Limud HaTorah - The Mitzvah of Torah Study

Behold, I have taught you rules and laws, as HaShem my God commanded me, that you will be able to keep them in the land to which you are coming and which you will be occupying. Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and understanding in the eyes of the nations; they will hear all these statutes, shall say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people. For what nation is so great that they have God so near to them, as HaShem our God is whenever we call upon him? And what nation is so great that they have rules and laws so righteous as all this Torah, which I set before you this day? Deuteronomy 4:5-8 And Moses called all Israel, and said to them, Hear, O Israel, the rules and laws which I speak in your ears this day, that you may learn them, and keep, and do them. Deuteronomy 5:1 Hear, O Israel; HaShem is our God, HaShem is One. And you shall love HaShem your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. And these words, which I command you this day, shall be in your heart; and you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise up. Deuteronomy 6:4-7

The Torah commands us to study the Torah and know it well, and to teach it to others. This is among the most basic tasks of a Jew. Every Jew is obligated to set aside time to study Torah on a daily basis, whether he is old or young, rich or poor, healthy or sick. The obligation lasts throughout one’s life; at no point can someone say that he has completed his obligation to study Torah.

The obligation to study Torah applies to both the Written Torah and the Oral Torah. The Talmud tells us that a person should divide his study time into three segments. One is to study the Written Torah, the second is to study the Oral Torah – primarily in memorizing the Mishnayos, and the third is to analyze these topics and understand them well. (Sefer HaChinuch)

The primary goal of Torah study is to know the mitzvos well and to know how to fulfill them properly. Therefore the study of practical Jewish law takes precedence over other areas of Torah study. However, no area of Torah should be neglected, for all are necessary for properly developing as a Jew. It is particularly important to also study those parts of the Torah that teach us to be better people and improve our character, as it is impossible to properly serve HaShem when one has not worked on his character. This study is commonly called mussar, and can be found in the Written and Oral Torah.

Women and Torah Study The primary obligation of Torah study is placed upon men. However, women are also obligated to study Torah so that they can properly fulfill their obligations. The only practical difference is with regard to the study of theoretical knowledge that does not serve any immediate practical purpose. Women are not obligated to study these aspects of the Torah and are better advised to focus on those aspects of Torah study that they need for practical purposes. When women study the practical laws of the Torah they earn great reward. In addition, it is also very important for women to study mussar just like men. A woman can also earn merit for the study of Torah by helping her husband and sons to study Torah.

Sometimes a person will rationalize that it is better for him to delay the study of Torah until later in his life when he has more free time. He may even feel that this is praiseworthy, to spend full time in earning money today, so that he will be able to retire and spend full time studying Torah later. Such a rationalization is called an Atzas HaYetzer – Advice of the Wicked Inclination – and is ultimately misleading. The Talmud teaches us:

Hillel said… Do not say, “When I have leisure I shall study” for you may never have leisure. (Avos 2)

In his commentary on Pirkei Avos, Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch explains:

However great the pressures of your other affairs may be, you must always set aside a definite period each day for study… and never postpone your study for a period of leisure that seems more convenient. For it may be that you will never have leisure time “more convenient” for study…. (Avos 2:5)

The study of Torah is our first and most important task because it determines the extent to which we will understand and fulfill our life’s duties. Therefore, regardless of any other pursuit to which we may give of our time, we must not leave the study of the Torah to chance but should establish a regular daily time and schedule for study and adhere to it, for otherwise we might allow other pursuits to keep us from study and as a result we would drift away more and more from this source of our spiritual sustenance. (Avos 1:15)

We are taught that when a person comes before the Heavenly court after completing his time in this world, the first issue that he is judged upon is whether he properly used his time for Torah study.

In addition to the mitzvah of studying Torah, we are also obligated to teach Torah to others. This obligation is particularly binding on a father to teach his sons. In addition, every Jewish community is obligated to establish educators for children and to ensure that every Jewish child receives a Jewish education.

© Eliezer C. Abrahamson