“There Is No Good Except Torah”: Finding Meaning, Joy, and Commitment in Torah Study

“There is no good except Torah,” the Talmud teaches. The greatest good on earth is the holy Torah. As the Ohr HaChaim writes: “If people were to feel the sweetness and pleasantness of the Torah, they would go mad with desire for it and burn with longing after it, and all the silver and gold in the world would be worth nothing in their eyes. For the Torah contains all the goodness in the world.”

A Lifeline That Cannot Be Broken

Indeed, many stories are told about great Torah sages who were bound to the Torah with an unbreakable bond, never separating from it even for a single moment. For them, Torah was like oxygen, something the body cannot survive without even briefly. At times they endured hunger and suffered many kinds of hardship, yet when they sought to calm their souls they immersed themselves in Torah study. In those moments they forgot the entire world and were fully satisfied by the sweet and gentle taste of the Torah.

King David pours out his longing for Torah throughout Psalm 119: “I rejoice over Your word as one who finds great treasure,” “The Torah of Your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver,” “Trouble and distress have found me, but Your Torah is my delight,” and many more.

Great Torah Sages in Every Generation

In every generation, the Jewish people have had sages and Torah giants, some well known and others less so, who loved Torah study with boundless love. Only recently we merited to see and hear of the immense love for Torah of the great leaders of Torah, Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv and Rabbi Ovadia Yosef.

When they were immersed in Torah, they were completely unaware of anyone standing nearby. I personally merited to witness this awe inspiring sight. One could approach them and even speak, yet they neither heard nor noticed. Out of deep love, they would sit for long uninterrupted hours, totally immersed in Torah, forgetting the entire world. They merited to feel the sweetness of the Torah, the true “taste of life,” a kind of paradise on earth.

The Taste of Torah Is Still Alive Today

Even today, among us live Torah learners, young scholars and older men, well known and less known, who merit pure enjoyment in Torah study. Every person can merit and reach this level.

From here comes the deep bond between those who study Torah and the Torah itself. Beyond the acquisition of wisdom and knowledge needed to fulfill the commandments and rule on matters of Jewish law, there is a bond of love and a deep connection rooted in the soul.

Without Illusions: The Path Requires Effort

We must not live under illusions. Not everyone who sits down to learn immediately merits to feel the pleasant taste. Torah study requires perseverance and consistent effort over time. Even the greatest Torah scholars did not achieve this instantly.

Torah learning was often accompanied by poverty, suffering, and other difficulties. Financial stress weighed heavily on their studies. Sometimes limited natural ability required great effort just to understand the material. They experienced setbacks as well; this is an integral part of the process. There is no way to reach the mountaintop, breathe the clear air, and enjoy the magnificent view without exerting oneself and sweating along the steep climb.

Acceptance of the Torah: Willingness and Coercion

In this week’s Torah portion, we learn about the giving of the Torah to the people of Israel. Israel accepts the Torah willingly, and all together they respond, “We will do and we will hear.” Yet the Talmud teaches that in addition to their willing acceptance, there was also an element of coercion. Mount Sinai was lifted over them as if it were about to fall and crush them, and the Holy One, blessed be He, said to them: If you accept the Torah, good. If not, here shall be your burial place.

Why Was Coercion Necessary?

Why was coercion necessary when Israel accepted the Torah with joy? The Baal Shem Tov explains that every Jew sometimes experiences a state of spiritual illumination, when he feels the sweet taste of Torah study and mitzvah observance.

In such moments, a person fulfills the commandments with his whole heart and soul. He feels exalted delight and is ready to give up all the pleasures of this world for Torah and mitzvot. This is how the people of Israel felt at the moment of receiving the Torah.

When the Taste Disappears

There are also times when a person feels no taste at all in fulfilling the commandments. This is completely natural and part of the process of personal growth. During such periods, mitzvah observance feels like a burden and a heavy load. One is far from performing them with joy, barely moving himself to fulfill them, and would prefer not to do them at all.

Even in such a state, a person is obligated to observe the commandments just as much as in the good times.

Serving God Even Against One’s Will

Therefore, God suspended Mount Sinai over the people of Israel, to teach them not to think that they would observe the commandments only in moments of desire and spiritual illumination, as at Mount Sinai. Rather, even in times of weakness, a Jew must compel himself to fulfill the commandments and perform them even against his own inclination.

Further, the primary reward a person receives for Torah study and mitzvah observance is precisely during the times when it is difficult, yet he forces himself to overcome. In doing so, he proves that he is a servant of God, like a servant who performs his duty whether he feels like it or not.