The Rebbe once lectured someone to spend more time in his sacred studies. He said, “Why don’t you study? What can you lose? Don’t you realize that it will earn you an eternal reward?”22This was said during the winter of 5570/1809 before Chanukah, together with the lesson in Likutey Moharan II, 68 (Parparaot LeChokhmah II, 7:7). The Rebbe was speaking to R' Lipa, one of his early followers, who had been away for a long time (Kokhavey Or, p. 55).
Certainly, when the Torah reveals its love to a person, he no longer thinks about his future reward, only desiring the Torah itself. Even God studies the Torah, for we are taught that God’s day includes three hours of such study (Avodah Zarah 3b).
In our times, the study of Torah has fallen very low. The great rabbis of earlier eras had no knowledge of Kabbalah,23The Kabbalah was first revealed circa 1250, after the period of the Rishonim. but they were nevertheless able to perform miracles through their strength in Torah. It was so great that whatever they said would come true (cf. Likutey Moharan II, 41).
הוֹכִיחַ אֶת אֶחָד עַל הַתְמָדַת הַלִּמּוּד, וְאָמַר לוֹ: מַדּוּעַ לֹא תִּלְמַד? מַה תַּפְסִיד בָּזֶה הֲלֹא תְּקַבֵּל עוֹלָם הַבָּא עַל הַלִּמּוּד?!
The Rebbe once lectured someone to spend more time in his sacred studies. He said, “Why don’t you study? What can you lose? Don’t you realize that it will earn you an eternal reward?”22This was said during the winter of 5570/1809 before Chanukah, together with the lesson in Likutey Moharan II, 68 (Parparaot LeChokhmah II, 7:7). The Rebbe was speaking to R' Lipa, one of his early followers, who had been away for a long time (Kokhavey Or, p. 55).
וְאֵין צָרִיךְ לוֹמַר, כְּשֶׁהַתּוֹרָה מַרְאָה אַהֲבָה לְאֶחָד, אָז אֵין רוֹצֶה כְּלָל עוֹלָם הַבָּא, רַק שֶׁרוֹצֶה אֶת הַתּוֹרָה בְּעַצְמָהּ. וַהֲלֹא גַּם הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ לוֹמֵד (כְּמוֹ שֶׁמְּבֹאָר בְּדִבְרֵי רַבּוֹתֵינוּ ז"ל (עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה ג:) סֵדֶר הַיּוֹם שֶׁיֵּשׁ לְהַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא: שָׁלֹשׁ שָׁעוֹת עוֹסֵק בַּתּוֹרָה וְכוּ').
Certainly, when the Torah reveals its love to a person, he no longer thinks about his future reward, only desiring the Torah itself. Even God studies the Torah, for we are taught that God’s day includes three hours of such study (Avodah Zarah 3b).
וּבַדּוֹרוֹת הַלָּלוּ בַּעֲווֹנוֹתֵינוּ הָרַבִּים נָפַל לִמּוּד הַתּוֹרָה מְאֹד. וְדַע, שֶׁהַגְּדוֹלִים שֶׁהָיוּ בַּדּוֹרוֹת שֶׁלְּפָנֵינוּ, דְּהַיְנוּ הָרַבָּנִים הַגְּדוֹלִים שֶׁהָיוּ אָז, לֹא הָיוּ יוֹדְעִים שׁוּם כַּוָּנוֹת, וְאַף־עַל־פִּי־כֵן הָיוּ יְכוֹלִים לַעֲשׂוֹת מוֹפְתִים רַק עַל־יְדֵי לִמּוּד הַתּוֹרָה הַקְּדוֹשָׁה, כִּי עַל־יְדֵי־זֶה – כְּשֶׁהָיוּ אוֹמְרִים אֵיזֶה דִּבּוּר נִתְקַיֵּם כָּךְ.
In our times, the study of Torah has fallen very low. The great rabbis of earlier eras had no knowledge of Kabbalah,23The Kabbalah was first revealed circa 1250, after the period of the Rishonim. but they were nevertheless able to perform miracles through their strength in Torah. It was so great that whatever they said would come true (cf. Likutey Moharan II, 41).