Joodse traditie als permanent leren

201.

he shall be the recipient of honor. But if he studies the Torah in order to criticize and attack it, it were better for him that he had never been born.

((Learning versus Temporal Interests))

246,21. Knowledge of the Torah will not abide with one who comes to it carelessly, or light-heartedly, or while eating or drinking. It will remain only with the one who is willing to suppress himself utterly and afflict himself unceasingly for its sake, and who will not give sleep to his eyes nor slumber to his eyelids (Prov. 6:4. The Rabbis graphically describe the acquisition of knowledge of the Torah as calling for a regimen of bread with salt, water drunk by measure, sleeping on the ground and a life of painful toil. )

Let not a man think to devote himself to the study of the Torah and at the same time to the acquisition of riches and honor; for one who lets this thought enter into his heart will never attain to the crown of the Law. (Three crowns were granted to Israel: the crown of the priesthood, to which only Aaron and his seed attained; the crown of royalty, to which David and his house attained; and the greatest crown of all, the crown of the Torah, which is free for all Israel. ) To be successful in his study he must make it a fixed duty, and must make his occupation an occasional thing, minimizing his attention to business and making his main occupation the study of the Torah. He must abjure temporal pleasures. He must devote so much time to his daily work as is necessary for his support, if he have not otherwise the wherewithal to live, and the rest of the day and part of the night he should give up to the study of Torah.

It is a great virtue for a man to support himself by the work of his hands, as it is said, "When thou eatest the labor of thy hands, happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee" (ps. 128:2). Anyone who thinks of devoting himself to the Torah to the exclusion of all other work, while being supported by charity, is profaning the name of God and bringing the Torah into contempt. For it is forbidden to reap any material advantage from the Torah, and all study of the Torah which is not coupled with work leads to sin and robbery of one's fellowmen. All this applies to a healthy man who, by spending some time at his craft or business, can support himself. But an old or sickly man may