(ו) וְהָי֞וּ הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֗לֶּה אֲשֶׁ֨ר אָנֹכִ֧י מְצַוְּךָ֛ הַיּ֖וֹם עַל־לְבָבֶֽךָ׃ (ז) וְשִׁנַּנְתָּ֣ם לְבָנֶ֔יךָ וְדִבַּרְתָּ֖ בָּ֑ם בְּשִׁבְתְּךָ֤ בְּבֵיתֶ֙ךָ֙ וּבְלֶכְתְּךָ֣ בַדֶּ֔רֶךְ וּֽבְשָׁכְבְּךָ֖ וּבְקוּמֶֽךָ׃ (ח) וּקְשַׁרְתָּ֥ם לְא֖וֹת עַל־יָדֶ֑ךָ וְהָי֥וּ לְטֹטָפֹ֖ת בֵּ֥ין עֵינֶֽיךָ׃ (ט) וּכְתַבְתָּ֛ם עַל־מְזוּזֹ֥ת בֵּיתֶ֖ךָ וּבִשְׁעָרֶֽיךָ׃
(6) You should take to heart these words which I am commanding you this day. (7) Impress them upon your children. Recite them when you stay at home and when you travel, when you lie down and when you rise up. (8) Bind them as a sign on your hand and let them be a symbol on your forehead; (9) inscribe them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
וְאוֹמֵר (שמות לב) וְהַלֻּחֹת מַעֲשֵׂה אֱלֹהִים הֵמָּה וְהַמִּכְתָּב מִכְתַּב אֱלֹהִים הוּא חָרוּת עַל הַלֻּחֹת, אַל תִּקְרָא חָרוּת אֶלָּא חֵרוּת, שֶׁאֵין לְךָ בֶן חוֹרִין אֶלָּא מִי שֶׁעוֹסֵק בְּתַלְמוּד תּוֹרָה.
"And the tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, engraved upon the tablets," (Exodus 32:16). Do not read the word as "engraved" [harut], but rather as "freedom" [herut], for no one is free except those who engage in the study of Torah.
וְתֵן בְּלִבֵּנוּ לְהָבִין וּלְהַשכִּיל. לִשְׁמעַ. לִלְמד וּלְלַמֵּד. לִשְׁמר וְלַעֲשות וּלְקַיֵּם אֶת כָּל דִּבְרֵי תַלְמוּד תּורָתֶךָ בְּאַהֲבָה: וְהָאֵר עֵינֵינוּ בְּתורָתֶךָ. וְדַבֵּק לִבֵּנוּ בְּמִצְותֶיךָ. וְיַחֵד לְבָבֵנוּ לְאַהֲבָה וּלְיִרְאָה אֶת שְׁמֶךָ.
Place in our hearts the ability to understand and to comprehend, to listen, to study and to teach, to keep and to do and to fulfill all of the words of the study of your Torah with love. And enlighten our eyes through your Torah, and make our hearts cling to your commandments. And unify our hearts to love and revere your name.
(ב) וְהַעֲרֶב נָא ה' אֱלהֵינוּ אֶת דִּבְרֵי תורָתְךָ בְּפִינוּ וּבְפִיּות עַמְּךָ בֵּית יִשרָאֵל. וְנִהְיֶה אֲנַחְנוּ וְצֶאֱצָאֵינוּ. וְצֶאֱצָאֵי צֶאֱצָאֵינוּ וְצֶאֱצָאֵי עַמְּךָ בֵּית יִשרָאֵל. כֻּלָּנוּ יודְעֵי שְׁמֶךָ וְלומְדֵי תורָתֶךָ לִשְׁמָהּ: בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה' הַמְלַמֵּד תּורָה לְעַמּו יִשרָאֵל:
(2) And please, Lord our God, make the words of your Torah sweet in our mouths and in the mouths of all of your people, the House of Israel. And may we and our offspring, and the offspring of your people, the House of Israel--all of us--become knowers of your name and students of your Torah for its own sake. Blessed are you, Lord, who teaches Torah to his people Israel.
(ח) כָּל אִישׁ מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל חַיָּב בְּתַלְמוּד תּוֹרָה בֵּין עָנִי בֵּין עָשִׁיר בֵּין שָׁלֵם בְּגוּפוֹ בֵּין בַּעַל יִסּוּרִין בֵּין בָּחוּר בֵּין שֶׁהָיָה זָקֵן גָּדוֹל שֶׁתָּשַׁשׁ כֹּחוֹ אֲפִלּוּ הָיָה עָנִי הַמִּתְפַּרְנֵס מִן הַצְּדָקָה וּמְחַזֵּר עַל הַפְּתָחִים וַאֲפִלּוּ בַּעַל אִשָּׁה וּבָנִים חַיָּב לִקְבֹּעַ לוֹ זְמַן לְתַלְמוּד תּוֹרָה בַּיּוֹם וּבַלַּיְלָה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (יהושע א ח) "וְהָגִיתָ בּוֹ יוֹמָם וָלַיְלָה":
(ט) גְּדוֹלֵי חַכְמֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הָיוּ מֵהֶן חוֹטְבֵי עֵצִים וּמֵהֶן שׁוֹאֲבֵי מַיִם וּמֵהֶן סוּמִים וְאַף עַל פִּי כֵן הָיוּ עוֹסְקִין בְּתַלְמוּד תּוֹרָה בַּיּוֹם וּבַלַּיְלָה וְהֵם מִכְּלַל מַעְתִּיקֵי הַשְּׁמוּעָה אִישׁ מִפִּי אִישׁ מִפִּי משֶׁה רַבֵּנוּ:
(8) Every Israelite is obligated to study the Torah, whether he is poor or rich, whether able-bodied or suffering, whether young or very old and frail. Even if he is dependent upon charity to survive, or must go around from door to door begging--even he who has a wife and children to support--is obligated to set a time for the study of Torah, both during the day and at night, for it is stated, "You shall reflect on it day and night" (Joshua 1:8).
(9) Some of the greatest scholars in Israel were woodchoppers, or water-drawers, and some of them were blind. Nevertheless, they engaged in the study of the Torah during the day and at night. And they are included among those who preserved the Torah Tradition, passed along from man to man, going back to Moses our Master.
One who feels pain in his head should engage in Torah study, as it is stated, “For they [the teachings and instruction] shall be a graceful wreath for your head” (Proverbs 1:9). One who feels pain in his throat should engage in Torah study, as it is stated, “And a necklace for your throat” (ibid.). One who feels pain in his intestines should engage in Torah study, as it is stated, “It will be a cure for your belly” (Proverbs 3:8). One who feels pain in his bones should engage in Torah study, as it is stated, “And a tonic for your bones” (ibid.). One who feels pain anywhere in his body should engage in Torah study, as it is stated, “And healing for all his flesh” (Proverbs 4:22).
Reish Lakish said: Anyone who teaches Torah to another person's child is considered by Scripture to have made him, as it is stated, “And the souls that they [Abraham and Sarah] made in Haran” (Genesis 12:5). Rabbi Elazar says: He is considered to have made the words of Torah themselves, as it is stated, “Observe the words of this covenant, and you shall do [or “make"] them (Deuteronomy 29:8). Rava said: He is considered to have made himself, as it is stated: “And you shall make them.” Do not read it as, “va’asitem otam” [“and you shall make them”], read it as, “va’asitem atem” ["and you shall make yourselves”].
"Haskeit" [from Deuteronomy 27:9, usually translated as "Be silent (haskeit) and listen, O Israel....."]: This [rare Hebrew word] means divide yourselves [asu] into groups [kitot] and then engage in Torah study, for the Torah is only acquired through partnership study. This follows the view of Rabbi Yosi, son of Rabbi Ḥanina, who said: What is the meaning of the verse, “A sword be upon the deceivers [habaddim], and may they be shown as fools [noalu]” (Jeremiah 50:36)? It means, "A sword be upon the enemies of Torah scholars [a euphemism for those scholars], who sit all alone [bad bevad] and study Torah. Not only that, but they become foolish...Not only that, but they become sinful.
[An alternate explanation of this same verse.] “Be silent [haskeit] and listen, O Israel....” (Deut 27:9): Break yourselves up [kattetu] over the words of Torah. This follows the view of Reish Lakish who said: How do we know that the words of Torah endure only in a person who kills himself for it? As it is stated, “This is the Torah when someone dies in a tent....” (Numbers 19:14).