True Character

בֶּן זוֹמָא אוֹמֵר, אֵיזֶהוּ חָכָם, הַלּוֹמֵד מִכָּל אָדָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהלים קיט) מִכָּל מְלַמְּדַי הִשְׂכַּלְתִּי כִּי עֵדְוֹתֶיךָ שִׂיחָה לִּי.

                    אֵיזֶהוּ גִבּוֹר, הַכּוֹבֵשׁ אֶת יִצְרוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (משלי טז) טוֹב אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם מִגִּבּוֹר וּמשֵׁל בְּרוּחוֹ מִלֹּכֵד עִיר. 

                    אֵיזֶהוּ עָשִׁיר, הַשָּׂמֵחַ בְּחֶלְקוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהלים קכח) יְגִיעַ כַּפֶּיךָ כִּי תֹאכֵל אַשְׁרֶיךָ וְטוֹב לָךְ. אַשְׁרֶיךָ, בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה. וְטוֹב לָךְ, לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא. 

                    אֵיזֶהוּ מְכֻבָּד, הַמְכַבֵּד אֶת הַבְּרִיּוֹת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמואל א ב) כִּי מְכַבְּדַי אֲכַבֵּד וּבֹזַי יֵקָלּוּ: (אבות ד:א)

Each one of Masechet Avot’s perakim begins with a central teaching.[1] The fourth perek opens with Ben Zoma’s definition of four characters: the chacham (wise), the gibor (strong), the ashir (rich), and the mechubad (respected).

Not The Ultimate Values

The first three characters — chacham, gibor, and ashir — were already referenced by Yirmiyahu HaNavi,[2] who discouraged taking pride in possessing these traits. Though society values them and (thus) people invest significant time and effort trying to attain them, they are not reflective of life’s true mission. Yirmiyahu recommends taking pride, instead, in knowing Hashem and living by His values, chessed, mishpat and tzedakah — kindness, justice and fairness. This is what Hashem values and, thus, what our lives ought to be about. Living this way is something to be proud of.

Still Valuable

Though these traits are not the ultimate goals, they are still somewhat valuable. In fact, even Hashem values them. The gemara[3] in Masechet Nedarim asserts that Hashem only “rests His Presence upon” (meaning that he only offers prophecy through) someone who has these characteristics.[4]

Like the gemara in Nedarim, Ben Zoma attributes value to these traits. His goal is to help us define them properly. Ben Zoma also adds a fourth characteristic to the mix — “mechubad”. Most people’s ultimate goal is respect. Some hope to be respected because of their wisdom, others because of their strength, and still others because of their wealth. Ben Zoma recognizes people’s yearning for respect and, therefore, seeks to define this trait as well.[5]

Internal and External

Though Ben Zoma relates to each of the traits separately, his words about all four share a common goal: to correct our thinking about which traits depend upon our internal, personal perspective and which hinge upon things external to ourselves. 

People measure ashirut by one’s money and possessions and gevurah by one’s ability to control other people or things. Ben Zoma disagrees, explaining that both traits are actually internal.[6] The true gibor is the one who has the strength to control himself[7]; the real ashir is the one satisfied with what he has.[8]

Why should we value the ability to control others? Even if that had value, what difference does that ability make if we cannot control ourselves? Finally, self-control is harder to achieve than the control of others.[9] Self-control is both a true accomplishment and also the accomplishment that truly matters. 

True ashirut is also internal. What significance do material riches have if they do not make us happy? Many rich people spend their lives desperately trying to acquire more wealth. No matter how much they have, their jealousy of others keeps them from being satisfied with their lot. Being happy with our blessings from Hashem[10] makes us truly rich. We live happily with the knowledge that we have what we are meant to have.

Ben Zoma has a similar approach to chochmah and kavod, but in the reverse direction. People generally define a mechubad as someone respected by others. Ben Zoma defines the mechubad as one who respects others. The one who respects others is the one who should be shown respect and is inherently respectable.

Sadly, many people are “full of themselves” — they feel that they are “God’s gift to humanity.” In truth, what truly makes us special is the fact that we are created in Hashem’s image. This fact is, of course, shared by all of humanity. A true appreciation of ourselves should bring us to a similar appreciation of all other human beings.[11] This appreciation makes us worthy of respect.[12]

Ben Zoma defines a chacham similarly. People generally assume that a chacham is intrinsically intelligent. Ben Zoma explains it otherwise: the chacham is the one who learns from others. No one knows it all. Hashem scatters wisdom among all of those He creates in His image. The more people we learn from, the smarter we become. The ultimate chacham is the one who learns from everyone.[13]

What We Accomplish

The Midrash Shmuel and Netivot Shalom highlight another thread common to Ben Zoma’s teachings. The blessings of wisdom, strength, and wealth are all God-given and thus not reasons for one to be prideful or shown respect. It is what we achieve on our own that is praiseworthy.

We should not be proud of our natural intelligence; we should be proud of the effort we invest in learning from others. We should not celebrate natural strength; we should celebrate the self-control we develop. We have no reason to show off the riches with which Hashem gifts us; we should be proud of the appreciation we foster for the source what we have. We should not be proud of the respect others show us; we should be proud of our understanding of the basis and importance of showing respect to others.

May Ben Zoma’s words help us appreciate the true meaning of wisdom, strength, wealth, and honor, and may they inspire us to focus on the personal growth that helps us achieve their proper form.

 


[1] See Maharal, Derech Chaim, Introduction to Avot Perek Bet.

[2] Sefer Yirmiyah 9:22. Rabbeinu Yonah (Avot 4:1) points out that Ben Zoma uses the same language and order as the Yirmiyahu.

[3] Masechet Nedarim 38a.

[4] See the midrash (Badmibar Rabbah 22:6) which explains that these characteristics are only significant when they are seen as coming from Hashem.

[5] Note that the issue of “kavod” threads through Avot’s entire fourth perek. (See 4:4-6,10,12,and 21).

[6] Judaism deemphasizes physical strength. Lionel Trilling observed that “Not all cultures develop the idea of the heroic. I once had occasion to observe in connection with Wordsworth that in the rabbinical literature there is no touch of the heroic idea. The rabbis, in speaking of virtue, never mention the virtue of courage, which Aristotle regarded as basic to the heroic character (Lionel Trilling, Sincerity and Authenticity).

[7] See Bereishit 4:7 where Hashem highlights self-control as the way to avoid sin. Avot D’Rebbe Natan (Perek 33) and the medrash (Vayikrah Rabbah 1:1, Midrash Tanchuma Vayikra 1) explain Sefer Tehillim’s (Tehillim 103:20) usage of the term “giborei koach” as referring to those who fulfill mitzvot. Ester Rabbah sees the difference between tzaddikim and reshaim in that tzaddikim control their emotions while reshaim are controlled by them.

See also Kuzari (3:5) who defines a chassid as the one who in control of himself and the Mishneh Berurah (571:2) who speaks about the significance of self-conrol.

See Sha’arei Teshuva (1:10) who sees this as part of Hashem’s intention when he presented man’s basic responsibilities in this world (Bereishit 1:26,28).

Chazal (Talmud Bavli, Masechet Yoma 69b) see Hashem Himself models this trait. We refer to him as the “gibor” because he holds back from punishing evildoers. See Bamidbar 14:16 which also seems to imply this understanding of Hashem sterngth.

[8] See Talmud Bavli, Masechet Shabbat 25b which expressed a similar sentiment.

[9] See Chovat Helevavot (Sha’ar Chamishi, Yichud Hama’aseh 5) who describes controlling oneself as the great war (as opposed to physical wars as smaller ones). See also Or Hachayim Devarim 21:11.

Rav Yisrael Salanter famously remarked that changing one middah is harder than learning all of Shas.

[10] See Rashi (Avot 4:1), who explains the word “chelko” this way.

[11] Understandably, Ben Zoma refers to the other people we are meant to respect as “b’riyot — creations.” It is the fact that all people are Hashem’s creations that makes them worthy of respect. It is also noteworthy that Ben Zoma derives the importance of showing respect to other people from a pasuk that describes showing respect to Hashem. When we show respect to Hashem’s creations, we show respect to Him.

[12] We are, of course, familiar with the importance of showing respect to one another from the gemara (Talmud Bavli, Masechet Yevamot 62b) which explains that Rebbi Akiva’s 24,000 talmidim perished because they violated this principle.

[13] Rashi (Bereishit 1:26) explains that Hashem taught this lesson by example when he ‘consulted’ with the angels about whether to create man.

This idea applies both to Torah scholarship (Talmud Bavli, Masechet Eiruvin 19a and Masechet Berachot 63b) and general knowledge (Orot Hakodesh 1:13.