DEUT87 Greater is Torah than the cohen's realm and than royalty: for royalty is acquired with thirty attainments, and the cohen's realm with twenty-four, while the Torah is acquired by forty-eight things. And they are: [44] learns in order to teach; Pirkei Avot, Perek VI, mishnah 6. This tells us not only why the dedicated scholar studies, but how. If a person learns merely for his own sake, he may give his lesson only cursory attention and stop after a superficial reading, "once over lightly." That, he may feel, is good enough for him. But when he intends to teach others, he knows he must gain a thorough grasp of the material, understand every point and every turn. It is not enough to fool himself that he has understood a given chapter. He will never fool his students, whose eager young minds will tear at the leash to try him and test him. So he studies "in order to teach"--with a persevering thoroughness. Actually, this is the only kind of study our faith considers worthy of the name. Scripture admonishes each parent about his precepts, "you shall make them known to your children and children's children"; "you shall teach them diligently to your children" [this verse, Deuteronomy 6:7]. Pure study just to the deck and festoon the mind is little valued in our faith. If you know, teach; share your learning; else, it will moulder and turn into a curse.