by Rabbi Avi Billet
Shortly before Thanksgiving, a video entitled "Yeshiva Guy Says Over a Vort" was posted on youtube and made its rounds through many of our emails. In it, two animated bears discuss a Torah thought related to the traditional interpretation that the forefathers kept the commandments of the Torah before Sinaitic revelation. The darker bear begins the conversation saying, "Can I say over a vort that I heard by my rebbe's house last shabbos?"
The listening bear asks several questions, raises important challenges to the premise of the original speaker, and seems to come out the victor in a mini-debate.
Some viewed the dialogue as a spoof, many took it as a joke, and others were offended by the video's premise: that a person who listens to his rebbe and repeats thoughts without questioning anything is a fool.
There were several video responses, including "Yeshiva Guy Responds," in which an attempt is made to say that in an argument of ideas one first has to respect the other's right to an opinion. Then respect that the opinion has validity, then argue with it. There are more rules of engagement when it comes to arguing, of course, but this is a summary of bear dialogues.
Bearing all this in mind (pardon the pun), and without passing judgment on these videos per se, there is an ailment which plagues individuals in our communities, in particular a significant population of recent products of yeshiva and seminary education.
To illustrate, let us first read through the Midrash Yalkut Shimoni 415 on our parsha:
"'Betzalel son of Uri son of Hur of the tribe of Judah did all that God commanded.' It does not say 'that Moshe commanded'; it says 'that God commanded.' Even things he did not hear from his teacher (his 'rebbe'), his understanding followed that which was told to Moshe at Sinai. Rabbi Yochanan said in the name of Rabbi Benayahu, 'As God commanded Moshe, so did Moshe command Yehoshua, and so did Yehoshua do. He did not neglect a single thing from all that God commended Moshe.' It does not refer to 'all that Moshe commanded.' It says, 'All that God commanded Moshe.' This includes even things Moshe did not personally tell him. Rabbi Huna said [quoting Malachi 2:6], 'The Torah of truth was in his mouth' – these are the things he heard from his rebbe. 'And no falsehood could be found on his lips' – refers to things he did not hear from his rebbe."
Betzalel was in charge of creating every item for the Mishkan. And he relied heavily on the instructions Moshe gave him. But while Moshe may have known every detail himself, he may not have given Betzalel adequate instructions for each item. This caused Betzalel to find the answers himself, answers which the Torah tells us were exactly what God had commanded.
I believe it extremely important for every person to have a "rebbe" or mentor or guide to help a person find answers to important questions or to give a "Torah perspective" on issues which arise in our lives.
But we have to remember that we cannot guide our lives by "My Rebbe said" as much as we have to live our lives based on "What God commanded."
Firstly, we must all become thinking individuals in our own right.
Secondly, we must challenge our teachers to show us the sources for different things they say, or prove to us how the Torah supports their opinions.
Thirdly, we must not become complacent in our own search for truth. One rebbe's or teacher's opinion is always a great start. Seek out two, three, four opinions. And open the books they open and read the texts for yourself.
Finally, we must strive to reach the levels of Betzalel and Yehoshua insofar as how their relationship with their master-teacher developed. If we can become completely in tune to the teachings of our mentors, we too will be able to do God's bidding exactly right, even when we have not been given complete instructions, and all the details, from our teachers.
Because we'll have found the answers for ourselves.
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