Taanis 7a § 1,2
A Deadly Poison
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Passage Content
But whoever studies Torah not for its own sake,
His Torah becomes a deadly poison to him.
My teaching shall drip down
[ARIFAH] like the rain.
And the word ARIFAH (drip down)
is interpreted to mean KILLING.
And they shall break the neck of
the calf there in the riverbed.
Thus the verse - my teaching shall drip down
conveys that the Torah has the potential
for being fatally dangerous when used improperly.
His Torah becomes a deadly poison to him.
My teaching shall drip down
[ARIFAH] like the rain.
And the word ARIFAH (drip down)
is interpreted to mean KILLING.
And they shall break the neck of
the calf there in the riverbed.
Thus the verse - my teaching shall drip down
conveys that the Torah has the potential
for being fatally dangerous when used improperly.