In Israeli discourse, the concept of 'Torah study' is linked to heated debates about yeshiva budgets, military service, and the like.
The constant connection of Torah study to yeshiva students does not always allow us to see the place of Torah study in the lives of hundreds of thousands of Jews, engaged in all kinds of occupations and of all ages.
This is what has always characterized and distinguished the Jewish people from other people. What have people always done after the workday? They came home, had dinner, and went out to hang out with friends or have a drink at the local bar. Nowadays, you don't have to leave the house anymore, you can just sit back and stare at the screen.
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This is called the culture of 'escapism.' The Academy of the Hebrew Language has given this term a new name - 'escapism.' That is to say: "a tendency to escape from reality and distract oneself from distressing matters or routine, mainly through recreation and entertainment.".
There is no brother and no friend.
But among the Jewish people for generations, at the end of the workday, real life began. People who worked hard for their livelihood went to the Beit Midrash and sat down to study Torah. They did not go to 'escape' from everyday worries, but saw in Torah study the true essence and true content of life.
Even today, enter the synagogues in cities and towns in the evenings and you will see crowds of Jews sitting and studying. Some by themselves, some in a group, and some together in a Torah lesson. What do they study? Each according to his own wishes. Some study a page of Gemara, some delve into the weekly parashat, some study halakha, and some study midrash and Hasidism.
This is a phenomenon that has no equal in the entire world. Indeed, even among non-Jews there are people of books who use their free time to study and read, but these are exceptional individuals. This is not a culture of life for the masses of the people, including ordinary people.
This is a unique learning culture for the Jewish people - learning as a way to connect with the Creator. When a Jew studies Torah, he does indeed acquire knowledge and wisdom, but above all he strives to connect with God, the Holy One, and to unite his mind with the infinite wisdom of the Creator of the world.
Tu B'Av awakens
Studying Torah is, first and foremost, a great mitzvah. Every Jew must study Torah for at least "one chapter in the morning and one chapter in the evening," and anyone who is not preoccupied with providing for their family must dedicate every free moment to studying Torah.
Through the Torah, small people like us can transcend the confines of the material and limited world and connect with the Infinite. When we study the Torah, a wonderful connection is created between us and the Creator. Studying the Torah gives us a superior vantage point, above the limitations of the world, as if we were seeing things from a bird's eye view.
Tu B'Av is a time that symbolizes the shortening of the days and the lengthening of the nights. This day calls upon us to make more time for Torah study. It is the time to schedule more Torah classes, increase the frequency of participation in them, and draw strength for a richer and more uplifting year.
