Subject: In Memory of Baruch Yitzchak ben Yirmiyahu (Barry Pessin)
From: Heath Berkin <heath.berkin@gmail.com>
Date: 11/3/2017, 7:44 AM
To: Heath Berkin <heath.berkin@gmail.com>
BCC: menachem@alonsystems.com
The Mishna in Avos says that they way of learning Torah is "to eat bread with salt and drink water but toil in Torah".
There are a number of ways to understand this Mishna, but one understanding is that even if a person is extremely poor, and only has enough money to buy bread and water he still has on obligation to study Torah. The Gemara in Yoma tells us about the Great Hillel who was extremely poor but still toiled in Torah, at the same time it speaks of R'Eliezer ben Arach who was extremely rich and he too toiled in Torah.
The Gemara brings other examples to state that these great individuals regardless, of their situation still toiled in Torah. The Gemara says that their actions obligate us as well in whatever situation to spend time learning Torah as well. We won't have any excuse why we didn't set aside time to study Torah.