Rujukan Talmud untuk Amsal 3:18: Jerusalem Talmud Sotah, Taanit, Avot DeRabbi Natan & Berakhot

¹¹⁵A fundraiser’s sermon Rebbi Aḥa in the name of Rebbi Tanḥum ben Rebbi Ḥiyya. If somebody studied and taught, kept and did, and it was in his power to strengthen¹¹⁶To give financial support to institutions of Torah learning., but he did not strengthen, that one is in the set of the cursed. Rebbi Jeremiah in the name of Rebbi Ḥiyya bar Abba: If somebody did not study, did not teach, did not keep and did not do, and it was not in his hand to strengthen but he did strengthen¹¹⁷He gave financial support to institutions of Torah learning even though he was not rich., that one is in the set of the blessed. And Rebbi Ḥana, Rebbi Jeremiah, said in the name of Rebbi Ḥiyya bar Abba: In the future [world], the Holy One, praise to Him, will make shadow of those who perform commandments¹¹⁸They give money to charity. A similar statement in the name of R. Joḥanan is in the Babli, Pesaḥim 53b. in the shadow of those who study Torah. What is the reason? “For in the shadow of Torah, in the shadow of money¹¹⁹Eccl. 7:12”. And it is said, “it¹²⁰The Torah (taken here as symbol for the institutions of Torah study). is a tree of life for those who support it.¹²¹Prov. 3:18. Midrash rabba Lev.25(1): “It does not say ‘it is a tree of life for those who study it’, but ‘who support it’.”

It was taught in a bareita: Rabbi Benaah says, "Whoever is involved in Torah [study] for its own sake, it becomes a potion of life for him, as it says (Proverbs 3:18): 'It is a tree of life for them that hold on to it.' And it says (Proverbs 3:8), 'It shall be health to thy navel.' And it says (Proverbs 8:35), 'For those who find me, find life.' And whoever is involved in Torah [study] not for its own sake, it becomes a potion of death for him, as it says, 'My teaching shall fall like rain,' and falling only means killing, as it says, 'and they shall break [drop] the heifer’s neck there in the valley.'"

Rav Nachman Bar Yitzchak said, "Why are words of Torah compared to wood (a tree), as it is said (Proverbs 3:18), 'It is a tree of life for them that hold on to it?' To say to you [that] just as [in the case of] wood, a small [piece of] wood kindles the large [one]; so too small Torah scholars sharpen the great ones." And this is that which Rabbi Chanina said, "I have learned a lot from my teachers, and from my friends more than from my teachers; but from my students more than all of them."