96. Who Should Be Taught?

Talmud Torah 3:13

Even though it is a mitzvah to study Torah both by day and by night, a person acquires most of his wisdom through Torah study by night. Therefore, one who wishes to earn the crown of Torah should be careful with his nights. He should not give up even a single night of study in order to sleep, eat, drink, talk or anything else. The Sages taught that the song of Torah is only heard at night, as per Eicha 2:19, "Arise, sing out in the night..." One who occupies himself with Torah study at night will merit God's favor during the day, as per Psalms 42:9, "By day, God commands His kindness and by night His song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life." Conversely, if words of Torah cannot be heard from a house at night, that house will be consumed by fire, as per Job 20:26, "All darkness is reserved for his treasures; a fire that was not blown will consume him."

"He scorned the word of God" (a paraphrase of Numbers 16:30) applies to one who pays no attention to Torah at all. Similarly, if a person has the ability to occupy himself with Torah study and does not, or if he has studied both the written Torah and the Oral Law but he has turned to the distractions of the world and left his studies behind, then he is included among those who "scorned the word of God."

The Sages said that if one neglects Torah study while wealthy, he will ultimately come to neglect it in poverty. If one occupies himself in Torah in poverty, he will ultimately do so among riches. This is stated in Deuteronomy 28:47-48, "Because you did not serve Hashem your God with happiness and a glad heart when there was an abundance of all things, you shall therefore serve your enemies," and Deuteronomy 8:16, "to afflict you...so that He could ultimately do good for you."

Talmud Torah 4:1 

Torah should be taught only to a worthy student, meaning one whose deeds are positive, or to one whose deeds are not known. If a person is following a bad path, he should first be influenced to change his ways and to follow the proper path. When his behavior is reevaluated, he is allowed to enter the study hall.

The Sages taught that one who teaches an undeserving student is like one who throws a stone at a statue of the Roman god Mercury (which was a form of idolatrous worship), as per Proverbs 26:8, "Like one who winds a stone in a sling, so is one who gives honor to a fool." "Honor" means Torah, as per Proverbs 3:35, "The wise will inherit honor."

Similarly, one should not receive instruction from a teacher who does not follow a proper path, even if he is very wise, until he returns to the right way. Malachi 2:7 says, "For the lips of a priest should keep knowledge and they should seek Torah from his mouth because he is a messenger of the Lord of Hosts." Only if a teacher acts like "a messenger of the Lord of Hosts" should one seek Torah from his mouth, otherwise not.