TORAH STUDY PROVIDES THE MOST APPROPRIATE MEANS FOR ONE TO RISE ABOVE HIS PHYSICAL NATURE IT SEEMS THAT EVEN if one performs a mitzvah for its own sake – not for any personal gain in this world, nor for any hope in the World to Come – [he can still] be distant from the spiritual level that characterizes one who abandons [the physical] to the extent that he ignores his physical needs. [Therefore, even if a person performs a mitzvah] for its own sake, he may not endanger himself unless he knows for certain that he has achieved such a state – that he is holy and separate from the nature of man.

Our Sages stated in Tractate Nazir 23b, “A transgression committed with good intention is better than a precept performed with evil intention.” The Talmud cites a proof from Yael, who committed a sin for the sake of Heaven,¹ and she is praised greatly for this.² [Tractate Yevamos] in the chapter entitled Mitzvos Halitzah 103a, [asks why Yael deserved praise, since she] derived gratification from that transgression. The Talmud answers, “All the favors that the wicked [perform for the righteous] are evil to [disdained by] the righteous,” meaning that she [Yael] received no pleasure at all [from having had intercourse with Sisera]. Tosafos at the beginning of Tractate Kesubos³ 3b, the first Tosafos entitled “Ve-lidrosh lahu.” and in many other places explains that the Talmud is questioning the idea that she should not have been praised for that act if she received any pleasure from it. For certain, even if she had received pleasure from it, she would be allowed to perform this act to save the Jewish people. Nevertheless, it is a dangerous path, for one may not derive pleasure during the commission of a sin. The great mitzvah of saving Jewish lives does not negate the sin or the [prohibition] of receiving pleasure from it. If it was so, [that she received pleasure from that sin], then she did not achieve the lofty [level] of one deserving the praise [expressed in Devorah’s] song that was composed with Divine inspiration. One cannot argue that since she performed that act for its own sake, [to save the Jewish people], then she must have forgotten her [physical] self ─ that would be a more heavenly and lofty level than that which Yael had reached, for in spite of all her righteousness [to risk her life] she still derived pleasure [from the act]. [Therefore, the Talmud answers] that the “favors of the wicked are disdained by the righteous” – [in fact, Yael received no physical pleasure from the act].⁴

footnotes: ¹ Yael enticed Sisera with sexual intercourse seven times and gave him wine and cheese, causing him to fall into a deep slumber. While he slept, she was able to kill him by driving a spike through his temple with a tent hammer. ² The prophetess Devorah praised Yael, as it is written in Judges 5:24: “Blessed above women be Yael, the wife of Heber the Kenite; above women in the tent shall she be blessed.” The Talmud states that “women in the tent” refers to Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel and Leah, meaning that Yael is to be praised even more than the Matriarchs. ³ See Tractate Kesuvos ⁴ Since the Gemara could initially believe that Yael received pleasure from Sisera, we infer that even when one performs the most important mitzvah for its own sake, one does not necessarily rise above his or her nature.

All of this applies to the performance of the mitzvos – not so regarding the diligent study of the Torah. (Though it is a mitzvah like any other*,* where one may study the Torah for its own sake without negating his sensitivities to his physical being, and it would thus be forbidden to go and study the Torah in a dangerous environment). Nevertheless, the Torah is called a “beloved hind”;⁵ a praise implying [an effect] where one who engages in deep [Torah] study even for a moment, it will naturally follow for his Jewish soul to cleave to [the Talmud] with a most powerful love, such that he forgets his physical self.⁶ 54b states, “Why are the Torah’s words compared to a hind? To tell you that as a hind has a narrow womb and is loved by its mate at all times as at the first moment of their meeting, so it is with the words of the Torah – they are loved by those who study them at all times as at the moment when they first made their acquaintance.” This is demonstrated in Tractate Shabbos 88a, where Rava did not notice how he ground his fingers [under his feet] and his fingers spurted blood, since he was so engrossed [in Torah study].

footnotes: ⁵ Prov. 5:19. This is figurative of a beloved woman. ⁶ Tractate Eruvin

Also see Tractate Eruvin 54b pertaining to the verse, “May you always be insane with her [the Torah’s] love,”⁷ “This refers to R. Elazar ben Pedos, who would sit and study Torah in the lower market of Tzipori and would forget his cloak, leaving it in the lower market of Tzipori.” It was not, Heaven forbid, that he left his cloak there on purpose, rather since he was so immersed in the analysis [of Torah], combined with an intense love, that he forgot his personal needs. Pertaining to this, the verse [in Proverbs] states that with the love of [Torah] one is allowed to act insanely; one who acts in an unusual manner is called insane. In truth it is forbidden to act in a manner that is considered insane to others, however, [since] the love of Torah results in one forgetting his human nature, one is permitted to act in an “insane” manner.

footnotes: ⁷ Prov. 5:19.

[Eruvin 54b] states further, R. Shmuel ben Nahmani, said, “… [What is the meaning of the verse] ‘She effuses charm?’⁸ This teaches that [the Torah] brings allure to those who study it.” This means that when [people] usually see a person acting insanely, or one who deviates from accepted behavior, such a person is detested by mankind. This is not so with one who clings [to God] through the love of Torah and deviates from [normal] human behavior. Such a person is not despised, Heaven forbid; everyone exalts him with graciousness and honor.

footnotes: ⁸ Id.

However, this only happens when one performs this [mitzvah] with true love, rather than with a love for himself – out of an ulterior motive. For then he will not be successful, and thus it would be prohibited to act in such a way, because of the [resulting] profanation of God’s name and the disgrace of Torah’s honor. They said of R. Elazar ben Pedos that one time they saw a poisonous snake lying on [R. Elazar’s] cloak, [thereby preventing others from stealing it]. [This honor of the Torah occurred] from [R. Elazar’s] clinging [to the Torah] with true love, and thus all [barriers were leveled] before him as a plane. The change of nature was not too exalted for him. It therefore naturally follows that one may risk one’s safety by analyzing the Torah deeply in such a way that if he [in a similar circumstance] were to apply analysis and mental toil in other areas of wisdom, he would, by the nature of things, endanger himself or become demented.

However, the love of Torah is more exalted than any other act, and it is understandable why [the Torah] states, “If a man dies in a tent,” [which is interpreted by the Talmud to mean] that a person may place himself in a dangerous situation while he is withinthe tent of Torah, a moment in which he is clasped within her love and diligence [of study]. This was not so with the three mighty men [of David] who stood on the battlefield. They were not engrossed in the diligent study of the Torah, but went to enquire of the [Sanhedrin] at the gates of Bethlehem about a halachic matter. Even though they traveled there for the sake of Heaven, it was like any other mitzvah, where the act itself does not induce clinging to God, unless as we have elaborated above, he is one who has reached the level [of rising above their physical nature].