English logo

Friday

י"ט אדר ב’ התשפ"ד

Friday
י"ט אדר ב’ התשפ"ד

חיפוש בארכיון

471. Praise (3)

The sages have written about Rabbi Elazar the son of Rabbi Shimon that he would sit on the floor before the Sages and ask questions and solve them.  The Sages said “We are drinking from his waters (benefitting from his wisdom) and he sits on the floor?”  They wanted to honor him and bring him up and seat him on the bench.  Rabbi Shimon, his father, said “I have one son only and you want to make me lose him?”  Rashi explains that Rabbi Shimon was worried that him son might become proud, and similarly that he might be looked upon by an Evil Eye, so they went back and sent him to sit on the floor.

A wise man should hear and learn a lesson, and only sit his sons between the knees of Sages and not allow his sons to say words of Torah amongst simple people.  When simple people hear a few words of Torah, it seems to them that they have heard a lot.  Therefore, they praise and honor the one who speaks words of Torah before them exceedingly and one must worry that a person can become proud and subject to an Evil Eye.

A person should also teach his children and students to be modest as it says “and wisdom belongs to the modest ones”.  They should be aware of the smallness of their worth and they should behave according to the truth of the matter and righteous humbleness in order that they should succeed in their studies.

“My brothers and my nation, take this sefer Torah, and with this, and like this learn well, so that you should have it good; listen and enliven your soul, and achieve gladness and joy in this world and the world to come” (From the author’s intro.)