TMT, Rabbi Adelman, Hasmada, 3

Good morning.

We are continuing our discussion on hasmadah—diligence in learning—and its deeper meaning. The word hasmadah shares a root with tamid, meaning “constant.” It refers not merely to frequency, like learning on Sunday, again on Monday, and again on Tuesday. Rather, a masmid is someone who strives to utilize every single moment for growth.

Of course, learning consistently on a daily, weekly, and yearly basis is crucial. But when we describe someone as a masmid, we’re highlighting more than just routine—we’re emphasizing the attitude of happening upon every spare minute, maximizing every opportunity to learn and grow.

There’s a well-known secular saying: “Slow and steady wins the race.” It’s important to understand that the key word here is not “slow,” but “steady.” The victory lies in consistency. A true masmid is someone who doesn't necessarily push himself beyond his limits all the time, but who is always engaged—always in motion, always growing.

If you look in Orchos Yosher, where Rav Chaim Kanievsky writes a chapter about Torah, he makes this point very clearly. He says that if someone truly wants to become a ben Torah, he must dedicate himself to learning with diligence and constancy. A true ben Torah makes use of every moment available to him.

At the same time, this commitment can become an opening for the yetzer hara. The yetzer hara can come along and whisper: “You missed a day. You were supposed to learn at this time and you didn’t. You failed.” That feeling can derail a person.

We must remember: while consistency is essential, missing a moment doesn't mean we’re lost. Don’t think, “I missed my streak—now it’s all ruined.” Because ultimately, the real “streak” we want to maintain is being an eved Hashem at every moment—doing what Hashem wants from us in that specific situation.

I’ll share a powerful story.

A man was once on his way to a close friend’s wedding. On the way, he got stuck in traffic and realized he would miss mincha with a minyan—and this was no small matter for him. He had a streak of years without missing a single tefillah b’tzibur. But if he stopped to find a minyan, he would miss the chosson tish, the intimate gathering before the chuppah where the groom is surrounded by his closest friends.

Conflicted, he called his Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Chaim Epstein zt”l, and asked what he should do.

Rav Chaim told him to go straight to the wedding. The man protested, “Rebbe, I’ve had a streak of years without missing a minyan!”

Rav Chaim replied, “It’s true—you’ll miss a minyan this time. But you won’t break your true streak—the one that matters most. You’ll still be someone who lives every moment as an eved Hashem, doing what Hashem wants of you in that moment. And that streak remains unbroken.”