Mensch•Mark For Elul 21: Sharpening the Wisdom of One's Teacher-Machkim et Rabo

We should never be afraid to ask a question or challenge convention

About the Mensch•Mark Series

The Talmudic tractate Avot, 6:6 provides a roadmap as to how to live an ethical life.  This passage includes 48 middot (measures) through which we can “acquire Torah.”  See the full list here.  For each of these days of reflection, running from the first of Elul through Yom Kippur, I’m highlighting one of these middot, in order to assist each of us in the process of soul searching (“heshbon ha-nefesh”).

Today’s Middah: Sharpening the Wisdom of One's Teacher - Middah Machkim et Rabo

URJ’s Take:

Text
"A wise person is a student who makes his/her teacher wiser." (Chaggigah 14a)

Commentary
How can a student make his/her teacher wiser? For a student to learn, she must be willing to ask questions and challenge a teacher. This in turn gives the teacher the opportunity to learn as well. The ideal teacher-student relationship is one in which both are in the pursuit of knowledge and truth and neither is interested in merely proving himself/herself right.

Rabbi Joseph Telushkin writes that Jewish tradition generally regards a non-aggressive demeanor as a good trait, but not when it comes to Torah study or learning in general. He suggests that students have an obligation to question their teachers. "Jewish law dictates that you should do so respectfully, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't be aggressive." (The Book of Jewish Values, Telushkin, p. 476)

The Talmud tells the story about Rabbi Yochanan and his favorite student, and later learning partner, Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish. After Rabbi Shimon's death, Rabbi Yochanan became very despondent, and the other rabbis arranged for Elazar ben Pedat to study with him. Each time Rabbi Yochanan would voice his opinion, Rabbi Elazar would add, "You are right. There are authoritative statements from the Sages that confirm your opinion."

Eventually, Rabbi Yochanan became very upset and said to him:

"Do you think you are like Rabbi ben Lakish? Whenever I stated an opinion, Rabbi ben Lakish would raise twenty-four objections to what I said. He forced me to justify every ruling I gave, so that in the end, the subject was fully clarified. But all you do is tell me that you know another source that supports what I am saying. I do not need confirmation of my position. (Babylonian Talmud, Bava Mezia 84a)

From Rabbi Yochanan's perspective, a student who is always agreeing, and who is too respectful to challenge and question his teacher, causes his teacher to stop growing.

Of equal importance, by being assertive and questioning, the student is able to grow in knowledge and wisdom. The Talmud reveals that Rabbi Lakish grew up among gladiators and bandits and, as a young man, was totally ignorant about Judaism. After a few years of studying with, questioning, and challenging Rabbi Yochanan, he grew into one of the greatest sages of his age.

Sometimes a student remains silent out of fear that a question might offend the teacher by sounding antagonistic. On other occasions, shy or timid people say nothing because they are afraid to appear ignorant in front of the other students. The Shulchan Aruch, the 16th century standard code of Jewish law, addresses this dilemma. It says that a student should not be embarrassed if a fellow student has understood something after the first or second time and she has not grasped it even after several attempts. If she is embarrassed because of this, it will turn out that s/he will come and go from the house of study without learning anything at all. (Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh Deah 246:11)  

My Take: We should never be afraid to ask questions and challenge taboos

The essence of Judaism is questioning. We can ask questions about anything, even and especially about God. I’ve always felt that the Sh’ma prayer was meant to be punctuated by a question mark: “Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One?”

Years ago I composed a list of ten sermons that you’ll never hear a rabbi give on the High Holidays. The taboo topics were:

10) Aliyah -- as a serious option all American Jews should reflect upon regularly.
9) White collar crime, especially tax evasion, as a serious breach of the Torah's moral code.
8) What other movements offer that ours doesn't.
7) Fur coats (especially if it's in the '30s on Kol Nidre eve).
6) Words like "commandment," "duty," and "obligation."
5) The Messiah (Lubavitch congregations excepted).
4) How leaders are chosen in Jewish life.
3) The fact that our religion is not better, nor truer, than any other world religion.
2) The drastic measures that need to be taken to increase Jewish literacy.
1) Why so many good pulpit rabbis burn out so fast.

One could add many more today, with most of the taboo topics containing the name “Trump” or “Netanyahu.”

But really, no subject should be off limits. Without true questioning of one's presuppositions, there can be no authentic soul searching and ultimately, no teshuvah. Rav Kook wrote in "The Lights of Penitence," "As long as people are being driven by the bad habits, they are not so sensitive to their sins." Breaking bad habits can be excruciating; ask any former smoker or recovering alcoholic. If the goal really is for teshuvah to occur, then the holidays must be, by definition, uncomfortable. The sermons can't just sound challenging, they've got to shake, rattle and roll.

Here's an Elul exercise I recommend for everyone -- not just rabbis. Choose a quiet pre-holidays setting, a weeknight class, or a Shabbat or Selichot service. Then ask what your congregation's Top Ten Taboo List would include. What are the sacred cows that no leader of your group would dare challenge without great risk?

Then challenge them.

If the discussion maintains the tone prescribed by our tradition: respectful, inquisitive and without rancor or slander, you will find the experience liberating. Many of our sacred cows will stand up to the scrutiny, and this effort will only serve to intensify our commitment to them. But some taboos just might crumble under the pressure of our questioning. Either way, the group will be strengthened, and the holidays will fulfill their promise as a time of community-building.