Daily Torah Study

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Order of the Day

Learning Torah daily

  1. After Shacharit one should learn Torah [1] as Chazal say anyone who goes from the shul to bet midrash to learn is zoche to see the Shechina. [2]
  2. One should establish a set time to learn everyday that one will not allow to pass even if one stands to loose a lot. [3] Yet, someone who trusts Hashem (has Emunah) will certainly not loose money by learning as Hashem rewards doubly. [4]
  3. If one is forced and greatly pressured to miss his set time for learning, he should learn one pasuk or halacha [5] and make up the time for learning later in the day or at night. [6]

==

  1. Even someone who doesn’t know how to learn at all should walk to the Bet Midrash (when the Tzibbur sets time to learn) since one also gets reward for walking. [7] One also gets reward for staying in the Bet Midrash and also for hearing words of Torah </ref> Mishna Brurah 155:6 based on Devarim Rabba Ki Tetze, quoted in Halacha Brurah 155:6. </ref>
  2. One who doesn’t know how to learn should support those who do and will get reward for their Torah like the deal between Yissachar and Zevulen. [8]
  3. Someone who know how to learn Torah a little should learn what he understands rather than just read without any understanding. [9]
  4. Someone who can learn Torah and think of new ideas (Chiddushim) and spends his time reading Tehilim or Zohar may be considered Bitul Torah. [10]

Bitul Torah

  1. Even though one learn one’s daily amount of learning, one isn’t exempt from learning if one has free time. [11]
  2. Wasting time for learning Torah is a grievous sin and there are many punishments mentioned in Chazal for this sin. [12]

Learning at day and night

  1. It’s important to learn at night and not waste it all with sleep, eating, and talking because one accomplishes most of his learning at night [13], that learning is not easily forgotten and is considered like the Avoda of the Korbanot. The joy of Torah is specifically felt for learning at night and Hashem grants a special Chesed for one who learns at night. [14].

What to learn

  1. Someone who only has 2 or 3 hours to learn daily should learn Halacha from Shulchan Aruch and commentaries or from contemporary Poskim so that one will be knowledgeable in practical laws and not come to do a sin without knowing. This is preferable than learning Daf Yomi, or Gemara and Rishonim from which one can’t derive practical halacha. [15]
  2. It’s important to learn Mussar daily more important than learning Mishna. [16]
  3. Some have the righteous practice of learning Chok LeYisrael which is a daily learning regiment set up by the Arizal that includes pesukim from Torah, Nevuim, Ketuvim, Mishnayot, Gemara, Zohar, Halacha, and Mussar. [17]
  4. It’s forbidden for someone to learn Kabbalah unless has learned seriously all of Gemara and Poskim, and is a Talmud Chacham ingrained with Yirat Shamayim. One should protest if someone is teaching Kabbalah to the public especially if the teacher himself isn’t fitting to learn it. [18]

Learning with a Chevruta or in a Chaburah

  1. Even though it is preferable and advantageous to learn with a Chevruta or in a Chabura nonetheless, one who learns by oneself, fulfills the Mitzvah Deoritta of Talmud Torah. [19]
  2. When one learns one should learn out loud but it’s considered Talmud Torah even if one only thinks about it. [20]

Eating breakfast

  1. If one regularly eats breakfast after prayers before going to the Bet Midrash should do so. Preferably one should be a breakfast with some bread (a size of KeBetzah) and water to give one strength to serve Hashem. [21]

Sources

  1. ↑ S”A 155:1
  2. ↑ Brachot 64a based on Tehilim 84:8- “Vayalchu MeChayil El CHayil El Elohim Betzion”
  3. ↑ Tur and S”A 155:1. Gra 155:3 sources it in Gemara Sanhedrin 99bs which says that someone who learns inconsistently is compared to an adulteress wife, Mishna Brurah 155:5 sources it in the Yerushalmi Sotah Perek 9 , and Halacha Brurah (Shaare Tzion 155:2) adds that another source can be Yerushalmi Brachot (end of Brachot) that someone who learns inconsistently is violating the Brit Torah.
  4. ↑ Halacha Brurah 155:1; yet, as with the reward for all Mitzvot, the here reward isn’t necessarily meant for this world.
  5. ↑ Magan Avraham 155:1 in name of Emek Bracha, Mishna Brurah 155:4, and Halacha Brurah 155:1
  6. ↑ Magan Giborim (Eleph HaMagen 155:3), Mishna Brurah 155:4, and Halacha Brurah 155:1 based on Eruvin 65a which says that Rav Acha would regularly learn a certain amount every day and when he couldn’t because of business he would make it up at night. Mor Ukesiah writes similarly 155 that one should learn a fixed amount of time daily but if one learns at a certain time for different intervals everyday then if he needs to go to business he can make it up later that day or in the night.
  7. ↑ Rama 155:1 (explained by Mishna Brurah 155:7) based on Talmedei Rabbenu Yonah (Brachot 4a).
  8. ↑ Tur and S”A Y”D 246:^ based on Beresheet Rabba 99:9.
  9. ↑ Halacha Brurah 155:6
  10. ↑ Pela Yoetz (Mareechet Yediha), quoted by Halacha Brurah 155:6.
  11. ↑ Menachot 99b, Nedardim 8a says that one exempts oneself from Talmud Torah daily with reading Kriyat Shema. However Ran (Nedarim 8a) and Ritva (on Rif Nedarim 8a) say that Kriyat Shema isn’t an exemption except for someone who doesn’t have any more free time because of business. Similarly, Tosfot (Brachot 11b D”H Shekevar) writes that one doesn’t make new Torah Brachot the whole day because one’s mind is on Torah since one’s obligated in it all day. [Bet Yosef 47 uses the reason that one’s obligated all day to explain why there’s no bracha after Brachot HaTorah.] Yet Sh”t Radvaz 3:416 and Rashba (Nedarim 8a) explain the gemara that literally one exempts himself with Shema. Chida in Machzik Bracha 156:1, Mishna Brurah 155:4, and Halacha Brurah 155:2 rule that if one has free time one has an obligation to learn and not doing so would be Bitul Torah.
  12. ↑ The commonly quoted Gemara that mentions the serevity of the sin of Bitul Torah is Sanhedrin 99a which says that Bitul Torah is considered degrading Hashem’s word. Shabbat 32b says that one’s children die for Bitul Torah. Masechet Kala Rabati 6:4 says that Tzaddikim die because of Bitul Torah (of the generation). Midrash Rabba Eicha 1:20 says that Galut is caused by that sin. Tanit 7b says that for that sin it stops to rain. Someone who is able to learn and doesn’t may get the punishment of a physical illness (Brachot 5a) and Hashem cries for him (Chagigah 5b).
  13. ↑ Rambam (Talmud Torah 3:13)
  14. ↑ Avoda Zara 3b
  15. ↑ Derisha Y”D 246:6, Shach Y”D 246:5 write that someone who only has a little time should learn from the poskim as it says in Nidda 73a someone who learns Halachot every day is a Ben Olam Haba. Shulchan Aruch HaRav (Tamud Torah 2:9), Yarot Devash, Derech HaChaim, Sh”t Teshuva MeAhava (Introduction to 2nd volume), Sh”t Yachave Daat 6:52, Kaf HaChaim Palagi 29:9, Mishna Brurah 155:3, and Halacha Brurah 155:4 concur.
  16. ↑ Birkei Yosef 1:9, Chaye Adam (Halachot Yom Kippur), Mishna Brurah 1:12, Halacha Brurah 155:4, and Halichot Olam (8 pg 336).
  17. ↑ The source for such a schedule is the Arizal (Shaar Mitzvot VaEtchanan). Further on the topic, see the Machzik Bracha 156:6, Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 27:3, Sh”t Shalmat Chaim Zonenfeld Y”D 89, Kaf HaChaim 132:6, 155:3, and Sh”t Yabea Omer (Y”D 4:31(5), O”C 9:108(79)).
  18. ↑ Zohar (Pekudei 247b) describes the importance of learning the secrets of Torah and it’s reward. However the poskim write that one needs to have first learned Gemara and Poskim including Etz Chaim (pg 1d), Rama Y”D 246:4, Maharsha (Chagiga 13a), Shelah (Eser Maamarot 29b) and Sh”t Yachave Daat 4:47.
  19. ↑ Tanna Dvei Eliyaho 23 writes that Hashem finds favor in the Jewish people because they learn in groups (Chabura’s). Pirkei Avot 3:2-3 says that an individual who learns gets reward for learning, two who learn together have their Torah written in Hashem’s Sefer Zichronot and the Shechina is present, while ten who learn together have the Shechina precede the group in wait for their learning. Brachot 63b says that one really acquires his Torah that he learns in a Chabura. From the above it just seems that there are good levels of learning and then higher forms, yet from Tanit 7a which says that Talmidei Chachamim who learn by themselves are cursed, become foolish, and sin, it seems that learning as an individual is problematic. Nonetheless, because nowadays we learn from a Sefer it’s permissible (Halichot Olam 8 pg 390) and Yavetz (Introduction) writes that it doesn’t apply to learning in Israel where the air makes one wise. Even though, Maharal (Derech Chaim (Avot 3:3)) writes that learning by oneself even if one says it out loud isn’t considered Osek in Divrei Torah, Halichot Olam rejects using this for halachic implications because one makes Brachot HaTorah for Torah one learns by oneself and also Mishna Brurah (Biur Halacha beginning of 155) writes that the mitzvah of Talmud Torah also applies to learning individually.
  20. ↑ Halichot Olam (8 pg 390).
  21. ↑ Tur and S”A 155:2
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