Brick and Mortar

Torah relates that the Egyptian exile involved hard labor of “chomer u’leveinim” – mortar and brick. Whatever spiritual refinement G-d intended for the Jewish people through that exile could only be acquired through mortar and brick – otherwise, G-d would never have put them through it.

Of the current exile, however, Torah explains that the refinement of “chomer – mortar” is acquired through “kal vachomer – in-depth Torah study,” and the refinement of “leveina – brick,” through “libun hilchisa – clarification of Jewish law.”

This explains why great Torah scholars through the ages toiled in Torah study with superhuman intensity. Rabbi Chaim Vital relates that his master, the Arizal, literally perspired when studying Talmud. And when the Mittler Rebbe would study, the sweat would literally drip from the peak of his hat! Far from “enslaving” the Jew, such toil in Torah is what actually sets him free from the exile.