Why Torah Is Greater Than Gold and Pearls
At a joint siyum, the Maharil explained that Torah has the best of gold and the best of pearls and the weakness of neither.
A teaching ofRav Moshe Yehoshua Yehuda Leib Diskin of Briskהרב משה יהושע יהודה לייב בן בנימין דיסקיןProfile ›
At a siyum in Ohel Moshe, where four talmidim finished different masechtos, the Maharil asked why the verse compares Torah to gold and to pearls. He explained that each has a strength and a weakness. Gold is priced by weight, so twice the weight is worth twice as much, yet even a tiny fragment of it keeps its value. A pearl is priced by size, so a pearl twice as large can be worth many times more, yet a broken pearl may lose everything. Torah combines the advantages of both. A short masechta earns a share in the World to Come, while a long masechta can be worth countless worlds, far beyond its number of pages, as with a pearl. Yet it can never be broken, because even a single daf studied is precious and brings reward. The learner who finishes only that daf has not spoiled the masechta.
Source: Teshuas Tzaddikim, p. 514, in the name of BaYeshishim Chochmah
Many people feel that their learning is too small to matter, because they cannot finish a masechta or keep up a long seder. The Maharil's teaching says that a single daf, or even part of one, is precious in itself. Today, set aside ten minutes for one page of any sefer, and close it when you are done without apology. If you can return tomorrow, do so. A little learning, done often and with joy, is never wasted.