(ה) הוּא הָיָה אוֹמֵר, אֵין בּוֹר יְרֵא חֵטְא, וְלֹא עַם הָאָרֶץ חָסִיד, וְלֹא הַבַּיְשָׁן לָמֵד, וְלֹא הַקַּפְּדָן מְלַמֵּד, וְלֹא כָל הַמַּרְבֶּה בִסְחוֹרָה מַחְכִּים. ובִמְקוֹם שֶׁאֵין אֲנָשִׁים, הִשְׁתַּדֵּל לִהְיוֹת אִישׁ:
(5) He (Rabban Gamliel) was accustomed to say: A boor cannot fear sin. An ignorant person cannot be pious. A bashful person cannot learn. An impatient person cannot teach. Not all who engage in a lot of business become wise. In a place where there are no people, strive to be a person.
1. One of the central pillars of Judaism comes from this Mishnah in Pirkei Avot that "the bashful person cannot learn." Indeed, learning, in Jewish practice and culture, is so important, that it is linked to strength, courage, and might. How do we take on that challenge as individuals and as a community? What does that learning look like when we go beyond the beit midrash? What kind of learning are we doing well (as individuals and as a society) and what kind of learning are we struggling with at the moment?
2. Share some examples of broken discourse, whether it be in the public sphere or in your own life. Try to be thorough in your examples. What did / does the communication look like? When did / does it break down? What issues hinder any kind of constructive dialogue?
3. In this course, we are going to work hard, courageously, and persistently to rediscover and implement discourse that creates rather than destroys. The Rabbis (z"l) referred to this endeavor as "machlochet l'shem shamayim," an argument for the sake of heaven. Before we dive in, what are some goals, questions, or thoughts you might have? Okay, let's get to work!
The Gemara relates: One day, Rabbi Yoḥanan was bathing in the Jordan River. Reish Lakish saw him and jumped into the Jordan, pursuing him. At that time, Reish Lakish was the leader of a band of marauders. Rabbi Yoḥanan said to Reish Lakish: Your strength is fit for Torah study. Reish Lakish said to him: Your beauty is fit for women. Rabbi Yoḥanan said to him: If you return to the pursuit of Torah, I will give you my sister in marriage, who is more beautiful than I am. Reish Lakish accepted upon himself to study Torah. Subsequently, Reish Lakish wanted to jump back out of the river to bring back his clothes, but he was unable to return, as he had lost his physical strength as soon as he accepted the responsibility to study Torah upon himself. Rabbi Yoḥanan taught Reish Lakish Bible, and taught him Mishna, and turned him into a great man. Eventually, Reish Lakish became one of the outstanding Torah scholars of his generation. One day the Sages of the study hall were engaging in a dispute concerning the following baraita: With regard to the sword, the knife, the dagger [vehapigyon], the spear, a hand sickle, and a harvest sickle, from when are they susceptible to ritual impurity? The baraita answers: It is from the time of the completion of their manufacture, which is the halakha with regard to metal vessels in general. These Sages inquired: And when is the completion of their manufacture? Rabbi Yoḥanan says: It is from when one fires these items in the furnace. Reish Lakish said: It is from when one scours them in water, after they have been fired in the furnace. Rabbi Yoḥanan said to Reish Lakish: A bandit knows about his banditry, i.e., you are an expert in weaponry because you were a bandit in your youth. Reish Lakish said to Rabbi Yoḥanan: What benefit did you provide me by bringing me close to Torah? There, among the bandits, they called me: Leader of the bandits, and here, too, they call me: Leader of the bandits. Rabbi Yoḥanan said to him: I provided benefit to you, as I brought you close to God, under the wings of the Divine Presence. As a result of the quarrel, Rabbi Yoḥanan was offended, which in turn affected Reish Lakish, who fell ill. Rabbi Yoḥanan’s sister, who was Reish Lakish’s wife, came crying to Rabbi Yoḥanan, begging that he pray for Reish Lakish’s recovery. She said to him: Do this for the sake of my children, so that they should have a father. Rabbi Yoḥanan said to her the verse: “Leave your fatherless children, I will rear them” (Jeremiah 49:11), i.e., I will take care of them. She said to him: Do so for the sake of my widowhood. He said to her the rest of the verse: “And let your widows trust in Me.” Ultimately, Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish, Reish Lakish, died. Rabbi Yoḥanan was sorely pained over losing him. The Rabbis said: Who will go to calm Rabbi Yoḥanan’s mind and comfort him over his loss? They said: Let Rabbi Elazar ben Pedat go, as his statements are sharp, i.e., he is clever and will be able to serve as a substitute for Reish Lakish. Rabbi Elazar ben Pedat went and sat before Rabbi Yoḥanan. With regard to every matter that Rabbi Yoḥanan would say, Rabbi Elazar ben Pedat would say to him: There is a ruling which is taught in a baraita that supports your opinion. Rabbi Yoḥanan said to him: Are you comparable to the son of Lakish? In my discussions with the son of Lakish, when I would state a matter, he would raise twenty-four difficulties against me in an attempt to disprove my claim, and I would answer him with twenty-four answers, and the halakha by itself would become broadened and clarified. And yet you say to me: There is a ruling which is taught in a baraita that supports your opinion. Do I not know that what I say is good? Being rebutted by Reish Lakish served a purpose; your bringing proof to my statements does not. Rabbi Yoḥanan went around, rending his clothing, weeping and saying: Where are you, son of Lakish? Where are you, son of Lakish? Rabbi Yoḥanan screamed until his mind was taken from him, i.e., he went insane. The Rabbis prayed and requested for God to have mercy on him and take his soul, and Rabbi Yoḥanan died.
1. What is the takeaway of this agaddah (story)? What can we learn from this piece of Talmud?
2. What happened in the dialogue that changed the nature of the conversation?
3. How could the situation have been different?
4. What parallels do you see to how we communicate today? What parts of this story are missing in our communication today?
5. How do we get there? In some ways, it feels like we are closer to "machlochet l'shem machlochet," than "machlochet l'shem shamayim." Let's start by unpacking the "shamayim."
This ethics begins then with an examination of why I should listen to another person. When I listen to another person, I listen to words. But I also listen to the other person. In a dialogue the other person has something to tell me. Beyond what she wants to say, she also reveals herself as a speaker. Her speech reveals her authority to speak, interpret words, to question me. I listen to the other as my teacher. My being questioned is the call to respond, the beginning of responsibility. That call comes not from what she says to me, but from the way she challenges me, the way whatever I say is open to her questioning.
“As long as love is “blind” - that is, as long as it does not see a whole being - it does not yet truly stand under the basic word of relation. Hatred remains blind by its very nature; one can hate only part of a being.”
It will be asked, 'What do you mean by preserving a society? All societies are in a state of incipient change; the best of them are often the most changing; what is meant, then, by saying you will "preserve" any? You admit that you cannot keep them unaltered, what then do you propose to do?' I answer that, in this respect, the life of societies is like the life of the individuals composing them. You cannot interfere so as to keep a man's body unaltered; you can interfere so as to keep him alive. What changes in such cases will be fatal is a question of fact. The Government must determine what will, so to say, 'break up the whole thing' and what will not. No doubt it may decide wrong.
Chevruta Activity
Using this afternoon's conversation, engage in dialogue with your chevruta discussing Bagehot's quote above (using Judaism as the paradigm for Bagehot's 'society'). The guiding questions should be, "what keeps Judaism alive?" and "what will cause Judaism to die?" Be honest and speak from the heart. Your conversation will not leave this room without your chevruta's permission.
The Dialogue will follow this outline:
Person A speaks for 2 minutes - Person B listens with intention in silence.
Person B speaks for 2 minutes - Person A listens with intention in silence.
Person A asks person B questions regarding their two minutes. Person B listens with intention in silence.
Person B asks person A questions regarding their two minutes. Person A listens with intention in silence.
Persons A and B interact without restrictions for four minutes.