The Eternal Value of Time: Why a Moment of Torah Is More Precious Than Pearls

About Torah, we are told: “She is more precious than pearls, and all your desires cannot compare to her.”

A pearl may be small, but its value surpasses mountains of copper and iron. Likewise, a moment may be fleeting, but if filled with Torah, it becomes more precious than all earthly treasures. Time is a vessel, and when a single moment is used for Torah study, it holds a worth that far surpasses even the greatest spiritual or material accomplishments.

Our Sages taught this in explaining the difference between two verses in Proverbs:

• “She is more precious than pearls, and all your desires cannot compare to her,”

• “Wisdom is better than pearls, and all desires cannot compare to her.”

The Midrash explains:

• “Desires” refers to mitzvot and good deeds- heavenly pursuits.

• “Your desires” refers to personal pursuits- precious stones and worldly possessions.

Every mitzvah, no matter how small, even answering "Amen" or smiling at someone, has immense spiritual impact. Torah study however, holds a unique status. The Vilna Gaon wrote that every single word of Torah studied is equivalent to all the mitzvot. This does not diminish the obligation to fulfill all commandments, as the Rambam rules: if one must choose between studying Torah and performing a mitzvah that cannot be done by others, the mitzvah takes precedence. For Torah is not just to be studied, but to shape how we live. As our Sages said: “Study is great, for it leads to action."

The Nature of Time and the Waters of Torah

At the dawn of creation, time was born alongside the universe. As the Ramban explains on the verse “And G-d called the light Day,” this refers to the very creation of time. Before the world existed, time had no meaning, for time is measured by change. Whether physical movement or biological process, it is the very shift in existence that defines time.

Time- created on the first day- is composed of moments. Moments build minutes, minutes hours, and hours become days. Each moment is precious and once passed, it cannot be reclaimed. What, then, is the highest use of a moment? Filling it with Torah, the ultimate treasure, which serves as a guide for righteous living in this world and the next, the refinement of character, and the gateway to spiritual heights beyond even the angels.

This is the reason that Torah is likened to water. Just as water purifies the body, Torah purifies the soul. Water gives life to all living things; so does Torah sustain the soul. Just as our bodies require water to survive moment to moment, our souls require Torah. To separate from Torah is to separate from life itself.

When water is carried in a barrel, it feels heavy and tiring. But when a person immerses fully in water, even under immense pressure, they do not feel the weight. Instead, they are enveloped in calm and beauty- like discovering colorful fish and radiant coral in the sea’s depths.

So it is with Torah. A person who takes it on only partially- who studies sporadically or lives selectively by its teachings- will feel burdened. But one who fully immerses, who lives and breathes Torah and aligns their actions with its truth, will find deep peace and joy. Their world becomes expansive and meaningful, while they look with pity at others still playing with empty shells on the shore.

As it is written: “Happy is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gains understanding. For her trade is better than the trade of silver, and her produce better than fine gold. She is more precious than pearls, and all your desires cannot compare with her. Length of days is in her right hand, and in her left- riches and honor. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who hold her, and those who uphold her are joyful.”

When we utilize our time to learn Torah, we uncover the true power of a single moment.