Pirkei Avot, “Ethics of the Fathers,” states in chapter 6:6: “The Torah is acquired in 48 ways.” This week: Way #47, “Being precise in one’s study.”
Rabbi Yechezkel Abramsky (1886-1976) once testified in a court case in England. The attorney for the other side opened:
“I understand that you are the greatest Talmud scholar in England.”
“Yes I am.”
The attorney was taken aback. He asked to this effect: “Is this the humility to be expected of a pious rabbi?”
“Sir, I am under oath.”
Precision!
Rabbi Aharon Lichtenstein said in the name of Rabbi Chaim Soloveitchik (1853-1918):
A conscientious surgeon will calculate the course of a surgery, then execute it with precision. At the very least, in the back of his mind he will fear the devastating consequences of failure. A Torah scholar must be governed by the same precision, and the same trepidation, when issuing a halachic ruling.
One involved in acquiring the Torah is working to understand the Divine purpose. The more precise the student, the closer he or she is to the realization of that critical goal.
The 47th way to acquire the Torah: Being Precise in One’s Study.
- Way #1, Study
- Way #2, Listen
- Way #3, Articulate Speech
- Way #4, Understanding of the Heart
- Way #5, An Intelligent Heart
- Way #6, Awe
- Way #7, Fear
- Way #8, Humility
- Way #9a, Joy
- Way #9b, Purity
- Way #10, Serving the Sages
- Way #11, Interaction with colleagues
- Way #12, Exchanges with students
- Way #13, Deliberation
- Way #14, Scripture
- Way #15a, Mishnah
- Way #15b, Limited Business Activity
- Way #16a, Limited Marital Relations
- Way #16b, Portion Control
- Way #17, Limited Pleasure
- Way #18, All nighters
- Way #19, Limited Conversation
- Way #20, Limited Entertainment
- Way #21, Slowness to anger
- Way #22, A good heart
- Way #23, Faith in the sages
- Way #24, Acceptance of suffering
- Way #25, Knowing one’s place
- Way #26, Happiness with one’s lot
- Way #27, Have a filter
- Way #28, Claim no credit
- Way #29, Being beloved
- Way #30, Loving the Omnipresent
- Way #31, Loving G-d’s creatures
- Way #31b, Loving acts of charity
- Way #32, Loving reproof
- Way #33, Loving integrity
- Way #34, Shunning honors
- Way #35, Loving integrity
- Way #36, Taking no joy from issuing halachic rulings
- Way #37, Sharing another person’s burden
- Way #38, Judging others favorably
- Way #39, Setting someone straight via the truth
- Way #40, Guiding a person to peace
- Way #41, Being at peace in one’s Torah study
- Way #42, Asking and answering
- Way #43, Listening and adding
- Way #44, Studying In Order To Teach
- Way #45, Studying In Order to Act
- Way #46, Studying In Order to Act