The following is a brief summary of some of thoughts said over by R' Frand on the parsha this evening. I have attempted to reproduce these vorts to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand.
R' Frand began the vort by noting that the badim (poles) were attached to the Aron, even when the Aron was not being carried (Shemos 25:15). R' Frand quoted the Choftez Chaim who said that just like the badim stayed with the Aron and were never separated from it, so too, people who support the learning of the Torah will be forever connected with the Torah.
R' Frand compared this to the relationship between Yissachar and Zevulun. When a person supports another and allows him to learn Torah, the supporter earns a portion in that Torah learning of the person who is being supported. And when the donor gets to Olah Haba, he will receive a reward for the learning as if he himself had learned that Torah. This is the meaning of the words in Zos HaBeracha (Devarim 33:18) - S'mach Zevulun B'tzesecha - loosely translated as - be happy Zevulun when you go out. When the Zevulun leaves this world as goes out to Olam Haba he should be happy that he is receiving the reward for the learning that he supported, as if he himself had learned it.
R' Frand quoted a story said by R' Ya'akov Galinski which R' Frand also said that he personally knew the family in the story. There was a man who supported the Lakewood Yeshiva when R' Aharon Kotler was Rosh Yeshiva. The man's son began to learn there as well and he continued to support the yeshiva. One day, the man told his son - its time to join the family business, The son wanted to stay in yeshiva and he enlisted R' Aharon to approach his father. When R' Aharon came to the man, he said to R' Aharon - you have been telling me for years that a person who supports another in learning earns a share in that Torah that is being learned. If my son joins me now in business he wont lose out because he will still earn the Olam Haba for the learning. R' Aharon responded to him - yes you are correct, he will still earn the Olam Haba. But you are depriving him of the Olam Hazeh -of the enjoyment of learning Torah in this world.
R' Frand also quoted the Chofetz Chaim on the pasuk Eitz Chayim He L'Machazikim Bah wherein the Chofetz Chaim remarked that it would seem that grammatically the word should be Osah - that it would be a tree of life for those who support it (Osah) rather than for those who hold onto it (Bah).
He answered that there is a difference between supporting and grasping something. He used the visual aid of the shtender - a person can uphold the shtender, as if the shtender or the Torah needs you to keep it up? Or he can lean on it and let it support him - this is the famous Chazal that the Aron Kodesh carried those who carried it.
R' Frand tied this to a story of R' Leizer Gordon who eventually became the Rosh Yeshiva of Telshe. When R' Gordon first got married he and his wife lived in his father in law's house. But soon after he moved in, the father in law experienced financial issues and the mother in law approached the father in law. She said to her husband, it was all well and good when they had money, but now he needs to get a job. He responded to her - but who is supporting whom? Let him keep learning.
When the first job offer came, she said to her husband - he should take the job, but the father in law said - let him keep learning. The job offers kept coming and eventually he got a dream job offer in Rabbanus. R' Gordon took the job and soon after the father in law died. At the funeral, the mother in law yelled from the women's section that she killed him! He had been saying all along - who is supporting whom and he pushed him to get a job and now the father in law is dead.
We may think that we are supporting the lomdei Torah, but they are supporting us.
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