Toras Habayis / Ch. 7 – 29

We can see the extent of the previous generations’ love for Torah from the way they would humiliate themselves to achieve one more insight. We see, for example, how Rav spent eighteen months with coarse cattle shepherds to learn exactly which blemishes would heal and therefore do not render it unworthy for sacrifice, and which would not. Most people refrain from the company of cattle shepherds, as they are normally coarse individuals, and certainly a highly respected person such as Rav would not choose to live with them on the farm, if not for his tremendous love for Torah that overrode any other considerations. How far are we from that standard in our generation, where people will only learn if they have ultimate conditions.