(יב) וּבָזֶה יוּבַן לָמָּה גָּדְלָה מְאֹד מַעֲלַת הָעֵסֶק בַּתּוֹרָה יוֹתֵר מִכָּל הַמִּצְוֹת, וַאֲפִילוּ מִתְּפִלָּה – שֶׁהִיא יִחוּד עוֹלָמוֹת עֶלְיוֹנִים [וְהָא דְּמִי שֶׁאֵין תּוֹרָתוֹ אוּמָנוּתוֹ צָרִיךְ לְהַפְסִיק, הַיְינוּ מֵאַחַר דְּמַפְסִיק וּמְבַטֵּל בְּלָאו הָכֵי].
(יג) וּמִזֶּה יוּכַל הַמַּשְׂכִּיל לְהַמְשִׁיךְ עָלָיו יִרְאָה גְדוֹלָה בְּעָסְקוֹ בַּתּוֹרָה, כְּשֶׁיִּתְבּוֹנֵן אֵיךְ שֶׁנַּפְשׁוֹ וּלְבוּשֶׁיהָ שֶׁבְּמוֹחוֹ וּבְפִיו, הֵם מְיוּחָדִים מַמָּשׁ בְּתַכְלִית הַיִּחוּד בָּרָצוֹן הָעֶלְיוֹן וְאוֹר־אֵין־סוֹף בָּרוּךְ־הוּא מַמָּשׁ הַמִּתְגַּלֶּה בָּהֶם, מַה שֶּׁכָּל הָעוֹלָמוֹת עֶלְיוֹנִים וְתַחְתּוֹנִים – כְּלָא חֲשִׁיבֵי קַמֵּיהּ וּכְאַיִן וָאֶפֶס מַמָּשׁ, עַד שֶׁאֵינוֹ מִתְלַבֵּשׁ בְּתוֹכָם מַמָּשׁ, אֶלָּא, סוֹבֵב כָּל עָלְמִין, בִּבְחִינַת מַקִּיף – לְהַחֲיוֹתָם עִיקַּר חַיּוּתָם, רַק אֵיזוֹ הֶאָרָה מִתְלַבֶּשֶׁת בְּתוֹכָם, מַה שֶּׁיְּכוֹלִים לִסְבּוֹל, שֶׁלֹּא יִתְבַּטְּלוּ בִּמְצִיאוּת לְגַמְרֵי.
(יד) וְזֶהוּ שֶׁכָּתוּב: ״וַיְצַוֵּנוּ ה׳ אֶת כָּל הַחוּקִּים הָאֵלֶּה לְיִרְאָה אֶת ה׳ וְגוֹ׳״ [וְעַל יִרְאָה גְדוֹלָה זוֹ אָמְרוּ: ״אִם אֵין חָכְמָה, אֵין יִרְאָה״, וְהַתּוֹרָה נִקְרֵאת אֶצְלָהּ ״תַּרְעָא לְדַרְתָּא״, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנִּתְבָּאֵר בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר], אֶלָּא, דְּלָאו כָּל מוֹחָא סָבִיל דָּא – יִרְאָה כָּזוֹ. אַךְ גַּם מַאן דְּלָא סָבִיל מוֹחוֹ כְּלָל יִרְאָה זוֹ, לֹא מִינָּהּ וְלֹא מִקְצָתָהּ, מִפְּנֵי פְּחִיתוּת עֵרֶךְ נַפְשׁוֹ בְּשָׁרְשָׁהּ וּמְקוֹרָהּ – בְּמַדְרֵגוֹת תַּחְתּוֹנוֹת דְּעֶשֶׂר סְפִירוֹת דַּעֲשִׂיָּה, אֵין יִרְאָה זוֹ מְעַכֶּבֶת בּוֹ לְמַעֲשֶׂה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁיִּתְבָּאֵר לְקַמָּן:
(12) With the above in mind, it becomes clear why the study of the Torah excels so much over all other commandments, including even prayer, which is the unifying force of the upper spheres. [As for the ruling that one, whose study of the Torah is not his entire occupation, must interrupt his study for prayer,10 Seemingly indicating that prayer has priority over study. this is only because he pauses and interrupts his studies anyway11 Shabbat 11a; Maimonides, Hilchot Tefillah 6:8; Rabbi Schneur Zalman, Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 106:4..]
(13) From this the intelligent man will be able to draw a sense of great awe as he occupies himself with the Torah, considering how his soul, and its “garments” in the brain and mouth, are truly merged in perfect unity with the Supernal Will and light of the En Sof, blessed is He, which are manifest in them, compared with which all the worlds, supernal and nether, are truly as nought and as a nonentity and nullity, so much so that the Divine light is not actually clothed in them, but merely surrounds all the worlds in a form of “encirclement,” as it were, in order to provide their essential source of life; only some glow which they can bear is clothed in them, in order that they should not revert to nought altogether.
(14) This is the meaning of the verse, “And G–d commanded us [to do] all these statutes, in order to fear G–d….”12 Deuteronomy 6:24. In the quotation the word לעשות (“to do”) is missing. [Regarding this “great fear” it was said, “If there is no wisdom, there is no fear,”13 Avot 3:17. and in relation to it the Torah is called “a gateway to the courtyard,”14 Shabbat 31b; Yoma 72b—see Rashi there. as is explained elsewhere.] However, not every mind can sustain such fear; yet even he whose mind cannot bear such fear at all, whether in whole or in part, because of the inferiority of his soul’s level in its root and source in the lower15 Hebrew text should read תחתונות instead of תחתונים. gradations of the ten sefirot of the World of Asiyah, nevertheless the lack of such fear is no obstacle to performance, as will be explained later.16 Ch. 41.