Torah is compared to bread. In what way? The posuk states that Moshe Rabbeinu did not eat bread or drink water for forty days. The Medrash asks, “If so, then what did he live on?” And the answer is, “On Torah. From the light of the Shechina (Divine Presence).” Moshe Rabbeinu, during the time he was being given the Torah in Heaven, received his sustenance directly from the Torah, which is the bread of the neshama and the fare of one’s conscience.

     R’ Simcha Wasserman zt"l takes this one step further. When one eats bread, the first thing he does is chew it. When he chews it, he enjoys it. We say that Hashem is "טוב ומטיב" - “He is good” - He gives us food; “and He gives goodness” - He enables us to enjoy it. But this enjoyment is not the function of the bread. The function is nourishment, and it is not nourishing until it is swallowed. It is the same with Torah. When one learns Torah, that which he understands is like the taste which brings him great satisfaction and enjoyment. But there is more: when the bread - the Torah - goes into his system, it nourishes; it goes in with an entire depth, the entire power and strength of Torah, much more than he consciously understands, just like food which is digested automatically and nourishes the body even though he is unaware of it.

     There are times when a person needs a food, but it is too hard to chew. So it is put in a pill, like vitamins. It is swallowed, and then one has the needed element without having to taste or chew it. This is similar to “Toras HaNistar” - the hidden parts of the Torah, which we learn but not necessarily understand. As the Ramban writes about certain parts of the creation which are not understood: “Do not expect me to explain it.” In other words, he is saying, “It is a vitamin pill. Swallow it. You need it, and you’ll get what you need. But don’t try to understand it for you’ll only break your teeth!” Whether we realize it or not, the Torah is full of tremendous force and brings about great inspiration.