Musar על ברכות 127:21
Shenei Luchot HaBerit
However, when numbers are viewed in the context of the spiritual world, עולם הבא, they do not imply limitation. Once something is numbered it will have an infinite existence, usually on an ascending level, the object that is numbered advancing towards ever greater achievements. When our sages said that Torah scholars do not find rest in this world or in the hereafter (Berachot 64a), this is what they had in mind. These scholars do not "rest on their laurels," as it were, but experience continuous growth. Their understanding of G–d increases continuously, and since G–d Himself possesses infinite achievements, any measurable progress of the Torah scholar is not something that is measured against a final target thus preventing him from progressing still further.
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Shenei Luchot HaBerit
[At this point the author – basing himself on Pardes Rimonim in his chapter שער הנשמה where he describes how things were before man sinned – describes that originally the body was equipped with intelligence and that this is why Adam was called אדם instead of איש or גבר. Then performance of G–d's commandments was basically a totally spiritual activity. It will be so again in the World to Come. Meanwhile, most commandments can be fulfilled primarily by our bodies, which by now are to the soul as the moon is to the sun. The moon is basically dark, does not have any light of its own. Only when the sun shines on it does it reflect light. The same applies nowadays to the performance of a מצוה. The "dark" body receives its instructions, i.e. illumination from the soul, and only in this way can the body perform G–d's commandments. The body only reacts. This explains why physical performance of G–d's commandments can be viewed as inferior to study of these commandments (in certain circumstances). All of this will be changed in an ideal world. The body is like a נר, a lamp which is the receptacle for the light, whereas the soul is the light itself. All the aggadic tales about the moon and the sun can be understood in this vein. We have stated elsewhere that the study of "a great matter" refers to the study of מעשה מרכבה, whereas "a small matter" refers to the discussions in the Talmud between Abbaye and Rava; the relative importance of these matters is seen from the vantage point of Adam prior to his sin. Originally then, there was a time when study (by itself) was great. The importance of study nowadays lies only in the fact that it leads to animation of the body, i.e. performance of the commandments by the inferior body. Ed.]
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Shenei Luchot HaBerit
The underlying principle of all this is that the way Torah scholars increase peace and harmony in this world is that they demonstrate that the dichotomy between body and soul must be healed, that through Torah study the body is elevated to the level of the soul and not vice-versa, G–d forbid. Through Torah study they also contribute to the harmony in the Celestial Regions. We have an allusion to this in Isaiah 27,5: או יחזיק במעוזי יעשה שלום לי שלום יעשה לי, "Or, if he holds fast to My refuge, he makes peace for Me, peace he makes for Me." The repetition of the word peace indicates that the prophet speaks about peace on earth as well as peace in the Heavens.
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