When does one become a man according to the Torah and what does that mean halachically,socially, physically, mentally?
Is a Bar/Bat Mitzvah a celebration or a definition of status?
(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 (Hillel) would say: a callous/dense person does not fear sin, an Am Ha'aretz [one who doesn't learn the laws of tithes and purity] cannot be devout, one who is bashful cannot learn, one who is impatient cannot teach, not every one who increases in commerce becomes wise, and in a place where there are no men strive to be a man.
A) If becoming a man is an automatic process that all of us do naturally, then why would Hillel advise to strive to be a man ?
B)Do you think there is a connection between the last thing he said and the first things he said?
C)What places can you think of (currently or in history) where there are/were no "men"? (answers like "the ladies restroom" dont count)
D)Do you think Hillel's advice is gender specific?
מנין לתלמיד שיושב לפני רבו ורואה זכות לעני וחוב לעשיר מנין שלא ישתוק תלמוד לומר (שמות כג, ז) מדבר שקר תרחק
From where do we know that when a student sits with his Rebbe and sees a claim of innocence for the poor person(in court) and guilt in a rich persons claim and nonetheless speaks out the truth (in front of his Rav)? As it says in Shemot 23:7 "Distance yourself from a false matter"
E)Is the example brought here a situation where one is asked to be a man? If yes, how so?
F)What other social contexts challenge our ability to be men?
Bereshit Rabbah 42:13
Rabbi Yehuda taught that the word "ever"( Hebrew) means "opposite side." Abraham believed in one G‑d, and the rest of the world worshipped man-made gods. Thus, "Abraham stood on one side, and the entire world stood on the other side."
Rabbi Nechemiah had the opinion that it is a reference to Ever, great-great-grandson of Noah (usually Anglicized as "Eber"), ancestor of Abraham. Eber was one of the bearers of the monotheistic tradition which he had learned from his ancestors Shem and Noah and passed on to his grandson Abraham. Since Abraham was a descendant and disciple of his, he is called an Ivri.
The rabbis held that the word is a reference to the fact that Abraham came from the other side of the river and was not a native Canaanite. "Ivri" also refers to the fact that Abraham spoke the Hebrew language—thus named because of its ancient origins, preceding the development of the other languages current at that time.
G)How did Avraham the Ivri strive to be a man?
H)How are you being a man in today's environment?
I) After being introducede to the concept of striving to be a man, what is the pshat of the verse " and there was no man." How did that influence Moshe?
J)Look at the Ramban below.He answers why the Torah says that Moshe grew up and then in the next pasuk said he grew up again? in the second of his comments he also gives us insight as to another concept of what it means to be a man. what is it?
K)Moshe and Avraham were not the only "Men" who stepped up. In fact the Torah seems to profess a long list of people throughout its numerous stories who strove to do something heroic. List as many figures as you can and say why they fulfilled what Hillel later spoke about .
“A man should be able to hear, and to bear, the worst that could be said of him.”
― Saul Bellow
Part of being a man is learning to take responsibility for your successes and for your failures. You can't go blaming others or being jealous. Seeing somebody else's success as your failure is a cancerous way to live.
Based on the above quotes what do these contemporary people say about what it means to be a man.You can also think of figures in our past or present who may have failed at being men. Adam and Eve, Kamtza bar Kamtza, Richard Sherman?