everything you have! When you go through a hardship, don’t forget to thank H-shem for His righteous plan and judgment for our ultimate good! Don’t be a bitul Jew. Know who you are. Know your situation. 

We Are Soldiers

We are soldiers of H-shem. Some soldiers are on the front line, some are reserves, some are chefs, some are lieutenants, and some are handicapped. But every soldier has a specific task that he must accomplish. And it all goes towards one mission: The protection and success of the country. The same goes for every Jew. No matter his role in life. He must believe with all his might that this is the task that H-shem has appointed him today. It’s up to him to do the best he can with it. To infuse the most emmunah and bitachon that he can into it. And to rejoice that he is taking part in what H-shem has created him to do. He is a part of the fulfillment of the Torah, and he is not engaging in bitul Torah. 

Refrain from letting the yetzer hara fool you into thinking that you aren’t good enough. Realize in the moments that have passed that H-shem handed you a mission and a goal to complete. Life is a test, and we are unique. Believe it. And if you endure and succeed in the trial, H-shem will bless you more than the eye can see. 

Combatant of H-shem

The Ramchal says in his Sefer Mesillat Yesharim about a man that “shehu b’emet b’toch hamilchama hachazaka” “In truth, he is in a strong war.” We must realize that we are in the army of H-shem. Later, he says that one should conduct himself “c’derech yotzey hatzavah b’ma’archotehem” “in the manner of soldiers in their battle stations.” Ramchal shows us that it isn’t sufficient just to be a soldier of H-shem, but instead, a combatant on the battlefield ready for war. 

When we realize the truth that we are in a spiritual battle, we will be prepared at any moment to perform and guard ourselves. Just as a ducking soldier takes cover from gunfire, even more so, we must duck sinning. And just as soldiers take offense, striking their enemy first, we must also strive to do mitzvot. A soldier goes out with all his equipment, follows the general’s orders even if he doesn’t understand why, and is prepared with the utmost preparation for war. We, the beloved of H-shem should even more so dress as a Jew is commanded and follow all the commands of our General. Even if we don’t understand why, we must be prepared with the utmost preparation through the constant and in-depth study of the Torah and its laws. 

Through contemplation that this world is full of futilities, one moment we can be rich, another moment we can be poor, and with all the riches, we can be sad. Through poverty, we can find joy. We will realize the only essential, truthful thing in this world is to attach ourselves to H-shem and His Torah and go in His ways, like a soldier running headlong into war for his country and his general here on this earth.