Q:
What does it mean when it says (Eiruvin 18b) that a house where the sound of the Torah is heard at night, that house will not destroyed?
A:
Now, that’s like all the statements in the Scriptures and in the Gemara – preventing the destruction of a house depends on various factors and this is one of the factors. Many times we suddenly see, chas v’shalom it shouldn’t happen, but we see sometimes that a house is broken up. Sometimes an illness suddenly strikes, chas v’shalom, or another tragedy and the parents are gone; both parents are gone. It happens. Sometimes, there’s a breakup. A tragedy. One parent, the father runs away. It happens, chas v’shalom. There are all kinds of ways that a house can be attacked.
Now a house is a very precious building block of our nation. Every Jewish home is of inestimable value to us, besides for being the greatest value to the members of that house. And therefore we have to utilize all factors available that will stabilize such a house. And one of the big factors is if the sound of the Torah is heard there at night. Hakodosh Boruch Hu is going to try preserve a house like that; it means He has a personal interest in that house, so to speak. He is interested that this house should continue. And therefore it’s going to be protected against many vicissitudes which otherwise would come in and break up a house.
Chas v’shalom, when a house breaks up, a Jewish house, it’s a churban of a little Beis Hamikdash. And one of the ways of ensuring the survival of that house is to take out a gemara at night; if you don’t know gemara take out a chumash and say Torah aloud at night – even a little bit – at your table. You don’t realize – the entire atmosphere changes in that house. And Hakodosh Boruch Hu already has a very big interest in preserving that house.
TAPE # 133 (July 1976)
