"He who loves wisdom makes his father happy"
Shammay said: "Make studying a constant habit, talk little and do a lot, and greet everyone with a smiling face."
(Pirkei Avot 1 Mishnah 15)
How important is the study of the Torah as well as the Ethics of our Fathers and the many Holy books of the sages of Israel, not in vain have we been called "the town of the book", and not in vain many men of our town have stood out greatly and largely due to study.
"Once, a pagan came before Shammai and said: "I will convert to Judaism if you are able to teach me the entire Torah in the time it takes me to stand on one foot."
But Shammay repulsed him with the rod that was in his hand" (Tractate Sabat 31a)
This Mishnah teaches us that study has its value and bears fruit when it is constant; if you study only once or occasionally, you will not see any benefit.
For this reason, Shammay cast out the pagan who wanted to study the Torah in a few minutes, in the time he could stand on one foot.
One must study the Torah constantly, day after day, we read in Tractate Erubin 21B: In whom do you find the teachings of the Torah? "In him who rises early and spends his days in the house of study."
We also read in the Treatise of Baba Metzia 87b:
"Just men say little and do much," Like Abraham, our Patriarch, who told his guests that he only brought them bread, and then brought them butter and milk, beef and three measures of semolina flour.
But the wicked say a lot and do not even a little, and where do we learn this?
From Efron, who assured Abraham that he would give him Sarah's burial plot free of charge and in the end demanded 400 shekels of silver.
We should always try to do good without talking much, because "The righteous will speak only so that people may prepare for what he will do."
But the wicked talk too much, because in reality it is not their purpose to accomplish anything.
(Excerpts from Mishnah P. Avot)
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