Clinging to a Rebbe

By Rabbi Moshe Krieger, Yeshivas Bircas HaTorah (www.bircas.org)

A peculiar list of descendants appears in this week’s parsha. “And these are the sons of Moshe and Aharon” (3:1). The verse then mentions only the sons of Aharon. Why aren’t the sons of Moshe mentioned as well?

The answer, explains Rashi, is that “Whoever teaches the sons of his fellowman Torah, it is as if he gave birth to them.”

This is an important principle, one every Torah teacher must know, but a question remains: Moshe taught all of Klal Yisrael. If so, all the Jews of the dor hamidbar should be considered Moshe’s children. Why is the title “son” given only to the sons of Aharon?

Rav Yitzchak Hutner (Pachad Yitzchak, Shavuos 29) writes that a talmid is considered a “son” only when he is a talmid muvhak – when his rebbe gives him all or most of his Torah knowledge. Such a talmid is like a continuation of his rebbe, and thus is worthy of being considered his son.

Rav Shmuel Torvitz asks (Maadanei Shmuel) that still, didn’t everybody learn Torah from Moshe? Moshe Rabbeinu was the man who brought Torah into this world and taught it to Klal Yisrael. Isn’t that enough to make all the dor hamidbar his talmidim muvhakim?

Rather, Rav Torvitz explains that to be considered a son, one cannot be a “regular talmid muvhak.” He must be a talmid who clings to his rebbe — who spends more time speaking with his rebbe in learning and on other matters than do other talmidim. In the Sages’ description (Eiruvin 54b) of how Moshe taught Torah, we see that this clearly applies to the sons of Aharon. First, he would teach a subject to Aharon, then Aharon would move aside and his sons would enter the room and listen. Next, the zekeinim would hear the lesson, and only afterwards did the rest of the nation hear it. Meaning, Aharon heard each lesson four times, his sons—three, the zekeinim—two, and all of Yisrael—once.  The sons of Aharon were much closer to Moshe than the rest of the nation, even the zekeinim.

This raises a new difficulty, because listed among the sons of Aharon are Nadav and Avihu, who perished upon offering the ketores without a command from Moshe (during the chanukas hamishkan (Vayikra10:1). Among the reasons for this punishment, the Sages relate that Nadav and Avihu sinned by rendering a halachic ruling in the presence of Moshe (Eiruvin 63a). If they were so close to Moshe, how could they have been as brazen as to render a halachic ruling when he was right there in front of them?

Rav Torvitz sees this question, however, as proof of Nadav and Avihu’s closeness to Moshe:  This is because a verse (Vayikra 1:7) states that the sons of Aharon must “put fire on the mizbe’ach.” It would seem from this verse that bringing their own fire was the right thing to do. Only, because of their exceptional closeness to Moshe, Nadav and Avihu were expected to wait until they heard this command directly from him. Had they been true talmidim muvhakim of Moshe, they would never had done such a thing without asking him first (see Maharsha Eiruvin 63a).

The lesson for us is to strive to cling to a rebbe. The more one does so, the more he gains.

Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz notes a common error. People think: “What does the rebbe have to do with me? I’m at my level and he’s somewhere else entirely. I should make efforts to be close to him? What do we have in common?” This is a mistake! As distant as a rebbe may seem, the more one makes efforts to learn from him and gain closeness to him, the more the rebbe can then elevate his talmid—all the way up to the rebbe’s level!

Rav Shmuelevitz shows this from a story of Rav Pinchas Ben Yair (Chulin 7a), who was once on a journey to try to redeem Jewish hostages. When he reached a river, he ordered it to split before him, and the river did. Traveling with Rav Pinchas Ben Yair was another Jew, who was traveling to purchase wheat to use for matzos on Pesach. The river split for this man as well, even though he was not a talmid of Rav Pinchas Ben Yair and was far from the spiritual level of a man who splits rivers on his own. He was simply traveling with Rav Pinchas Ben Yair in order to fulfill a different mitzvah. All the more so if one clings to his rebbe in order to learn from him, his rebbe can surely elevate him all the way up to his level.

Another mistake people make is thinking that the rebbes of earlier epochs were capable of elevating their talmidim, but not those of today.

Rav Shmuelevitz addresses this as well, noting that in Devarim (17:9), it states that when halachic uncertainties arise, one must “go to the kohen who will be in your times.” Rashi asks: To whom else could one go? To a kohen of a different era? Why must the verse specify that one go to the kohen of his own era? Rather, Rashi explains that one has only the rebbe of his generation. Rav Chaim clarifies that this is no accident or coincidence. Don’t think: If only the Chofetz Chaim were alive, he would surely be able to resolve the uncertainties of our times. No! Even if the Chofetz Chaim were alive, the best rebbe for us would still be the rebbe we have, in our times.

Rav Shmuelevitz adds that for a rebbe to elevate his talmid, the talmid must have perfect appreciation and respect for his rebbe. As the Sages state (Moed Katan 17a), if the rebbe resembles an angel, seek to learn Torah from him. This is how we should perceive our rebbe. Only with this can he help you.

Rav Shlomo Lorincz had the opportunity to observe many of the great Torah teachers of the last generation. Looking back, he would say that the rebbes who were most successful with their talmidim were those who were perceived as truly holy beings. This is how Rav Baruch Ber Leibowitz was perceived, for example, and no wonder that he had such great talmidim as Rav Nachum  Pertzowitz, Rav Nosson Wachtfogel; Rav Eliezer Palashinsky, Rav Eliyahu Chazzan and Rav Chaim Shaul Karelitz.

Rav Dov Povarsky, one of the roshei yeshivos of Ponovezh, was once asked how a bachur can truly succeed in yeshiva. He replied: “Be mekabel all that your rebbe says. Understand that he is your rav – entirely. Other bachurim, who hear a shiur and look for ways to disprove it, do not grow, whereas those who took the opportunity to be mekabel all that their rebbe says were matzliach.”

May we be zoche to become closer and closer to our rebbe!