Talmud Bavli
Talmud Bavli

Musar for Bava Kamma 33:15

התרנגולין מועדין להלך כדרכן ולשבר היה דליל קשור ברגליו או שהיה מהדס ומשבר את הכלים משלם חצי נזק

again, water [in this connection] signifies 'the law' as stated, <i>Lo, everyone that thirsteth, come ye to the waters</i>.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Isa. LV, 1. ');"><sup>12</sup></span> 'He is worthy of the inheritance of two tribes:' He is worthy of an inheritance<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' So MS.M. The printed editions have 'canopy'. [Rashi connects it with the descriptions of 'branches running over the wall.'] ');"><sup>13</sup></span> like Joseph, as it is written: <i>Joseph is a fruitful bough</i>&nbsp;… whose branches run over the wall;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Gen XLIX, 22. ');"><sup>14</sup></span> he is also worthy of the inheritance of Issachar, as it is written: <i>Issachar is a strong ass</i>.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. 14. ');"><sup>15</sup></span> There are some who say, His enemies will fall before him, as it is written: <i>With them he shall push the people together, to the ends of the earth</i>.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. XXXIII, 17. ');"><sup>16</sup></span> He is worthy of understanding like Issachar, as it is written: <i>And of the children of Issachar which were men that had understanding of the times to know what Israel ought to do</i>.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I Chron. XII, 32. ');"><sup>17</sup></span> <b><i>MISHNAH</i></b>. WITH REFERENCE TO WHAT IS FOOT <i>MU'AD</i>?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Referring to supra p. 68. ');"><sup>18</sup></span> [IT IS <i>MU'AD</i>:] TO BREAK [THINGS] IN THE COURSE OF WALKING. ANY ANIMAL IS <i>MU'AD</i> TO WALK IN ITS USUAL WAY AND TO BREAK [THINGS]. BUT IF IT WAS KICKING OR PEBBLES WERE FLYING FROM UNDER ITS FEET AND UTENSILS WERE [IN CONSEQUENCE] BROKEN, [ONLY] HALF-DAMAGES WILL BE PAID. IF IT TROD UPON A UTENSIL AND BROKE IT, AND A FRAGMENT [OF IT] FELL UPON ANOTHER UTENSIL WHICH WAS ALSO BROKEN, FOR THE FIRST UTENSIL FULL DAMAGES MUST BE PAID,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As it is subject to the law of 'Foot'. ');"><sup>19</sup></span> BUT FOR THE SECOND, [ONLY] HALF-DAMAGES WILL BE PAID.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since it was broken not by the actual body of the animal (or poultry) but by its agency and force in some other object, it comes within the purview of the law of 'Pebbles'; v. Glos, Zeroroth ');"><sup>20</sup></span> POULTRY<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit. 'The cocks'. ');"><sup>21</sup></span> ARE <i>MU'AD</i> TO WALK IN THEIR USUAL WAY AND TO BREAK [THINGS]. IF A STRING BECAME ATTACHED TO THEIR FEET, OR WHERE THEY HOP ABOUT AND BREAK UTENSILS, [ONLY] HALF-DAMAGES WILL BE PAID.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since it was broken not by the actual body of the animal (or poultry) but by its agency and force in some other object, it comes within the purview of the law of 'Pebbles'; v. Glos, Zeroroth ');"><sup>20</sup></span>

Orchot Tzadikim

No other commandment is equal in value to the precept of studying the Torah, but the study of the Torah can be weighed against all of the other precepts together, because the study of the Torah leads to the performance of the deeds commanded there (Kiddushin 40b). And the statement that "the study of the Torah outweighs them all" (Peah 1:1) applies to him who studies in order to learn and to teach, to observe, to do, and to fulfill, but who, because of his constant study of the Torah, is not able to fulfill all of the commandments, and when he is not studying he does all that he can, thus showing the state of his mind, that he wants very much to perform the commandments. It is in such a case that "the study of the Torah outweighs them all." For when he studies the precepts and wants to fulfill them, then he already is rewarded as though he had fulfilled them, inasmuch as he has been kept from fulfilling them only because of his diligent study of the Torah. And so he finds that the reward of doing and of studying are both his. But he who frequently is idle, and is able to perform the commandments at the time that he is idle but does not hasten to do them, or when he does fulfill a commandment does not do so with great care, as is befitting, of him it is not said that the study of the Torah outweighs all the other commandments.
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Shenei Luchot HaBerit

We can explain two apparently contradictory statements of our sages by keeping this point in mind. The Talmud in Kidushin 33 states that if one needs to rise from one's seat when a Torah scholar enters the hall of learning, how much more so must one rise from one's seat when the Torah scroll itself approaches! On the other hand, we find the Talmud in Makkot 22 saying: "How foolish the people who rise from their seats when the Torah scroll is brought in, but fail to rise when the Torah scholars approach! Tosaphot say that the reference is to ignorant people who are unable to arrive at the logical conclusion mentioned in Kidushin. Had they been able to make such deductions, they would not have displayed their ignorance. It follows that those people were aware that one needs to rise when Torah scholars enter. The Ran explains at the end of the tractate of Kidushin that undoubtedly Torah is on a higher level of sanctity than Torah scholars, and one has to rise when a Torah scroll is brought in. The fools referred to in Makkot are simply too ignorant to appreciate that fact. Their knowledge of Torah is limited to what they hear from the mouth of Torah scholars.
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