"This is the law (Torah) when a person dies in a tent ..."  (Num, 19:14)

This verse introduces the laws of impurity connected to death. But the Sages derived from here an important lesson about the essential nature of Torah:

"Rabbi Yonatan said: one should never abstain from the Beit Midrash (house of study) and from Torah, even in the hour of death, for it is said, "This is the Torah when a person dies in a tent." Even in the hour of death, one should be engaged in Torah study." (Shabbat 83b)

Why did the Sages emphasize that one should study Torah in all situations — even on one's deathbed?

Eternal Light

All societies have codes of moral conduct. The basic function of a moral code is to regulate communal life, so that members of society will help rather than harm one another. It follows that these codes of behavior are only necessary when one is part of a community.

One may view the Torah as simply a body of ethical teachings, and as such, only relevant during one's lifetime. In fact, the Torah is more than just a moral code. All of its teachings, even those which serve to regulate society, are meant to repair society in a way that prepares both its general spirit as well as its individual members for eternal life.

Thus Torah study remains relevant even during one's final moments, as one prepares to leave the transient life of this world and enter eternal life.

Studying in the Tent

Rabbi Yonatan utilized the metaphor of studying in the tent of Torah. The tent is not a private place of individual study. Rather, it signifies a fellowship of Torah scholars, the mind-sharpening milieu of the Beit Midrash. One might think that this form of communal study is only needed to cultivate friendship and camaraderie. The Sages, however, emphasized that the study of the Beit Midrash is profoundly bound to eternal holiness, as this collective study sanctifies time and elevates secular life.

Thus, even at the hour of death one should be engaged in Torah study. Even those Torah laws that deal with the practical aspects of society illuminate life with a timeless light; their details are permeated with nobility and holiness. So that "When a person dies, in the tent" – he should remain in the tent, in the company of Torah scholars who love Torah with all their soul. Then one will continue to advance in its eternal light, 'going from strength to strength.' As the Sages noted, "Torah scholars have no rest — not in this world nor in the next" (Berachot 64a).

(Adapted from Ein Eyah vol. IV pp. 163-164)

Copyright © 2006 by Chanan Morrison