Our Gemara on Amud Aleph continues to discuss the protective power of Torah study:

אדנביאי – דכתיב: ״גם כי יתנו בגוים עתה אקבצם, ויחלו מעט ממשא מלך ושרים״ – אמר עולא: פסוק זה בלשון ארמית נאמר: ״אי תנו״ כולהו – ״עתה אקבצם״, ואם ״מעט״ מהם – ״יחלו ממשא מלך ושרים״.

And you have transgressed the words of the Prophets, as it is written: “Though they have hired lovers [yitnu] among the nations, now I will gather them, and they will begin to be diminished by reason of the burden of kings and princes” (Hosea 8:10). With regard to this verse, Ulla says: Part of this verse is stated in the Aramaic language; the word yitnu should be understood here in its Aramaic sense: To learn. And the verse should be interpreted as follows: If all of Israel learns Torah, I will gather them already now; and if only a few of them learn Torah, they will be excused from the burden imposed by kings and princes. 

Ha’amek Davar (Vayikra 20:22) explains the following verse in accordance with this principle:

ושמרתם את־כל־חקתי ואת־כל־משפטי ועשיתם אתם ולא־תקיא אתכם הארץ אשר אני מביא אתכם שמה לשבת בה

You shall watch and guard all my laws and fulfill them, lest the land to which I bring you to settle in spew you out.

The fulfillment refers to obeying the commandments. What then does watching and guarding the Torah allude to? And what is its relation to the second part of the verse warning against exile? This refers to the study of Torah which prevents banishment from the Land of Israel, even if sins are committed that are otherwise deserving expulsion. This particularly regarding sexual immorality (see juxtaposition of preceding verses.)

What are we to make of this belief that Torah study somehow counters and even, dare we say, compensates for certain sins? This is a dangerous path that can lead to sinner-saint personalities who are pious and learned, while at the same time, sexually transgressive. There is an even more radical statement about the redemptive power of Torah for the sinner, from the introduction to Midrash Eicha Rabbasi:

“Rabbi Huna and Rabbi Yirmeya said in the name of Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba: It is written: “They have forsaken Me and did not observe My Torah” (Jeremiah 16:11). God says, “If only they had forsaken Me and observed My Torah. By engaging in it, the light that is in it would have returned them to the good [path].”

The Midrash offers God’s sentiment that He would rather have the Jews study Torah and forsake Him, than believing in Him but not being observant. Taken literally, God prefers an Atheist who is a Masmid over a believer who does not follow the commandments. 

Torah is so influential upon those who engage in it that they will be inevitably drawn toward increased observance.  This cannot be absolutely true, as there are people who are so cynical and disassociated that their study of Torah might have no effect, or even be used as a tool to cover sinister behavior with a pious front or justifications. Indeed, our sages warned that even Torah can be abused and lead a person astray (Hoshea 14:10 and Nazir 23a):

מִ֤י חָכָם֙ וְיָ֣בֵֽן אֵ֔לֶּה נָב֖וֹן וְיֵדָעֵ֑ם כִּֽי־יְשָׁרִ֞ים דַּרְכֵ֣י ה׳ וְצַדִּקִים֙ יֵ֣לְכוּ בָ֔ם וּפֹשְׁעִ֖ים יִכָּ֥שְׁלוּ בָֽם׃ 

The wise will consider these words,

The prudent will take note of them.

For the paths of GOD are smooth;

The righteous can walk on them,

While sinners stumble on them.

The very same Torah can be a stumbling block or a pathway to greatness.

What is the difference? I believe it’s whether Torah is studied with an open mind. God doesn’t need the person to be perfect or even believe in Him as much as he needs him to be ready to consider what the Torah has to say. However, if one is a scoffer and approaches Torah merely as a cover or false piety, then the ideas may not penetrate his distorted soul.

Translations Courtesy of Sefaria, except when, sometimes, I disagree with the translation

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