“Rabbi Soloveitchik was consistent and persistent in his phenomenological methodology as the remarks reproduced below demonstrate. He uses the traditional prayers and practices of the siyyum ritual to illustrate how to the rabbinic Jew the proper practice of the study of Torah is a reenactment of the emotional relationship between a parent and child or of the romance between a lover and his or her beloved. This deeply authentic interpretation echoes the midrashic insights into the biblical love poems of the Song of Songs. The Rav poetically extends those into somewhat existential observations on the meaning of the act of studyBlessed art Thou . . . Who has commanded us to be involved (la`asok) in the words of the Torah”:

" Torah is not only to be studied but demands an all encompassing involvement, la`asok b'divrei torah. Tosafot (Berakhot, ib. sub. shekvar) asks why the blessing for Torah, recited once in the morning, suffices for each time one learns during the day no matter how many interruptions have taken place (e.g. one has gone to work), while the blessing for residing in the Sukkah must be recited anew each time one returns to the Sukkah after leaving it. They answer that since the obligation of Talmud Torah is continuous v'hagita bo yomam valailah (Joshua 1:8) - one is always conscious of the mitzvah. However, any discontinuity of awareness (heseich hada`at) relating to the mitzvah of Sukkah effectively requires that a new berakhah be recited each time the observance of the mitzvah is terminated and then subsequently renewed.

Apparently there are two kinds of awareness according to Tosafot. The first is an acute awareness; clearly this is lacking when one thinks about other matters. The second is latent awareness and this awareness is still present even though one is engaged in other matters

When a mother plays with her child there is an acute awareness of the child. But even when the mother works at a job or is distracted by some other activity, there is a natural, latent awareness of her child's existence. This latent awareness remains throughout her entire lifetime and can never be extinguished. It is expressed in commitment, devotion, and in a feeling of identification, a feeling that I and the baby are one. The infant is the center of gravity of the parent's lives. They feel they cannot live without their child.

The same is true with regards to Torah. There may not be an acute awareness of Torah for twenty-four hours each day. But the latent awareness never ceases. The injunction which forbids discontinuity of awareness from Torah is measured in terms of pen yasuru milvavkhah (lest Torah be forgotten from your heart - Deut. 4:9), not in terms of pen yasuru milimod (lest Torah not be studied). All the injunctions against heseich hada`at from Torah do not refer to a discontinuity of acute awareness. Rather they refer to a discontinuity of latent awareness, which, as already mentioned, is expressed in commitment, devotion, and self-identification with Torah. When even the latent awareness - the commitment to Torah - is forgotten and is dismissed from mind, then one is "worthy of death." This is the reason we say la`asok b'divrei Torah. La`asok implies that even when we are mentally involved with something else we are aware of Torah. This awareness of Torah should become part of one's I-awareness. Just as I am always aware of my existence without having to walk around saying "I exist, I exist," so should I be aware of Torah.

If the blessing were lilmod Torah (to study Torah) and related only to the cognitive act, then any discontinuity of the acute awareness of Torah would require that a blessing be recited every time Torah study commenced anew after a previous discontinuity - just like the blessing for the Sukkah must be repeated with each new entry.

V'hagita (in the verse Vhagita bo yomam valaila), refers not to the actual study of Torah, but to the mitzvah of latent awareness of Torah. Higayon does not refer to thinking in the sense of pure intellectual detached thought. Rather it refers to awareness of personal desires, wishes and concerns; it refers to a deeply felt longing and questing, as in v'hegyon libi (Psalms 19:15), which refers to awareness of one's prayers and petitions. Not matter how much involved one is in other matters there should always be an awareness of the appreciation of Torah as the highest value.

For this reason when we make a siyum we say hadran alakh - we still return to you. As far as acute awareness is concerned we are through, we are leaving this chapter. But the latent awareness remains and for that reason we still return again to learn Chullin. It is just like when a mother leaves her child and says, "I'll be back." She does not say this merely to encourage the infant. She expresses a basic truth. A mother leaves only to return; otherwise she would never leave.

Daatan alakh - in our latent awareness we are still committed to you.

Vdaatakh alan - we hope you won't forget us. We hope that you, the tractate, will also keep us in mind, and if we view the Torah as a friend, the Torah will indeed be able to watch over us.