This week's parashah is called Vaetchanan (And I Supplicated). While it doesn't contain the most mitzvot (it has 8 positive commandments and 4 prohibitive ones), it definitely includes such significant and universal commandments as the Oneness of God, Tefillin, Mezuzah, and Torah Study.

Regarding the latter, there is a significant lack of information about its meaning. First, some ideas about the most basic laws.

Everyone is obligated to study Torah every day. Moreover, since the obligation to study is constant, it is customary to recite the appropriate blessings once at the beginning of the day, and these blessings, so to speak, last for the rest of the day. "Constant obligation" means that every free moment a person should dedicate to study. Of course, the concept of "free time" is quite relative, so one should consult a rabbi specifically regarding the appropriate amount of study time for each individual. At a minimum, one studies a little in the morning and a little in the evening.

Now, the Torah can be divided into different parts according to the approach taken. On one hand, there is the concept of the Written Torah and the Oral Torah. On the other hand, there are the different interpretations of the Torah, including its simple meaning, allusions, allegories, and esotericism. Furthermore, we can discuss its historical aspect, its legal (halakhic) aspect, and its teachings on good conduct.

Regarding the first division, the Torah says (Leviticus 26:46): «These are the rules, the laws, and the commandments that God gave between Himself and the Children of Israel at Mount Sinai through Moses.» The word Torah is the plural of Torah. The word Torah itself means teaching. The fact that the Torah uses this language to refer to the transmission between God and the Children of Israel means that God delivered two Torahs: one Written and one Oral, simultaneously, «at Mount Sinai through Moses.».

The Written Torah consists of the 24 books of the Tanakh. The Oral Torah is the commentary and explanation of the Mitzvot, contained in the Talmud and Midrashim, as well as in all the books written by the great sages throughout the history of the Jewish people over the generations.

The Written Torah without the Oral Torah is incomprehensible. Where does it say when a man becomes a Bar Mitzvah? Where does it describe a Mezuzah? Where does it describe Tefillin? Is "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth" literal? On the other hand, the Oral Torah without the Written Torah lacks foundation; it's like a vast series of logical deductions and inventions based on the imagination of a group of sages. The Written Torah provides the foundation, the basis, and the support for the Oral Torah. Furthermore, there is no matter in the Oral Torah that does not have a source in the Written Torah.

The Torah itself is Divine wisdom and, as such, infinite (since God is infinite). This is one explanation for the idea that Torah study is a constant obligation: on the one hand, a person must study throughout the day; on the other hand, they must always study, throughout their entire life. And even when they don't understand something, they should know that the problem isn't the subject itself, but rather the one trying to understand it.

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