Joodse traditie als permanent leren

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"O every one that thirsteth, come ye for water" (Isa. 55:1); this teaches us that just as water does not accumulate on a slop but flows away, while in a depression it stays, so the Words of the Torah are not to be found in the arrogant or haughty but only in him who is contrite and lowly in spirit, who sits in the dust at the feet of the wise and banishes from his heart lusts and temporal delights; works a little daily, but just enough to provide for his needs, if he would otherwise have nothing to eat, and devotes the rest of the day and night to the study of the Torah.

One, however, who makes up his mind to study Torah and not work but live on charity, profanes the name of God, brings the Torah into contempt, extinguishes the light of religion, brings evil upon himself and deprives himself of life hereafter, for it is forbidden to derive any temporal advantage from the words of the Torah. The sages said, "Whoever derives a profit for himself from the words of the Torah is helping on his own destruction" (Ethics of the Fathers 4:17). They have further charged us, "Make not of them a crown wherewith to aggrandise thyself, nor a spade wherewith to dig" (ibid. 4:7). They likewise exhorted us, "Love work, hate lordship" (ibid. 1:10). "All study of the Torah, not conjoined with work, must, in the end, be futile, and become a cause of sin" (ibid. 2:2). The end of such a person will be that he will rob his fellow-creatures. It indicates a high degree of excellence in a man to maintain himself by the labour of his hands. And this was the normal practice of the early saints. Thus, one secures all honour and happiness here and hereafter, as it is said, "When thou eatest of the labour of thine hands, happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee" (Ps. 128:2). Happy shalt thou be in this world, and it shall be well with thee in the world to come, which is altogether good.

The words of the Torah do not abide with one who studies listlessly, nor with those who learn amidst luxury, and high living, but only with one who mortifies himself for the sake of the Torah, constantly enduring physical discomfort, and not permitting sleep to his eyes nor slumber to his eyelids. "This is the law, when a man dieth in a tent" (Num. 19:14). The sages explained the text metaphorically thus: "The Torah only abides with him who mortifies himself in the tents of the wise". And so Solomon, in his wisdom, said, "If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small indeed" (Prov.