In a parallel way, the study of Torah is an intellectual service. Through the study of Torah, one experiences the divine via the medium of thought, analysis, and contemplation – חכמה בינה ודעת. The vastness of תורה, its intricacies, its depth and breadth capture the student and completely carry his mind into divine though. The student feels he is thinking holy, divine, G-d inspired thoughts. His whole perspective takes an eternal, higher-order way of thinking. Past, present, and future take on new eternal meaning. Reality is perceived on multiple layers and not merely as the here and now. In short, the intellect is engaged in a G-dly pursuit, which brings with it an experience of the Divine as captured in the mind’s cognition and not just abstract knowledge and belief.
So, prayer and Torah study are the two pillars of emunah – believing in and also knowing G-d as reality itself – both emotionally and intellectually.
This article was written l’iluy Nishmas Chaim Yissachar ben Yechiel Zadel Dov.
