The importance and Mystical purpose of learning Iyun
Question:
Dear Rabbi, why is it so important for these students to be told to spend more of their time on learning Gemara be’iyun, learning Torah in depth? Shouldn’t the emphasis be on quickly learning the general ideas in order to grasp as much knowledge as necessary, known as Bekius or Girsa?
Answer:
Indeed, it is correct that in learning, one needs to study both be’iyun and be’girsa. One is an in-depth study, while the second is a more encompassing, quick study without going too deep into concepts known as Bekius or Girsa. They both have their advantage. The following is the amazing advantage contained in iyun of Torah, as described by the Rebbe Rashab in his famous Hemshech Samach Vav. There the Rebbe Rashab states that the ability to reach the essence of God’s wisdom in Torah, which is connected with the essence of God, is specifically through the study of iyun. When one studies in depth, and more particularly, when one asks the various questions which stand in the way of understanding a concept and then clarifies and answers them, and especially when this leads to a final revolutionary halachic structure, he is really reaching the essence of Torah, which is connected with the essence of God. This is not found in other areas of study of Torah in bekiyus. It’s also not found when you don’t study in depth without many questions. It is for this reason that we rule like the Babylonian Talmud. The Babylonian Talmud contains the in-depth back-and-forth with questions that the Jerusalem Talmud doesn’t have. You see, all questions come from the world of kelipah. Every question on a concept is because something doesn’t feel the concept, and when one answers it, he is breaking the kelipah and digging deeper into God’s wisdom. This leads to one reaching the essence of the wisdom of Hashem which includes the essence of G-d. He explains there that the purpose of pilpul is to remove the “sediments” and waste from a sugya. Through many questions, answers, objections, and rebuttals, pilpul pushes aside what is extraneous or misleading, allowing the true light of God’s wisdom to emerge. This process is similar to refining silver: the fire causes the impurities to mix, rise, and fall, and only through this agitation can the pure silver be separated. So too, through the back‑and‑forth of pilpul, one arrives at the true understanding.
Sources
Sefer Hamam`rim 5666 pp. 91-95
