[Avodah] Talmud Torah keneged kulam

[Michael Kopinsky]

On 1/14/07, Micha Berger <micha at aishdas.org> wrote:
> On Mon, Jan 15, 2007 at 01:10:41AM +1100, SBA wrote to Areivim:
> : As we say every morning...'vetalmud Torah keneged kulom..."
>
> I do not think it's possible to be literal, beli guzmah. After all,
> if talmud Torah keneged kulam, and tzitzis is keneged kulam (as the
> Bavli puts it "veTaRYa"G mitzvos hateluyim bah"), and yishuv
> EY is keneged kulam, at least two of those three are equal to themselves
> plus another 611 mitzvos.
>
> See also RSPotter's post at
> <http://www.aishdas.org/avodah/vol16/v16n076.shtml#12>. (My reply to it
> is missable.)

My understanding of TTKK is as follows:
(Admittedly, this is clearly k'negged the Rambam in TT and the Yerushalmi,
but I'm allowed to think, aren't I?)

The things listed in that Mishna in Peah are all things that we would call
"rewarding" activities, i.e. that you get a significant reward in Olam
Hazeh.  Doing service for others in its different forms, having a deep
connection with God, and having a daily schedule structured around shul/BM
are all things that make one much happier in this world.  But nothing
gives more meaning, and is more "rewarding" than TT, which lets you see
meaning in every subtlety and trivialty in life.  So the chiddush of the
things in this mishna is not that you get schar in Olam Haba - all mitzvos
give you that - but that you get schar in Olam Hazeh.