)
The mitzva of studying Torah is equivalent to all the other mitzvot altogether, and so is its reward. There are two reasons for this. First, it is impossible for Jews to properly observe the commandments and live a life of faith and morality without Torah knowledge. Second, since Torah study engages a person’s noblest aspects – the mind and the soul – it ennobles the person and the world.
The Sages tell us that the Torah predates the world. God began by creating the Torah, which contains all ideals. Then, based on the blueprint embedded in the Torah, God created the world. The world’s continued existence depends upon the Jewish people studying Torah day and night. The more in depth their Torah study, the greater insights they discover. These draw down blessing and life to the world, and ultimately perfect it.
The mitzva of Torah study applies to every Jew, even though Torah scholars alone have a profound enough understanding of its foundations to qualify them to dispense halakhic rulings. Studying Torah produces light – a light which uniquely reflects the soul of the person studying, and the time during which one studies. Torah study also contributes to the community, because directly or indirectly, every individual's Torah knowledge becomes part of the collective knowledge of Torah scholars.
