(2007/5767)

When the Luchot were broken, a decree was made that the Jewish people would learn Torah in times of suffering and oppression.  Hashem will reward us at the time of Mashiach for this learning through suffering. The Steipler Gaon notes that if the Luchot had not been broken, we wouldn’t be learning in times of anguish. This is because our Torah learning would not be affected by forgetfulness.  However, when the Luchot were broken, a new phenomenon appeared: forgetfulness among those who study the Torah. One way to counter it is to learn Torah in painful and difficult conditions because this ensures that one will remember what he learns.  This is the first reason for us to learn Torah under difficult conditions; it is human nature to forget things but one will never forget what he learned through sweat and toil.  The second reason to learn through adverse conditions is supernatural.  One is greatly rewarded for the effort one puts into learning Torah.  We can all take this to heart and learn Torah even when it seems difficult for both of these two reasons.