Study lishmah

Will Baude brings a quote from a gentleman/woman named Housman, which I don't recognize, though it seems like I'm expected to. Honestly, I'm not sure whether it's meant to be taken seriously at all, or if it's an entertaining bit of nonesense. I suspect the latter. The end of the quote is what interests me. "Useful knowledge is good, too, but it’s for the faint-hearted, an elaboration of the real thing, which is only to shine some light, it doesn’t matter where on what, it’s the light itself, against the darkness, it’s what’s left of God’s purpose when you take away God." Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think that this is a very profound statement, at least when applied to Torah study. The first part is certainly true, and is evidenced by the preference for studying non-practical tractates of Talmud. Real gemara, as my current Chevrusa likes to say, is always impractical. Why is this? Well, the Temple was destroyed, God has been "taken away." He no longer "dwells among us," in the language of the Pasuk. So we study the laws which would apply if He did, or when He will again, because this is what remains of his purpose.