You also need to find ways to make yourself feel successful through your learning. You might consider setting a realistic goal to accomplish something impressive, such as finishing a masechta or a number of perakim. Doing well in shiur will also help you feel successful. If you understand and become involved in the action by asking good questions, you will taste success and learning will be fun. If this is difficult, find someone to learn with you and help you get there. No matter what happens, you must set yourself up for success in learning because the more you succeed, the more you will enjoy it.
Finally, the most important factor for enjoying learning is being actively involved in the learning process. You must exert yourself and “push your brain” in learning. You must feel active. Being taught interesting material is not fun if you don’t put in effort to work it out. Though you might hear brilliant ideas, if you are not exerting yourself to understand and your brain is asleep, it will probably be boring. The more you involve yourself, the more enjoyable it will be.
Despite all this, some people just don’t enjoy learning, and while these ideas do help them, learning still lacks pizzazz. Many factors can cause this. For example, if a person is suffering, the pain makes it difficult to enjoy learning. But a person who doesn’t enjoy learning for any reason must know that if he doesn’t give up, the time will come when he will enjoy learning and taste its sweetness. It might take some time — in extreme cases, it might even take a couple of years — but he will eventually succeed. When he breaks through, it will be extra meaningful because he will know that he really earned it. His appreciation and love for learning will be special. He will be so proud that he made it against all odds and attained the ultimate success. Though it is so hard now, Hashem is begging him not to give up because he will eventually succeed and reach greatness.
The Ramchal writes further (Mesillas Yesharim, beginning of Chapters 4 and 5) that studying Mussar and trying to improve is not only part of studying Torah — it’s actually the most potent form of Torah for defeating the yetzer hara. This means when the Gemara (Kiddushin 30b) related that “Torah” is the antidote to the yetzer hara, it meant that a person must learn all forms of Torah — but the most powerful one is Mussar study. The Ramchal elaborates (ibid, beginning of Chapter 4) that all forms of Torah study strengthen us overall, but Mussar helps us more directly in the area we are learning about because it specifically targets that area. Torah study is like a general medicine, while Mussar study is like a balm applied directly on the wound.
This is a vital message. When our sages taught that Torah is vital for defeating the yetzer hara, though that includes all forms of Torah study, they were primarily referring to Mussar study. This is our most potent weapon. The Ramchal’s parable of the sick person applies most to a person who doesn’t try to motivate himself to fight the yetzer hara. Without working on ourselves and learning this potent form of Torah, we are disregarding the true antidote to the yetzer hara. We must study Mussar about our battle every day so we will prevail.
This is not limited to studying books of motivation and Mussar. The Ramchal relates (ibid, Chapter 5) that setting times to assess our actions and contemplate how to improve them is also part of this potent form of Torah study. Working on ourselves outside the battle and using a versatile plan is vital for success.
Torah study is the spiritual fuel we need to stand up to the yetzer hara. If we toil in Torah and Mussar, with Hashem’s help we will have the strength to defeat the yetzer hara in the most difficult battle of all time, the battle of the generation.
Quick Recap: