How the growth of the natural world relates to our personal growth.
1. According to the Chizkuni, why does the Torah text use the language of plant life?
2. What is Chizkuni suggesting here about Jacob's relationship to the land? to other people?
| Translation | Original |
|---|---|
| Raysh Lakish was marking the boundaries of the Rabbis’ burial crypts. When he reached the crypt of R. Chiya, it remained hidden from him. He became upset, and declared: “Master of the Universe! Have I not analyzed the Torah as profoundly as he [R. Chiya]?” A voice came forth from heaven and told him: “You have analyzed Torah as profoundly as he, but you did not disseminate Torah to the extent that he has!” Once, when R. Chanina (bar R. Chama) and R. Chiya disagreed, R. Chanina said to R. Chiya: “Do you dare argue with me?!” If, Heaven forbid, the Torah were to be forgotten from the Jewish people, I would be able to restore it through my incisive analytic abilities!” R. Chiya retorted: “Do you dare argue with me?!” I make sure that the Torah will never be forgotten from Israel! What do I do? I go and plant flax seed. Then (after harvesting the flax) from that flax I weave nets in which I trap deer. I feed the deer meat to orphans and I make the deer skins into parchment upon which I write the five Books of the Torah. Then I go up to a village where there are no teachers, and I teach each of five children how to read one of the books of Torah, and I teach (orally) each of six other children one of the six orders of the Mishnah. Then I say to them: ‘During the time that I go home and then return here, teach the Five Books of Torah to one another and teach Mishnah to one another.’ In this manner, I make sure that the Torah will never be forgotten from Israel.” This is what Rebbe was referring to when he declared: “How great are the deeds of Chiya!” [Soncino translation] | ריש לקיש הוה מציין מערתא דרבנן, כי מטא למערתיה דרבי חייא איעלמא מיניה. חלש דעתיה, אמר: רבונו של עולם לא פלפלתי תורה כמותו? יצתה בת קול ואמרה לו: תורה כמותו פלפלת, תורה כמותו לא ריבצת. כי הוו מינצו רבי חנינא ורבי חייא, אמר ליה רבי חנינא לרבי חייא: בהדי דידי קא מינצית? חס וחלילה, אי משתכחא תורה מישראל מהדרנא לה מפילפולי! - אמר ליה רבי חייא לרבי חנינא: בהדי דידי קא מינצית? דעבדי לתורה דלא תשתכח מישראל? מאי עבידנא, אזלינא ושדינא כיתנא, וגדילנא נישבי, וציידנא טבי ומאכילנא בשרייהו ליתמי, ואריכנא מגילתא וכתבנא חמשה חומשי, וסליקנא למתא ומקרינא חמשה ינוקי בחמשה חומשי, ומתנינא שיתא ינוקי שיתא סדרי, ואמרנא להו: עד דהדרנא ואתינא - אקרו אהדדי ואתנו אהדדי, ועבדי לה לתורה דלא תשתכח מישראל. היינו דאמר רבי: כמה גדולים מעשי חייא! |
1. There are two paradigms for disseminating Torah in this text. What are they?
2. Do you value one way over the other?
3. In your own life, can you think of a process that you partake in from the very beginning to the very end (like planting the flax to teaching Torah on deer skins)?
4. How do you think the embodiment of being able to teach Torah changes the process of learning it?
"Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime." - Chinese Proverb