Understanding comes from doing
| In Parshas Kit Tavo 29:28 And you shall observe the words of this covenant and fulfill them, in order that you will succeed in all that you do. | חוּשְׁמַרְתֶּם אֶת דִּבְרֵי הַבְּרִית הַזֹּאת וַעֲשִׂיתֶם אֹתָם לְמַעַן תַּשְׂכִּילוּ אֵת כָּל אֲשֶׁר תַּעֲשׂוּן: |
My grandfather points out that in addition to the meaning of being successful in this context, what is also indicated by תַּשְׂכִּילוּ is the meaning from the root SChL, referring to the brain, or understanding in this case. That is, if you keep the words of Torah, you will merit to understand them.
It is impossible to truly understand Torah without living it. Accordingly he understands what Chazl said in Yevamos 109b on the verse, in Vaethchanan 5:1 וּלְמַדְתֶּם אֹתָם וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם לַעֲשֹׂתָם: velimadetem otam ushmartem la'asotam learn them and observe them to fulfill them. On that, they say, all that are doing are also learning; all that are not doing are not learning. kol sheyeshna beasiya yeshna belemida, kol she'eyno beasiya ayna belimda."
He then refers to what he has said on that theme before, one of those observations on na'ase venishma I transcribed here:
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