Community Magazine May 2012

1 WHO IS OBLIGATED IN THE MISSVA OF TALMUD TORAH? Every male is obligated to learn Torah, whether he is poor or rich, young or old, in good physical health or, Gd forbid, physically suffering. Even a poor person who must go door- to-door collecting charity, and even a married man with many children, bear the obligation of talmud Torah. All are obligated to set a fixed time to learn on a daily basis, as the verse says, “Vehagita bo yomam valayla–You shall toil in it day and night.” Learning Torah is critical for every Jew to know how to observe the missvot properly. If one is incapable of learning more than the basic laws of how to do the missvot, he should financially support people who learn Torah, so he will have merit in this great missva (Shulhan Aruch – Yoreh De’a,246:1). 2 HOW CAN WOMEN FULFILL THE MISSVA OF TALMUD TORAH? The Shulhan Aruch (Yoreh De’a 246:6) states that a woman who learns Torah earns reward for learning, though not the same as a man’s reward, since she is not obligated to toil in Torah. The Rama explains that a woman is obligated to learn the laws that apply to her (such as laws of Shabbat, kashrut and family purity). Our rabbis teach us that a woman who assists her husband to learn Torah (such as by waking him up to learn in the early morning, and staying up for him late at night) receives great reward. A woman who takes her children to learn Torah is also rewarded. 3 WHAT MEASURES SHOULD ONE TAKE TO TRULY ACQUIRE TORAH? If one truly wants to acquire the depths of the Torah, his primary focus should be on the pursuit of Torah knowledge, and not on acquiring wealth or honor (Rama, Yoreh De’a 246:21). Great accomplishments in learning are possible only when one is fully committed to Torah learning. True mesirut nefesh, self-sacrifice, at times may necessitate going to extremes such as eating only bread and water, experiencing physical discomfort (learning with no heat or air conditioning), and sleeping a minimal amount of hours. One should ensure not to waste even one night without learning, since the nighttime hours are especially suited for acquiring Torah wisdom (ibid,23). 4 WHAT IS THE REWARD FOR LEARNING TORAH? Learning Torah is so important and powerful that it is equivalent to observing all the missvot (Shulhan Aruch – Yoreh De’a, 246:18). Whoever is involved in Torah becomes spiritually elevated. Those who learn Torah earn longevity, wealth, honor, success, and blessing in this world and the next world. 5 HOW SHOULD ONE STRUCTURE HIS TORAH STUDY CURRICULUM? When one begins learning, he should spend one-third of the time on Tanach, one-third on oral Torah (mishna), which is the explanation of the written Torah, and one-third on Gemara, which delves into the roots and intricacies of the missvot, until one reaches the final halacha (Shulhan Aruch – Yoreh De’a 246:4). Once one has advanced in his learning and acquired proficiency in the written and oral Torah, he should dedicate a little time to the written and oral Torah so as not to forget the scriptures, and dedicate as much time as possible to the learning of Gemara in order to broaden his knowledge and comprehension. Some time should be designated for the learning of mussar (ethics) so one can actively work on improving his middot (character). 6 IF ONE HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO EITHER LEARN TORAH OR PERFORM A DIFFERENT MISSVA, WHICH TAKES PRECEDENCE? If the missva can be performed by someone else or if it can be postponed, then learning takes precedence (Rambam, Hilchot Talmud Torah 3:4). Otherwise, one should perform the missva and then immediately go back to learning. (Shulhan Aruch – Yoreh De’a 246;18). 7 UNTIL WHEN IS ONE OBLIGATED TO LEARN TORAH? One is obligated to learn Torah until the day he passes away, as the verse says, “and they shall not leave your heart all the days of your life.” The Shulhan Aruch (Yoreh De’a ;246: 3) writes that one who stops involving himself in Torah learning forgets the material he has learned. RABBI DANIEL D. LEVY The Top 10 Questions & Answers on Customs and Laws oF D dicated oving emo y Hac a N i Ma a .. & Talmud Torah Torah Learning ( ) 54 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE