Today is "Tu B'ab," the fifteenth day of Ab. The Gemara in Masechet Ta'anit says that once we reach this midpoint in the month of Ab, the nights become significantly longer, and from this point one who does not add Torah learning at night will suffer ill-fated consequences. This is connected to the statement of the Gemara in Erubin that Hashem created nighttime primarily for learning Torah. The night is the optimal time for serious learning because it is quiet, with less distractions. This was especially felt in previous generations when all business activity stopped with the fall of dark, as people did not have massive artificial lighting. Although today we live in a "24- hour society," in which we are equally busy at night as we are in the day, whether it be with business or social obligations, there is still a critical obligation to study Torah at night. In fact, the Shulhan Aruch (246:8) writes that one who wants to merit the crown of Torah must insure that he does not waste even one of his nights with eating, drinking and idle talk, rather he should be engaged in the study of Torah. The Rama there comments that one should begin to learn more in the evening from Tu B'ab, the fifteenth of Av and onward. This is based on the aforementioned Gemara in Ta'anit.

Rav Yeshaya Pik (1725-1799, Germany) in his Omer Hashicha asks why doesn’t Maran record this Halacha, as the Rama did? After all, it is based on an explicit Gemara. One answer is that the Rama recorded the Halacha as interpreted by Rashi on that Gemara. However, the statement "One who does not add learning etc." also appears in Pirke Avot. There the Bartenura (R. Avraham of Bartenura, Italy, 1445-1515) and the Tosafot Yom Tob (R. Yom Tob Lipmann-Heller, 1579-1654) understand it to mean that in general, throughout the year, one must constantly progress in his Torah study and not regress to less learning time. According to those opinions, the meaning of the statement is not connected specifically to Tu B'ab, and therefore Maran did not record the Halacha in the same way as the Rama. According to Maran, the Halacha requires learning at night throughout the year. This is what he means in Halacha 24 where he says, "Any house in which the sound of Torah learning is not heard at night will suffer dire consequences."

Maran emphasizes that the learning must be "heard" in the house. That is, one must learn Torah out loud, as the Gemara interprets the Pasuk that Torah is a source of life only for those who pronounce the words out loud. Only Torah spoken out loud ascends to Heaven. If one only reads with his eyes, he may get credit for the Misva, but the Torah remains below. I learnt this principle from Hacham Baruch, when we were learning with boys in the Yeshiva. We were learning silently, reading with our eyes, and the Hacham entered the room and commented, "This room is filled with Torah." We thought that he was complimenting us. However, he added, "No, you don't understand. I meant that your Torah learning is remaining down below in this room, because you are learning silently. If you would learn out loud, it would leave this room and ascend to Heaven."

Again, this is true all nights of the year. One should make sure to learn even a little bit each night, perhaps from a Sefer next to his bed, instead of Heaven forbid, falling asleep in front of the television or a novel. This practice will grant protection to him and his entire household.

SUMMARY

One should insure that every night of the year he learns Torah at night out loud.