The 14th cycle of daf yomi couldn’t have come at a better time in my life. It began just a couple months before all life close down because of Covid 19. Studying a daf of Talmud every day gave me the opportunity to fill my time with a meaningful activity. In the height of the pandemic last year when so many people died of Covid 19, next to receiving a vaccine protecting me from this terrible disease, studying Torah was like a life-saving medicine. In fact Rabbi Bena’a makes the same point in today’s daf TB Taanit 7.
“It is taught in a baraita that Rabbi Bena’a would say: Anyone who engages in Torah for its own sake (lishma -לִשְׁמָהּ), his Torah study will be an elixir of life for him, as it is stated: “It is a tree of life to them who lay hold upon it” (Proverbs 3:18), and it says: “It shall be health to your navel” (Proverbs 3:8), and it says: “For whoever finds Me finds life” (Proverbs 8:35). And anyone who engages in Torah not for its own sake (lo lishma -שֶׁלֹּא לִשְׁמָהּשֶׁלֹּא לִשְׁמָהּ), will be an elixir of death for him, as it is stated: “My doctrine shall drop [ya’arof ] as the rain,” and arifa means nothing other than killing, as it is stated: “And they shall break the heifer’s neck [arefu] there in the valley” (Deuteronomy 21:4).” (Sefaria.org translation)
Tosafot ד"ה וְכׇל הָעוֹסֵק בַּתּוֹרָה שֶׁלֹּא לִשְׁמָהּ reconciles a contradiction. We learned in TB Pesakhim 50b “Rav Yehuda said that Rav said: A person should always engage in Torah study and performance of mitzvot, even if he does so not for their own sake, as through the performance of mitzvot not for their own sake, one gains understanding and comes to perform them for their own sake.” (Sefaria.org translation) They explain that there are two categories of studying Torah lo lishma. Although these is not ideal reasons, studying Torah in order that one should be called Rabbi or that others should honor him will lead that person to study Torah for all the right reasons, lishma. Ideally his Torah study will influence him to become a better person. However if a person studies Torah just to be argumentative and show other people that they are wrong or stupid, the person will never study Torah for all the right reasons and Torah will be a bitter pill for him.
If you want a deeper dive into meaning of the value concept of Torah lishma follow this link: https://www.etzion.org.il/en/halakha/studies-halakha/philosophy-halakha/meaning-torah-lishmah
Today’s daf is almost completely Aggada. The rabbis give four examples of
the greatness of rain and six bad behaviors why rain is withheld. I encourage
you to study today’s daf lishma.
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