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Do I get the miztvah of learning Torah, by listening to your answers of these peoples questions?

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Well, first thing I would like to know how you would LISTEN exactly unless you have one of those Screen reading Computers but the answer is: Yes of course – SimchasTorah Jun 25 '10 at 20:49
see the Mishna Berura Dirshu Siman 47 – Hacham Gabriel Jun 15 '12 at 21:28

Actually, if you do not say a correct answer out loud and only think it, then only according to the GR"A is that considered learning Torah.

Almost all other Halachic authorities hold that learning Torah requires saying the words. Therefore you would be allowed to read the answers to these questions and even listen to a shiur (Torah class) without having said Bircas HaTorah.

So I would say that if you wish to fulfill your obligation of learning Torah every day and night, do not rely on reading or even listening to any source of Torah (mi.yodeya included). Rather, take out a sefer and review something you learned over the past year.

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Hirhur is not a mitzvah? – SimchasTorah Jun 27 '10 at 17:43
Most probably not. Otherwise it would require a bircas haMitzvah! – Yahu Jun 27 '10 at 21:38
Not necessarily. Acc. to Aruch HaShulchan, there's a mitzvah, just the chachamim did not institute the (deoraysa) bracha for hirhur. In addition, would you say that Ezra was mesaken krias hatorah on Mon. & Thu. so that 3 olim won't go without Torah? I would say that even if hirhur balev is not chashuv enough to be called learning, hearing dibur is since the dibur makes it a chashuv learning. The same could be applied to reading written Torah according to the mechaber who holds writing is chashuv. Many argue with this mechaber and the MB says not to rely on writing alone. – YDK Jun 28 '10 at 3:21
What about shomea k'oneh by listening to torah?? – Adam Mosheh Mar 29 '12 at 19:05
HaRav Asher Weiss Shelit"a has a great Shiur about this. – Hacham Gabriel Jun 10 '12 at 5:31

The Mishnah Berurah(Simin Mem Zayin) says that writing is good because there is an action so I think even if you hold HIrur is no good writting would be Limmud.

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So true. We find that writing is like speaking (or worse) in Hilchos Sh'miras HaLashon as well! – Yahu Jun 27 '10 at 21:39

If one fulfills the mitzvah of Torah study with thoughts, then Torah tapes would suffice (assuming their content counts as Torah).

This is the opinion of R. Yechiel (Avi HaRosh), Meiri, Ritva, Orchos Tzadikim, Yaavetz, Yeshuos Yaakov, Gra, and R. Ovadiah Yosef (YO vol. 4 OC 8: 17 see there for a listing of many many more who agree) (I believe it is the opinion of the Rambam as well, see below).

Rambam writes in Hil. Talmud Torah 3:14 that learning out loud facilitates memorization, whereas silent learning breeds forgetfulness.

כָל הַמַּשְׁמִיעַ קוֹלוֹ בְּשָׁעַת תַּלְמוּדוֹ, תַּלְמוּדוֹ מִתְקַיֵּם בְּיָדוֹ; אֲבָל הַקּוֹרֶא בְּלַחַשׁ, בִּמְהֵרָה הוּא שׁוֹכֵחַ

This strongly implies that one does fulfill ones obligation to study Torah, for if not he should have said the bigger issue; that one doesn't fulfill the mitzva, rather than just saying that one is likely to forget.

R. Nachum Rabinovitch author of the monumental Yad Peshutta commentary to the Rambam, concurred with this inference.

I have found practically no Rishonim who dispute this explicitly.

However, some Acharonim such as the Pnei Yehoshua do dispute this ruling.

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not necessarily^. b'lachash implies that he is still saying it, just in a whisper. – user9473 May 20 '15 at 2:31
That quote from the Rambam is amidst a list of things that affect the success of your learning, and is not in the context of defining the mitzvah. I don't think that is a compelling inference, given the context. – Y ez May 20 '15 at 3:56
@yEz au contraire. His very placement of verbal learning in the context of practices that affect your learning, rather than in the context of defining the mitzvah is in itself telling of the fact the halachically one need not verbalize his learning. – mevaqesh May 26 '15 at 3:00
@mevaqesh No, it just shows that he isn't dealing with the issue here. It's inconclusive. – Y ez May 26 '15 at 17:19
Re the Rambam, starting in Chapter 1 he calls learning קורא - that implies saying it. However, the Rambam's opinion is much more complicated because he paskens הרור לאו כדיבור about Shema, but not about Berachos, so it all depends on how you understand why he didn't extend the principle to Berachos. – Yishai Jun 24 '15 at 22:15

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