ערובין-פז

While traveling in ארץ ישראל by train, ר׳ מתתיהו מדניצקי overheard two חסידים arguing over a matter of הלכה.  The רב just listened silently, but when he saw that they did not have any understanding of the הלכה, he told them “״רבותי, הענין כך וכך.  Not realizing that he was a רב, one of them said: שייגץ,” תלמודך בידך ולמה אתה שותק”?  The רב, upset at this lack of respect, replied:  “מסכת אבות relates that ר׳ יוסי בן-קסמא was traveling when he met a man who asked him where he was from. ‘I told him that I come from a large city of חכמים and סופרים,’ said ר׳ יוסי.  ‘He asked me to come live in his city and said he would pay me well.  I responded that even if he offered all the gold and silver and precious jewels in the world, I would only live in a place of תורה.’  “So I ask you, how did ר׳ יוסי know that the man wasn’t from a מקום תורה?” The two חסידים didn’t have an answer.  “I’ll tell you,” said ר׳ מתתיהו.  “It was because when the man spoke to him, he addressed him as אתה.”

05/07/2020