Q:
The Rav said earlier that learning gemara b’iyun is part of the process of doing teshuva for a ben Torah. Is learning the aggadata, the stories and lessons in the gemara, included in that?
A:
Absolutely! That’s why they’re written. One-seventh of shas is aggadata. Now some people think it’s a waste of time. One-seventh of Shas is a waste of time?! They come to aggadata, and they skip it. It’s a pity. It’s written for a purpose, and there are very many good eitzos for how to live successfully in the aggadata. Certainly aggadata is necessary. Only, not all aggadata are understandable to us; but those that are surely should be utilized by us, and they’re a very great benefit in acquiring shleimus of teshuvah.
TAPE # E-123
