Musar על בבא מציעא 170:1

Chazal bring down that when Rebbi Chananiya and Rebbi Chiya debated, Rebbi Chananiya said to Rebbi Chiya, “Would you content with me if, heaven forbid, the Torah were forgotten from Yisrael that I would return it with my sharp intellect? Rebbi Chiya said to Rebbi Chananiya, “Would you content with me that my labour for Torah has insured that it will never be forgotten from Yisrael. What did I do? I went and sowed flax, twisted nets, trapped deer, fed the flesh to orphans, made parchment from their skin, wrote the five books of the Torah, went to a town and taught five children the five books, taught six children the six orders of the Mishna, and I said to them, 'Until I return, teach each other and review with each other.' And my labour for Torah has insured that it will never be forgotten from Yisrael.” And, on this, Rebbi said, “How great is this act of Chiya” (Bava Metziya 85b).

And through it [Torah study] one merits the world to come, as Chazal have said (Peah 1:1): “These are the things … and Torah study over and against all.” And Chazal have said (Bava Metzia 85b): “That which is written (Iyyov 3:19): ‘The small and the great are there [in the next world], and the servant free of his master.’ Do we not know that the small and the great are there? — [The intent is] rather, that all who make themselves small for Torah in this world are made great in the world to come, and all who make themselves servants for Torah in this world are made free men in the world to come.” And in Avoth 6:3: “There is no honor but Torah, as it is written (Mishlei 3:35): ‘The wise will inherit honor.’ Do not desire more honor than your learning and do not lust for the table of kings. For your table [in the world to come] is greater than their table in this world, and your crown is greater than their crown, etc.” And in Sanhedrin 100a: “All who blacken their faces in Torah study in this world, the Holy One Blessed be He brightens them in the world to come, as it is written (Song of Songs 5:15): ‘His countenance is as Levanon, choice as the cedars.’” And, similarly, in Midrash Rabbah: “R. Yehudah interpreted the verse as relating to Torah scholars. One verse states (Ibid. 11) ‘black as a raven,’ and another (Nachum 2:5): ‘Their appearance is like flames, they flash like lightning.’ These are the Torah scholars, who look ungainly and black in this world but whose appearance is flamelike in the next world.” R. Tanchum ben Chanilai said: ‘All who starve themselves for words of Torah in this world, the Holy One Blessed be He sates them in the world to come, as it is written (Psalms 36:9): ‘They will be sated with the fatness of Your house.’”

Regarding those who diminish themselves, our sages of blessed memory, said: "whoever diminishes himself for the sake of Torah in this world is made great in the World to Come" (Bava Metzia 85b).

And our sages, of blessed memory, said "a sign of arrogance is poverty of Torah" (Sanhedrin 24a). And likewise they said: "a sign of not knowing anything is self-praise" (Zohar Balak 49b); and "one coin in a pitcher cries out 'rattle, rattle'" (Bava Metzia 85b); and "the barren trees were asked: 'why are your voices heard?' they replied: 'would that it were that our voices will be heard and we will be remembered'" (Bereishis Raba 16:3).