Thursday, March 20, 2008

And the study of Torah excels them all...

These are the things for which a person enjoys the fruits in this world, while the principal remains for him in the world to come: honoring father and mother, practice of kindness, early attendance at the schoolhouse morning and evening [diligent study], hospitality to strangers, visiting the sick, dowering the bride, attending the dead to the grave, devotion in prayer, and making peace between fellow men; but the study of Torah excels them all. Talmud, Shabbat 127a

Honor father and mother- Exodus 20:12; Leviticus 19:3; Deut 5:16

Practice kindness-Exodus 22:21-22; 23:9, 12. Lev. 19:10, 33; 23:22; 25:35, 47. Deut. 10:18, 19; 24:14, 17, 19-21; 26:12; 27:19

Early attendance at the schoolhouse-Psalm 1. Joshua 1:7-8

Hospitality to strangers-Genesis 18:2-8; 24:12-25

Visiting the sick-Genesis 18:1; 48:1

Dowering the bride-Genesis 24:53, 59-60 (not sure if these fit, any other examples would be welcome)

Attending the dead to the grave-Genesis 25:9; 35:29; 50:5-13

Devotion in prayer-Psalm 51:10, 15, 17; 145:18.

Making peace- Genesis 13:5-9; 26:26-31. Exodus 2:13

Why does the study of Torah excel them all? Because it leads to them all.

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