Parshas Bechukosai

Liyluy Nishmas Elchonon Tzvi ben R' Yisroel Menachem, Zekaini Moiri R' Baruch Moshe Aryeh ben Harav Zev Yehuda, my cousin Zev Yehuda ben Rav Shmuel Mordechai, Avraham ben R' Yitzchak Zev, R' Dovid Meir ben R' Shmuel....

In Perek Chaf Vav Posuk gimmel the posuk says, "I'm bechukosai teileichu v'es mitzvosay tishmoru va'asisem osam... "If you will go in my chukim and observe my commandments and perform them." The next psukim go on to explain the brachos that one will receive when they go in the ways of Hashem. Rashi explains "I'm Bechukosai teielichu" with the famous words "she'tihiyu ameilim ba'Torah" "You shall be toiling in Torah"

The Medrash brings down the posuk in Tehillim "Chishavti drachay v'ashiva raglay el eidosecha" "I considered my ways and returned my feet to your testimony". Dovid said to Hashem, "Hashem each and every day I would be telling myself all the places I needed to go and I was on my way, but my feet led me to the Batei Knesiyos and Batei Midrashos. "V'ashiva raglay el eidosecha"

 Dovid Hamelech is praising himself that when there were things that he needed to do, probably things that could only get done by the king of the land, his feet led him to learn. The Rosh Yeshiva ztl did not understand this. How could Dovid be praising himself for doing something wrong and against Halacha? If there were necessities for the kingdom that only Dovid Hamelech could do, how could he not take care of them?

 The Rosh Yeshiva explained that obviously Dovid Hamelech was not going against Halacha. The right thing for Dovid to do was to learn. However, he was praising himself because without his tshuka and tremendous love for learning it would be very easy to convince himself that that were so many things to tend to. Even Dovid Hamelech with all his greatness could have been convinced that the correct thing to do was to tend to those things. Not only could he have been convinced, it seems that in his mind he was and he was on his way there, but his feet brought him to where he truly was supposed to be.

 Dovid Hamelech was praising himself for having such a desire for Torah learning that it saved him from mistakes even in cases where he truly believed he should not have been learning.
 Good Shabbos