A young student came to Tam and Chacham and asked to receive semichah – rabbinical ordination. Tam was studying from a holy book while Chacham stood at the window looking out at the snow-covered courtyard.
Tam asked the young student about himself, and the student told him he was determined to live a pure and holy life. “interesting”, and how do you do that?” asked Tam. “I pray with strength and devotion, bless the humble meals I eat every day, and spend many hours studying the holy Torah,” answered the young student.
“Your efforts are indeed noteworthy, but do you help others?” inquired Tam.
The student immediately replied, “I don’t interrupt my prayer and study for any reason. I don’t want to come into contact with any impurities which would prevent me from my holy lifestyle.” The young student thought for a moment and then continued, “The study of Torah is the foundation and the study of other things secondary.” (Iggeres ha-v’Kuach, 13th CE).
Tam slowly drew in his breath and commented, “The holy law imposes no asceticism” (Sefer ha-Kuzari 2:51, c. 1125 ce), and then seemed to drift off into thought.
Chacham, looking out of the window, wondered why the young student afflicted his body by drinking nothing but water; had nails in his shoes so that he should suffer pain when he walked each day, even in the coldest weather, he rolled in the snow, and he had someone give him thirty-nine lashes.
Just then, a horse entered the courtyard, drank water from the trough there, and rolled in the snow.
“See,” said Chacham to the young student, “that creature, too, only drinks water, has nails in its shoes, rolls in the snow, and certainly receives more than thirty-nine lashes daily – and it is still no more than a horse.”
The young student was devastated by what Tam and Chacham had said to him. Tam explained that the young student had to learn a bit more before he could be ready to receive semichah – rabbinical ordination.
Chacham gently guided the young student, “Study of Torah is important, but the application to oneself and the world around you is crucial. How can you hope to guide and teach people about peace if you don’t have peace in yourself?”
The disappointment showed in the face of the young student as Chacham continued, “Man is different and not like an animal, as it is written, ‘And the L-rd G-d formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.’ (Genesis 2:7)
To be a leader, a teacher, and a resource to the community, a rabbi must realize that we were created from the physical world as well as the spiritual world. People have to understand that they can be of this world and the spiritual world at the same time.”
Tam added, “So long as you live and treat yourself as an animal, you can not share the light of spirituality of the sense of peace to those who need them. Learn more and come back after you have found the holy in the mundane, and then we will consider your request.”
Tam called to the young student and blessed him, “May it be your will, O L-rd our G-d, to establish peace among the students who engage in your Holy Word – the Torah. (Berachos 16b -17a)
May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)
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Tell it to your children, and let your children tell it to their children, and their children to the next generation. (Joel 1:3)
