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Thought for the Day: The Pleasure of Learning Torah Is Literally Out of This World

When I learn Torah, I would say that more often than not I am filled with feelings of happy satisfaction and enjoyment. Yet there is an apparent machlokes between Chazal and every translation I can find for the word הנאה. Google translate says it quite well, I think:
הנאה
a feeling of happy satisfaction and enjoyment
And Chazal? We need a short introduction. There are only two brachos that are a Torah obligation: Birkas HaMazon and Birkas HaTorah: Rav Yehuda asks (rhetorically): How do we know there is a Torah obligation to make a bracha after eating? Because it says ואכלת ושבעת וברכת/(when) you eat and are satisfied, you will bless (Devarim 8:10). How do we know there is a Torah obligation to make a bracha before learning Torah? Because it says כי שם ה' אקרא הבו גדל לאלקינו/when I proclaim the name of HaShem, ascribe greatness to our G-d (Devarim 32:3) (Brachos 21a).

So far, so good. R' Yochanon floats the idea that he can prove that there should be a Torah obligation to say a bracha before eating from the Torah obligation to make a bracha before learning Torah. R' Yochanon also proposes that he can also prove that there should be a Torah obligation to make a bracha after learning from the fact that there is a Torah obligation to make a bracha after eating. For both he uses the classic, tried and true ling of reasoning known as a fortiori; better known as קל וחומר. Here we go: Food does not require a bracha beforehand, but does require a bracha afterward; is it not a logical consequence that Torah, which does require a bracha beforehand should certainly require a bracha afterwards. (I think you know where this is going...) Torah, which does not require a bracha afterwards, yet does require a bracha beforehand, is it not a logical consequence that food, which does require a bracha afterward should certainly require a bracha before.

You and I both know very that there is not bracha after learning Torah (well... maybe, but that is for another time) and we also both know very well that birkas HaMazon is a Torah obligations, but the brachos we make before eating are all Rabbinic obligations. No worries, the Gemara immediately "shlugs up" (I don't know a good translation for that expression) R' Yochanon's proofs; to wit:

How can you ask from Torah to food? Torah brings us to eternal life! Which implies that food does not bring us to eternal life. I am good with that. But the Gemara goes the other way also: How can you ask from food to Torah? After all, we have הנאה from food! By implication, there is no הנאה from Torah!
Find another/better answer to this question in this later TftD.

Clearly we need to adjust our understanding of הנאה. There is no question that learning Torah is accompanied by feelings of pleasure and satisfaction. Apparently, however, that is not what the Hebrew word הנאה means. We have to say that הנאה is a feeling of pleasure and satisfaction that comes from a physical/this world benefit. I would like to suggest, in fact, that this is precisely why the Torah obligates us in a bracha after eating and being satisfied. It may be fun to look forward to a good meal, but that's not הנאה. In fact, the real benefit of the food is only after having eaten and digested it. The taste? There and gone in moments.

So why do we need to make a bracha on Torah before learning? Couldn't one argue that the benefit is only after learning? Not at all. The benefit of learning Torah is the relationship one is making with the Creator. You need to know that before starting. You need to ascribe greatness to our G-d before you start proclaiming His name -- that is, learning, which is all expressions of the name of HaShem. If you don't, you are in real danger of missing the real benefit of Torah and being satisfied with the accompanying, and all too fleeting, feelings of pleasure and satisfaction in this world.
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