The Role of Study

Study considers the holy texts and their commentaries in order to sollicit ever new commentaries. The work is carried out under the direction of a master, or a Rabbi in Hebrew. Masters and Disciples Just as a branch that is on fire can set fire to a large tree, so too can a young disciple stimulate the mind of a great erudite. Rabbi Hanina used to say, I learned a great deal from my teachers, more from my colleagues and even more from my disciples." Babylonian Talmud, Taanit 7a New commentaries often turn out to be complementary and just as often turn out to be contradictory. The discussions to which they lead can also become disagreements, however disinterested and concerned with the excellence of the Torah, even when they divide wise men into rival schools like those of Hillel and of Shamai: The Virtues of Discord Rabbi Abba said in the name of Shmuel, 'The school of Shamai fought with the school of Hillel for three years. In one school they said that the 'Law conforms to our teachings,' and in the other, the answer was given that 'the Law agrees with our teaching.' A voice from Heaven spoke [to end the controversy]: 'The teachings of both are expressions of the living God but the law conforms to the teaching of Hillel's school.' If what both schools teach is in some measure the expression of the living God, why should Hillel's schools be authoritative when it comes to the law? 'Because there is tolerance and humility in that school, and the teachings of the rival school are taken into consideration without any hesitation during the discussions. More than this even, the rivals' teachings are more greatly estimed than those of the school itself. BT, Iruvin 13b Jewish decrees or halakhim remain the responsiblity of the wise men. God himself would be unable to become involved in their deliberations, be invoked by one or the other of the protagonists, or still less to have any impact on their decisions. A controversy broke out between Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Yehoshua regarding an oven. The first declared it to be pure and the second impure. The controversy took a Pharisian turn. The Democracy of Debates On that day, Rabbi Eliezer brought in all the proof in the world [to support his position] but his colleagues rejected one after another of his arguments. He then said, 'If the law is as I claim it is, let this carob tree prove it!' The carob tree took a walk some hundred feet from the site where it was planted. Some will even tell you that it dared go some four hundred feet. The colleagues of Rabbi Eliezer nonetheless retorted, '[The prowess of] a carob tree cannot be taken as a proof.' To which Rabbi Eliezer [who did not consider himself to have lost the debate] responded: 'If the law is as I claim it is, let this aqueduct prove it!' The water in the aqueduct began to flow in the opposite direction. His opponents retorted, '[The currents in] an aqueduct can not constitue a proof.' Rabbi Eliezer [who did not abandon his position] continued: 'If the law is as I claim it is, let the walls of the academy prove it.' The walls of the academy leaned dangerously and threatened to collapse. Rabbi Yehoshua berated them in the following terms. 'What are you doing getting involved in the debates between wise men who are discussing the law?' The walls did not crumble out of respect for Rabbi Yehoshua nor did they stand up straight again out of respect for Rabbi Eliezer. Rather, they have remained on an incline to this day. Rabbi Eliezer, however, did not bend. 'If the law is as I claim it is, let the skies prove it to be so!' A voice came from the sky and announced, 'What do you want of Rabbi Eliezer, the law is as he claims it is.' Rabbi Yehoshua decreed clearly and curtly, 'The law is not in the sky.' 'What do you mean by saying that the law is not in the sky?' Rabbi Jeremy said. 'The Torah was handed down on Mount Sinai [which is not in the heavens] the heavenly voice could not bind us. Moreover, it is written, 'You must align yourself with the majority position.' BT, Baba Metzia 58 The student of law progresses from the literal to the allegorical meaning of Scripture, from there to the meaning communicated in allusions, and from that meaning to the esoteric meaning of the Bible: Levels of Study At the beginning, the Torah contented itself with sending signs to man. If these signs were understood, all the better, and if not, the Torah took man by the hand and guided him like a simpleton. The Torah spoke to him first through a curtain which it shrouded with words to make them accessible, and progressed very slowly. This manner of proceeding is called drasham or rabbinical preaching. Then Torah spoke to man through a thin veil sewn of tight chains, using enigmas and parabols. This was called haggadam or allegorical interpretation. When man became familiar with these processes, Torah revealed itself to him openly and led him into the hidden mysteries and mysterious ways engraved in its heart from time immemorial. At this level, man became a true partisan of Torah, a 'master of the house,' since all mysteries were revealed and nothing was withheld or hidden. Finally, Torah spoke to man and said, 'You remember the signs and the allusions that I sent you at the beginning and how many mysteries they enclosed.' Man realized then that nothing could be either added or taken away from Torah, not even a single letter or sign. Zohar, Exodus, 99a-b The Pedagogic Center Director: Dr. Motti Friedman Web site manager: Esther Carciente, esthers@jajz-ed.org.il