Avos 3:4

בס׳ד

אבות ג:ד

Rabbi Hananiah ben Hakhinai says: If you stay up at night, walking in isolated paths and turning your thoughts to nonsense, You will surely bring disaster upon yourself.

רַבִּי חֲנִינָא בֶן חֲכִינַאי אוֹמֵר, הַנֵּעוֹר בַּלַּיְלָה וְהַמְהַלֵּךְ בַּדֶּרֶךְ יְחִידִי וְהַמְפַנֶּה לִבּוֹ לְבַטָּלָה, הֲרֵי זֶה מִתְחַיֵּב בְּנַפְשׁוֹ:

        

        Rabbi Hananiah ben Hakhinai is often named as one of the Ten Martyrs whose kiddush HaShem is recalled in the Avodah of the Yom Kippur Musaf, along with Rabbi Aqiva, Rabbi Hananiah ben Teradion and others.

        His teaching can be interpreted at two levels.  The simple point is one of common sense: if you go out in dangerous surroundings looking for trouble, you are sure to find it.  If you’re going to stay up at night, stay where you are and learn Torah!  By following this advice for many years, I developed a case of “Torah elbow” - a huge callous on my elbow that came from leaning it against my recliner chair! Better to risk a case of Torah elbow than a clop on the head from a mugger!

        At a deeper level, however - as suggested by Rambam - this teaching is a parable about our need for intellectual companionship and hevrusa in the study of Torah.  That is, if you go your own way in isolation from other learners, you risk losing your way.  You substitute your own partial perspective for the broader understanding that comes from sharing your study with others.

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