Gemara study does not just represent a new concentrated
degree of learning, the intricacies contained within its pages,
usher the onset of heightened עמילות – toil.
The Chofetz Chaim (Toras HaBayis, maamar ‘Elbona shel
Torah”) explains in length that this עמילות inspires an
unparalleled level of דביקות – closeness to Hashem.
יסוד אומתינו ויסוד תקנת איש יהודי נאמן לאלקיו להשאיר בנו אחריו
דבוק בד’ תורתו ואשר לא תהיה זאת רק מלימוד הגמרא בעמל ויגיעה
שבדבוקתם בקדושתה באורה ובכבודה
The foundation of our nation and the foundation of perfecting
a Jewish man faithful to his G-d is to leave his son behind him
clinging to his Torah, and this is only from studying the
Gemara with toil and effort and it will come that you cling to it
in its holiness in its light and honour.
Building on this point – it is worth taking a look at Rav
Yitzchok Hutner’s Pachad Yitzchok on Shavuos (17:1). He
notes there Rambam’s advice in Hilchos Torah 1:11:
ו ְחַיּ ָ ב לְשַׁלֵּשׁ אֶת ז ְמַן לְמִידָתוֹ. שְׁלִישׁ בַּתּוֹרָ ה שֶׁבִּכְתָב. וּשְׁלִישׁ בַּתּוֹרָ ה שֶׁבְּﬠַל
פֶּה. וּשְׁלִישׁ י ָבִין ו ְי ַ שְׂכִּיל אַחֲרִ ית דָּבָר מֵרֵ אשִׁיתוֹ ו ְיוֹצִיא דָּבָר מִדָּבָר ו ִידַמֶּה
דָּבָר לְדָבָר ו ְי ָבִין בַּמִּדּוֹת שֶׁהַתּוֹרָ ה נ ִדְרֶ שֶׁת בָּהֶן ﬠַד שֶׁיּ ֵ דַע הֵיאַךְ הוּא ﬠִקַּר
הַמִּדּוֹת ו ְהֵיאַךְ יוֹצִיא הָאָסוּר ו ְהַמֻּ תָּר ו ְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּהֶן מִדְּבָרִ ים שֶׁלָּמַד מִפִּי
הַשְּׁמוּﬠָה. ו ְﬠִנ ְי ָן ז ֶה הוּא הַנּ ִ קְרָ א גְּמָרָ א
A person is obligated to divide his study time in three: one
third should be devoted to the Written Law; one third to the
Oral Law; and one third to understanding and conceptualizing
the ultimate derivation of a concept from its roots, inferring
one concept from another and comparing concepts,
understanding [the Torah] based on the principles of Biblical
exegesis, until one appreciates the essence of those
principles and how the prohibitions and the other decisions
which one received according to the oral tradition can be
derived using them. The latter topic is called Gemara.
(Sefaria translation and notation)
Rambam continues in the subsequent halacha:בַּמֶּה דְּבָרִ ים אֲמוּרִ ים בִּתְחִלַּת תַּלְמוּדוֹ שֶׁל אָדָם אֲבָל כְּשֶׁיּ ַ גְדִּיל בְּחָכְמָה ו ְלֹא
י ְהֵא צָרִ יךְ לֹא לִלְמֹד תּוֹרָ ה שֶׁבִּכְתָב ו ְלֹא לַﬠֲסֹק תָּמִיד בַּתּוֹרָ ה שֶׁבְּﬠַל פֶּה
י ִקְרָ א בְּﬠִתִּים מְזֻמָּנ ִים תּוֹרָ ה שֶׁבִּכְתָב ו ְדִבְרֵ י הַשְּׁמוּﬠָה כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא י ִ שְׁכַּח דָּבָר
מִדִּבְרֵ י דִּינ ֵי תּוֹרָ ה ו ְי ִפְנ ֶה כָּל י ָמָיו לַגְּמָרָ א בִּלְבַד לְפִי רֹחַב שֶׁיּ ֵ שׁ בְּלִבּוֹ ו ְי ִ שּׁוּב
דַּﬠְתּוֹ
The above applies in the early stages of a person’s study.
However, when a person increases his knowledge and does
not have the need to read the Written Law, or occupy himself
with the Oral Law constantly, he should study the Written Law
and the oral tradition at designated times. Thus, he will not
forget any aspect of the laws of the Torah. [However,] he
should focus his attention on the Gemara alone for his entire
life, according to his ambition and his ability to concentrate.
(Sefaria translation & notation)
Rav Hutner builds off the Rambam to make the following
point:
הרי לנו דעצם עצמיותה של תורה הוא רק לימוד גמרא, וכל מהלכי
הלימוד הם כמו הדרך המוביל אל המטרה. וזהו חידוש נפלא, דבעצם
עצמיותו של תלמוד תורה אין אנו דנים על כל חלקיו בהשואה אחת. אלא
דהכל נידון בערכין. ובערכה של תורה, כל המהלכים מלבד תלמוד גמרא
כמכשיר הם נידונים
After all, for us, the essence of Torah’s identity is only the
study of Gemara, and from all the approaches to learning
they are like the road leading to the ultimate goal (i.e. learning
gemara). And this is a wondrous chiddush, since the very
nature of Talmud Torah is such that we do not discuss all its
parts equally. Rather, everything is judged on its merits. And
with the value of Torah, all approaches other than the learning
of Gemara are considered part of the preparation.
In other words, Rav Hutner tells us that all our other Torah
learning is to be regarded as a means to get to the end goal,
which is purely that of Gemara study. Now why is it regarded
as the ultimate aim? Rav Hutner continues that it inspires a
greater sense of toil. This toil that is so part of Gemara study
is not to be deemed as added value but rather represents the
very definition of Torah study.In 17:5 Rav Hutner notes that Rambam defines the learning
of Gemara as the final third (as this is the final piece that
everyone should be building up to) as understanding and
conceptualising the derivation of a concept from its roots,
inferring one concept from another and comparing concepts.
As such:
הוא עיקר מקומו של השכל העמל בהתבוננות העיון לעומקו ולהקיפו של
ענין, בהתאמצו להוציא דבר מתוך דבר
It is the main place of the intellect that toils in the observation
of the study to the depth and scope of a matter, in an effort to
extract something from something.
Thus, the more regularly we do this, the more ingrained it
becomes in our thinking process, thereby refining our ability
to probe Torah thought as well as enhancing the breadth of
our Torah knowledge.
2) Foundational Building Blocks
Rav Aharon Kotler זצ”ל in Mishnas Rebbi Aharon, cheilek
גמרא gimmel, shaar asiri, p. 168 asserts that the study of
ידיעת must be emphasised as it concretises a person’s basic
knowledge of Torah, and it must already be firmly – התורה
introduced from a an appropriate age because it plays such
an important part of further study in a person’s life.
In this vein, it is worth bringing the Gemara in Gittin
60b which notes the primacy that Torah sheba’al peh is
afforded:
אָמַר רַ בִּי יוֹחָנ ָן לֹא כָּרַ ת הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא בְּרִ ית ﬠִם י ִ שְׂרָ אֵל אֶלָּא בִּשְׁבִיל
דְּבָרִ ים שֶׁבְּﬠַל פֶּה שֶׁנּ ֶ אֱמַר כִּי ﬠַל פִּי הַדְּבָרִ ים הָאֵלֶּה כָּרַ תִּי אִתְּךָ בְּרִ ית ו ְאֶת
י ִ שְׂרָ אֵל
Rabbi Yoḥanan says: The Holy One, Blessed be He, made a
covenant with the Jewish people only for the sake of the
matters that were transmitted orally [be’al peh], as it is stated:
“For on the basis of [al pi] these matters I have made a
covenant with you and with Israel” (Exodus 34:27).
Thus, whilst Torah Shebichsav represents the written word of
G-d, the Oral Torah is to be understood as the process and
application of His word, that Hashem gifted uniquely to us. Itis the means through which the Rabbonim throughout the
ages, as well as each and everyone of us throughout the
generations have the ability to attach ourselves to in order to
gain a greater foothold of understanding and that is why it is
prioritised.
Perhaps the Ksav VeHakabbalah on the pasuk quoted in the
gemara there puts it best:
ביאור הדבר שהיה נפלא ומכוסה ונעלם הידיעה, והיא התורה שבעל פה
המסורה לנו לבאר התורה שבכתב
The explanation of the matter is wondrous and covered up,
and the knowledge is concealed, and the Oral Torah was
given to us in order to explain the Written Torah.
3) Acceptance of G-d’s Kingship
When delving deeper into the piece from Gittin 60b above, I
came across this here which provides yet another reason
why the learning of Gemara is emphasised above that of
other Torah learning.
Rav Pinchas Koretzer, zt”l, gave another reason. “If Hashem
had chosen to commit the oral Torah to writing, we would not
be able to say any more than what was written down, just as
one may not add or subtract to scripture. This would be very
detrimental, since the only way to truly master the intricacies
of oral Torah is to speak in learning and review the material in
an individualized way. With each review, it gets clearer and
clearer to the learner. This is why the Tikunei Zohar teaches
that the oral Torah is an aspect of accepting Malchus
Hashem. The difficult process of mastering the oral Torah is
how we truly accept Hashem’s Kingship over us!”
)אמרי פנחס, שער התורה, מ”ג(
R’ Aharon Lichtenstein has an essay outlining four elements
that make gemara learning unique and important:
1 Explanation of the principles and parameters of the
laws
2 Exposure to the personalities of the Talmudic Sages
3 Immersion and participation in the dialectical process
4 Connecting with the Almighty via immersion in Divinewisdom
In his illuminating essay, “Why Learn Gemara?” (originally
published in Leaves of Faith: The World of Jewish
Learning [Jersey City, 2003], pp. 1-17; posted by Shmuelin a
comment above), Rabbi Aharon Lichtenstein performs a tour
de force in categorizing the unique characteristics that make
gemara study a sui generis Torah study endeavor of
paramount importance. Rabbi Lichtenstein asks:
Why the yeshiva world’s continued commitment to gemara? I
believe we may single out at least four distinct and yet
confluent factors.
Explanation of the principles and parameters of the laws
The gemara comprises the analyses of the Sages in the
centuries immediately following the Mishna’s redaction.
These analyses provide insight into the parameters of — and
the principles underlying — the laws of the Mishna and other
Tannaitic expositions. This relates to the first factor:
The first is its status as a primary – in a sense, in the world of
Torah she-be’al peh, as the primary – text. On the one hand,
in contrast with much of Mishnah, the gemara is not a
compendium of inchoate factual or normative data. It is the
arena within which raw material is analyzed and molded,
within which bare bones are fleshed out and information
transmuted into knowledge… Recourse to secondary or
tertiary texts may simplify, but it almost certainly dilutes.
Exposure to the personalities of the Talmudic Sages
The gemara is not, however, a merely legalistic tome, filled
with dry debates. Rather, the personalities of the Sages shine
through on every page, in the anecdotes of their lives and
conduct, in their personal interactions, in their vivid and
variegated dialectic styles, and in the milieu within which they
lived and operated:
[The second factor:] Relation to the primary source is felt not
only with respect to the text or its content. It is felt, in a
personal vein, with regard to Hazal. To open a gemara is toenter into [Hazal’s] overawing presence, to feel the force of
their collective personality… so as to be irradiated and
ennobled by them. It is to be exposed, with a sense of
intimacy, not only to their discourse, exegesis, aphorisms, or
anecdotes, but to themselves – at once engaging and
magisterial, thoroughly human and yet overwhelming… The
gemara is clearly special. This is due, in part, to its structure
as an arena within which the mind encounters a panoply of
personages spanning successive generations. Primarily,
however, it is attributable to Hazal’s unique stature… We
acknowledge them… by virtue of the conjunction of their
distinctive greatness and their historical position.
Immersion and participation in the dialectical process
However, the gemara is not merely (per the first factor) a
legal manual that provides us with a finished product
explaining the principles underlying Mishnaic teachings. It is
not desultorily interspersed (per the second factor) with
vivifying biographical details merely to help us better relate to
the Sages or break up the monotony of legal discourse.
Rather, the very mode in which the gemara’s dialectics are
presented is highly dynamic, inviting the student to become
immersed in the discussions. The student eventually learns to
personally clarify and apply legal principles. He thereby
participates in the process of the Living Torah, creatively
drawing forth new insights and practical applications that are
faithful to the edifice of the gemara while yet building upon it:
This point dovetails with a third factor, the substantive nature
of gemara. We are accustomed to distinguishing between
Torah she-bi’khtav as a fixed datum… and Torah she-be’al
peh, sinuous, efflorescent, developmental. Asher natan lanu
Torat emet, “Who has given us a Torah of truth,” explains the
Tur, refers to the former, while, ve-hayyei olam nata
betokheinu, “and eternal life He has implanted within us,”
refers to the latter…
Gemara expounds “the rationale of the Mishnah’s reasons…”
(Rashi, Bava Mezia 33a, s.vv. mishnah and she-limmedohokhmah). As such, it was defined by Hazal and the
Rishonim as a reliable guide to practical observance. The
student of [gemara] is actively engaged in an intellectual
enterprise, both analytic and synthetic: “He shall understand
and perceive a conclusion from its inception, will extract one
matter from another and compare one to another… to the
point that he will apprehend the essence of these principles
and how to extract the prohibited and the licit” (Rambam’s
Mishneh Torah, Hilkhot Talmud Torah 1:11). In a word,
Mishnah is the given Torat emet [Torah of truth] of the oral
tradition, and gemara its implanted hayyei olam [eternal life].
Relatively speaking, the study of Mishnah per se is passive,
at times even submissive; that of gemara is vibrant. To open
a sugya is to gain access to a world in ferment. It is to enter a
pulsating bet midrash, studded with live protagonists; to be
caught up, initially as witness and subsequently as
participant, in a drama of contrapuntal challenge and
response, of dialectic thrust and parry; to be stimulated by the
tension of creative impulse; to be charged by the Sturm und
Drang of milhamtah shel Torah [the battle of Torah].
Connecting with the Almighty via immersion in Divine wisdom
We cannot expect to learn all the Torah that there is to learn,
for “its measure is longer than the Earth and broader than the
sea” (Iyov11:9). The gemara’s format, often filled with
incomplete or unresolved discussions, reminds us of that. Yet
the study of gemara is no Sisyphean task. Every moment
spent probing the depths of Divine wisdom is a moment spent
in the company of the Divine Presence (cf. Rambam’s Mishne
Torah, Hil. Dei’os 6:2,1based on K’subos 111b and SifreDeut.
11:22):
Often, a sugya “ends,” as T. S. Eliot said of Henry James’s
novels, like life itself: unfinished. Hazal themselves perceived
the Bavli as a potpourri… Its very amorphousness also
serves as a source of challenge and fascination. These are
not, to be sure, ends in themselves. We fasten upon gemara
not out of a quest for intellectual stimulation, but out ofcleaving to devar Hashem. But to the extent that we are
gripped and animated by its vitality, the stimulus attains
religious significance.
This, in conclusion, brings us to the fourth element.
Traditionally, Yahadut has stressed that talmud Torah is not to
be perceived as a purely intellectual pursuit. It constitutes,
rather, a dialogic encounter with Ribbono shel Olam.This is a
truism of the yeshiva world and axiomatic to the existence of
every serious ben Torah.
Clearly, however, the nature of the encounter is a function of
the character of one’s learning. When Rabbi Halafta ben
Dosa Ish Kefar Hananyah spoke of the immanence of the
Shekhinah in this context, he focused upon its presence
among those who are yoshevim ve-osekim ba-Torah, “those
who are sitting and engaged in Torah” (Avot 3:6) – not simply
studying Torah but caught up by it. To the extent that one is
more deeply and intensely involved, insofar as one’s being is
more fully charged, one is more powerfully engrossed by the
encounter.
1“מצות עשה להדבק בחכמים ותלמידיהם כדי ללמוד ממעשיהם כענין
שנאמר ובו תדבק וכי אפשר לאדם להדבק בשכינה אלא כך אמרו חכמים
בפירוש מצוה זו הדבק בחכמים ותלמידיהם… וכן צוו חכמים ואמרו והוי
מתאבק בעפר רגליהם ושותה בצמא את דבריהם”. Translation: “It is
a positive commandment to connect with sages and their
students in order to learn from their ways, in the vein of that
which was stated (Deut. 10:20 [see also 11:22 and 13:5])
‘And to Him shall you cleave.’ Now, is it possible for a person
to cleave to the Divine Presence? [Is it not written, ‘For the
Lord your G-d is a consuming fire’ (Deut. 4:24)?] Rather, this
is what the Sages said in explanation of this commandment:
Cling to sages and their students… The Sages likewise
commanded and said, ‘And become dusty with the dust of
.their feet, and drink thirstily their words’ (Avos 1:4)