Musar sur Avot 4:14

[And, in truth, how much should we be ashamed! For if two good, useful business opportunities presented themselves to a man, so that if he took one he would have to leave the other, he would look with a sober eye to determine which is certain and which is uncertain. And how much more so [would he choose the first] if it [the second] is only a possibility of a possibility. He would also look with a sober eye to determine which is better and more useful and which lasts a longer time. For sometimes, even if one is better than the other, if the second lasts for a longer time, he will choose that. How much more so if it is intrinsically better than the other. But when it comes to choosing between the service of the L-rd and the affairs of the world, the yetzer entices us to abandon the service of the L-rd, which is better and more useful in itself than all the affairs of the world, as the tanna has said (Avoth 4:14): "Better one moment in the world to come, etc.", and it is also eternal, as opposed to all the affairs of this world, which is only as a passing shadow. And also, the eternal reward that comes from serving the Blessed L-rd is a certainty than which nothing is more certain — and the yetzer entices us to leave all this because of the possibility of a possibility of [benefit in] this world! And this is what we say in the confessional service [of Yom Kippur]: "We have turned away from Your mitzvoth and from Your goodly judgments, and it was not comparable to us." That is, the eternal good was not [even] comparable in our eyes to the transitory good of this world. The proof: We have rejected the certain before the uncertain! And one who wishes to be saved from the enticement of the yetzer hara will reflect constantly within himself and consider the greatness of the pleasure of the reward that the Holy One Blessed be He will give him for [the observance of] His mitzvoth. As the GRA has written, that it is for this reason that the Holy One Blessed be He has created the eternal world with all that is necessary for the reward for fulfillment of Torah and mitzvoth and did not give His reward in this world. For even if a man were given all of this world and its pleasures for one mitzvah it would not suffice for the pleasure he deserves for the mitzvah. And if a man reflects upon this, he certainly will not reject the certain, eternal good for the possibility of the possibility (of pleasure) in this world.]

Perhaps I may be so bold as to say that Moses personally observed what Avtalyon in Avot 1,11 warned against when he said: הזהרו בדבריכם שמא תחובו חובת גלות, "Be very careful with your words lest you become guilty of having to exile yourselves." We have another Mishnah, Avot 4,14, in which Rabbi Nehorai warns that it is better to exile oneself to a place where Torah is studied. When Moses saw that he was guilty of exile, he decided to become a constant source of Torah so that any place that he found himself at would fit the description of מקום תורה. By positioning the paragraph about the cities of refuge, i.e. exile, between two paragraphs extolling the gift of Torah he vicariously complied with the advice of Rabbi Nehorai.

He should be zealous to seek knowledge of the Torah and knowledge of the Creator, as it is written. "And let us know, eagerly strive to know the Lord" (Hos. 6:3). Thus said the Sages: "Betake thyself to a place of Torah" (Aboth 4:14). And a man should be alert to seek justice, as it is written : "Justice, justice shall you pursue" (Deut. 16:20). And it is written, "Hearken to Me, ye that follow after righteousness, Ye that seek the Lord" (Is. 51:1). It is necessary to be quick in copying out the books which one needs for one's study. When he sees or hears a new thing, he should be alert to write it down and not delay until it is forgotten from his heart.