If we had a choice one Sunday afternoon. The Mets were so desperate for fans they were paying every fan who comes to the game 20 thousand dollars - or to sit in the local Beis Medrash and learn through the Tosfosim in whatever Maseches we are learning in Daf Yomi for two hours. What would we choose? If you bring your family members to the game it is going to be another 20k per person [gotta love those Mets!!]. If you sit in the Beis then you lose out on the money and have to break your teeth on Tosfos after Tosfos. [And let us say that you are not mired in debt and your regular job pays you JUST FINE - with fat bonuses in honor of Santa Claus].
Given the general attendance in many Batei Medrash on off days such as Sundays even without the generous offer of the Mets - I can guess what many people would choose.
But wait - we all have said and sang the pasuk טוב לי תורת פיך מאלפי זהב וכסף. Torah is worth more than all of the money in the world!! Ahhhh - but do we really believe that?? People even say it on Simchas Torah when they are clutching Sifrei Torah!! To hold the Torah and say something that we don't believe is difficult to swallow [like maror which is בלע מרור לא יצא as we recently learned. Making a false declaration is also a sort of bitter herb].
Rav Chatzkel Levenstein, the Mashgiach in Ponovitch writes very sharply - no. We say it but don't mean it. Or maybe he is not correct and we really do mean it?? I will let you decide for yourself. I can't tell you what you believe. Only Hashem knows that...
So this is a GREAT Avodah as we approach Elul and the the days of Awe and Joy - let's work on our dedication to learning by strengthening our belief that one hour of learning is worth more than any money than the Commander In Chief of The United States of America - one Mr. Mark Zuckerberg, has ever made or will ever make! [According to Dr. Wiki - right now he is holding at 53.7 billion. To his credit he pledged 45 billion to charity].
Here is what he [R' Chatzkel - not Mark. Mark has a gentile wife he first has to separate from before he can start appreciating chashivus HaTorah] writes in a letter:
