The parashah begins, בחוקתי תלכו אם and Rashi explains, שתהיו עמלים בתורה ,“You shall toil in Torah.” The Or HaChaim Hakadosh zt’l offers forty-two different explanations on these words.
One of his explanations is that תלכו means to go and to rise from level to level. This happens when one studies Torah. As the Or HaChaim teaches in parashas Emor (22:12), “Even if a person is at the lowest level, and there is no level lower, he can reach the highest levels. His growth will be in accordance with the extent he toils in Torah.” The pasuk alludes to this lesson with the words, אם בחקתי, if you will toil in Torah, תלכו, you will rise from level to level, moving upward.
In the Or HaChaim’s 18th explanation, he explains that תלכו means to go into Hashem's chambers and to stand before Hashem whenever he desires. He doesn’t even have to ask permission to go there. One reaches that level by studying Torah. As the Or HaChaim writes,
The Gemara (Succah 45:) teaches that there are three levels of tzaddikim. Some see the Shechinah, but (באספקלריא דלא נהרה) not clearly. A greater level is those who see Hashem clearly. The highest (באספקלריא דנהרה) level is like a servant who has permission to come before his master whenever he wants. These are the tzaddikim whom Hashem gives permission to enter before Him whenever they choose. But how does one reach that level? By studying... תלכו, he has permission to go and enter without asking permission.
Chazal (Yoma 85) say, “מקוה מטהר את הטמאים אף הקב״ה מה ,מטהר את ישראל – Just as mikvah purifies those who are tamei, so too Hakadosh Baruch Hu purifies Yisrael.” Rebbe Tzaddok HaCohen zt’l explains that just as a mikvah purifies when one is entirely immersed in the mikvah, similarly, Hakadosh Baruch Hu purifies Yisrael when they are totally immersed in the study of Torah.
There are different customs regarding when one should say the brachah אלקי נשמה in the morning. Some say it after birchas HaTorah. The Chidushei HaRim zt’l explained that one must first thank Hashem for the Torah and then he can thank Hashem for life. Because “If not for Torah, what purpose is there to life?”
When the Rebbe Reshab of Lubavich zt’l was ill, his son, the Rebbe Riyatz zt’l, asked the Chofetz Chaim zt’l, the Or Someiach zt’l, and the Rogechover Gaon zt’l to daven for his father. People asked him why he specifically asked these three tzaddikim. He replied, “What can I do? Hakadosh Baruch Hu loves a mouth that speaks a lot of Torah.”
The Vilna Gaon zt'l told his student, Reb Chaim Volozhiner zt'l, that one who studies Torah has nothing to worry about. He proved this from the Zohar (Tikunim 21-22) which tells of the punishments, and sometimes even death, that come from severe sins, and then the Zohar concludes, "But whoever studies Torah, about him it is written "Long life is on its right side, its left side is wealth and honor." So even if due to sins it was destined that one suffer poverty or even death, with Torah study one merits long life and wealth.
The Chasam Sofer zt’l (Matos, Haftarah) writes in the name of the Hafla’ah zt’l, “Torah purifies the soul and connects a person to his Father in heaven. When we study Mishnah and Talmud, the lessons of Ravina and Rav Ashi, and the works of the rishonim and acharonim zt’l, the holiness and purity of the holy scholars who wrote these sefarim and are presently in Gan Eden will come down upon us. This unites us to Hashem and to His Torah.”
