Avos 2:8

בס״ד

אבות ב:ח

Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai received the gift of Torah from Hillel and Shammai. He used to teach: If you’ve learned lots of Torah, don’t think too highly of yourself, for this is why you were created. Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai had five disciples: Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrcanus; Rabbi Yehoshuah ben Hananiah; Rabbi Yose the Cohen; Rabbi Shimon ben Nesanel; and Rabbi Elazar ben Arakh. And this is how he would describe their merits: Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrcanus - a plastered cistern that doesn’t lose a drop! Rabbi Yehoshua - his mother is so proud! Rabbi Yose - isn’t he pious! Rabbi Shimon ben Nesanel - he’s scared of sin! and Rabbi Elazar ben Arakh - an overflowing fountain! He used to teach: If all the Sages of Israel were on one side of the scale, and Eliezer ben Hyrcanus was on the other, he would outweigh all of them! Abba Shaul said in his name: If all the Sages of Israel were on one side of the scale, and Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrcanus was with them, but Rabbi Elazar was on the other side, he would outweigh all of them!

רַבָּן יוֹחָנָן בֶּן זַכַּאי קִבֵּל מֵהִלֵּל וּמִשַּׁמָּאי. הוּא הָיָה אוֹמֵר, אִם לָמַדְתָּ תוֹרָה הַרְבֵּה, אַל תַּחֲזִיק טוֹבָה לְעַצְמְךָ, כִּי לְכָךְ נוֹצָרְתָּ. חֲמִשָּׁה תַלְמִידִים הָיוּ לוֹ לְרַבָּן יוֹחָנָן בֶּן זַכַּאי, וְאֵלּוּ הֵן, רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר בֶּן הוֹרְקְנוֹס, וְרַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן חֲנַנְיָה, וְרַבִּי יוֹסֵי הַכֹּהֵן, וְרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן נְתַנְאֵל, וְרַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן עֲרָךְ. הוּא הָיָה מוֹנֶה שִׁבְחָן. רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר בֶּן הוֹרְקְנוֹס, בּוֹר סוּד שֶׁאֵינוֹ מְאַבֵּד טִפָּה. רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן חֲנַנְיָה, אַשְׁרֵי יוֹלַדְתּוֹ. רַבִּי יוֹסֵי הַכֹּהֵן, חָסִיד. רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן נְתַנְאֵל, יְרֵא חֵטְא. וְרַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן עֲרָךְ, מַעְיָן הַמִּתְגַּבֵּר. הוּא הָיָה אוֹמֵר, אִם יִהְיוּ כָל חַכְמֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּכַף מֹאזְנַיִם, וֶאֱלִיעֶזֶר בֶּן הוֹרְקְנוֹס בְּכַף שְׁנִיָּה, מַכְרִיעַ אֶת כֻּלָּם. אַבָּא שָׁאוּל אוֹמֵר מִשְּׁמוֹ, אִם יִהְיוּ כָל חַכְמֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּכַף מֹאזְנַיִם וְרַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר בֶּן הוֹרְקְנוֹס אַף עִמָּהֶם, וְרַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן עֲרָךְ בְּכַף שְׁנִיָּה, מַכְרִיעַ אֶת כֻּלָּם:

        As we mentioned at Avos 1:14-15, Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai served as Nasi during one of the most difficult periods in Jewish history - the Hurban HaBayis and the period of reconstruction in the yeshivah known as the Vineyard of Yavneh.  There he fulfilled the words of Shimon the Tzaddik (Avos 1:1) and raised up many disciples. This mishnah lists the most distinctive of them and defines the traits that made them excel.

        The mishnah begins with Rabban Yochanan’s educational philosophy.  His approach is based in the idea that a Jew’s study of Torah is an expression of one’s very nature.  We are brought into the world with the special mission of fulfilling our creative human capacities in the distinctive realm of knowing and living in accord with the Torah that structures all of Creation.  Since this is so, excellence in Torah-study is no cause for self-congratulation.  It’s not like being a great singer or an athlete.  Should a child be praised for loving her mother or father? Rather, it’s the inability to show love that we regard as a defect.  Love is natural. So, too, love of Torah and the desire to possess it is regarded as natural and no special thing.  If, however, HaShem has given us special gifts in Torah study, our proper attitude should be gratitude, not self-pride.

        Rashi’s comment on Rabban Yochanan’s teaching is widely known: “The Blessed Holy One made a deal with Creation that if Israel would not accept the Torah the entire world would return to chaos.  This means that a huge responsibility has been placed upon us! We deserve no praise for fulfilling it!”

        Rabban Yochanan’s praises for his disciples are not based on the fact they study Torah, but on the special gifts they bring to it.  Rabbi Eliezer forgot nothing he learned, just like a lined cistern never loses its contents. Rabbi Yehoshua used his Torah study to honor his mother, selflessly bringing her joy from the use he made of his talents.  Rabbi Yose embodied his learning in behavior, revealing to others that the point of learning is not knowing, but really in doing.  Rabbi Shimon ben Nesanel, like Rabbi Yose, realized that the goal of Torah learning is not knowing, but to produce a person who embodies Torah by avoiding the appearance of sin.  Finally, Rabbi Elazar’s Torah study was distinguished by his willingness to share it, like a fountain that releases its sweet waters for all to drink.

        The mishnah concludes with the appearance of a dispute.  Which is ultimately a more valuable trait - Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrcanus’ ability to retain all his learning, or Rabbi Elazar ben Arakh’s capacity to spread it around?  As Rabbi Ovadiah of Bertinora explains in his commentary, it is not a matter of either-or, but of both-and.  The ideal student is one who displays not only a fine memory, but also knows how to transmit the contents of memory to others in powerful teaching.

        

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