A man once approached me with the following question, “Honored Rav, why must we review our study time after time? Why isn’t it enough to learn each comment once, and then move on to the next one?”
I did not respond immediately. Sometime later, after participating at a shiur which I delivered, he came to me and thanked me for my pearls of wisdom. He especially enjoyed an explanation I had quoted in the name of a commentator. I took advantage of the opportunity to answer his original question.
“You know, yesterday I delivered a shiur on the same pasuk. But I explained it a different way. Afterward, I reviewed the pasuk and studied various sefarim which discuss it. This led me to reveal new insights into the pasuk. You enjoyed the fruits of my labor.
“Now do you see why one must constantly review his studies? Only by review, can one reveal new insights into Torah.
“For this reason, Chazal teach us (Chagigah 9b): One cannot compare one who reviews his studies one hundred times to one who reviews his studies one hundred and one times. Each additional review enables a person to reveal new insights and absorb the Torah’s words in a more unique way.”
