LIMUD
TORAH STUDY
A
1)A person who brings his father pleasure and happiness will have a
desire and a love for learning.
2)If you want the Torah which you teach to be inspirational, only
expound on those verses and topics which speak of good.
3)A person who teaches new insights into the Torah causes the Holy One
to rejoice.
4)[Beware of] the wicked person who teaches Torah: he corrupts those
who listen to his words.
5)A person who interrupts his friend's Torah study has turned away from
God's path.
6)It is good to study Torah - even when you are half asleep.
7)When a person accepts suffering with love, he will not forget his
learning.
8)Anything which a person studied but did not fully comprehend in this
world, he will merit understanding its true meaning in the World to
Come.
9)Those who stand in honor of the Torah sage will merit [the wisdom of]
Torah.
10)All Torah knowledge - be it the dictates which govern man's
relationship with his fellowman, or those dealing with his
relationship to God - the very knowledge itself is beneficial for
the soul.
11)Using a holy book which was written with ink containing olive oil is
a segulah for [Torah] study.
12)Fear of a Torah scholar is particularly beneficial for study.
13)When one studies Torah at night, the Divine Presence stands by his
side.
14)What should a person do to acquire wisdom? Let him increase his
study, limit his business activities and ask for God's compassion.
One without the others is not enough.
15)Reciting the words [of Torah] in a loud voice instills feeling and
motion into all a person's limbs.
16)The Torah which a person studies in a loud voice stays with him and
he is blessed with long life.
17-18)A truly humble person does not forget his studies. This is also
true of one who teaches others.
19)A person benefits most when he hears [his studies] directly from a
teacher.
20)The study of Torah is even greater than the daily Temple
sacrifice.
21)When a person chooses between different teachings, saying, "This one
is pleasing and this one is not," he loses [out on] the Torah's
treasures.
22)[A person who takes his mind off of what he has learnt will find
that] it is easier to learn something new than to regain what he has
forgotten.
23)A person who [willfully] forgets even one detail of his learning
brings exile to his children and has his prestige diminished.
24)A Torah scholar whose outward behavior does not match his inner self
is considered an abomination.
25)Those who live in the same town as a Torah scholar are responsible
for seeing to his needs.
26)Figuratively speaking, when Torah study is lax, God becomes poor.
27)Torah study is even greater than saving lives, building the Holy
Temple and honoring one's parents.
28)Through holiness, a person attains understanding.
29)There are three things over which God cries each day: one of them
being the person who has the ability to study Torah but does not.
30)[True] understanding leads one to return to God.
31)It is forbidden to teach the workings of [God'sl wonders to a wicked
person.
32)Only a great person may learn from a wicked man: others may not.
bove the fulfillment of all the
33)Diligent study rises a mitzvot.
34)A man who has no wife has no good.
35)The learning one does by himself cannot compare with that which he
learns from a teacher.
36)The Holy One takes no pleasure from the Jews being judged
unfavorably.
37)When a person feels love for a Torah scholar, the Torah becomes his
and [an inheritance for] his descendants.
38)A person should study Torah even if he does not understand what it
means.
39)Watching your teacher's mouth while he teaches is very
beneficial.
40)Studying by the side of a river is very beneficial.
41)When a person studies Torah at night, it is as if he performed the
Temple service.
42)When one studies the laws of the Temple service, it is as if the
Holy Sanctuary was built in his lifetime.
43)A person who teaches Torah to an improper student falls into hell.
It is as if he served idols.
44)The Torah itself was given to all the Jews. But the right to engage
in polemical analysis of the Law was only given to Moshe Rabbenu,
and he benevolently passed this privilege on to all of Israel.
45)When a person makes himself available for teaching Torah to anyone
[who wishes to learn it], the Torah is given to him as a present.
46)A person's Torah study only stays with him when he sacrifices
himself for it or when he approaches his learning as though he had
no [previous] knowledge.
47)Study is a prerequisite for attaining the fear of sin and the fear
of sin must itself precede one's analytical study of the Torah.
48)When a person eats bread for breakfast, he retains his learning and
merits both studying and teaching Torah.
49)Torah study must be verbal. Learning which takes place only in
thought is [soon] forgotten and does not lead to actual practice.
50)One who studies but does not review [what he has learntl is like a
person who plants but does not reap.
51)When a person reviews his learning, the Torah itself asks of God
that He reveal the Torah's reasoning and secrets to him.
52)A person who does not establish set times for Torah study will be
plagued by immoral thoughts.
53)A person who fails to review his studies will find it difficult to
raise his children.
54)When a person studies Torah for its own sake, he brings peace to the
hosts above and below and protects the entire world with his merit.
It is as if he built a palace in both worlds and hastens the final
redemption.
55)When a person teaches his neighbor's son Torah, it is as if he
brought the child, the Torah, and even himself into the world.
56)[When a person suffers embarrassment] for the sake of Torah,
blackening his face in this world, the Holy One causes his
countenance to shine in the World to Come.
57)When a person denies himself the pleasures of this world for the
sake of Torah, God rewards him with great contentment in the World
to Come.
58)A person who reads books containing heretical ideas is called an
apostate.
59)When a person appropriately applies a Torah verse to some current
context he brings prosperity to the world.
60)Given the choice, one should always choose to expound a verse which
interprets favorably and for the good rather than selecting a verse
which teaches the opposite.
61)A person who cannot understand what he studies should spend time in
the presence of the Tzaddik. This will also enable him to study
Torah for its own sake. Alternatively, he should seek to please the
Tzaddik or greet him with joy. Studying and greeting the Shabbat
with joy [will also help improve his comprehension] .
62)Analytical study of the Torah helps a person pray better.
63)When a person encounters numerous obstacles interfering with his
Torah studies, he should refrain from drinking alcoholic
beverages.
64)Laxity in Torah study produces a laxity in prayer and vice versa.
65)A person who generally has no time for study other than on the
Sabbath and the New Moon still manages to restrain the spirit of
unholiness with the Torah he does learn.
66)A person who cannot understand the Torah he studies should realize
that he has been beset by harsh judgements.
67)It is easier for a person to understand a complex Torah subject when
he is on a mountain or some other high place.
68)Waking up early to study Torah is a segulah for hearing.
69)Teaching Torah to schoolchildren increases peace in the world.
70)[A teacher] should pray that he be sent proper disciples.
71)By expounding the Torah for the good, a person is capable of
bringing salvation.
72)A person's broadmindedness provides him with the understanding
necessary for [proper deductive reasoning so that he can] surmise
one thing from the next.
73)A person whose desire for Torah study is lacking should never speak
badly about anyone.
74)Only learn from a person who is God-fearing.
75)A person's Torah study brings him peace.
76)When a person speaks words of Torah which are consistent with his
level of understanding and not above it, the Holy One sees to it
that his wishes are carried out.
77)The heresy inside a person destroys his desire for learning.
78)By giving charity for Heaven's sake, a person merits studying Torah
for Heaven's sake.
79)By waking up from one's sleep to recite the Midnight Lament, a
person merits understanding the Torah and is then able to expound
upon its meaning.
80)A person who has neglected Torah study for idleness and nonsense
should rectify this by awakening for the Midnight Lament.
81)A person who despises falsehood - like he would an abomination -
will have a desire for studying Torah.
82)Don't study from a book which a wicked man used to study from: the
letters themselves will have a bad influence upon you.
83)When you hear a person teaching Torah or ethics and yet gain no
respect for him, this indicates that he is in fact a fool.
84)A Torah insight for which you have had to "pay a price" [stays with
you]: you won't forget it.
85)When a person chases after his heart's desires, each and every Torah
verse can be interpreted as alluding to his shame.
86)A person who separates himself from the path of Torah attaches
himself to Satan.
87)When two Torah scholars show mutual respect and humbly dispute the
Law for its own sake, the Holy One sees to it that they are
successful and gain prestige. They merit [understanding] the Torah,
which was given with the "right hand", and are rewarded with those
things which emanate from the "right side" of the Torah.
88)Attach yourself to a Torah scholar who is as vindictive as a snake
and you will eventually have pleasure from his learning.
89)It is forbidden to learn from someone who draws people to idolatry.
One who learns from him deserves death.
90)A person who studies Torah but fails to perform mitzvot is like a
myrtle branch which has a good smell but no taste.
91)In whom will you find [a mastery of the various] branches of Torah?
It can be found in the person who arrives early and stays late to
study in the House of Learning, and who resembles a raven because
his face has "grown black" [from deprivation] and because he has
deprived his children of his compassion.
92)A person cannot successfully learn from everyone. This explains why
people travel great distances in order to find a suitable
teacher.
B
1)Some of the suffering a person must endure is dictated by the laws of
astronomy, which also determines the set time of this affliction.
However, the will and desire aroused in the disciples when they are
about to learn Torah from their rabbi nullifies this suffering before
its time.
2)Studying Torah, giving tithes and keeping the Sabbath also provide
material benefits.
3)Studying the Shulchan Arukh brings one to the fear of God.
4)When a person learns the Torah with a pure mind, because he eats with
such a degree of holiness that his sustenance is drawn from the
sustenance of the angels, his enemies are sentenced to strangulation.
This is indicated [in the verses], "And it was on the third day, in
the morning..." (Exodus 19:16); "Then in the morning there was a
layer of dew" (Exodus 16:13); "And it was at the morning watch..."
(Exodus 14:24). (I heard this explanation from his holy lips: "And it
was on the third day", was said during the giving of the Torah and
refers to the person who learns the Torah with a pure mind. "Then in
the morning, there was a layer of dew," was said about the manna,
which is the food from which the angels draw sustenance, as our
Rabbis have taught. "And it was at the morning watch," was said at
the splitting of the Red Sea when the Egyptians were drowned, which
is an aspect of strangulation. Rabbi Nachman learned from one morning
and applied it to the other, thereby deducing the above statement
from 'the Torah.)
5)The outstanding and sharp minds of the generation cause the fear of
Heaven to shine [in the world]. This sparks the merit of ancestors,
which in turn awakens the world to return to God.
6)Studying Halakhic Codifiers nullifies thoughts of idolatry.
7)When one goes from one rabbi to the next, he must strengthen his
faith in the unity of God. Learning from many teachers detracts from
the belief in the Oneness. However, the rabbi who has faith in the
Oneness is able to enlighten each and every student according to his
ability; each pupil only hearing that which is necessary for him, and
no more.
8)The rabbi who teaches his lessons in a way which allows each student
to hear only that which he needs to know no more and no less - merits
producing disciples who reveal the most fitting and choicest aspects
of the Torah.
9)When a disciple hears a Torah lesson from his rabbi and finds his
will negated to that of his mentor's, he can be certain that he has
truly heard the teaching. However, if his will was not negated, then
even if he heard - he did not really hear. Another way for him to
determine if he truly heard his teacher's words is if he experienced
a total negation of self [while the lesson was being given].
10)When a disciple comes to hear a Torah lesson from his rabbi, the
negative forces created by this student's evil also come along to
listen and draw [from the holiness]. But, when each disciple hears
only that which applies to his soul, then the kelipot are forced to
flee and thus prevented from hearing the lesson. There is, however,
one type of kelipah which is very close to holiness and is only
chased away when the lesson includes an instance of Jewish
salvation. This is alluded to in, "And Moshe sent his father-in-law
away" (Exodus 18:27); according to the opinion that Jethro [a symbol
of the evil force which is very close to holiness] came and left
before the Torah was given [at Sinai].
11)Reciting the words of Torah saves one from punishment by stoning.
12)Not all places are conducive for studying Torah and performing good
deeds. Because of this, God brings about circumstances which cause a
person to leave this place and go elsewhere.
13)When a person labors in Torah study to the point of exhaustion, he
sweetens harsh judgements and awakens mercy - even for his father
who has passed away.
14)Torah brings to faith, and faith brings to sanctifying the Name of
God.
15)Those with clear perception can tell who a person's Torah teacher is
merely by looking at him, provided they already know what his rabbi
looks like. When a disciple learns the Torah's laws, his face takes
on a resemblance to the one teaching him. This is because the law is
the wisdom which makes a person's face shine. By receiving the
rabbi's wisdom he acquires a portion of his appearance, their
resemblance increasing with each additional law [the student
embraces].
16)The prominence of the leaders of the generation is strengthened by
God's holiness. This [prestige] brings everyo ne to value the
mitzvah of hospitality and causes those who study the Torah to have
the law accepted as they understand it.
17)A rabbi who is stringent when advising others but lenient with
himself, and who claims to be informed when he is not, will not
merit seeing the splendor of the King. This is because inappropriate
fear - the evil force of Edom - will dim the light of his eyes and
prevent him from seeing the splendor of the King's countenance.
LASHON HA'RA
SLANDER
A
1)When a person slanders others, the Holy One says to the ministering
angel of hell, "I [will judge him] from above and you from below." To
rectify his misdeed, he must humble himself and engage in Torah
study. Doing so will also keep him from slandering further.
2)Slander leads a person to committing the three cardinal sins
[idolatry, immorality and murder].
3)Speaking negatively about a person in his presence or in the company
of three people is not considered slander.
4)Though words of slander should not be believed, a person should be
wary [that they may be true].
5)A person who speaks badly of the Jewish People will eventually suffer
from a diseased mouth.
6)When there is no love amongst Jews, they gossip about each other and
then turn scornful because of their talebearing.
7)When there is love between neighbors it is permissible for one to
tell the other what he heard from a third party. The one who hears it
can accept what he was told without being guilty of accepting
slander.
8)The person who slanders loses his desire for Torah study and falls
guilty of having shamed the Tzaddik.
9)Truth saves one from slandering others.
10)A person who guards against slander will not come to plotting deceit
against his neighbors.
11)The person who refuses to accept slander about the Tzaddik merits
being counted amongst the righteous.
12)A person's haughtiness leads him to speak disparagingly of
others.
13)A person does not speak slanderously of others unless he has already
been guilty of denying the Holy One, thereby sinning against God and
man.
14)It is permissible to speak slanderously of a person who instigates
strife and conflict.
15)A person guilty of giving his friend a bad name is never
pardoned.
16)A person guilty of slander cannot receive the Divine Countenance.
17)Both the slanderer and the one who accepts his words deserve to be
thrown to the dogs.
18)Reciting the Torah section on the Temple incense offering (Exodus
30:34-38) is a rectification for slander.
19)A person guilty of slander is afflicted with leprosy. His crime is
so great that it reaches the Heavens and he deserves to be
stoned.
B
1)A person guilty of slander will be punished with imprisonment.
LEYTZONUT
DERISION AND MOCKERY
A
1)A derisive person will have many accusers exercising their control
over him. [His mockery of others will lead him] to be guilty of
immoral behavior and cause him to suffer at the hands of a
domineering wife.
2)A derisive person loses his prestige and turns to falsehood, becoming
a vagabond to wander from place to place.
3)Flattery leads to mockery.
4)Mockery brings suffering.
5)A derisive person has no wisdom.
6)A person who behaves derisively is detested by God and man.
7)Mockery brings destruction by fire.
8)A person who ridicules the words of the Sages will burn in hell.
9)All mockery is forbidden other than that which is directed at
idolatry.
10)[The Punishment for] derision and mockery is most
severe:beginningwithsufferingandendingindestruction.
11)A derisive person has his livelihood diminished. He is destined for
hell and his mockery brings destruction to the world.
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