For the week ending 9 September 2006 / 16 Elul 5766
Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi
“The only truly free man is the one who learns Torah.Everyone who constantly learns Torah is elevated.” — Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi (Avot 6:2)
Only one who learns Torah is not subservient to material matters.Such freedom, in which the spirit is not enslaved by physical appetites, is the only true freedom.
Lest one think that he can aspire to the crown of Torah only if he has great intelligence and applies it to learning, the Sage informs us that everyone, even someone who is not brilliant, can achieve this goal if he is constantly dedicated to learning Torah.
- Tiferet Yisrael