ירושלמי מ"ק ג:ז פג עב
כַּשֵּׁם שֶׁקּוֹרְעִין עַל הַחֲכָמִים, כָּךְ קוֹרְעִין עַל תַּלְמִידֵיהֶן.
אֵי זֶהוּ תַּלְמִיד חֲכָמִין?
חִזְקִיָּה אָמַר: כָּל שֶׁשָּׁנָה הֲלָכוֹת וְעוֹד תּוֹרָה.
אֲמַר לֵיהּ רַבִּי יוֹסֵה: הָדָא דְאַתְּ אָמַר, בָּרִאשׁוֹנָה, אֲבָל עַכְשָׁו, אֲפִלּוּ הֲלָכוֹת.
רַבִּי אַבָּהוּ בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: כָּל שֶׁהוּא מְבַטֵּל עֲסָקָיו מִפְּנֵי מִשְׁנָתוֹ.
תְּנֵי: כָּל שֶׁשּׁוֹאֲלִין אוֹתוֹ וְהוּא מֵשִׁיב.
אָמַר רַב הוֹשַׁעְיָא: כְּגוֹן אֲנַן, דְּרַבָּנֵינַן מַשְׁגְחִין עֲלֵינַן, וַאֲנַן מְתִיבִין לוֹ.
אָמַר רַבִּי בָּא בַּר מַמָּל: כָּל שֶׁהוּא יוֹדֵעַ לְבָאֵר מִשְׁנָתוֹ. וַאֲנַן, אֲפִלּוּ רַבָּנֵינַן לָא חָכְמִין מְבָאָרָה מַתְנֵיתַן.
אֵיזֶהוּ רַבּוֹ?
כָּל שֶׁפָּתַח לוֹ תְּחִלָּה. דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר.
רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר: כָּל שֶׁרֹב תַּלְמוּדוֹ מִמֶּנּוּ.
רַבִּי יוֹסֵה אוֹמֵר: כָּל שֶׁהֵאִיר עֵינָיו בְּמִשְׁנָתוֹ, אֲפִלּוּ בְּדָבָר אֶחָד.
רַבִּי אַבָּהוּ בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: הֲלָכָה כְּדִבְרֵי מִי שֶׁהוּא אוֹמֵר: כָּל שֶׁרֹב תַּלְמוּדוֹ מִמֶּנּוּ.
Palestinian Talmud Moed Katan 83b 3:7
Who is a talmid hakham?
Hezekiah said: anyone who has studied halakhot [the body of practically applicable Jewish law created by the rabbis] and more Torah.
Rabbi Yossi said to him: that which you said is at first, but now, [one who has studied] even halakhot. Rabbi Abbahu [said] in the name of Rabbi Yohanan: anyone who cancels his business for the sake of his study.
It was taught: anyone of whom they ask [questions of law] and he answers.
[Rabbi] Hoshaya said: like us, since our rabbis supervise us and we answer to them.
Rabbi [Ab]ba bar Memel said: anyone who knows how to explain his Mishnah.
מאי בנאין אמר רבי יוחנן אלו תלמידי חכמים שעוסקין בבנינו של עולם כל ימיהן ואמר רבי יוחנן איזהו תלמיד חכם שמחזירין לו אבידה בטביעות העין זה המקפיד על חלוקו להופכו ואמר רבי יוחנן איזהו תלמיד חכם שממנין אותו פרנס על הציבור זה ששואלין אותו דבר הלכה בכל מקום ואומר ואפילו במסכת כלה
The Gemara asks: Who are the builders mentioned here? Rabbi Yoḥanan said: These are Torah scholars, who are engaged in building the world all of their days. And with regard to this, Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Who is a Torah scholar of whom the Sages said that one must return a lost object to him based on visual identification, even if he does not provide an identifying sign for it? That is one who makes sure his upper undergarment is turned inward so that the uneven stitching is not visible. This means that he conducts himself like a Torah scholar in all his ways, even in matters of cleanliness and order (Maharsha). On a related note, the Gemara adds that which Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Who is a Torah scholar who may be appointed as a leader of the community? This is one who is asked about matters of halakha on any topic and he is able to answer, and even if he were asked about tractate Kalla, a tractate that few have mastered.
ואמר רבי יוחנן איזהו תלמיד חכם שבני עירו מצווין לעשות לו מלאכתו זה שמניח חפצו ועוסק בחפצי שמים והני מילי למיטרח בריפתיה ואמר רבי יוחנן איזהו תלמיד חכם כל ששואלין אותו הלכה בכל מקום ואומרה למאי נפקא מינה למנוייה פרנס על הציבור אי בחדא מסכתא באתריה אי בכוליה תנויה בריש מתיבתא
And Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Who is the Torah scholar for whom the inhabitants of his city are commanded to perform his labor for him? This is one who sets his own matters aside and engages in matters of Heaven. It is therefore fitting for the community to support him. And that applies only to exerting themselves to provide him with his bread, as it is appropriate that they sustain him. And Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Who is included in the category of a Torah scholar? Anyone who is asked about the halakha with regard to any topic and is able to state it. And they say: What are the practical consequences of this question? It is to appoint him a leader of the community. If he is an expert in a single tractate, they appoint him as a leader in his place; if he is an expert in all of his learning, they appoint him as the head of the yeshiva.
Aaron D. Panken z"l:
Radical Innovation: Self-Conscious Legal Change in Rabbinic Literature (2005) (excerpt: 'The Developing Meaning of Talmid Hakham' (A Disciple of the Wise)
The status of talmid hakham (literally “disciple of the wise” or “wise disciple”) represented a liminal stage in the development of an individual as a Jewish religious leader. The talmid hakham was the quintessential apprentice, involved in the daily chore of learning his craft and imbued with some authority, but not yet complete in his own development. Many scholars have discussed the meaning of this ubiquitous term. In the Palestinian Talmud, Moed Katan 83b, 3:7 we find a fascinating discussion of the definition of a talmid hakham that reflects significant changes in the meaning of this term over time....
This [the braita at the end of the PT Moed Katan passage above] implies a commitment to the understanding and transmission of appropriate law given the questions being asked at the specific time and place of the disciple’s life. Thus, in the baraita,the minimum requirement is a steady engagement with the ongoing legal debates of one’s day and having ready halakhic answers based on an appropriate level of background knowledge.
One other important implication may be derived from this baraita. A distinct element of communal acceptance may also be hidden in its words: community members will only turn to an individual to answer their questions if that individual is considered worthy of providing them with counsel.Thus this baraita also suggests that the community of learners/questioners has a role in defining a person’s status as a talmid hakham: after all, if no one asks these questions of a scholar, then the initial clause of the definition can never be satisfied.
...
Another implication of this passage is that the talmid hakham was responsible for his actions:he answered, literally, to his masters. They had the right to question his determinations and to demand a response. Such oversight was not inherent in any of the prior definitions of talmid hakham and may have been most visible to one who held the status of talmid hakham himself, such as Hoshaya. Here, the true flavor of the apprenticeship was visible. Rabbi Ba bar Memel, a Palestinian Amora from the same period as Hoshaya known as Abba Bar Memel in BT, concludes this pericope with a statement that rebuts Hoshaya and tells the final truth of this passage all at once: to qualify as a talmid hakham no objective level of knowledge can be expected in any absolute terms. Even the greatest of his contemporaries, who constantly supervise disciples, did not achieve total comprehension of what they study.
It is clear, then, that this text reports that the standards for becoming a talmid hakham underwent a significant shift over time.
Radical Innovation: Self-Conscious Legal Change in Rabbinic Literature (2005) (excerpt: 'The Developing Meaning of Talmid Hakham' (A Disciple of the Wise)
The status of talmid hakham (literally “disciple of the wise” or “wise disciple”) represented a liminal stage in the development of an individual as a Jewish religious leader. The talmid hakham was the quintessential apprentice, involved in the daily chore of learning his craft and imbued with some authority, but not yet complete in his own development. Many scholars have discussed the meaning of this ubiquitous term. In the Palestinian Talmud, Moed Katan 83b, 3:7 we find a fascinating discussion of the definition of a talmid hakham that reflects significant changes in the meaning of this term over time....
This [the braita at the end of the PT Moed Katan passage above] implies a commitment to the understanding and transmission of appropriate law given the questions being asked at the specific time and place of the disciple’s life. Thus, in the baraita,the minimum requirement is a steady engagement with the ongoing legal debates of one’s day and having ready halakhic answers based on an appropriate level of background knowledge.
One other important implication may be derived from this baraita. A distinct element of communal acceptance may also be hidden in its words: community members will only turn to an individual to answer their questions if that individual is considered worthy of providing them with counsel.Thus this baraita also suggests that the community of learners/questioners has a role in defining a person’s status as a talmid hakham: after all, if no one asks these questions of a scholar, then the initial clause of the definition can never be satisfied.
...
Another implication of this passage is that the talmid hakham was responsible for his actions:he answered, literally, to his masters. They had the right to question his determinations and to demand a response. Such oversight was not inherent in any of the prior definitions of talmid hakham and may have been most visible to one who held the status of talmid hakham himself, such as Hoshaya. Here, the true flavor of the apprenticeship was visible. Rabbi Ba bar Memel, a Palestinian Amora from the same period as Hoshaya known as Abba Bar Memel in BT, concludes this pericope with a statement that rebuts Hoshaya and tells the final truth of this passage all at once: to qualify as a talmid hakham no objective level of knowledge can be expected in any absolute terms. Even the greatest of his contemporaries, who constantly supervise disciples, did not achieve total comprehension of what they study.
It is clear, then, that this text reports that the standards for becoming a talmid hakham underwent a significant shift over time.
Commentary of the Ner L'Elef on Deuteronomy:
The Torah demands an extraordinary set of qualifications for one to make it as a Jewish Judge, a Dayan[1]. He is not just an honorable man of robes, but a leader of the nation in many respects. Such people have to be not only masters of Torah wisdom but people who observe what they know[2]; righteous in every sense[3]. They must first and foremost lead by example.
The judges must be well-liked,[4] for a judge must gain the trust and legitimacy of the people. But they must be liked, not because they are popularists, but rather because of their deep sense of truth and justice[5],
their love of the people,
their authentic example and
their good name in the broader society[6].
They must have sterling character[7],
be modest (אנשים[8]), humble
and G-d fearing[9].
They should be non-materialistic and unbribable[10].
They need to be the kind of people that others will want to honor and stand in awe of[11].
To qualify as judges, they must not only be masters of Torah, חכמים, but also [12]נבונים, people who understand the underlying principles of the law so deeply that they can apply them to any new situation. Working from the other direction as well, the judges must be able to look at any case and understand what principle of law needs to be applied. They have to be able to identify the precise variables of each situation, knowing what is and is not a relevant difference and how it affects the law[13]. The ability to compare and contrast with precision is vital to be qualified as a judge.
The Torah demands an extraordinary set of qualifications for one to make it as a Jewish Judge, a Dayan[1]. He is not just an honorable man of robes, but a leader of the nation in many respects. Such people have to be not only masters of Torah wisdom but people who observe what they know[2]; righteous in every sense[3]. They must first and foremost lead by example.
The judges must be well-liked,[4] for a judge must gain the trust and legitimacy of the people. But they must be liked, not because they are popularists, but rather because of their deep sense of truth and justice[5],
their love of the people,
their authentic example and
their good name in the broader society[6].
They must have sterling character[7],
be modest (אנשים[8]), humble
and G-d fearing[9].
They should be non-materialistic and unbribable[10].
They need to be the kind of people that others will want to honor and stand in awe of[11].
To qualify as judges, they must not only be masters of Torah, חכמים, but also [12]נבונים, people who understand the underlying principles of the law so deeply that they can apply them to any new situation. Working from the other direction as well, the judges must be able to look at any case and understand what principle of law needs to be applied. They have to be able to identify the precise variables of each situation, knowing what is and is not a relevant difference and how it affects the law[13]. The ability to compare and contrast with precision is vital to be qualified as a judge.
[1]ספר החינוך תיד: שלא למנות דיין אדם שאינו חכם בדיני תורה אף על פי שהוא חכם בחכמות אחרות ואפילו היו בו כמה מדות נכבדות שנאמר לא תכירו פנים במשפט.
The same verse which says that judges must be qualified says that they must have the backbone not to be intimidated. Although separate prohibitions, one is an extension of the other.
The same verse which says that judges must be qualified says that they must have the backbone not to be intimidated. Although separate prohibitions, one is an extension of the other.
[2]אנשי חיל (שמות יח כא) שהם גבורים במצוות ומדקדקים על עצמם עד שלא יהיה להם שום גנאי ושום כיעור ופרקם נאה
[3]רש"י א יג: אנשים - וכי תעלה על דעתך נשים מה ת"ל אנשים צדיקים:
[4]הרמב"ם למד את זה מ"ידועים לשבטיכם" (הל' סנהדרין פ"ב ה"ז) – אלו שרוח הבריות נוחה הימנו ובסמ"ע (חו"מ ז כו: בשם הרמב"ם והטור) ובמה יהיו אהובים בזמן שיהיו בעלי עין טובה ונפש שפלה וחברתן טובה ומשאן ומתן שלהן באמונה ודבורן בנחת עם הבריות
ויש שלמדו את התנאי שיהיו אהובים מלשון הבו לכם אנשים ודרש הספרי הבו לכם אנשים - וכי תעלה על דעתך נשים מה ת"ל אנשים ותיקים כסופים. ויש שבארו שכסופים מלשון נכסף נכספתי, והיינו שיהיו אהובים וחמודים לבריות (ת"ת)
ויש שלמדו את התנאי שיהיו אהובים מלשון הבו לכם אנשים ודרש הספרי הבו לכם אנשים - וכי תעלה על דעתך נשים מה ת"ל אנשים ותיקים כסופים. ויש שבארו שכסופים מלשון נכסף נכספתי, והיינו שיהיו אהובים וחמודים לבריות (ת"ת)
[5]חינוך תיד: ובכלל אנשי חיל שיהיה להם לב אמיץ להציל עשוק מיד עושק, כענין שנאמר (שמות ב יז) ויקם משה ויושיען
[6]שו"ע שם: …אהבת הבריות להם, בעלי שם טוב
[7]סמ"ע חו"מ ז כו (בשם הרמב"ם והטור): ובעלי שם טוב שיהיו גבורים במצוות ומדקדקים על עצמם וכובשים את יצרם עד שלא יהא עליהם שום גנאי ולא שם רע ויהא פרקן נאה
[8]בספרי: הבו לכם אנשים - וכי תעלה על דעתך נשים מה ת"ל אנשים ותיקים כסופים ע"כ ובתורה תמימה: ויש מפרשים דהוא (כסופים) מלשון בושה, ובלשון חז"ל כסיפא מילתא, והוא מענין ענוה וצניעות, כי הביישן הוא עניו, וכן איתא בסנהדרין פ"ח ב' כל מי שהוא חכם ושפל ברך יהא דיין. ועיין ברמב"ם פ"ב ה"ז מסנהדרין חשיב בין יתר המעלות שצריך לדיין שיהיה עניו, ותמה הלחם משנה מניין לו זה, ונראה שמקורו מדרשה זו וגו'
(וברש"י הגירסה אנשים - ... אנשים צדיקים: חכמים - כסופים:)
(וברש"י הגירסה אנשים - ... אנשים צדיקים: חכמים - כסופים:)
[9]שו"ע חו"מ ז יא: ב"ד של ג צריך שיהיה בכל אחד מהם ז דברים: … ענוה, יראה, שנאת ממון
[10]שו"ע שם: שנאת ממון וברמב"ם וטור הוסיפו: שאפילו ממון שלהם אינם נבהלים עליו ולא רודפין לקבץ ממון
[11]רש"י א יג: בראשיכם - ראשים ומכובדים עליכם שתהיו נוהגין בהם כבוד ויראה:
[12]א (יג) הבו לכם אנשים חכמים ונבנים וגו'
[13]רש"י א יג: ונבונים - מבינים דבר מתוך דבר זהו ששאל אריוס את ר' יוסי מה בין חכמים לנבונים חכם דומה לשולחני עשיר כשמביאין לו דינרין לראות רואה וכשאין מביאין לו יושב ותוהה נבון דומה לשולחני תגר כשמביאין לו מעות לראות רואה וכשאין מביאין לו הוא מחזר ומביא משלו: