Elisha Ben Avuha was one of the greatest Torah scholars who ever lived–He was a tanna, a great Torah teacher, and the rebbe of Rebbe Meir — until he became Acher, the Heretic. In that state he undid all of the good that he had accomplished, and did things that were purely evil. Yet, when he died, he wasnt allowed into Gehenom, because of the merit of Torah until his student, Rebbe Meir, begged for mercy.
Through this gripping story we are introduced to the value of Torah learning, the one act that can never leave a person. A great motivating Shmuz for setting goals and succeeding in learning.