Hayom Yom 13 Menachem Av - Speak words of Torah at all times

בְּשַׁעַת קְרִיאַת עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדִּבְּרוֹת עוֹמְדִים וּפְנֵיהֶם אֶל הַסֵּפֶר תּוֹרָהDuring the public reading of the Ten Commandments, the congregants stand and face the Torah scroll.וְדִבַּרְתָּ בָּם בְּשִׁבְתְּךָ גוIt is written: “You shall speak of them when you sit [in your home and when you walk on the road, when you lie down and when you rise].”וְאָמְרוּ רַזַ"ל: וְדִבַּרְתָּ בָּם, בְּדִבְרֵי תּוֹרָה הַכָּתוּב מְדַבֵּרOur Sages taught: “The command that ‘you shall speak of them’ refers to words of Torah.”אָמְנָם בְּעֵסֶק הַתּוֹרָה גּוּפָא יֵשׁ כַּמָּה חִלּוּקֵי מַדְרֵגוֹת[Every soul, in the course of its supernal prehistory and its mundane life story, passes through] several levels in its involvement in Torah study,וּמְבַאֵר כַּאן כָּל הַמַּדְרֵגוֹתand this verse alludes to them all:בְּשִׁבְתְּךָ בְּבֵיתֶךָ הוּא מַעֲמַד הַנְּשָׁמָה לְמַעְלָה בְּאוֹצַר הַנְּשָׁמוֹתWhen you sit in your home refers to the soul’s presence in the spiritual realm, in the abode of souls,קוֹדֶם יְרִידָתָהּ לְמַטָּה, וְעוֹסֶקֶת שָׁם בַּתּוֹרָהwhere it is involved in Torah study before it descends below;בְּלֶכְתְּךָ בַדֶרֶךְ — קָאֵי עַל הַזְּמַן שֶׁהַנְּשָׁמָה יוֹרֶדֶת מֵעוֹלָם לְעוֹלָם וּמִמַּדְרֵגָה לְמַדְרֵגָהas you walk on the road alludes to the time of the soul’s descent from one spiritual world to the next, and from one level to another,עַד בּוֹאָהּ לְמַטָּה לָעוֹלָם הַתַּחְתּוֹן לְהִתְלַבֵּשׁ בְּגוּף גַּשְׁמִיuntil it reaches this lowly world and is enclothed in a physical body,וּמַתְחִיל לָלֶכֶת בְּדֶרֶךְ עוֹלָם זֶה עַד יְמֵי זִקְנָה וְשֵׂיבָהto then make its way through the world, until it reaches old age —עַד וּבְשָׁכְבְּךָ בְּבוֹא יְמֵי פְּקוּדָּתוֹuntil the time when you lie down, the day when the soul is summoned [back to the higher world];וְגַם אָז הִנֵּה הַתּוֹרָה תִּשְׁמוֹר עָלָיוthen, too, the Torah protects him,כִּמְבוּאָר בְּשִׁשִׁי דְּאָבוֹתas stated in Avos, chapter 66 —עַד וּבְקוּמֶךָ כָּאָמוּר וַהֲקִיצוֹתָ גוand until the time when you rise, as it is written, “And when you awake [at the Resurrection of the Dead, it shall speak for you].”Text and Translation courtesy of Sichos in EnglishFor questions and follow-up: [email protected]