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Week 135 - Tuesday - 25 June 2002

PIRKEI AVOT: CHAPTER 3: MISHNAH 18

Rabbi Eleazar (ben) Hisma said: Bird offerings and the onset of menstrual uncleanness, are the essentials of Halakhah; but the calculation of the seasons and gematriot are the savory dishes of wisdom.

Kehati

Rabbi Eleazar Hisma was the disciple of both Rabban Gamliel and Rabbi Yehoshua. Like the latter, he studied science and was an expert in astronomy and mathematics. The Gemara (Hor. 10a) tells us: "Rabban Gamliel and Rabbi Yehoshua sailed in a ship. Rabban Gamliel had a loaf of bread, but Rabbi Yehoshua had a loaf of bread and wheat flour... Rabban Gamliel asked Rabbi Yehoshua: Did you know that the ship would be delayed so much that you brought flour as well? He answered: There is a certain star that rises once in seventy years and misleads the sailors. I thought it might rise and mislead us too. He said to him: You have so much wisdom and yet you board a ship (to seek a living)? He answered: Rather than wondering about me, you should wonder about your two disciples ashore: Rabbi Yohanan ben Godgada and Rabbi Eleazar Hisma, who know how to calculate the number of drops in the sea, yet have neither food nor clothes. Rabban Gamliel decided to promote them to the leadership. Once ashore, he sent for them, but they did not come. He repeated the call, and then they came. He said to them: "Did you think that I am offering you power (and so you wish to avoid fame)? It is servitude that I offer you, (for authority spells servitude, in that the yoke of society is thrust upon the incumbent, Rashi)." The Midrash (Vayikra Rabba 23) explains the name Hisma thus: Rabbi Eleazar once came to a certain place where they asked him to lead the Shema prayers, but he pleaded lack of practice (as a hazan). They said: Is this Rabbi Eleazar whom everyone praises? In vain do they call him rabbi. Seized with embarrassment, he went to Rabbi Akiva, who asked him: Why does your face betray sickness? He told him the whole story. Rabbi Akiva taught him (how to lead the service). Eventually, he again visited the same place, and when they said to him: 'Recite the Shema', and he recited it, 'lead the Prayers', and he led them; they said: Rabbi Eleazar nithasem, has been tempered (like steel), and so they called him Rabbi Eleazar Hisma (Aramaic for tempered metal). Hence, he was called Rabbi Eleazar Hisma, rather than ben Hisma, (see Tosefot Yom Tov).

Rabbi Eleazar (ben) Hisma said: Bird offerings - the sacrifices of pigeons and doves are called kinin - nests; their separate categories are governed by strict rules, e.g., when birds assigned for an obligatory sacrifice are mixed with those of a free-will offering, or those of a burnt-offering with those of a sin-offering. These laws are dealt with in the tractate Kinin which concludes the Order Kodashim; and the onset of menstrual uncleanness - the laws of a menstruant who has lost count of her period and must wait until the beginning of the next cycle (see Mishnah Arakhin 2:1). This is a difficult problem involving complicated calculations, are the essentials of Halakhah - fundamental principles of the Oral Torah.

But the calculations of the seasons - of the annual cycle based on the science of astronomy, and gematriot - mathematics and geometry, are the savory dishes of wisdom - just as the delicacies offered before the meal to stimulate the appetite, or after the meal to sweeten it, do not constitute the main course; so too these sciences, rather than being the essence of wisdom, play but a subsidiary role in facilitating our understanding of the Torah. According to Hameiri: "Rabbi Eleazar intended to guide man in his studies, and hinted to him in brief to refrain from tackling science and theology until he has filled himself with 'meat' and 'wine' i.e., Bible and Talmud. He refers to 'nests' and 'the onset of menstrual uncleanness' which are placed last in their respective Orders ('nests' at the end of the Order Kodashim, and 'menstrual uncleanness' at the end of the Order Tahorot) to illustrate the need of first studying the entire Talmud, from beginning to end.., and only afterwards may he study the other disciplines. The gateway to the latter is provided by astronomy, mathematics and geometry, that lead on to natural science and theology, as is evident to the intelligent."

PIRKEI AVOT: CHAPTER 4: MISHNAH 1

Ben Zoma said: Who is wise? He who learns from every man, as it is said (Ps. 119:99): "From all my teachers have I gained understanding." Who is mighty? He who conquers his passions, as it is said (Prov. 16:32): "He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city." Who is wealthy? He who rejoices in his portion, as it is said (Ps. 128:2): "When you eat the labor of your hands, happy shall you be, and it shall be well with you." Happy shall you be - in this world; and it shall be well with you - in the world-to-come. Who is honored? He who honors others, as it is said, (I Sam. 2:30): "for them who honor Me I will honor, and they who despise Me shall be lightly esteemed."

Kehati

Ben Zoma's personal name was Shimon. Though a great Torah scholar, he was not ordained to merit the title "Rabbi", and remained all his life a disciple of the Sages of Yavneh (Hor. 2b; Kid. 49b). Hence, he was called by his father's name. He was particularly skilled in the exposition of Scripture and in tracing the Biblical sources of the Halakhot, as we read in the well known Mishnah (Ber. 1:5): "Rabbi Eleazar ben Azaryah said: Behold, I am like one seventy years old, yet I have failed to prove that the Exodus from Egypt ought to be recited at night, until Ben Zoma expounded it: It is said (Deut. 16:3): 'that you should remember the day when you came out of the land of Egypt all the days of your life.' 'The days of your life' would mean the days only; but 'all the days of your life' means the nights also." Ben Zoma was one of the four who entered 'Paradise' (i.e. studied mysticism), but "gazed and was stricken" (i.e. he lost his balance of mind in the high powered process of illumination).

In this Mishnah, he defines the positive aspects of the concepts - Wise, Mighty, Rich, and Honorable. Whereas the prophet admonishes: "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, and let not the rich man glory in his riches; but let him that glories glory in this, that he understands, and knows Me... for in these things I delight, says the Lord" (Jer. 9:22), Ben Zoma declares that certain types of wisdom, might and wealth may properly be prized, once they are integrated in the concept of "understanding and knowing me" (Tosefot Yom Tov, Rabbenu Yonah); to these he added the element of honor, as will be explained later.

Ben Zoma said: Who is wise? - and may justly pride himself in his wisdom? He who learns from every man - even from one who is not wiser than himself, and he diligently seeks the company of Torah scholars, and is not self-conscious (Rashi). Bartenura explains, that since he does not stand upon his honor and learns from his inferiors, it is evident that his desire for enlightenment is genuine, and not a mere pretext for inflating his self-esteem and vanity. Such a man deserves to be called 'wise', and may pride himself in his enduring wisdom, as it is said - by King David, From all my teachers have I gained understanding - i.e., I learned Torah even from lesser persons without regard for my prestige, and the verse concludes: "for Your testimonies are my meditation," i.e., my aims were genuine, seeing that my 'meditation' was devoted entirely to the Torah (Bartenura; Tosefot Yom Tov).

Who is mighty? - and may legitimately glory in his powers? He who conquers his passions - and does not yield to his desires and impulses, but rules his spirit, as it is said: "He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty - he who recoils from taking vengeance is superior to the mighty warrior, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city" - one who controls himself and curbs his anger, surpasses the hero who conquers a town. Bartenura explains: Forbearance is a virtue when it comes migibbor - from the spiritual strength of conquering one's inclinations, and ruling one's spirit has merit miloked ir - when it comes from the conqueror of a city; e.g., a victorious king who refrains from executing those who had rebelled against him.

Who is wealthy? - and may justly acknowledge his wealth? He who rejoices in his portion - and does not pursue further riches, as it is said: "When you eat the labor of your hands - and do not seek to amass treasures in devious ways; happy shall you be, and it shall be well with you," "Happy shall you be" - in this world - being independent of other people, "and it shall be well with you" - in the world-to-come - for you will not be tarnished by dishonesty and violence.

Who is honored? - having defined the nature of wisdom, might, and wealth, whereby a person gains the esteem of God and man, even though these qualities may not be acknowledged by all, Ben Zoma now declares what one must do to gain universal respect. He who honors others - the reverent treatment of others reflects honor upon one's own person, as it is said: "for them who honor Me I will honor - the verse refers to God, and a fortiori to man. For if God, Whose creatures were formed solely to venerate Him, reciprocates the honor displayed towards Him, then man must do so all the more, and they who despise Me shall be lightly esteemed" - yekalu (the passive form - tr.) indicates that this is a natural result of the contemptuous person's own baseness.

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