Before & After

As I was preparing for my shiur yesterday I came across something from Rav Kook in his work עין אי"ה on Meseches Berachos. The following was inspired by what he wrote, perhaps this is what he had in mind, perhaps it is my idea.
The Gemara explains (Berachos 21a) that when studying Torah there is an obligation from the Torah to recite a Brocha prior to learning. By contrast, when it comes to eating the Torah's obligation is to recite a Brocha after eating, not before. Why are Torah and eating different in this regard?
When a person sits down to eat and is hungry it is entirely possible for the person to be completely focused on the here and now. He wants to eat something that tastes good and will leave him feeling full, and is not at all focused on the long term effects of his eating; not the nutritional value of the food, nor the negative ramifications on his health if he eats the wrong foods. He is focused on now. The Torah tells us to recite a Brocha after we eat to remind ourselves that when it comes to food what really counts is what will happen after the eating is done.
When it comes to learning Torah often the opposite is true. You might ask a person why he is studying Torah and be told that it is because he wishes to get to the The World to Come. It is easy to focus on the eternal benefits of Torah study and neglect the benefits that accrue right now. Actually, the Avnei Nezer famously writes that altruistic Torah study incorporates great pleasure in the act of studying itself. Even beyond that, we study Torah in order to bring God into the world in the here and now, the posthumous rewards of Torah study are commensurate with the Godliness we reveal in this world. Through Torah study we create a place for the Schechina to dwell amongst mankind. In order that we remember this, we recite the Brocha prior to learning, not after to remind us to be cognizant of the value of the Torah study in the present and not just to have our eyes on Olam HaBa.