Halakhah zu Peah 1:1
אֵלּוּ דְבָרִים שֶׁאֵין לָהֶם שִׁעוּר. הַפֵּאָה, וְהַבִּכּוּרִים, וְהָרֵאָיוֹן, וּגְמִילוּת חֲסָדִים, וְתַלְמוּד תּוֹרָה. אֵלּוּ דְבָרִים שֶׁאָדָם אוֹכֵל פֵּרוֹתֵיהֶן בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה וְהַקֶּרֶן קַיֶּמֶת לוֹ לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא. כִּבּוּד אָב וָאֵם, וּגְמִילוּת חֲסָדִים, וַהֲבָאַת שָׁלוֹם בֵּין אָדָם לַחֲבֵרוֹ, וְתַלְמוּד תּוֹרָה כְּנֶגֶד כֻּלָּם:
Dies sind die Dinge, die kein Maß haben: Peah [Ecke des Feldes, die während der Ernte den Armen überlassen werden muss ], Bikurim [Erste Früchte, die in den Tempel gebracht und dem Priester gegeben werden müssen], das Aussehen- Opfer [auf Pilgerfesten in den Tempel gebracht], freundliche Handlungen und das Studium der Tora . Dies sind Dinge, deren Früchte ein Mann in dieser Welt genießt, während der Auftraggeber für ihn in der kommenden Welt bleibt: Vater und Mutter ehren, freundliche Handlungen tun und Frieden zwischen einem Mann und seinem Mitmenschen bringen. Aber das Studium der Tora ist allen gleich.
Chofetz Chaim
At other times, one goes clean of din "on high" for transgression of this sin [of neglect of Torah study] by reason of being occupied with earning a livelihood or in pondering how to gain one. But when he speaks lashon hara or rechiluth, how does his livelihood "gain" from this? And he also transgresses in this time of speaking [lashon hara] many negative commandments. As explained in Semag (Negative Commandments 13), we have been exhorted by the Torah in many negative commandments not to separate ourselves from Torah in any manner. For there is always some way in which one can fulfill the positive commandment of [studying] Torah — If he is a steady learner, through his learning; and if he is not a learner, he can study the holy works that are translated into the vernacular [Yiddish] in our time, such as Chovoth Halevavoth, Menorath Hamaor, and the like; and he need not remain idle from learning Torah, and speak lashon hara and rechiluth [instead].
And I have also seen this [idea] stated in the name of the GRA [the Gaon of Vilna], who explained the difference between din [judgment] and cheshbon [reckoning]. "Din" — one's being judged for the transgression itself; cheshbon — one's being held to account — at the time of judgment for transgression — for the time he could then have spent in fulfilling a mitzvah. "Woe unto us on the day of din!" What can we answer if the Holy One Blessed be He reckons against us (for each moment of idle, derogatory, talk and light-headedness, or rechiluth and lashon hara) even the transgression of neglect of Torah for that time alone! For, in truth, with each word of Torah learning, one fulfills the positive commandment [of Torah study] itself! And if one learns a chapter of Mishnayoth or a page of Gemara, he fulfills many hundreds of mitzvoth, as the GRA of blessed memory wrote in Sh'noth Eliyahu (Peah 1:1) in the name of the Yerushalmi. If so, the cheshbon comes to many thousands of holy words of Torah, each one of which is a great mitzvah in itself, that we have actively nullified, and against them, many thousands of transgressions of neglect of the positive commandment of Torah study that we have committed at that very time!
And how much more grievous is the sin if at the very time that one separates himself form Torah, he speaks lashon hara and the like. For with every demeaning remark that he makes against his friend, he transgresses a [distinct] negative commandment in itself, as mentioned in Makkoth 20b and in the name of Rabbeinu Yonah above. So that if we come to reckon only the transgression of separation from Torah for every moment of lashon hara, several hundreds of [transgressions of] negative and positive commandments are added thereto. And how much more so, when we add to this [the transgression of] many other negative and positive commandments that we have expatiated upon until now. One must, therefore, keep himself from the recital of such vanities!