The Poskim (deciders of Jewish law) have written that one who is capable of learning in depth and acquiring new knowledge, who instead spends his time learning Tehillim or Zohar or other similar subjects, it is considered as if he has wasted time that could have been spent learning Torah (since he is able to do much more). This is true far more if when having the ability to acquire knowledge of the Torah or to perform the commandments, he fritters away his time on wasteful activities. In such a case his punishment will be far greater than that of one who did not have the capability to acquire that knowledge, for a person who can find someone to teach him will of course be unable to answer on the day of judgment that he did not know, when he should have gone to a wise man to teach him. We have learned that “Who is a wise man? He who learns from all men”. Even one who did not learn during his youth, can learn in his old age, and he who goes to wise men will become wise. He who has been favored by Hashem with knowledge, will not withhold that goodness. He will not hold himself back from teaching knowledge to the people who search Hashem. He will be accessible even without being asked and available without being sought, and when interacting with other people he will seek to draw the subject of the conversation to words of ethics and to tell them the way of life they should follow and the deeds they should perform. Fortunate is the man who has found wisdom and who can teach understanding to others. His reward is very great, for he gives tremendous pleasure to his Creator, as is delineated in the holy Zohar.
