INSIGHT 5767 - #33 KAVOD TALMID CHACHAM
Devarim 4:4 states that those who
cleave unto God are all alive today.1The
Hebrew verb that is used to express this bonding has the
root davak which, as Rabbi Shimshon Raphael
Hirsch points out, expresses the closest
attachment to someone else. To demonstrate this
point, Rabbi Hirsch quotes the famous verse of Bereishit
2:24, vdavak beishto, which
directs a husband to cleave unto his wife. As evidenced,
though, by its use in this verse, the implication of the
word davak is that this attachment must also have
a physical dimension. This is the nature of the human
being; the closest bonds must have both spiritual and
physical elements. It is thus not surprising that T.B.
Ketubot 111b questions the use of the root davak
in this verse. The gemara asks: How is it possible
to cleave unto the Shechina, the Presence of God,
who (as Devarim 4:24 states) is a consuming
fire?2
The gemara answers: Any man who
marries his daughter to a [Torah] scholar, or carries on
a trade on behalf of scholars, or benefits scholars from
his estate is regarded by Scripture as if he had cleaved
to the divine presence.3 Essentially
what the gemara is stating is that one bonds to
God through ones bonding with talmidei chachamim,
Torah scholars. This bonding can assume many different
manifestations4 with, perhaps, the most
powerful being the welcoming of a scholar as a member of
the family through marriage with ones daughter.5
This example of marriage is actually most indicative of
the nature of the kavod talmid chacham, respect
for the Torah scholar, that must be at the root of this
concept of dveikut, bonding. In declaring that
ones connection to God is reflected in ones
relationship to the Torah scholar, even to the extent
that one should wish to have a Torah scholar as
ones son-in-law, the Torah is declaring that it is
in how one looks upon Torah wisdom and in how one
respects the one who has acquired Torah wisdom, that one
connects to God. We all wish to find pride in the
life-partner that our children select. The gemara
is informing us that our greatest pride6
should be found in the selection of a Torah scholar. It
is through that emotion, the desire for Torah
scholarship, that one connects to God.
The path to God is, thus, through kavod talmid
chacham, but what exactly is the nature of this
concept as understood within the context of this verse. A
review of Rambam, Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Talmud Torah,
chapters 5,6,7, where the laws of respecting Torah
scholars are discussed, would seem to indicate that there
are really three categories of respect found within the
realm of kavod talmid chacham. One focuses on the
unique kavod that one must have for his teacher.
This respect is personal; it emerges from the world of
Torah study that was shared between rebbi,
teacher, and talmid, student. Another focuses on
the unique kavod due the Torah leader or universal
scholar the gadol. This respect is
communal; it reflects the important role of Torah in
guiding the nation. There is, however, another area of kavod
talmid chacham, one that simply reflects the respect
for Torah itself. This is the nature of the respect that
is being described in Devarim 4:4. It is not centred in
the personal or in ones relationships in learning.7
The verse is not describing how one should attempt to
marry his daughter to his rebbi. It is also not
based in the communal. The verse is also not describing
how one should marry his daughter to a gadol.
The verse is stating that one should respect Torah study
and Torah knowledge so that one wishes to have as a
member of the family one who embodies limud haTorah.
There is a base principle in Torah, one that is actually
at the core of our desire to connect to God, and that is
to respect Torah knowledge, respect the Torah housed
within the human being.
This principle may actually assist us in
understanding the famous story, in T.B. Chagiga 15b,
which discusses how Chazal intervened to bring
Elisha ben Abouya, the heretic Acher who was
considered to be one of the greatest scholars before he
left the path of Torah, into Olam Habah. Indeed
there was a personal element in this story; Rabbi Meir, Achers
noted student, was instrumental in this process. There
was also a communal element for Acher was one of
the greatest Torah scholars. The focus of the story,
though, is, simply, on his Torah study and Torah
knowledge. One who possesses this Torah must proceed to Olam
Habah. As an individual, Acher was not
deserving of our respect; as the gemara points
out, his array of sins should bar him from Olam Habah.
Yet, he studied Torah and his being contained Torah
knowledge; such an individual cannot remain outside of Olam
Habah. It is Torah knowledge that is the key to our
relationship with God.
There is a most important lesson in this verse. We
indeed are to respect gedolim, the great Torah
scholars of our generation. We are, also, indeed to
respect our rebbeim, those Torah teachers that
have taught us and with whom we may have important
personal relationships fostering our advancement in
Torah. Both of these forms of kavod talmid chacham,
though, include the communal and the personal. They
affect us in manners beyond the simple realm of Torah
knowledge itself. At the core of all three forms of kavod
talmid chacham must still be the generic kavad
haTorah, our respect for Torah itself. It is
specifically in how we relate to our neighbour, the talmid
chacham -- who is not a leader of the generation,
with whom we may never learn and who actualizes his Torah
in a manner that is different than our own -- that we
find the path to how to cleave unto God.
Footnotes 1 In regard to the truth of
this statement and the fact that even the righteous pass
away, see T.B. Sanhedrin 90b which applies the
verse to the Olam Habah, the Future World. The
simple reading of this verse would seem to apply it
specifically to the Baal Peor incident. 2 In actuality, Torah
Temima, Devarim 4:4, note 2 does wonder about the
nature of the gemaras question and why davak
cannot simply refer to deep soulful love. See, further,
for his answer. 3 Translation from the Soncino
edition. 4 See, further, Maharsha,
Ketubot 111b. 5 Reference to Bereishit 2:24
clearly is to be noted. 6 Of course, this is beyond
the obvious recognition that our greatest pride should be
found in the personal, that our children find the
special, singular individual who is truly bound to them. 7 Of course, the verse is
encouraging a fostering of a personal relationship,
specifically through advocating for a marriage between a
daughter and a scholar, but that is after the fact. The
first step, the desire to have a Torah scholar as a
son-in-law, begins with the basic, generic respect for
Torah knowledge. . © Nishma, 2007 Return to top |
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