1. Every person, even if he is not learned, is obligated to buy holy books. These include commentaries on the Torah, books of character building, books of law, Tanach, Mishnayos etc., for the love of Hashem is strong like death and can only be achieved through love of the Torah. Even if he has books which he is unable to read or he has two of the same book, he should not sell them, unless he uses the money to buy other books, (Once a person hasd a spare Zohar and he sold it and in his dream he was called a “Behemah” (animal) with the acrostic for “Biarta Hakodesh Min Habayis” (You have removed the holiness from your house).
2. Not only should one buy books for oneself, but one should also buy books to lend to others, as Chazal said that about such a person the verse says “He has wealth and money in his house, and his righteousness lasts forever!”. This good deed is fitting to cause him to have wise and learned children who can study those books, but he must nevertheless make sure to lend his books, and he will receive the reward for the learning.
