Quote of the Month

Know, in truth, that a person might learn more and increase the lore of Torah with humble scholars, even though they do not know a lot of things, rather than studying with affirmed sages fancying themselves as the greatest scholars ever because of the depth of their intellect, bragging about that. In fact, whatever innovation in biblical or juridical interpretation one discusses before them, because of their great haughtiness, will be deemed not good enough and therefore rejected. Consequently, this person will feel his heart dying in his chest because of the anxiety and will not try to expound further, since he would think that his intellect cannot grasp more than that and infer that he was not born for studying Torah, as he was made an idiot – so, why should he strive in vain? […] The situation is different for whom studies with poor and humble scholars, even though they have not a great wisdom, as every innovation that he discusses before them is looked upon as a major one, as they appreciate him and exalt his innovation as if it were given on Mount Sinai. In this way, joy will fill his heart and he will continue to expound and comprehend enthusiastically.

(Elijah ben Solomon Avraham ha-Cohen, Shevet Musar)