Bostoner Torah Insights: Bostoner ‘Chassidus’ in English and Hebrew: Parshas Behar - Lag B'Omer – 17-18 Iyar 5784
Bostoner Torah Insights - Yerushalayim
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Bostoner Torah Insights
Bostoner ‘Chassidus’ in English
Parshas Behar (Lag B'Omer) – 17-18 Iyar 5784
Bostoner Rebbe shlit”a – Yerushalayim
Secretariat Email: bosto...@gmail.com
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Out of the thousands of students who perished during this period of Sefirah, only five of Rabbi Akiva’s Talmidim survived. Yevamos 62b tells us that it was from Rebbe Meir, Rebbe Yehudah, Rebbe Yossi, Rebbe Shimon (Bar Yochai), Rebbe Elazar ben Shamua that reestablished the Torah and spread it throughout the world. The only explanation given to us why these 12,000 pairs of students passed away in a plague during this time was “Sh’lo Nahagu Kavod Zeh BaZeh”, literally translated as: they did not show proper respect for one another.
Although R’ Shimon bar Yochai is probably the most famous and widely known of these Talmidim – especially during this time of year – the fact that Rebbe Meir was listed first indicates that he was the most prodigious of Rebbe Akiva’s students. People of exceptional ability may use the opportunity to look down at others and not show proper respect for others whom they feel are beneath them. However, Rebbe Meir’s mantra as recorded in Avos 4:12 was, “Be of humble spirit before every individual”
In Perek Reb Elazar D’Mila, the 19th Chapter of Mesechet Shabbos, we are told about when Rebbe Meir was ill one Shabbos as an elderly man. His Talmidim wanted to make a mixture of oil and wine for him as a remedy for his ailments. The question arose, whether in fact it is permissible to create such a mixture on Shabbos. In principle, Rebbi Meir permits this act on Shabbos, while the Chachomim prohibit the preparation of such a mixture.
In this particular instance, Rebbi Meir instructed his Talmidim that they should not prepare such a mixture. The Talmidim, perplexed asked their Rebbe: “Do you wish to nullify your own words in your lifetime”? His reply was: “Even though I allow others to prepare this mixture on Shabbos, however, out of respect for my fellow Tanaiim [his Mishnaic colleagues], I myself have never gone against the words that they hold to be Emes [true]”, and therefore Rebbe Meir would not permit the mixture to be prepared for him.
We find a similar incident with Rebbi Yossi, the third of the remaining Talmidim of Rebbi Akiva. He stated that he never dismissed the wishes of his fellows. If they asked him to be “Oleh Liduchan”, to ‘go up on the platform’ in order to give the Priestly blessings he would do so, even though he was not a Kohen. The commentaries give various explanations as to how Rebbi Yossi could do such a thing, which is beyond the scope of this discussion. The case in point is the degree of consideration he displayed for the opinion of others.
Similarly, Rebbe Eliezer Ben Shmuah, the fifth of the remaining students of Rebbe Akiva, teaches in Pirkei Avos 4:15: “Let the honor of your student be as cherished as your own honor and the honor of your colleague should be like the honor of your teacher, and the honor of your teacher should be like the reverence displayed toward Hashem”. It seems that Rebbe Eliezer is specifically instructing one to give honor to peers on a level equal to one’s teacher as a safeguard around the dangers of not showing proper respect to one’s colleague – the malady that had consumed so many of his peers.
I am sure that if we analyzed further we would find many more examples of this prevailing attitude shared by all five of Rebbe Akiva’s Talmidim and even Rebbe Akiva himself. These men learned from the tragedy – as we must also learn in our times – and rectified this deadly character trait of ‘Sh’lo Nahagu Kavod Zeh BaZeh’.
It is quite natural for family members, peers, chavrusas and colleagues to disagree. Just as our appearances are unique so too the way we think is unique. We should not feel threatened when others disagree or take their difference of opinion as a personal attack. It is the back and forth of healthy discourse, the multiplicity of ideas, and the different ways in which we think that allows us to jointly find solutions to problems and arrive at the truth of the matter. From cover to cover, the Talmud is full of disagreements between very intelligent people. We must disagree with ‘ideas’ and not with ‘people’ as we learn from the most famous debaters of all, Hillel and Shammai (see Avos 5:20, Ediyos 1:4, Yevamos 14b, Eruvin 13b, et. al).
This is one of the reasons why every year I choose the Shabbos adjacent to Lag B’Omer as a Shabbos Hisachdus – a Shabbos of unity and togetherness – to rectify any trace of ‘Sh’lo Nahagu Kavod Zeh BaZeh’ during this time. For those of you who are not physically joining us in Tevaria this Shabbos, I hope these words will bring unity, togetherness and tranquility in your homes and communities this Shabbos
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