Thursday, April 4, 2013
The 48 Ways to Acquire Torah: Studying under Torah Scholars
11:26 AM | 
Posted by
Rabbi Chaim Coffman |
Next on the list of the 48 ways to acquire Torah is learning from Torah scholars. One of the most important aspects of being a rabbi is not just passing the requisite exams to become a rabbi but having a mentor, a rav that one has learned from. Learning from a great rabbinic scholar is not something that may take a few days, months...it is something that one accumulates over time.
This is why learning from a Torah scholar is even greater than learning itself because here you are understanding how to put the knowledge that one has acquired into practice. This is why it is so important to learn from someone that not only has the knowledge but the practical experience as well.
This also helps us understand how we look at our rabbinic authorities today. We have to evaluate the scope of what the Torah scholar has learned but who that person learned under is of crucial importance. The person one learns from must be exemplary in his scope of Torah knowledge but also must be impeccable with character development.
Torah is meant to change a person. A person does not just acquire great amounts of knowledge without it changing the person. If a person learns lots of Torah but it does not affect his character development, then the Torah one learns is nothing more than mental gymnastics.
As the Talmud tells us, one must look at his Rabbi as no less than an angel. If a person cannot or there is flawed character within that person, then don't learn Torah from them. They are perpetuating a great tradition, passed down generation to generation and if there are noticeable flaws, then one must be very careful!!
Learning from a Torah scholar makes a person complete because they are able to use what they learned under proper guidance to make that person complete. As the Mishna in Pirke Avos tells us, "Acquire for yourself a Rabbi." According to one opinion, this means that even if it costs you money, you should have a rabbi as a mentor to guide you to give you the best chance to reach your true potential!
This is why learning from a Torah scholar is even greater than learning itself because here you are understanding how to put the knowledge that one has acquired into practice. This is why it is so important to learn from someone that not only has the knowledge but the practical experience as well.
This also helps us understand how we look at our rabbinic authorities today. We have to evaluate the scope of what the Torah scholar has learned but who that person learned under is of crucial importance. The person one learns from must be exemplary in his scope of Torah knowledge but also must be impeccable with character development.
Torah is meant to change a person. A person does not just acquire great amounts of knowledge without it changing the person. If a person learns lots of Torah but it does not affect his character development, then the Torah one learns is nothing more than mental gymnastics.
As the Talmud tells us, one must look at his Rabbi as no less than an angel. If a person cannot or there is flawed character within that person, then don't learn Torah from them. They are perpetuating a great tradition, passed down generation to generation and if there are noticeable flaws, then one must be very careful!!
Learning from a Torah scholar makes a person complete because they are able to use what they learned under proper guidance to make that person complete. As the Mishna in Pirke Avos tells us, "Acquire for yourself a Rabbi." According to one opinion, this means that even if it costs you money, you should have a rabbi as a mentor to guide you to give you the best chance to reach your true potential!
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