So we got the Torah. Now what is it?

Impress them upon your children. Recite them when you stay at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you get up.

(4) Moses commanded us a law, An inheritance of the congregation of Jacob.

(12) It is not in the heavens, that you should say, “Who among us can go up to the heavens and get it for us and impart it to us, that we may observe it?” (13) Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, “Who among us can cross to the other side of the sea and get it for us and impart it to us, that we may observe it?” (14) No, the thing is very close to you, in your mouth and in your heart, to observe it.

(8) This Torah should not leave your mouth and you shall speak it day and night in order that guard and do as all that is written in it, because through this you will succeed in your ways and through this you will become wise.

But his desire is in the Torah of Hashem, and in His Torah does he meditate day and night.

(8) The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul; The testimony of the LORD is trustworthy, making the simple one wise.

(17) Her ways are pleasant ways, And all her paths, peaceful.

(18) She is a tree of life to those who grasp her, And whoever holds on to her is happy.

One who acquires words of Torah, has acquired for himself life in the World to Come

...He [Rabbi Yochanan Ben Zakai] used to say: If you have learned much Torah, do not take credit for yourself, because it is for this you were created.

Ben Bag Bag says: Turn it, and turn it again, because all is in it; and in it contemplate, and grow gray and old over it; and never move away from it, for you cannot have any characteristic better than this.

(1) The Rabbis taught in the language (style) of the Mishnah: Rabbi Meir says: Anyone who involves himself in Torah for its own sake merits many things, and moreover the entire world is worthwhile for his sake; He is called "friend," "beloved," "lover of the Omnipresent," "lover of [all] creatures," "delighter of the Omnipresent," ...

(2) Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: ... it says (Exodus 32:16): "And the tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tablets," do not read "graven" (harut) but rather "freedom" (herut), for there is no free man except one that involves himself in Torah learning;

(6) Greater is Torah than priesthood and kingship, for kingship is obtained with thirty levels, and priesthood with twenty-four, and Torah is obtained with forty-eight things. And these are them: learning, listening of the ear, preparation of speech, ...

Rabbi Hiyya said that Rabbi Yochenan said: What [is the meaning of the verse where it] is written: “He who guards the fig will eat of its fruit” (Proverbs 27:18)? Why are the words of Torah compared to a fig tree? Just as with a fig three the whole time a person tends to it it bears fruit, the whole time a person studies the words of Torah the more pleasure he brings out from them.

Raba also said: At the outset, the Torah is ascribed to the Holy One, blessed be He, but at the end, the Torah is ascribed to him [who studies it], for it is said: But his desire is in the Torah of Hashem, and in his [own] Torah does he meditate day and night.

The Gemara cites that which Rabbi Yonatan said: One should never prevent himself from attending the study hall or from engaging in matters of Torah, even at the moment of death, as it is stated: “This is the Torah: A person who dies in a tent” (Numbers 19:14). That is an allusion to the fact that even at the moment of death, one should engage in the study of Torah. Reish Lakish said: Matters of Torah only endure in a person who kills himself over the Torah, one who is ready to devote all his efforts to it, as it is stated: “This is the Torah: A person who dies in a tent,” meaning that the Torah is only attained by one who kills himself in its tent. Rava said:

Rabbi Ḥananya ben Akashya says: The Holy One, Blessed be He, sought to confer merit upon the Jewish people; therefore, He increased for them Torah and mitzvot, as it is stated: “It pleased the Lord for the sake of His righteousness to make the Torah great and glorious” (Isaiah 42:21).

Rabbi Yehoshua says: Divide the day, half of it for eating and drinking and half of it for the study hall, For one verse says: “It shall be an assembly for the Lord your God; you shall do no labor” (Deuteronomy 16:8), which indicates that the day is set aside for Divine service, and another verse says: “It shall be an assembly for you; you shall do no servile labor” (Numbers 29:35), which indicates a celebratory assembly for the Jewish people. It is possible to fulfill both verses: Split the day into two, half of it for God and half of it for you. Rabbi Elazar said: All agree with regard to Atzeret, the holiday of Shavuot, that we require that it to be “for you”. What is the reason? It is the day on which the Torah was given.

The Gemara relates that Rav Yosef, on the day of Shavuot, would say: Prepare me a choice third-born calf. He said: If not for this day on which the Torah was given that caused the Jewish people to have the Torah, how many Yosefs would there be in the market?

(2) The root of this commandment is well-known; as with study, a man will know the ways of God, may He be blessed.

(1) The people of Israel were crowned with three crowns: the crown of Torah, the crown of priesthood and the crown of sovereignty... The crown of the Torah, behold it, there it lies ready within the grasp of all Israel, even as it is said: "Moses commanded us a Law, an inheritance of the congregation of Jacob" (Deut. 33.4), Whosoever wants it may come and take it. Peradventure, you will say that those other two crowns are greater than the crown of the Torah, behold, it is said: "By Me kings reign, and princes decree justice; by Me princes rule" (Prov. 8. 13–14), herefrom be instructed that the crown of the Torah is greater than both of the others.

(3) You have not a single commandment among all the precepts to balance the one concerning the study of the Torah, but the precept to study the Torah stands out against all the rest of the commandments, because study leads to practice. Therefore, in every instance study precedes practice.

(9) The words of the Torah are likened unto water, even as it is said: "Ho, everyone that thirsteth, come ye for water" (Is. 55.1), which is to teach you, even as waters do not gather in steep places, but flow by gravity and gather in a well, so are the words of the Torah, they are not found among the high spirited nor in the heart of all haughty but in the humble and meek spirited who embraces the dust of the feet of the wise and removes the passions and the pleasures of the age from his heart and does a little work daily for his living, if he happens to be unprovided with food, and the rest of his days and his nights he pursues the study of the Torah.