Dear Ujm,
For the record: “A learner who spends ten hours a day cracking his head to try and understand less than half an Amud, and after the ten hours only has a very basic idea of what he learnt, ……..”
It’s over the top. I’m not so much arguing the point that follows, as much as I’m arguing the innuendo of the above as a description of a real learner.
As you’ve elaborated your point, I’m still bothered by the same thought. In real life, is learning things you do not understand called learning? The fellow who ‘learns’ gemara but can’t understand Aramaic, is that learning? The fellow who reads Zohar for hours on end and has no idea what the context is, is that nearing? The bachur who reads through Shas, is that learning? The guy who cracks his head for hours, but has no idea what he is looking for, is that learning?