Sefaria is your virtual Beit Midrash. But unlike a traditional house of study, it’s portable. With Sefaria’s app, the entire library of Jewish text becomes the perfect size to take out into the world and incorporate into your daily life.
וַיִּקְרָ֣א מֹשֶׁה֮ אֶל־כָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵל֒ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֲלֵהֶ֗ם שְׁמַ֤ע יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ אֶת־הַחֻקִּ֣ים וְאֶת־הַמִּשְׁפָּטִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֧ר אָנֹכִ֛י דֹּבֵ֥ר בְּאָזְנֵיכֶ֖ם הַיּ֑וֹם וּלְמַדְתֶּ֣ם אֹתָ֔ם וּשְׁמַרְתֶּ֖ם לַעֲשֹׂתָֽם׃
Moses summoned all the Israelites and said to them: Hear, O Israel, the laws and rules that I proclaim to you this day! Study them and observe them to enact them!
The roots for study and action that we see above in the Hebrew (ל-מ-ד and ע-ש-ה) are elaborated on below in the Talmud in Tractate Kiddushin:
וכבר היה רבי טרפון וזקנים מסובין בעלית בית נתזה בלוד נשאלה שאילה זו בפניהם תלמוד גדול או מעשה גדול נענה רבי טרפון ואמר מעשה גדול נענה ר"ע ואמר תלמוד גדול נענו כולם ואמרו תלמוד גדול שהתלמוד מביא לידי מעשה
In connection to the mishna’s statement about the importance of Torah study, the Gemara relates the following incident: And there already was an incident in which Rabbi Tarfon and the Elders were reclining in the loft of the house of Nit’za in Lod, when this question was asked of them: Is study greater or is action greater? Rabbi Tarfon answered and said: Action is greater. Rabbi Akiva answered and said: Study is greater. Everyone answered and said: Study is greater, but not as an independent value; rather, it is greater as study leads to action.
The logic here is confusing. If study is greater because it leads to action, then why not just say that action is greater?
Because while study leads to action, action does not necessarily lead to study. Ultimately, what we need is the combination of action with study: informed action, wise action, proper action:
ועל כן תמצא הצווי בכל התורה ולמדתם ועשיתם. מביא החכמה קודם המעשה שבחכמה יגיע האדם למעשה. ובמעשה לא יגיע בו אל החכמה. וזהו מה שאמרו ע"ה (קידושין דף מ) שהתלמוד מביא לידי מעשה.
And therefore you find the command in all of the Torah, "and study them[...] and do them," bringing wisdom before action. As, with wisdom, he will arrive at [proper] action, but with [proper] action, he will not arrive through it to wisdom. And this is [the meaning] of that which they, peace be upon them, said (Kiddushin 40b) that study brings [one] to [proper] action.
This philosophy of study and action is so important to Rambam, that he asserts that the mitzvah of Torah study is equal in importance to all the other mitzvot combined.
Why? Because study will lead to action on all of the other mitzvot:
אֵין לְךָ מִצְוָה בְּכָל הַמִּצְוֹת כֻּלָּן שֶׁהִיא שְׁקוּלָה כְּנֶגֶד תַּלְמוּד תּוֹרָה אֶלָּא תַּלְמוּד תּוֹרָה כְּנֶגֶד כָּל הַמִּצְוֹת כֻּלָּן שֶׁהַתַּלְמוּד מֵבִיא לִידֵי מַעֲשֶׂה. לְפִיכָךְ הַתַּלְמוּד קוֹדֵם לְמַעֲשֵׂה בְּכָל מָקוֹם:
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.5Pe’ah, 1. 1; Kiddushin, 40a; Megillah, 3b; Baba Kamma, 17b. C. G.
We hope that all your study in the #SefariaSummerSchool will urge you onto informed action in the world!