Once, Akiva stood near a well and asked the bystanders, "Who chiseled this rock?"The people answered, "The water which consistently falls on it every day."
Akiva thought: "Something so soft, has shaped something so tough. The words of Torah, which are strong as iron, can certainly penetrate my heart which is merely flesh and blood."
(אבות דר"נ נוסח א פרק ו)
What is unique about water, and its effect on a hard rock, that has taught Rebbi Akiva about the power of Torah?
***
A stone-cutter patiently chips away at a huge boulder, and can take a break, even for years at a time, and his work will not be undone during the passage of the break-time. The chip in the rock remains, and the work can be resumed at any time.
Conversely, the power of the soft water over the hard rock is only affected when it falls on it, consistently and in the same place.
True, there is power in every single drop, yet this power is only harnessed when each drop is followed by the next one and the next one... the closer together they fall, the stronger their individual power.
***
In order for its effect to take hold and be visible in one's life, Torah needs to be learned, frequently and consistently.
We cannot take a break from learning Torah. We need to keep learning it in order for it to "break" and penetrate us.
Drop by drop.
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