The Rest of a Ben Torah

 I saw something very  nice in the local Parsha sheet. Liktuei Peshatim is printed by HTC, the yeshiva in Skokie, and it had something from Rabbi Yosef Babad, a rebbi there. He said that it seems to be what the Seforno on this passuk means, that the passuk is highlighting a characteristic unique to donkeys that should be seen in Bnei Torah as well.  I put it here as a service to speakers. It is not well known and it is very useful.

On Breishis 49:14, יששכר חמר גרם רבץ בין המשפתים  the Seforno says

גרם. חמור בעל עצם חזק ובחזקו רובץ בין המשפתים. כשהוא חונה רובץ בין שתי החבילות הנתונות למשא על שני צדיו על דרך שפיתת שתי קדרות בכירים שלא תמושנה עד שישלים הפועל בהן את כונתו וזה לא יתכן זולתי לחמור חזק מאד שירבץ עם החבילות על גביו וכמו כן יששכר נושא עליו עול תורה ועול דרך ארץ והנהגת מדינות כראוי לחכם שלם במדות ובמושכלות:

It can also be seen in the Radak here.

ד"ה יששכר חמור גרם: כמו חמור חזק בעל גרמים שרובץ תחת משאו כשירצה לנוח מעט ויקום עם משאו. וה"משפתים" הם המשאות שנושא. 

Here is how Rabbi Babad presented it.

THE SIGN OF A TRUE BEN TORAH

Submitted by Rabbi Yehoshua Babad, Rebbe, FYHS

Rashi cites a Midrash that Yissachar is compared to a strong-boned donkey, fit

to carry the yoke of Torah, which is referred to as being a heavy load. Yissachar

is the symbol of a ben Torah, someone who is strong and accepts the yoke of

Torah. Why is a donkey used as the animal which shows strength? Ask anyone

about someone in the gym, and he'll say that a strong athlete is strong like an

ox. You never hear someone commenting that an athlete is strong as a donkey.

Why, then, did Yaakov use a donkey as a description of one who is very strong?

A big difference between an ox and a donkey is that although an ox is stronger

and can carry more at one time, yet in order for an ox to rest, it needs to unload

the burden it is carrying. A donkey, on the other hand, may not be as strong and

may not be able to carry as heavy a burden, but it can rest while its yoke is still

on him.

Herein lies a powerful message for a ben Torah. Many people might be able to

lift a heavy load for a short time, but then they would have to release it in order

to breathe. They cannot sustain the weight for an extended period of time. There

are others, however, who perhaps cannot lift as much weight at one time, but yet

they are comfortable holding the weight for a much longer time.

Breaks are very necessary for the growth of a ben Torah, but what shows a true ben

Torah isn’t only how much he can learn during the zman. Rather, it is when he takes

his breaks that he demonstrates his determination to remain as a ben Torah, as he

continues regular intervals to study even then.

As the mid-winter break is approaching, let us be zoche to be like the brachah of

Yaakov and stay as strong as a donkey, and persevere in our learning even

during the breaks. Thus we can continue to grow and remain true bnei Torah.