Enjoy It

The Gemarah explains the possuk in Yermiyahu (9:12) על עזבם את תורתי אשר נתתי לפניהם ולא שמעו בקולי ולא הלכו בה that the reason for the churban Habait was שלא ברכו בתורה תחילה.  Where do we see that in the words of the possuk?  The Levush (beginning of siman 47) says ונראה שפירושו "הלכו" מלשון טיול ושעשוע, כמו "והתהלכתי בתוככם", כלומר שלא חשבו לימודה לטיול והנאה, רק לאומנות ושלא לשמה.  The words הלכו indicates a joyous stroll.  The issue wasn't that Torah wasn't being learnt but that it wasn't being enjoyed.  With this approach we understand that when it says בחוקותי תלכו which Rashi says means עמילם בתורה that amelut b'Torah means learning with enjoyment.  Normally עמילות means hard work, the opposite of enjoyment, even in ruchniut לפום צערא אגרא, however, in Torah it is a paradox that עמילות leads to enjoyment, the amelut does not make things harder but adds to the enjoyment.  The Or Hachayim in Balak (23:21) says that it the interpretation of the words in the possuk ולא ראה עמל בישראל that the amelut does not feel like amelut, "עוד נתכוון באומרו ולא ראה עמל בישראל כי הצדיקים כל צפצופם עושים בו נחת רוח לה׳ ואינם מיגעים אותו כביכול על דרך אומרו (מלאכי ב) הוגעתם ה׳ בדבריכם, ולזה אמר ולא ראה עמל בישראל."

This has נ"מ also regarding halacha, R' Avraham min hahar Nedarim (48a) and Taz Yoreh Deah (221:43) hold that we don't apply the rule of מצות לאו ליהנות ניתנו to talmud Torah because the mitzvah is to have enjoyment from Torah. (Based upon a shmuzz from Rav Refael Shmulevitz zt"l printed in the Mir parsha sheet.)

That is why the Baal Shem Tov said (cited in Degel Beshalach,) the beracha that was not said was the beracha of והערב נא because what was missing was the enjoyment of Torah.  In the same vein we can understand what the Toldot (Vaerah) cites in the name of the Baal Shem Tov who said Mashiach said he has not come because people do not have intent in the beracha of אהבה רבה.  Why is that a reason why Mashiach has not come?  It is in the same vein.  אהבה רבה is the beracha where we express the love Hahem has for us in giving us the Torah.  It serves to awaken the same feelings in us, כמים הפנים לפנים, to love Hashem for and appreciation of the Torah.  The lack of כונה in the beracha is an expression of the lack of appreciation of the Torah, a continuation of the same issue which placed us in the golut.;