A Torah Man

בחוקותי תלכו according to Rashi refers to עמילות בתורה.  How does Rashi know the possuk means עמילות בתורה and not just reading Torah?  The Maharal says talachu indicates positive growth which is accomplished through amelut baTorah.  Why is it specifically amelut baTorah more than any other mitzvah which causes the person to grow, one can grow through other mitzvot or good deeds? 

There is a major difference between one who is amel baTorah vs. one who just fulfills mitzvot.  When a person does a mitzvah, he draws down a Godly light, but it is only temporarily, it doesn’t transform the person’s essence.  On the other hand, when one is amel baTorah he becomes a different person.  The Chazon Eish letter 13 says that one who toils in Torah becomes like a מלאך, the person is elevated to other level.  That is why one stands for a person doing a mitzvah, but one stands for a Talmud chacham even when he isn’t learning; the person is transformed by the Torah he learnt.  The Alter Rebbe says that בחוקותי is related to the word  חקיקה - engraved.  The Torah is not merely written on the person’s soul, it becomes engraved into the person, it is one with the person as illustrated in the story here.

 Rav Eliyah Lopyain explains the word talachu refers to amelut baTorah for a person’s learning should be recognizable even in his walking.  A Talmud chacham’s actions are on a different level.  This advantage of torah learning is only when one allows his mind to be washed over with the light of the Torah; that can be accomplished only through amelut; not by merely reading the words (see also Pachad Yitzchak Shavout #17 and footnotes of Rav Hartman to Maharal Derech Chayim Ch. 1 , footnote #1243.)

Why is learning Torah called a חק?  The Sfas Emes (5641) asks why is learning Torah called amal which generally means fruitless labor?  He explains that no matter how much a person toils to understand Torah it is beyond human grasp and is not a result of the person’s labor.  Even after all the יגיעה it is a mere מציאה (Megillah 6.)  Based upon this we understand that amelut baTorah is called a חק for it is illogical for a person to be able to grasp the wisdom of Hashem.