Laws Concerning the Study of the Torah, Chapter 1
Maimonides
Maimonides insists on the universality of study as a moral obligation, irrespective of one's circumstances. This directive pushes against the notion that learning should be the privilege of the comfortable. In a medieval context where survival was often paramount, such an egalitarian call to wisdom was radical. The implicit message is that intellectual and spiritual growth transcends material conditions, serving as a balm for the soul's ailments.