This Book of the Torah Shall Not Depart From Your Mouth

"This book of the Torah shall not depart from your mouth" (Joshua 1:8). It is taught: Rabbi Yehoshua ben Korcha says, anyone who studies Torah and does not review it is like a man who sows and does not reap. Rabbi Yehoshua says, anyone who studies Torah and forgets it is like a woman who gives birth and buries her child. Rabbi Eliezer says, recite it every day, recite it every day. Said Rabbi Yitzchak bar Avdimi, what verse teaches this? "The soul of the laborer labors for him, for his mouth presses upon him" (Proverbs 16:26) - he labors in one place, and his Torah labors for him in another place. Said Rabbi Elazar, man was created for toil, as it is said, "Man is born for toil" (Job 5:7). I do not know whether for toil of the mouth or for toil of work; when it says "for his mouth presses upon him," you must say he was created for toil of the mouth. And still I do not know whether for the toil of Torah or for the toil of idle talk; when it says "this book of the Torah shall not depart from your mouth, and you shall meditate on it day and night," you must say he was created for the toil of Torah. Another teaching: Rabbi Yose says, regarding the showbread, even if one removed the old loaves in the morning and arranged the new ones in the evening, that is fine; for how do I uphold "before Me always" (Exodus 25:30)? Only that the table should not pass a night without bread. Said Rabbi Ami, from the words of Rabbi Yose we may learn: even if a man studied only one chapter in the morning and one chapter in the evening, he has fulfilled the commandment "it shall not depart." Said Rabbi Yochanan in the name of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, even if a man recited only the Shema in the morning and evening, he has fulfilled "it shall not depart"; and this matter is forbidden to say in the presence of an unlearned person. Rava said, it is a duty to say it in the presence of an unlearned person. Dama, the son of Rabbi Yishmael's sister, asked Rabbi Yishmael: someone like me, who has learned the entire Torah, what about my learning Greek wisdom? He read to him "it shall not depart, and you shall meditate on it day and night" - go and find an hour that is neither of the day nor of the night, and study Greek wisdom in it. And this differs from Rabbi Shimon bar Nachmani, for Rabbi Shimon bar Nachmani said in the name of Rabbi Yonatan: this verse is neither a commandment nor an obligation but a blessing. The Holy One, blessed be He, saw that words of Torah were exceedingly beloved to Joshua, as it is said, "And his attendant Joshua... would not depart" (Exodus 33:11); the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: Joshua, words of Torah are so beloved to you? "This book shall not depart." The school of Rabbi Yishmael taught: words of Torah should not be upon you as an obligation, yet you are not permitted to exempt yourself from them. Another teaching: are these matters not a fortiori? If of Joshua, of whom it is written "And Joshua son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom" (Deuteronomy 34:9), it was said "it shall not depart," how much more so for all other people.