Jewish%20thought for Pirkei Avot 6:2

אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי, בְּכָל יוֹם וָיוֹם בַּת קוֹל יוֹצֵאת מֵהַר חוֹרֵב וּמַכְרֶזֶת וְאוֹמֶרֶת, אוֹי לָהֶם לַבְּרִיּוֹת מֵעֶלְבּוֹנָהּ שֶׁל תּוֹרָה. שֶׁכָּל מִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ עוֹסֵק בַּתּוֹרָה נִקְרָא נָזוּף, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (משלי יא) נֶזֶם זָהָב בְּאַף חֲזִיר אִשָּׁה יָפָה וְסָרַת טָעַם. וְאוֹמֵר (שמות לב) וְהַלֻּחֹת מַעֲשֵׂה אֱלֹהִים הֵמָּה וְהַמִּכְתָּב מִכְתַּב אֱלֹהִים הוּא חָרוּת עַל הַלֻּחֹת, אַל תִּקְרָא חָרוּת אֶלָּא חֵרוּת, שֶׁאֵין לְךָ בֶן חוֹרִין אֶלָּא מִי שֶׁעוֹסֵק בְּתַלְמוּד תּוֹרָה. וְכָל מִי שֶׁעוֹסֵק בְּתַלְמוּד תּוֹרָה הֲרֵי זֶה מִתְעַלֶּה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (במדבר כא) וּמִמַּתָּנָה נַחֲלִיאֵל וּמִנַּחֲלִיאֵל בָּמוֹת:

And it gives him royalty and rule and depth of judgment. The secrets of Torah are revealed to him and he becomes an unfailing well and a resurgent river. He becomes humble and forbearing and forgiving of insult, and it (Torah) raises and exalts him over all (of life's) exigencies. R. Yehoshua ben Levi said: "Every day a Heavenly voice goes forth from Mount Chorev and proclaims: "Woe unto the creations for the shame of Torah!" For whoever does not occupy himself with Torah is called "rejected," as it is written (Proverbs 11:22): "As a golden ring in the snout of a pig, so is a beautiful woman from whom wisdom has departed," and (Exodus 32:16): "And the tablets were the work of G-d and the writing was the writing of G-d, engraved (charuth) upon the tablets." Read it not "charuth," but "cheiruth" (freedom), for no one is free but him who studies Torah. For whoever studies Torah is exalted, as it is written (Numbers 21:19): "And from Matanah (the gift [of Torah]), Nachliel ('the inheritance of the L rd'); and from Nachliel, Bamoth ('the high mount')."

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