Chapter 3 Mishna 3
“From where is it derived that even one who studies Torah alone, Hakadosh Baruch Hu assigns him reward? It is derived from the verse (Eicha 3:28): ‘Let him sit alone and be silent, for He has laid it upon him.’”
We must reflect: what is this coming to teach us? Could anyone think that Hakadosh Baruch Hu does not reward someone who studies Torah on his own? Why do we need a verse to teach this? Furthermore, why did the Tanna (sage of the Mishnah) say “assigns him reward” instead of simply “gives him reward”?
It can be explained that one might have thought that someone who studies alone does not receive reward, since the Gemara (Makkot 10a) applies to such a person the verse (Yirmeyahu 50:36): “A sword is upon the badim (lit. ‘impostors’), and they shall become foolish.” The word badim (בדים) refers to those who learn alone, as in Hebrew levadim (לבדים) means ‘alone’. The Maharsha explains that someone who studies without a companion to correct him may come to permit what is forbidden, and is thus a sinner. However, all of this applies only to someone who refuses to learn with others. But someone who regularly studies with others and only studies alone when he has no one to learn with — just to maintain consistency in his learning and not waste time — must be cautious not to issue halachic rulings from his own reasoning, so as not to err.
Since the primary reward for Torah study lies in the chiddushim (new insights or interpretations) one contributes (Tanna Devei Eliyahu, end of chapter 10), and this person, learning alone, avoids innovating for fear of error, one might think he does not deserve reward. Therefore, the Tanna stated that nonetheless, “Hakadosh Baruch Hu assigns him reward,” because even without innovation, the very fact that he keeps his study steady and doesn’t waste even a moment makes him deserving of reward. That is why the Tanna precisely used the phrase “assigns him reward” — to imply that the main reward for one who studies alone is for his consistency, even though he does not receive the full reward of one who contributes novel Torah insights.
