Ilustration Credit: Rivka Tsinman
Mishnah מִשְׁנָה
Ready to become a Torah scholar? This mishnah says there are 48 qualities you need. Here are a few of them:
אוֹהֵב אֶת הַמָּקוֹם
אוֹהֵב אֶת הַבְּרִיּוֹת
אוֹהֵב אֶת הַצְּדָקוֹת
אוֹהֵב אֶת הַמֵּישָׁרִים
אוֹהֵב אֶת הַתּוֹכָחוֹת
מִתְרַחֵק מִן הַכָּבוֹד
וְלֹא מֵגִיס לִבּוֹ בְתַלְמוּדוֹ
וְאֵינוֹ שָׂמֵחַ בְּהוֹרָאָה
נוֹשֵׂא בְעֹל עִם חֲבֵרוֹ…
Loving God
Loving people
Loving righteous behavior
Loving ethical behavior
Loving being told how to improve
Keeping far away from honors
Not getting arrogant from your learning
Not enjoying making legal decisions
Feeling the pain of others…
- How could each of these qualities be a way to receive the Torah?
- Which of these qualities surprise you? Why might the more surprising ones be important?
- This mishnah sets a high standard! Not many people love getting told what to do differently, and most people enjoy being honored. Which of the qualities on the list are most challenging for you? Can you think of people in your life (or people in the Torah) who have these qualities? What are some ways to help yourself grow in these areas?
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