[Avodah] What are the main mitzvos to focus on?

[Ben Bradley]

I don't recall everything I've read on this subject of the purpose of talmud torah, but the conversation here so far seems to be missing a crucial piece, namely the transformative aspect of talmud torah on the individual learning it.

The problem with the instrumental view is that it doesn't account for a number of aspects of the way chazal unanimously viewed talmud torah. If it was just about knowing how to keep the mitzvos then, I think, we'd have trouble with the following off the top of my head

  1.  The intensive way chazal went about talmud torah - the lack of sleep involved, the amora who sat on his hands until they bled, disappearing from family for years at a time
  2.  The viewing of talmud torah as a unending project
  3.  The depth and incisiveness of analysis expected in learning gemara. Eg being able to metaher a sheret
  4.  the lack of differentiation between learning issues of practical use and those which you will never need to know from a practical point of view


Maybe I'm missing something, but knowing how to keep the mitzvos per se need not involve any of these.

There are clear indications of the transformative nature of talmud torah in chazal, even if these aren't stated as its purpose explicitly. Perhaps there's a distinction between its purpose and the meaning of lishma. So learning torah lishma, whatever that means, is transformative, which is a primary purpose if not the only one.

That would also bring talmud torah in line with the other mitzvos, since they all have a transformative benefit to the individual. It would also set it apart since it is more transformative than all the others, ie kneged kulam. It is the most transformative, and thus the most important. That said, considerations other than personal growth give priority to other mitzvos in many situations.


Ben



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