TORAH STUDY IN JEWISH LIFE
The laws of Torah study demonstrate how vital it is to Jewish communal life. Each Jewish community is obligated to build a house of study; this is considered even more important than building a synagogue. According to the Talmud, we are permitted to destroy a synagogue if it is necessary to do so in order to build a house of study (Megillah 27a). Torah study overrides even the building of the Holy Temple (Megillah 16b), and desire to study Torah is a permissible reason for children to ignore their parents' wishes (Shulchan Arukh, Yoreh Deah 240:05).
After the Romans destroyed the Temple in 70 C.E., the future of Judaism was tenuous. Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai asked the Roman emperor Vespasian for permission to set up an academy for Torah study in Yavneh. The request seemed ludicrous to the Roman, so he agreed. In a prescient way, Rabbi Yochanan understood that the constant study of sacred texts would preserve Judaism more than any buildings or riches (Gittin 56b). (While rabbis today share a great deal in common with pastors and priests, their role in the life of their congregation remains different. Rabbis do not see themselves as intercessors. Rather, they are primarily teachers and adjudicators of the law. Even their required role in lifecycle events is limited and primarily informed by the local conventions of religion.)
Jews have stubbornly continued to study Torah no matter what the circumstances. We study Torah for its own sake. We are not supposed to exploit learning or use it for anything other than trying to understand how to lead righteous lives. But the beauty of studying Torah is that taking the words of Torah to heart leads us to action –positive action that compels us to try to improve the world. Maimonides said that "the study of Torah is equal to all the other commandments because study leads to deed. Therefore study take precedence over deed" (Hilkhot Talmud Torah 3.3).
CHRISTIAN PARALLELS TO STUDYING TORAH
Studying sacred scriptures is central to both Christian and Jewish religious life. Although the content of what is studied differs, the way that study is revered in both traditions is similar. This is seen clearly, for example, when comparing Jewish and Christian liturgy.
During every Sabbath (holiday, Monday, and Thursday) morning prayer service, the Torah is carried in a processional around the synagogue. people kiss the Torah as a sign of reverence for it. (In some parts of the Jewish world, worshippers bow to the Torah instead of kissing it.) It is considered a high honor to be called to say a blessing before or after the public reading of the Torah. The Torah is treated the same way you would treat a cherished love letter. Christians have the same relationship to the Gospels – priests kiss the Gospel after reading.
In Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches, there is often a procession in which the Gospel that contains the day's reading is carried forward and placed on the altar. Sometimes it is carried into the midst of the congregation to be read there. The congregation rises for the reading of the Scripture, which is generally followed by a sermon. This is analogous to the brief lesson that is regularly offered after a Torah reading in Jewish worship services.
