HaShoneh Halachos for Sun, Oct 11, 2015

94. Torah and Work 94. Torah and WorkHaShoneh Halachos for Sunday, October 11, 2015 Talmud Torah 3:9 Words of Torah are compared to water, as per Isaiah 55:1, “Behold, let all who are thirsty come to the water.” This teaches us that just as water does not gather on a slope, rather it flows down and gathers in a low place, words of Torah likewise will not be found among arrogant and haughty individuals, but among the lowly and humble, who sit in the dust at the feet of the Sages and divest their desires and temporal pleasures from their hearts. Such people only work enough each day to support themselves; the rest of their time is occupied with Torah study. Talmud Torah 3:10 If a person decides to occupy himself exclusively with Torah study and to support himself on charity, he desecrates God’s Name, disgraces the Torah, dims the light of our religion, brings evil upon himself, and forfeits his share in the Next World because it is prohibited for one to derive benefit from words of Torah. The Sages said that one who benefits from words of Torah forfeits his share in the Next World. They also, said not to use words of Torah as a crown to make oneself look important, nor as an axe to chop. Rather, they said to love work and to despise holding positions of rabbinic authority. Any Torah study that is not accompanied by work will ultimately be nullified and lead to sin. Such a person will eventually come to steal from others. By Rabbi Jack AbramowitzProvided for informational purposes only. Please contact your rabbi for guidance in matters of practical application.View HaShoneh Halachos 2: Mishneh Torah Index » “Anyone who studies Jewish laws every day can rest assured that he has earned a place in the Next World...”(Talmud Megilla 28b, Niddah 73a) “One who learns in order to teach will be given the ability to learn and to teach but one who learns in order to perform will be given the ability to learn, to teach, to observe and to perform.”(Avos 4:5)   OU.ORG  |  NCSY  |  NJCD  |  OU Kosher   |  JLIC  |  Jewish Action  |  Advocacy  |  OU Job BoardShabbat Shalom  |  OU Press  |  OU Torah  |  OU Israel  |  Synagogue Services   Share this on  Facebook   |   Forward to a friend   |   Unsubscribe