Q&A: They Did Not Recite the Blessing on the Torah First — Those Acting Under Constraint
They Did Not Recite the Blessing on the Torah First — Those Acting Under Constraint
Question
You cited Rabbi Yisrael Salanter's explanation: what does it mean when it says that Torah scholars did not really merit having children who were Torah scholars like them, because they did not recite the blessing on the Torah first — meaning that they saw Torah as an instrument for commandments, something through which to fulfill commandments, and not as a value in its own right.
But they saw it that way because that is what they thought; they did not see it that way out of wickedness, but because that is what they genuinely believed. So they were acting under constraint. If so, why punish them?
Answer
This was not a punishment but a natural consequence. He argues that an incorrect view of Torah conveys a problematic educational-Torah message. From such an outlook, one does not succeed in raising Torah scholars.