Jews are obligated to be involved in studying Torah simply to study Torah.
As a religious activity, this is unusual.
Most religions have expectations about belief and about doing the right things, but they don't obligate you to study.
Jews, however, study Torah as an independent activity that is not directly connected with belief or action.
In fact, the most studied books in Jewish life, like the Talmud, are books that have very little practical use.
So why are people studying the laws of things that happened in remote times – and were rare even then – or things that the Talmud says never happened and never will happen?
We devote time to it because what we are doing is going after knowledge for itself, not as something that is to be used.
–Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz
From as essay, "Curious Jews" by Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz