The Anti-Avraham, Pure Torah and More Bava Basra 20-22 Psychology of the Daf

20

The Power of Innocent Torah

Our Mishna on Amud Beis discusses that though one may object to a neighbor opening a store in a residential courtyard, if the neighbor teaches Torah to children he is allowed to do so despite the traffic and noise pollution. 

Our sages had much to say about the value of young children learning Torah. The Gemara Shabbos (119b) famously states:

אמר ריש לקיש משום רבי יהודה נשיאה: אין העולם מתקיים אלא בשביל הבל תינוקות של בית רבן. אמר ליה רב פפא לאביי: דידי ודידך מאי? אמר ליה: אינו דומה הבל שיש בו חטא להבל שאין בו חטא. 

Reish Lakish said in the name of Rabbi Yehuda Nesia: The world only exists because of the breath, i.e., reciting Torah, of schoolchildren. Rav Pappa said to Abaye: My Torah study and yours, what is its status? Why is the Torah study of adults worth less? He said to him: The breath of adults, which is tainted by sin, is not similar to the breath of children, which is not tainted by sin. 

What is the spiritual mechanism or process that gives youthful innocent Torah so much power? After all, if Torah is accomplished through deep study and analysis, as our impressive volumes of Talmudic give and take attest to, surely understanding is key. Innocence is a wonderful quality but that doesn’t equal intellectual achievement. Would you want as your surgeon, or even contractor, an innocent and pure soul, or an expert in the profession? Apparently, the lesson is that Torah is not regarded as primarily an intellectual pursuit, though paradoxically it is accomplished via intense study. Unlike other forms of wisdom, Torah thrives in a spiritual environment. Maharal (Nesiv Hatorah 10) says that Torah is the source of all life, and for it to have its full effect it cannot be initiated in a state of sin, which is a source of death via disconnection from God. This is interesting because even though Maharal does not say this, his explanation also suggests the importance that our personal initiation to Torah study be untainted without sin. 

I’ll share a personal recollection from my early days at school. My father Z”L was a yeshiva principal for most of his life, and he generally sent his children to the schools that he led. In my early childhood, he was principal of a Jewish Day school and the studies were conducted ivrit b’ivrit, meaning all Judaic studies were in Hebrew. In first grade we did not even start Chumash, as the focus was on acquisition of fluency in Hebrew reading and writing. By the time we started Chumash in second grade, our basic vocabulary was strong enough that we could translate many words without the teacher’s help. I still remember the excitement and joy at reading Bereishis and Noach. The stories were enchanting – I could not wait to find out what happened next. I believe, to this day, the love and fascination I have with the Parasha came from those early experiences. The feelings are indescribable. Here and there I am able to remember and re-arouse them.

Though more easily found in the study of young children,the power of approaching Torah with innocence and fresh excitement is a paradigm that we can access. Torah learned and discovered in this fashion is substantially different than any other intellectual pursuits.

21

The Anti-Avraham 

Our Gemara on Amud Aleph offers ancient wisdom and ideas regarding pedagogy of young school children:

אמר ליה רב לרב שמואל בר שילת: עד שית לא תקביל, מכאן ואילך – קביל, ואספי ליה כתורא. ואמר ליה רב לרב שמואל בר שילת: כי מחית לינוקא, לא תימחי אלא בערקתא דמסנא. דקארי – קארי, דלא קארי – ליהוי צוותא לחבריה.

Concerning that same issue, Rav said to Rav Shmuel bar Sheilat, a teacher of children: Do not accept a student before the age of six, as he is too young, and it is difficult for him to learn in a steady manner. From this point forward, accept him and stuff him with Torah like an ox. And Rav further said to Rav Shmuel bar Sheilat: When you strike a child for educational purposes, hit him only with the strap of a sandal, which is small and does not cause pain. Rav further advised him: He who reads, let him read on his own; whoever does not read, let him be a companion to his friends, which will encourage him to learn to read.

Many aspects of human nature have changed, and one cannot take pedagogical advice from the Gemara alone, any more than one can rule Halacha from the Gemara alone. Yet, important concepts can be derived from this teaching, even if we might apply them differently in the 21st Century. Not coincidentally, the subject matter of this passage refers to both the gifted student and the more challenged student simultaneously. The first part of the passage functions as a warning to parents and educators that even a precocious youngster should not be made to learn before he is emotionally capable of sustaining the effort and concentration necessary. Don’t burn him out, despite his intellectual ability. The second part of the passage is intriguing and somewhat ambiguous. It suggests that if a child is unable to grasp the material, do not come down hard on him, but do not dismiss him either. Instead let him stay so that he “be a companion to his friends.” 

There are various interpretations to this idea. Rashi understands this to mean that even if he does not fully understand the material, over time, and by osmosis, he will absorb much of what he can. Maharsha interprets this differently. He says the point of being a companion to his friends is so they won’t feel bad being left out of the fun. That is, if the weaker student gets to “hang out in the gym”, it makes it harder for the stronger students to stay focused, given their relative immaturity. 

Sod Yesharim (Seventh Night of Pesach 15:1) says by far the most provocative explanation. He says the contrast is necessary in order to bring out the best in the students. He explains that in the spiritual nature of the world there is always the presence of a countervailing force. This is an important truism. A world full of light might as well be completely dark, as our vision is only enabled via the contrast. So too, in matters of spirituality. I believe it is for this reason that the blessings of Kriyas Shema, which are a precursor to Torah, begin with praising God for “forming light and creating darkness”. Sod Yesharim even suggests that Sodom was the “Anti-Avraham”; he stood for love, humility and kindness and they stood for greed and cruelty. It is not a coincidence that Sodom was destroyed subsequent to Avraham fulfilling the covenant and Bris Milah. Once Avraham achieved completion in this aspect of his development Sodom was no longer needed. My father-in-law, Rav Michoel Miller Z”L used to say that Dasan and Aviram get to survive after so many of their misdeeds – they snitch on Moshe, and they mock him and are insubordinate by trying to show the Manna can be collected on Shabbos. Yet, they come through unscathed. In the various stories of the wilderness every misdeed by every other character seems to meet with swift punishment and decimation. How come these guys escaped, at least until the Korach rebellion? Rav Miller surmised that Dasan and Aviram were there to counterbalance Moshe’s leadership, a check and balance. (Perhaps their intentions were at least partially good.) 

Here too, the young school children need to contrast their abilities to see and appreciate their own abilities. Sod Yesharim does not say this, but I will add that this contrast may also help the weaker students as well, by prodding them to try harder to fulfill their potential. As we shall discuss in greater depth in the next Psychology of the Daf blogpost for Bava Basra 22: “The jealousy of scholars promotes wisdom.”

22

Healthy and Unhealthy Competition 

Our Gemara on Amud Aleph discusses ways in which the usual rabbinic market protections do not apply to teachers of Torah, thus one melamed cannot object to another encroaching on his territory. The reason is that competition makes for better education. The Gemara’s wording is more broad, suggesting a larger application:

קנאת סופרים תרבה חכמה.

Jealousy among teachers increases wisdom

This is taken as a broader principle that though Jealousy is generally an ugly trait, it is considered admirable when it comes to spiritual strivings. Orchos Tzaddikim (14) endorses this, but also warns that this is only a virtue when the strivings are to compete, and the sentiment is: “Why can’t I have what he has achieved? If he can study like that, or be more righteous, I must push myself harder.” However, if the thoughts are nefarious, such as, “I begrudge his success”, and thus the main thrust is that he wants his colleague to join him in his lower state, this is still toxic and improper.

A fascinating implication of this distinction is that this indicates that for material non-spiritual matters an attitude of jealousy is not acceptable, even with the intention of wanting to compete and strive to match the other. This is a high standard for ethical engagement with materialism. Within reason, one may strive to achieve various forms of success but it should not be motivated by what someone else has achieved. This is not the typical capitalist idea that we are used to. Yet, it seems that our way of life has been enhanced via competition. Marxist and Socialist societies, though initiated with intentions of focusing on communal success and disavowing greed and wealth acquisition, have historically failed miserably . The countries that have produced the most technological and medical innovations have almost invariably been capitalist. These innovations have brought up the standard of living for everyone, including the poor, albeit, the wealthy class became even wealthier.

We must assume that in a spiritual society, guided by Torah values and providence, the necessity for technological innovation is not essential. God could provide through revelation whatever is necessary. We would not need an Elon Musk, who in our current world is clearly improving the lives of many while making a record-breaking fortune as a creative and bold entrepreneur in many areas of technology and biology. There are examples in Tanach of various expertise that seem to be the product of innovation. For example Bereishis (4:21-22) describes metallurgical innovations of Tuval Kayin. Though Rashi follows a Midrashic peshat that it was destructive, as it led to fashioning weapons, Kesav Vekabbalah sees his discoveries and inventions as enormously beneficial to allow for more efficient farming. Also notable that Tuval Kayin’s sister was Na’amah, Noach’s wife (see Rashi ibid). Noach was a tool builder who built the Ark, and according to the Midrash, was the first human to use tools in a more sophisticated manner to increase crop yield (see Rashi Bereishis 5:29). 

I must admit that I find it so hard to believe that they all sat with their hands folded, waiting in some Zen-like fashion for God to enlighten them with a new technology. However, I must be inducted and hypnotized by the capitalist mentality and the pursuit of more and more. This is no virtue. It seems the true Torah value is to seek contentment with the status quo on all non-spiritual matters, and when circumstances call for innovation, to humbly look for guidance and inspiration from God, without looking at your neighbor to see what he has or what he achieved. Though this kind of attitude has largely flopped in the world at large, God’s expectation of the Jewish people is higher because our spiritual strivings can become a powerful motivating force equal to the profit motive. Even when developing new technologies or medicine, if there is real love of one’s neighbor, that is enough of a motivator. Greed, even so-called healthy greed, is unnecessary.