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Studying non-Torah subjects has a mitzva component, as every field of study expresses some type of divine wisdom. True, there is a fundamental difference between studying Torah and studying secular subjects: while all Jews are obligated to study Torah (because it makes them better people and is beneficial for the world), studying other disciplines is not compulsory. Nevertheless, studying them with the understanding they reflect divine wisdom does fulfill a mitzva. The more those secular studies are linked to a deeper understanding of Torah, the greater their value, because then studying them broadens and deepens one’s understanding of the Torah.
The difference between the two types of wisdom was reflected in the Temple. Its inner chamber, the Holy of Holies, housed the Ark, which held the Torah and the Tablets. The outer chamber, the Holy, housed the Menora, which symbolized other disciplines (19:2-5 below). This teaches us that when other subjects are studied for the sake of heaven, they too possess holiness, though not as much as the Torah. Thus, the Sages referred to these disciplines as “external wisdom.” This is in contrast to the wisdom of the Torah, which is meant to guide all knowledge. In general, people today often refer to non-Torah subjects as “secular studies,” in contrast to the “sacred studies” of the Torah.
