Ilustration Credit: Rebecca Kerzner
Midrash מִדְרָשׁ
Did you know that Torah is like a tree?
וְלָמָּה נִמְשְׁלוּ דִבְרֵי תוֹרָה לְעֵץ?
לוֹמַר לְךָ מַה עֵץ קָטָן מַדְלִיק אֶת הַגָּדוֹל אַף תַּלְמִידֵי חֲכָמִים קְטַנִּים מְחַדְּדִין אֶת הַגְּדוֹלִים, וְהַיְנוּ דְּאָמַר רַבִּי [חֲנִינָא] הַרְבֵּה תּוֹרָה לָמַדְתִּי מֵרַבּוֹתַי וּמֵחֲבֵרַי יוֹתֵר מֵהֶם וּמִתַּלְמִידַי יוֹתֵר מִכֻּלָּם.
Why are Torah teachings compared to a tree?
Small twigs can spread fire to large branches, and this is like the way that small scholars can sharpen the gedolim (great scholars).
This is what R. Hanina taught: I learned a lot of Torah from my teachers, and even more Torah from my friends, but the most Torah of all—I learned from my students (Bavli Makkot 11a).
Sometimes, trees give us fruit or shelter, and sometimes they give us light and warmth. This midrash is teaching us that Torah can give us light and warmth in a similar way.
- Have you ever noticed that the tiniest flame from a little match can catch on and make a huge bonfire? How is Torah like that?
- Have you ever had a small question or curiosity lead to a lot of learning? How can one little moment of wonder create a huge amount of knowledge?
- What do you think teachers can learn from students? What is something you can teach to others?
- What’s a part of Torah you know that can be like a tree for you?
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