Tavlin is medication (I seriously think that's the Pshat). We addicts have chosen to medicate with empty wonder drugs while Hashem has promised us all along that the Yetzer Hara is best treated with Torah. What's Torah? Sitting at a Gemara and shuckling? Dozing off at a Shiur? How about seriously racking your brain over a Tosfos or a R' Chaim? They're aspects of Torah, but they're not the Ikar. Ikar of Torah is M'Lashon Horaah - guidance. Hashem's WILL.
   
    Ma zeh "WILL"??
   
    "Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God..."
    "...praying only for knowledge of God's will for us"
   
    Why hasn't Torah "done it" for us this whole time? Because we thought Torah was about "Sitting at a Gemara and shuckling, Dozing off at a Shiur" and certainly "seriously racking your brain over a Tosfos or a R' Chaim" would pass for "Torah" - right? Not quite - that's the trees, but we missed the forest.   

IT'S HIS WILL!

I saw a beautiful piece of Nesivos Shalom (end of Parshas Shelach) over Shabbos that offers another perspective:

Lo Sasuru Acharei Eineichem is a Lo Sa'aseh on Hirhur Halev. How could there be a Lo Sa'aseh if Chazal say that a negative Machshava H' doesn't consider a Ma'aseh Aveira? R' Chaim Vital explains that a Chet is a combination of 4 things - Thought in the Brain, thought in the Heart, Speech, and Action. So thought can be in the brain or in the heart. A thought can pass throught he brain and never make it to the heart. For that there's no Lo Sa'aseh, H' does not consider that a Ma'aseh Aveira. The Aveirah is only if the thought goes to the heart.

Now, how could we be commanded to control the thoughts of our heart? Can we control them? Yes, we can - with Torah. Avos D'Rebbi Nosson (20) says, if one puts the words of Torah on their heart it gets rid of the thoughts of Aveira. Barasi Y"H, Barasi Torah Tavlin (Kidushin 30b) - by saturating our mind with Torah, thoughts of Aveira will dissolve. The Rebbe of Kuvrin learns this from the Ramah at the beginning of Shulchan Aruch that says when one takes to heart the fact that HKB"H, Whose existence fills the world, is standing over him, watching every action, he will instantly achieve Yirah - fear of heaven. But haven't many tried without success? If it remains only a thought it won't have any effect. It has to penetrate the heart. This also effects the thoughts in the heart - if you allow the thought of H's constant watch over you to enter your heart those thoughts will disappear.

Another Avos D'Rebbi Nosson (24) says that Torah gets absorbed in the blood - that's how you become a Metzius of Torah. In that way the Torah is Tavlin against the Y"H, by entering the HEART.

Torah taken to heart creates a spiritual light that shines within a person. Tzitzis has a similar effect, but on the body. Tzitzis creates a protective light around a person's body and even effects their thoughts. The Bracha on the Talis (the Arizal would make this Bracha on Tzitzis too) is "Lhisatef BaTzitzis", because the effect of Tzitzis is Misatef - it completely surrounds the body. This is why the Seforim say it's an Inyan to wear Tzitzis at night too - not to break this protection. The Mitzvah of Tzitzis corresponds to a fulfillment of all Mitzvos because its effect is all encompassing, on all parts of the body. The famous story of the man who was meticulous with Tzitzis who was saved from Aveirah in Menachos 44a supports this idea. 

In these 2 ways we are protected from the thoughts of the heart, and avoiding this Lo Sa'seh is within our reach if we allow Hashem's Torah and the special Mitzvah of Tzitzis to enter our heart, our bloodstream, and completely envelop us. To the degree that we do this we will be protected - that's Hashem's promise.

[The question I have had, and that many others have had, is how can I have impure thoughts if I learn Torah, if I know that H' is always watching? What happened to the special power of Torah to protect us from this? "Hamaor Shebah Machziro L'Mutav." Has all my Torah learning helped? Why am I still spinning with impure thoughts and actions?

The answer is that Torah does have a special power to keep us pure, but not if it only remains in the mental state, as a thought in our mind. For Torah to protect us it must enter the heart, it must make an emotional connection. I think that's why Chazal compare Torah to a Tavlin - a medical remedy. Medicine has an effect when it enters our bloodstream - when the heart pumps it throughout the entire body. If it remains localized it has little effect. If we connect with Torah emotionally, not just as a mental activity, then the medicinal powers of Torah will rid us of all impurities in thought, and consequently in action. ]

When you post a nice piece like this, send me a PM with a link, maybe I'll include it in a chizuk e-mail!

Thanks for noticing! I didn't want to toot my own horn. I figured you have a team of moderators combing the site for good stuff and that this would turn up eventually. Oh well -- I guess I have to start tooting!

I also figured that Tzitzis and Torah Tavlin are pretty universal topics, appropriate any time of the year.

All the Best - YVY

Another pshat?

Yosef Hatzadik wrote on 29 Jun 2011 17:50:

Tavlin as pointed out earlier is a spice. The only way the torah could be effective is if its learnt with such a geshmak that it fills up your whole world. Its like an awesome marinated steak.once we leave yeshiva its very difficult to feel that feeling of there is nothing more to live than another reb akiva eiger.we're left to learning a shtikel daf yom from artscroll.

I believe in this context Tavlin means remedy/medicine, but one is certainly welcome to Darshen why the term Tavlin is used instead of Som, Refuah, etc. Tavlin would mean medicine since medicine is a combination of spices (herbs, etc.).

YVY wrote on 01 Jun 2011 21:18:

i don't chap :-[ . isn't mutchening urself on a tosafos considered hashem's will?
the tanya says that learning shor shenagach es haparah is more chashuv leinyan deveikus hashem than learning chovos halevavos, because it involves ur brain more=more deveikus

TehillimZugger wrote on 16 Aug 2011 20:58:


Certainly that's His Will, if it's done right. What I'm talking about is not forgetting that the content of the Torah you are learning is the actual expression of His Will. Unfortunately many people learn and forget they're learning Dvar Hashem. They treat it like an intellectual exercise, or worse - a habitual activity that I blindly perform like a robot.

This would fit well with what you quoted from the Tanya - Shor Shenagach is a DIRECT expression of His Will and when you involve your mind you're making His Will your will. Make Rotzoncha K'Ritzono - I believe that's in Avos somewhere.