T he Mishnah enumerates 48 ways to acquire Torah but none of those “ways” would be a prerequisite for a university class. That’s because these attributes aren’t about talent academic sophistication or studious diligence. They’re about refining a spiritual energy and making room for Divine wisdom.
In preparation for Shavuos — the celebration of Matan Torah as we renew our covenant of “marriage” with Hashem and the Torah — we read the sixth chapter of Pirkei Avos on the Shabbos before the chag the chapter known as kinyan Torah. The central theme of this chapter of Avos is the preciousness of Torah and the means of acquiring it — for those who truly aspire to make Torah their everlasting treasure.
It’s a worthwhile endeavor to review it again before Shavuos as it gives us a proper perspective on what we are about to accept upon ourselves. It describes the essence of the Torah what makes it different from other kinds of wisdom and knowledge and particularly the characteristics of a person who can be said to “know the Torah ” who is worthy of being called a talmid chacham.
The mishnah in Avos says “Torah is greater than priesthood or kingship. For kingship is acquired through 30 advantages and priesthood through 24 but Torah is acquired through 48 things…”
