Tana Deve Eliyahu

Pitum HaKetoret concludes with the Baraita Tana Deve Eliyahu”: “Whoever studies Halachot daily is assured a place in the World to Come” (Megila 28b, Nida 73a). The Gemara does not specify how many Halachot one need learn, but Rabbi Yaakov Reischer (Iyun Yaakov, Nida 73b) and the Vilna Gaon (commentary to Mishle 24:30) make a parallel with blessings; just as one should make one hundred blessings daily, so too one should learn one hundred Halachot every day. Nevertheless, Rabbi Avraham ben Natan HaYarhi (Sefer HaManhig) and Rabbi Shlomo Duran (Shu”t HaRashbash, § 52) both apply the principle that the minimum of any plural word (such as “Halachot”) is two, and therefore the Bariata refers to one who learns at least two laws a day. Furthermore, the HIDA (Birke Yosef 152:8) disagrees with the Iyun Yaakov, and says that one should learn two Halachot in the morning, two in the afternoon and two at night, so as to fulfil the precept of “Vehagita Bo Yomam Valaila”, that is, learning the Torah day and night. In any event, the common practice is to learn two Halachot daily, and it is understandable that a person who dedicates one’s time to learn the Torah’s laws has a place in the World to Come.

 

Summary:  One should strive to learn at least two Halachot daily.