DEUT1640 Torah Study is one of those things the doer of which eats the fruits in this world and the principal in the world to come, as it is written: "For it is the life and the length of your days" (Kiddushin 40a)

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DEUT1641 "Great is charity for it prolongs the days and years of man, as it is said [this verse]: 'For that is your life and the length of your days.' And it is stated too (Proverbs 3:18): 'It is a tree of life to them that grasp it.' Now we may argue from premise to conclusion (Kal Vechomer): If for the very lightest of all mitzvoth it is promised (Deuteronomy 22:27 [sic. Possible references to Deut. 4:40, 5:30, and/or 11:9? - AJL]) 'So that it should be well with you that you may prolong your days,' how much more so is this true of charity, one of the most important mitzvoth of the Torah. Great is charity for it leads man to the world to come, as it is said (Psalms 1:1): '(Ashrei) Happy is the man that has not walked in the counsel of the wicked…', And also (Psalm 106:3) '(Ashrei) Happy are they that keep justice, that give charity at all times. 'Ashrei (Happy) is used in connection with Torah, and also in connection with charity. Just as the ashrei referring to Torah assures life in the world to come, so does ashrei referring to charity."

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DEUT1642 R. Elazar said: It is forbidden to accompany an ignoramus on the road, is being written: "For it [Torah] is your life." If he [the ignoramus] is heedless of his own life; how much more so will he be heedless of the life of his neighbor! (Pesachim 49b)

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DEUT1643 See [[DEUT135]] Deuteronomy 4:37 loved OXFORD 40

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DEUT1644 In how many ways should a person hold himself to an accounting before God? I say that there are a multitude of ways in which to make such an accounting. Of these, I will point out thirty. They can clarify to a person what he owes God, if he will bring them to mind and undertake to reflect on them and remember them always. God's Book and one's attitude toward it. … 5. One should make a personal accounting of his delay in coming to understand God's Torah and of his contentedness with not grasping its contents. He would not act this way in regard to a book that came to him from a human King, in the event that he was not sure of its meaning, for example, because of incomprehensible handwriting or diction; the depth, subtlety, or complexity of its material; or its rhetorical style. Rather, he would focus his mind and concentrate all his thoughts in order to understand its meaning, and he would be greatly distressed until he understood its intention. Now, if he would go to such lengths to understand the book of a human being, weak and mortal like himself, how much greater is it his obligation to go far beyond this in order to understand the Book of his God, which is the source of his life, as it says: “For it is the source of your life and long endurance” (Devarim 30:20). How could you permit yourself, my brother, to neglect it and be content with what is easily understood and readily apparent, while disregarding the rest? Do you realize how faulty and disreputable your behavior has been in this regard? Does it not resemble the conduct of the one of whom it was said, “You praised the Gods of silver and gold, of bronze and iron, of wood and stone, who do not see or hear or know anything; but the God in Whose hand are your soul and all your ways, you did not glorify ” (Daniyel 5:23).

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DEUT1645 Every seventh year, the entire Jewish people were not permitted to work the land (Leviticus 25:1-6) This was a special miracle that God guaranteed in the Torah that they would not starve (Leviticus 25:19-22); this would be unworkable in a modern secular society. What did all the Jewish people do during that year, since they could not work the land and essentially had nothing else to do? It is believed that the Jews sat and learned Torah during the Shemitah year. Thus, while putting their trust in God to give them food, they also grew spiritually during this Sabbatical year. (This is the origin of the modern concept of sabbatical, in which some educational institutions realize the importance of educators "recharging your batteries" every seven years.) At the end of this year, during the following holiday of Sukkot, the king would gather the entire people and also teach them Torah [this and following verses]. The overall effect would be that the people who had been so involved in their "business" would begin to realize another, spiritual side of life when they were forced to take a break from the regular pattern of work. In addition, they also had to realize that not everything depended upon them, but upon God. Although this does not relate directly to the economic system, these ideas played a very important role in the overall attitude of the people to the economy.

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DEUT1646 See [[DEUT1647]] Deuteronomy 31:12 assemble DUTIES 257

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DEUT1647 The intellectual urge is not found in equal measure among all those who are obligated to serve God; for some are of limited intelligence, while others are superior in their perception. The exhortation of the Torah, however, applies equally to all who meet the conditions that make them subject to commandment, though they vary in their understanding of it, as we have already explained at the end of the First Gate of this book. There are times when a person understands more, and time is when he understands less; the intellectual inspiration in a person varies with the changes in his level of understanding. The exhortation of the Torah, however, does not change in its essence; Its form is the same for child and youth, the advanced in years and the old, the intelligent and the ignorant. What varies is the practice which results from this exhortation, on the part of all those we have mentioned, as we have described. According to Scripture, the exhortation of the Torah is addressed to the entire people, as it says: “Assemble the people-- men, women, children, and the stranger that is within your gate -- so that they may hear and learn” (Devarim 31:12); “Read this Torah before all of Israel, so that they hear” (ibid. 31:11).

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DEUT1648 R. Elazar b. Azaryah expounded: "Assemble the people; the men, the women, and the children": The men come to learn; the women, to hear; the children, to confer reward upon those who bring them (Chagigah 3a)

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DEUT1649 Gather the entire nation together in Jerusalem on Sukkos. Torah is the soul and essence of the Jewish People. Through the Torah we earn eternal life in the Next World, where the pleasures are far superior to any pleasure in this world. Since the Torah is our soul and essence, it is fitting that the entire nation gather together at the designated time to hear words of Torah. People will ask, “What is the purpose of this huge gathering?” The answer will be, “We have gathered to listen to words of the Torah, for the Torah is our life and crowning glory.” The Jews will praise the Torah and speak of his priceless nature. Thereby, greater desire to learn Torah will be instilled in their hearts, and the entire nation will come to acquire greater knowledge of Hashem. The Jewish People will become more worthy of His blessings and He will rejoice in His works.

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