Torah study is the study of the Torah, Hebrew Bible, Talmud, responsa, rabbinic literature, and similar works, all of which are Judaism's religious texts. According to Rabbinic Judaism, the study is done for the purpose of the mitzvah ("commandment") of Torah study itself.
This practice is present to an extent in all religious branches of Judaism, and is considered of paramount importance among religious Jews. Torah study has evolved over the generations, as lifestyles changed and also as new texts were written.
Traditional view
In rabbinic literature, a heavy emphasis is placed on Torah study for Jewish males, with women being exempt.Kiddushin 29b This literature teaches an eagerness for such study and a thirst for knowledge that expands beyond the text of the Tanakh to the entire Oral Torah. Some examples of traditional religious teachings:
The study of Torah is "equal to all" of the mitzvot of honouring one's parents, performing deeds of lovingkindness, and bringing peace between people.Babylonian Talmud, This paragraph was incorporated in the daily prayer service. In one sense, Torah study is greater than the honor of father and mother since it is one of the only commandments for which a person is allowed to move far away from his parents without their permission.Babylonian Talmud, Megilah 16b Some Talmudic rabbis consider Torah study as being greater than the rescue of human life, but Jewish law does not codify this opinionBabylonian Talmud, Megilah 16b because saving a life overrides all other commandments except murder, incest, and idolatry.Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin 74a According to Rabbi Meir, when one studies Torah Lishma (Torah for its own sake - תורה לשמה See discussion by Rambam: Hilchot Teshuva 10:5 and commentary on Makkot 3:16) the creation of the entire world is worthwhile for him alone, and he brings joy to God.Mishnah, Pirkei Avot 6:1 As the child must satisfy its hunger day by day, so must the grown man busy himself with the Torah each hour.Talmud Yerushalmi, Berakhot ch. 9 Torah study is of more value than the offering of the daily sacrifice.Babylonian Talmud, Eruvin 63b A single day devoted to the Torah outweighs 1,000 korbanot (sacrifices).Babylonian Talmud, Shabbat 30a, comp. Menachot 100a The fable of the Fish and the Fox, in which the latter seeks to entice the former to dry land, declares that [the People of] Israel can live only in the Law as fish can live only in the ocean.Babylonian Talmud, Berakhot 61b Whoever learns Torah at night is granted grace during the day, and whoever neglects it will be fed burning coals in the World to Come.Babylonian Talmud, Avodah Zarah, 3b God weeps over one who might have occupied himself with Torah study but neglected to do so.Babylonian Talmud, Hagigah 5b The study must be unselfish: one should study the Torah with self-denial, even at the sacrifice of one's life; and in the very hour before death one should devote himself to this duty.Babylonian Talmud, Shabbat 83b All, even lepers and the ritually unclean, are required to study the Torah.Babylonian Talmud, Berakhot 22a It is the duty of everyone to read the entire weekly portion twice (the law of shnayim mikra ve-echad targum).Babylonian Talmud, Berakhot 8a According to R. Yehudah, God Himself studies the Torah for the first three hours of every day. According to Rabbi Meir, a gentile who studies the Torah (for the limited purpose of finding out about the Seven Laws of Noah) is as great as the High Priest.Babylonian Talmud, Avodah Zarah 3a An even stronger statement is found in the Mishnah where it discusses the social hierarchy of ancient Israel. The High Priest was close to the top of the social pyramid, and a man born from an illicit sexual relationship was near the bottom. However, 'the learned bastard takes precedence over the ignorant High Priest.'Babylonian Talmud, Horayoth 13a (English ed.) I. Epstein, Editor. London UK: the Soncino Press, 1935. Rabbi Tzvi Hirsch Chajes contended that the prohibition of teaching torah to Gentiles only applies to parts of the Oral Law, but not to the written Scriptures. Rabbi Samuel Eidels said the prohibition only included the "reasons and secrets" of the Torah, but not the basic texts or laws. Maimonides said that Christians, who believe in the divinity of Scriptures, would at best come to believe in the Jewish interpretation and at worse cause no harm, so the prohibition does not apply to them. Rabbi Yisrael Salanter advocated for the translation of the Talmud and its introduction into the university curriculum, in order to raise the reputation of Jewish study in the broader world.
Origins
Torah study is counted among the 613 mitzvot (commandments), upon which the Talmud comments that "Study is necessary in order to teach."
From the Book of Deuteronomy:
Similarly, as written in the Book of Joshua:
Quotes from rabbis:
The importance of study is attested to in another Talmudic discussion regarding which is preferred: study or action? The answer there, a seeming compromise, is "study that leads to action."Babylonian Talmud, Kiddushin 40b Although the word "Torah" refers specifically to the Five Books of Moses, in Judaism the word also refers to the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible), the Talmud and other religious works, even including the study of Kabbalah, Hasidism, Mussar and much more.
Kabbalah of action
The Mitzvot is like a body because of their performances and these are done by "action" as the material elements with holy Kavanah to bring supernal life to all the world... (i.e. to give good and "Rachamim/Clement attributes" by Tikkun) But Torah study is always protection by God and this is a cause of the Brit of Matan Torah, as written : ≪Torah is in your heart... this is in your "words"!≫
The Torah is the Tree of Life to find true spiritual life, that is the Holy Spirit with the three Supernal Sefirot with Da'at and the others. The study of Torah can give life and this can build a Temple in the inner dimension of person: God will not take the holy sacrifices but words of Torah and of prayers because in Messianic era the sins will be not and the little sins will be atoned through true force of soul in the heart (Neshama and Ruach with Nephesh) and words of truth on pure and holy mouth.
Forms of traditional Jewish Torah study
The Talmud defines the objective of Torah study: "That the words of Torah shall be clear in your mouth so that if someone asks you something, you shall need not hesitate and then tell it to him, rather you shall tell it to him immediately."Babylonian Talmud, Kiddushin 30a In yeshivas (Talmudical schools), rabbinical schools and kollels (post-graduate Talmudical schools) the primary ways of studying Torah include study of: The Parsha (weekly Torah portion) with its Meforshim (Rabbinic commentators) Talmud Ethical works
Other less universally studied texts include the Nevi'im and Ketuvim, other rabbinic literature (such as midrash) and works of religious Jewish philosophy.
The text of the Torah can be studied on any of four levels as described in the Zohar: Peshat, the plain (simple) or literal reading; Remez, the allegorical reading through text's hint or allusion Derash, the metaphorical reading through a (rabbinic sermon's) comparison/illustration (midrash) Sod, the hidden meaning reading through text's secret or mystery (Kabbalah).
The initial letters of the words Peshat, Remez, Derash, Sod, forming together the Hebrew word PaRDeS (also meaning "orchard"), became the designation for the four-way method of studying Torah, in which the mystical sense given in the Kabbalah was the highest point. The distinction is similar to the medieval Christian classification into literal, typological, tropological (moral) and anagogical senses of scripture (see Allegory in the Middle Ages): it is not certain whether this fourfold division first appeared in a Jewish or a Christian context.
In Haredi Judaism and much of Orthodox Judaism, Torah study is a way of life for males. In these communities, men forgo other occupations and study Torah full-time. Women do not study Torah, but instead gain merit for facilitating the Torah study of the men. A 2017 survey of Modern Orthodox Jews found support for women studying Torah.
Haredi Israelis often choose to devote many years to Torah study, often studying at a kollel. Religious Zionist Israelis often choose to devote time after high school to Torah study, either during their army service at a Hesder yeshiva, or before their service at a Mechina. Many Modern Orthodox students who study in Israel post high-school choose to study at Hesder Yeshivot, namely Yeshivat Har Etzion, Yeshivat Kerem B'Yavneh, Yeshivat Shaalvim and Yeshivat HaKotel. A portion of these students join the Hesder system, draft into the army and/or make Aliyah.
In addition to full-time Torah study, Jews around the world often attend Torah classes in a contemporary academic framework. The Rohr Jewish Learning Institute offers classes on Parenting, Marriage, Medical Ethics, and Business Ethics.http://www.vaildaily.com/news/12386057-113/jewish-learning-course-edwards Posted Sunday, Aug 3rd, 2014
Methods The Brisker method The Brisker method consists of a methodical search for precise definitions of each concept involved in the discussion. Once the mechanism by which a law works is rigidly and correctly defined, it can become clear that one aspect of the definition applies in one situation but not another. Therefore, the final halacha will differ in the two situations, even if they superficially appear to be very similar.
Often an entire series of disagreements among the Rishonim (Talmudic commentaries from roughly the period 1000–1500) may stem back to a subtle difference in how these Rishonim understand a line from the Talmud. The Brisker method can provide a precise formulation of how each Rishon understood the topic, and thus account for their differences in opinion. This approach is most productive when a whole series of debates between two Rishonim can be shown to revolve around a single chakira, or difference in the understanding of a Talmudic concept.
The Brisker method is not a total break from the past. Rabbis before Brisk sometimes made "conceptual" distinctions, and Brisker rabbis can still resolve issues without recourse to the terminology they invented. The difference is one of focus and degree. Non-Brisk analysis tends to formulate "conceptual" definitions only when necessary, while for Briskers, these definitions are the first and most common tool to be used when approaching a Talmudic issue.
One example of the emphasis on the value of precise definition can be found in a quote attributed to Chaim Soloveitchik: "One approach which answers three different problems is better than three different approaches to individually solve the three problems" (a corollary of Occam's razor).
The Luzzatto method Moshe Chaim Luzzatto was the only one to set down the sages' thought process in an organized, systematic, and complete program that can be taught and reproduced. This method makes Gemara (Talmud) learning accessible to everyone by exploring key logical concepts of Talmudic analysis. It is claimed that based on precision and clarity of thinking, one's inherent intellectual powers are studied, cultivated and nurtured. Conscious awareness of one's thinking and thoughts is the key to understanding Torah.
The Zilberman method