Learning for Life: A Halachic Hierarchy
773. Learning for Life: A Halachic Hierarchy
A fundamental aspect of the mitzvah of talmud Torah (Torah study) is chazarah(review), which is crucial for retaining our learning. In days of yore, the custom was to review the subject matter one hundred times—and even more—in order to remember it forever. That was the case up until just over one hundred years after the destruction of the second Beis Hamikdash, when the Torah Sheba’al Peh (the Oral Torah, i.e., Mishnah, Gemara etc.) was transcribed for all time by Rabbinic decree. Even today, extensive review applies more to the study of Torah Sheba’al Peh than to Tanach (The Five Books of Moses, Prophets and Writing). We are still obligated to review our learning not just once, twice (or thrice) so as to understand it in its entirety, but as many times as it takes to instill it in our memory.
One who fails to properly review their learning raises three halachic issues:
The metaphoric meaning of the mitzvah “ve’shinantam l’vanecha” (and you shall teach your children) plays on the root of the word shanen (to sharpen), as in the pasuk (verse),“chitzei gever shinunim” (men’s sharpened arrows), and tells us that the learning should be as sharp in the mind, so recall should not fade with time. (The word “Mishnah” is also derived from this root-word).
In addition, there is an explicit lav (Torah prohibition) of, “Hishamer lecha ushmor nafshecha me’od pen tishkach” (watch yourselves and guard your soul very well lest you forget).
Thirdly, the Mishnah states that a person who forgets their learning is k’ilu mischayev b’nafsho (as if he is guilty [of terminating] his life). A person may therefore erroneously conclude: “Better avoid learning altogether so as not to be guilty of putting my life on the line.” But a person who does not learn at all is not “k’ilumischayev” (as if guilty), but actually mischayev b’nafsho—which is obviously a more serious offense.
In this light, the task of advancing in Torah learning may appear insurmountable; however the Mishnah counsels us, “Lo alecha hamelachah ligmor” (it is not upon you to complete the work)—sincere effort, not achievement, is paramount, and it is up to us to learn and review as expected.
In the hierarchy of subjects to learn in the vast sea of Torah, a particularly forgetful person is instructed to focus on studying and remembering halachah l’maaseh(practical law), as opposed to studying other aspects of Torah Sheb’aal Peh (like Gemara)*. In addition, we should focus on mussar and chassidus which will inspire us to serve Hashem with emotional investment and not merely by rote as well as the occasional learning of Tanach.
*See Halachah #208.
https://halacha2go.com?number=773