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And when we look with discerning eyes upon the state of Torah and reverence in general, to see in which of them the sickness of the soul has prevailed more grievously, it is plain to the eye that there is no comparison between the weakness of Torah and the frailty of reverence. For behold, despite all the tribulations that have befallen our holy Torah—its diminished esteem and the desolation of its gates—nevertheless, the promise of the Giver of the Torah, blessed be His Name, remains steadfast: that the testimony shall not be forgotten from the mouth of the seed of Jacob. This has sustained us even to this very day. For the voice, the voice of Jacob (Gen. 27:22), is still heard in the houses of study, and the gates of Zion, distinguished by the learning of halachah, are wide open. And thus there are found, blessed be the Lord, pure-hearted ones who support it with in their decisions and their responses.