The radiance of the light of Ein Sof shining upon one who fulfills an action-based mitzva pales in comparison to that which shines upon one who grasps any facet of Torah, no matter how meager his level of comprehension, provided he devoted his every fiber of being and intellect toward that cause.
These two levels of illumination are simply beyond comparison.
If the mitzvot are the limbs of God, the Torah is His wisdom.
The brain of the greatest fool contains a greater degree of life force than that in the hand of the wisest person.
By the same token, a person who is capable of a mere rudimentary grasp of Torah still merits an illumination immeasurably greater than that attained through the fulfillment of mitzvot.
Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz