Why did Rabbi Yochanan Ben Zakkai point out the dominant traits of his students?
Isn't that a source of unnesaary competion between the students?
Rabbi Jeff Wohlgelernter discusses this and more in PART 2 of this mishna.
Perek 2 Mishna 8 PART 2-
专址讘旨指谉 讬讜止讞指谞指谉 讘旨侄谉 讝址讻旨址讗讬 拽执讘旨值诇 诪值讛执诇旨值诇 讜旨诪执砖旨讈址诪旨指讗讬. 讛讜旨讗 讛指讬指讛 讗讜止诪值专, 讗执诐 诇指诪址讚职转旨指 转讜止专指讛 讛址专职讘旨值讛, 讗址诇 转旨址讞植讝执讬拽 讟讜止讘指讛 诇职注址爪职诪职讱指, 讻旨执讬 诇职讻指讱职 谞讜止爪指专职转旨指. 讞植诪执砖旨讈指讛 转址诇职诪执讬讚执讬诐 讛指讬讜旨 诇讜止 诇职专址讘旨指谉 讬讜止讞指谞指谉 讘旨侄谉 讝址讻旨址讗讬, 讜职讗值诇旨讜旨 讛值谉, 专址讘旨执讬 讗直诇执讬注侄讝侄专 讘旨侄谉 讛讜止专职拽职谞讜止住, 讜职专址讘旨执讬 讬职讛讜止砖讈只注址 讘旨侄谉 讞植谞址谞职讬指讛, 讜职专址讘旨执讬 讬讜止住值讬 讛址讻旨止讛值谉, 讜职专址讘旨执讬 砖讈执诪职注讜止谉 讘旨侄谉 谞职转址谞职讗值诇, 讜职专址讘旨执讬 讗侄诇职注指讝指专 讘旨侄谉 注植专指讱职. 讛讜旨讗 讛指讬指讛 诪讜止谞侄讛 砖讈执讘职讞指谉. 专址讘旨执讬 讗直诇执讬注侄讝侄专 讘旨侄谉 讛讜止专职拽职谞讜止住, 讘旨讜止专 住讜旨讚 砖讈侄讗值讬谞讜止 诪职讗址讘旨值讚 讟执驻旨指讛. 专址讘旨执讬 讬职讛讜止砖讈只注址 讘旨侄谉 讞植谞址谞职讬指讛, 讗址砖讈职专值讬 讬讜止诇址讚职转旨讜止. 专址讘旨执讬 讬讜止住值讬 讛址讻旨止讛值谉, 讞指住执讬讚. 专址讘旨执讬 砖讈执诪职注讜止谉 讘旨侄谉 谞职转址谞职讗值诇, 讬职专值讗 讞值讟职讗. 讜职专址讘旨执讬 讗侄诇职注指讝指专 讘旨侄谉 注植专指讱职, 诪址注职讬指谉 讛址诪旨执转职讙旨址讘旨值专. 讛讜旨讗 讛指讬指讛 讗讜止诪值专, 讗执诐 讬执讛职讬讜旨 讻指诇 讞址讻职诪值讬 讬执砖讉职专指讗值诇 讘旨职讻址祝 诪止讗讝职谞址讬执诐, 讜侄讗直诇执讬注侄讝侄专 讘旨侄谉 讛讜止专职拽职谞讜止住 讘旨职讻址祝 砖讈职谞执讬旨指讛, 诪址讻职专执讬注址 讗侄转 讻旨只诇旨指诐. 讗址讘旨指讗 砖讈指讗讜旨诇 讗讜止诪值专 诪执砖旨讈职诪讜止, 讗执诐 讬执讛职讬讜旨 讻指诇 讞址讻职诪值讬 讬执砖讉职专指讗值诇 讘旨职讻址祝 诪止讗讝职谞址讬执诐 讜职专址讘旨执讬 讗直诇执讬注侄讝侄专 讘旨侄谉 讛讜止专职拽职谞讜止住 讗址祝 注执诪旨指讛侄诐, 讜职专址讘旨执讬 讗侄诇职注指讝指专 讘旨侄谉 注植专指讱职 讘旨职讻址祝 砖讈职谞执讬旨指讛, 诪址讻职专执讬注址 讗侄转 讻旨只诇旨指诐:
Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai received [the oral tradition] from Hillel and Shammai.He used to say: if you have learned much Torah, do not claim credit for yourself, because for such a purpose were you created. Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai had five disciples and they were these: Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrcanus, Rabbi Joshua ben Hananiah, Rabbi Yose, the priest, Rabbi Shimon ben Nethaneel and Rabbi Eleazar ben Arach. He [Rabbi Johanan] used to list their outstanding virtues: Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrcanus is a plastered cistern which loses not a drop; Rabbi Joshua ben Hananiah happy is the woman that gave birth to him; Rabbi Yose, the priest, is a pious man; Rabbi Simeon ben Nethaneel is one that fears sin, And Rabbi Eleazar ben Arach is like a spring that [ever] gathers force. He [Rabbi Yohanan] used to say: if all the sages of Israel were on one scale of the balance and Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrcanus on the other scale, he would outweigh them all. Abba Shaul said in his name: if all the sages of Israel were on one scale of the balance, and Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrcanus also with them, and Rabbi Eleazar ben Arach on the other scale, he would outweigh them all.
馃敺Please Like and Subscribe to the channel.
馃敺馃敺Please check us out here: https://www.intentionaljew.com/
馃敺馃敺馃敺Also available on Spotify!
---
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/rabbi-jeff/support (https://anchor.fm/rabbi-jeff/support)