Sharpened Wits and Teachers' Eyes

ByVirginia Spatz

PDF handout for Tikkun, with somewhat overlapping sources -- https://songeveryday.org/shavuot-5783/

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עירובין י״ג ב:ה׳

אָמַר רַבִּי: הַאי דִּמְחַדַּדְנָא מֵחַבְרַאי דַּחֲזִיתֵיהּ לְרַבִּי מֵאִיר מֵאֲחוֹרֵיהּ, וְאִילּוּ חֲזִיתֵיהּ מִקַּמֵּיהּ הֲוָה מְחַדַּדְנָא טְפֵי — דִּכְתִיב: ״וְהָיוּ עֵינֶיךָ רוֹאוֹת אֶת מוֹרֶיךָ״.

Eruvin 13b:5

The Gemara relates that Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi said: The fact that I am more incisive than my colleagues is due to the fact that I saw Rabbi Meir from behind, i.e., I sat behind him when I was his student. Had I seen him from the front, I would be even more incisive, as it is written: “And your eyes shall see your teacher” (Isaiah 30:20). Seeing the face of one’s teacher increases one’s understanding and sharpens one’s mind.

ישעיהו ל׳:כ׳

(כ) וְנָתַ֨ן לָכֶ֧ם אֲדֹנָ֛י לֶ֥חֶם צָ֖ר וּמַ֣יִם לָ֑חַץ וְלֹא־יִכָּנֵ֥ף עוֹד֙ מוֹרֶ֔יךָ וְהָי֥וּ עֵינֶ֖יךָ רֹא֥וֹת אֶת־מוֹרֶֽיךָ׃

Isaiah 30:20

(20) My Sovereign will provide for you meager bread and scant water. Then your Guide will no more be ignored, but your eyes will watch your Guide;

משנה תורה, הלכות תלמוד תורה ד׳:ב׳

כֵּיצַד מְלַמְּדִים. הָרַב יוֹשֵׁב בָּרֹאשׁ וְהַתַּלְמִידִים מֻקָּפִים לְפָנָיו כַּעֲטָרָה כְּדֵי שֶׁיְּהוּ כֻּלָּם רוֹאִים הָרַב וְשׁוֹמְעִים דְּבָרָיו. וְלֹא יֵשֵׁב הָרַב עַל הַכִּסֵּא וְתַלְמִידָיו עַל הַקַּרְקַע אֶלָּא אוֹ הַכּל עַל הָאָרֶץ אוֹ הַכּל עַל הַכִּסְאוֹת. וּבָרִאשׁוֹנָה הָיָה הָרַב יוֹשֵׁב וְהַתַּלְמִידִים עוֹמְדִים וּמִקֹּדֶם חֻרְבַּן בַּיִת שֵׁנִי נָהֲגוּ הַכּל לְלַמֵּד לַתַּלְמִידִים וְהֵם יוֹשְׁבִים:

Mishneh Torah, Torah Study 4:2

How is [Torah] taught? The teacher sits at the head and the students sit around him, so that all can see the teacher and hear his words.
The teacher should not sit on a chair, [while] his students [sit] on the ground. Rather, either everyone should sit on the ground or everyone should sit on chairs.
Originally, the teacher would sit and the students would stand. [However,] before the destruction of the Second Temple, everyone followed the practice of teaching while both they and the students were seated.

ישעיהו ל׳:כ״א

וְאׇזְנֶ֙יךָ֙ תִּשְׁמַ֣עְנָה דָבָ֔ר מֵאַחֲרֶ֖יךָ לֵאמֹ֑ר זֶ֤ה הַדֶּ֙רֶךְ֙ לְכ֣וּ ב֔וֹ כִּ֥י תַאֲמִ֖ינוּ וְכִ֥י תַשְׂמְאִֽילוּ׃

Isaiah 30:21

and, whenever you deviate to the right or to the left, your ears will heed the command from behind you: “This is the road; follow it!”

מגילה ל״ב א:י״א

וְאָמַר רַבִּי שְׁפַטְיָה אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: מִנַּיִן שֶׁמִּשְׁתַּמְּשִׁין בְּבַת קוֹל, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וְאׇזְנֶיךָ תִּשְׁמַעְנָה דָבָר מֵאַחֲרֶיךָ לֵאמֹר״. וְהָנֵי מִילֵּי, דְּשָׁמַע קָל גַּבְרָא בְּמָתָא, וְקָל אִיתְּתָא בְּדַבְרָא. וְהוּא דְּאָמַר: ״הֵין הֵין״ וְהוּא דְּאָמַר: ״לָאו לָאו״.

Megillah 32a:11

And Rabbi Shefatya said that Rabbi Yoḥanan said: If one was deliberating about whether to do a certain action, and a Divine Voice indicated what he should do, from where is it derived that one may make use of a Divine Voice and rely upon it? As it is stated: “And your ears shall hear a word behind you saying: This is the way, walk in it” (Isaiah 30:21). The Gemara comments: This applies only when one heard a male voice in the city, which is unusual, for men are usually found in the fields, or when one heard a female voice in the fields, for women are generally not found there. Since the voice is unusual, one need not doubt it and may rely upon it. And that applies when the voice repeated its message and said: Yes, yes. And that also applies when the voice said: No, no.

תענית ז׳ א:ח׳

אָמַר רַבִּי חָמָא בְּרַבִּי חֲנִינָא, מַאי דִּכְתִיב: ״בַּרְזֶל בְּבַרְזֶל יָחַד״, לוֹמַר לָךְ: מָה בַּרְזֶל זֶה — אֶחָד מְחַדֵּד אֶת חֲבֵירוֹ, אַף שְׁנֵי תַּלְמִידֵי חֲכָמִים — מְחַדְּדִין זֶה אֶת זֶה בַּהֲלָכָה.

Taanit 7a:8

The Gemara cites other expositions that deal with Torah study. Rabbi Ḥama, son of Rabbi Ḥanina, said: What is the meaning of that which is written: “Iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend” (Proverbs 27:17)? This verse comes to tell you that just as with these iron implements, one sharpens the other when they are rubbed against each other, so too, when Torah scholars study together, they sharpen one another in halakha.

נזיר נ״ט ב:ז׳

גְּמָ׳ וְלַיְיתֵי! אָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה אָמַר שְׁמוּאֵל: לֹא אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אֶלָּא לְחַדֵּד בָּהּ אֶת הַתַּלְמִידִים.

Nazir 59b:7

GEMARA: The mishna taught that Rabbi Yehoshua countered ben Zoma’s opinion by pointing out that his solution would cause the nazirite to bring his offerings in stages. The Gemara asks: What is wrong with that? And let him bring the offerings in stages. Rav Yehuda said that Shmuel said: Rabbi Yehoshua said this comment only to sharpen the minds of the students. He did not really maintain that it is prohibited to act in this manner; rather, he wanted to test his disciples to see if they were aware of the halakha.

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From "Another Look at Proverbs 27:17" on a Christian teacher's blog about ancient Hebrew poetry:

A reformulation of Prov 27:17 is found in b. Ta‛anit 7a. In context, Piel חדד “sharpen someone” seems to mean “sharpen one’s moral intelligence.”

אמר רבי חמא אמר רבי חנינא

מאי דכתיב ברזל בברזל יחד

לומר לך מה ברזל זה אחד מחדד את חבירו

אף שני תלמידי חכמים מחדדין זה את זה בהלכה

Rabbi Ḥama said: Rabbi Ḥanina said:
how is it that it is written, “iron on iron yaḥad [together]”?¹
To tell you, how an eḥad [single] iron meḥaded [sharpens] his fellow.
How much more, two students of the sages meḥadedin [sharpen] each other with halacha.

¹ Assuming a double play on words: אחד and מחדד on יחד, in its usual sense.

[More from this author below]

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מילון יסטרוב, חָדַד א׳

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Jastrow, חָדַד 1

חָדַד (b. h.) [to cut, point,] to be sharp, pointed.
Pi. - חִידֵּד to sharpen, whet, point. Y. Bets. V, 63ᵇ top לחַדֵּד ראשו וכ׳ they differ as to pointing the top of the spit (on the Holy Day)—Trnsf. to whet the mind, to try somebody’s acumen, to puzzle. Taan. 7ᵃ (ref. to Prov. XXVII, 17) אף … מְחַדְּדִין וכ׳ so do two scholars whet each other’s mind &c. Naz. 59ᵇ, a. e. לא אמר … לחַדֵּד בה וכ׳ R. J. said it only in order to encourage the students in raising points; a. e.—Part. pass. מְחוּדָּד sharpened, well discussed, clear and ready. Kidd. 30ᵃ (ref. to ושננתם, Deut. VI, 7) שיהו ד"ת מְחוּדָּדִים בפיך that the words of the Law be ever ready in thy mouth (Sifré Deut. 34 מְסוּדָּרִים), v. גִּמְגֵּם.
Hithpa. - הִתְחַדֵּד to be whetted. Gen. R. s. 69 אין סכין מִתְחַדֶּדֶת וכ׳ a knife is whetted on the broad side of another, כך אין ת"ח מִתְחַדֵּד וכ׳ so is a student’s mind whetted by a fellow-student, v. supra.

מילון יסטרוב, חֲדַד א׳

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Jastrow, חֲדַד 1

חֲדַד ch. same. Targ. Job XLI, 22. [Targ. Y. I Deut. I, 44 דחַדְדָן which sting; some ed. דחדרן, v. חֲדַר.]
Pa. - חַדֵּד 1) as preced. Pi. Sabb. 32ᵃ (prov.) נפל תורא חַדְּדֵיה לסכינא Ms. M. (ed. חדד, Ms. O. חַדְּדוּ) when the ox is thrown down, sharpen the knife (in critical moments man’s sins are visited, v. חִגְּרָא). Ḥull. 43ᵇ, a. fr. לחַדּוּדֵי וכ׳ to try Abbayis’ acumen.—Part. pass. מְחַדַּד ready in answering questions, well-versed, quick (v. preced.). Erub. 13ᵇ האי דמְחַדַּדְנָא מחבירי Ms. M. (ed. מחבריא) the reason that I am readier than my fellow-students. Yeb. 14ᵃ ב"ש מְחַדְּדֵי טפי those of the school of Sh. were more acute. Nidd. 14ᵇ מחדדי שמעתתיה (read: מְחַדְּדָן), v. infra. —2) to cheer up, entertain. Gitt. 68ᵇ, v. חַדְוְותָא.
Ithpa. - אִיתְחַדַּד to be well studied, ready at hand. Keth. 62ᵇ [read:] מִתְחַדְּדָן שמעתתיה (Rashi: מחדדן) he recited his lessons (traditions) well.

משלי כ״ז:י״ז

בַּרְזֶ֣ל בְּבַרְזֶ֣ל יָ֑חַד וְ֝אִ֗ישׁ יַ֣חַד פְּנֵֽי־רֵעֵֽהוּ׃

Proverbs 27:17

As iron sharpens iron
So a man sharpens the wit of his friend.

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JPS adds a comment that what is translated as "wit," panim [in construct form], literally means "face." Some translations pick up on this by saying the friend's "countenance" is sharpened.

רש"י על משלי כ״ז:י״ז:א׳

יחד פני רעהו. יחד ת"ח מחדדין זה לזה בהלכה:

Rashi on Proverbs 27:17:1

sharpens the countenance of his friend Heb. יחד, sharpens. Torah scholars sharpen each other in halachah.

Iron together with iron,

and a man together with his friend. -- Robert Alter (Norton, 2010)

Alter's note:

Iron together with iron. This is usually understood to refer to magnetized iron, which clings to iron, and so does a man to his friend. The force of the proverb is in its terrific compactness, which the translation tries to preserve.

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Alter rarely cites his sources, and his claim that his reading is "usual" is confusing due to scarcity of commentary or translation mentioning any reading OTHER than "sharpening." Maybe the interpretation of the Talmud's reading as "sharpen" overshadowed others. Still: all four English translations on Sefaria use "sharpen" for the verb, and no commentary suggests another reading. The Targum similarly uses "sharpen." Of the 37 more translations into English on Bible Hub, all use "sharpen" in the first phrase, and only two -- both from the 16th Century -- use another verb in the second phrase:

"Like as one yro whetteth another, so doth one man comforte another." -- Coverdale Bible, 1535
"Like as one iron whetteth another, so doth one man comfort another." -- Bishops Bible, 1568

This does not seem related to magnetism, but perhaps "comfort" involves "sticking together"?

There might be lots of translation and commentary relying on the magnetic imagery, but Alter doesn't cite any, so it's hard to understand his reading, however beautiful, as "usual."

I did find one contemporary Christian author -- see above on Taanit 7a -- who discusses in some detail reading the verb yud-chet-dalet [יחד] as related to hod, as in "to make joyful," or as related to yachad, "unite, singular," instead of "חדד" to sharpen. Unlike Alter, this teacher cites and discusses sources. The two that use "join/unite" are Naphtali Herz Tur-Sinai (Vienna, 1886-1973), and Michael V. Fox (contemporary). (https://ancienthebrewpoetry.typepad.com/ancient_hebrew_poetry/2009/12/another-look-at-proverbs-2717.html)

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רבנו בחיי, שמות י״ב:ל״ג:א׳

...מאי דכתיב (משלי כ״ז:י״ז) ברזל בברזל יחד ואיש יחד פני רעהו, ברזל בברזל יחד זה משה הצדיק ופרעה הרשע שהיו מתנקשים זה עם זה בדברים ... כך עשה הקב"ה למצרים לקו ושלחו את ישראל ונטלו את ממונם מי גרם להם על שנתקשו לפני הקב"ה אף הוא נתקשה להם על ידי משה שנאמר ברזל בברזל יחד.

Rabbeinu Bahya, Shemot 12:33:1

...When Solomon speaks (Proverbs 27,17) about “as iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the wit of his friend,” the words “iron sharpens iron” refer to Moses the righteous and Pharaoh the wicked respectively. They were opposing each other with words.... [long tale] ...This is precisely what G’d did to the Egyptians. They absorbed the plagues, then they did let the Israelites go, and on top of it all they paid the financial penalty when the Israelites took their money. What caused them to suffer all these degradations? Their obstinacy in refusing to acknowledge the existence of G’d. Pharaoh’s obstinacy was countered by Moses’ obstinacy. This is what Solomon had in mind when he spoke of iron sharpening iron.

בראשית רבה ס״ט:ב׳

רַבִּי חָמָא בַּר חֲנִינָא פָּתַח (משלי כז, יז): בַּרְזֶל בְּבַרְזֶל יָחַד, אָמַר רַבִּי חָמָא בַּר חֲנִינָא אֵין סַכִּין מִתְחַדֶּדֶת אֶלָּא בְּיָרֵךְ שֶׁל חֲבֶרְתָּהּ, כָּךְ אֵין תַּלְמִיד חָכָם מִתְחַדֵּד אֶלָּא בַּחֲבֵרוֹ, בַּרְזֶל בְּבַרְזֶל יָחַד וְאִישׁ יַחַד פְּנֵי רֵעֵהוּ, אִישׁ זֶה יַעֲקֹב, כֵּיוָן שֶׁעָמַד אָבִינוּ יַעֲקֹב אִישׁ יַחַד פְּנֵי רֵעֵהוּ, שֶׁנִּתְיַחֲדָה עָלָיו הַשְּׁכִינָה, וְהִנֵּה ה' נִצָּב עָלָיו.

Bereshit Rabbah 69:2

Rabbi Chama Bar Chanina opened with the following verse: Iron sharpens iron (Proverbs 27:17). Rabbi Chama Bar Chanina said: A knife will only become sharpened only at the side of another. So too, a Torah scholar can only become sharpened by a friend. "Iron sharpens iron and a person sharpens the face of his neighbor." This is referring to Jacob. When our father Jacob stood together (play on sharpened) with his friend, the Shekinah attached itself (or sharpened) to him. As it says "Behold Adonai stood upon him" (Genesis 28:13).