On Being a Teacher (Temple Beth Or)
The ancient rabbis held their teachers in great esteem. They argued, in one especially striking teaching from the Mishnah, that a person sometimes should prioritize helping a teacher even over helping a parent. Now- Leaving aside the potential difficulties of this text from a parenting perspective, other rabbis were struck by a different sort of question. They asked: ‘What does it even mean to be a person’s teacher?’ The Talmud records this discussion:
“The ‘teacher’ they [the first group of rabbis] described- this means a teacher who taught him wisdom, but not the teacher who taught him Scripture or Mishnah”- these are the words of Rabbi Meir. Rabbi Judah says: “Anyone from whom most of a person’s teaching comes [counts as his teacher.]” Rabbi Yosi says: “Even if a teacher only enlightened a student’s eyes with a single teaching, he counts as his teacher.”
In this passage of Talmud, we see three different perspectives on what it could mean to be a teacher. The first perspective, from Rabbi Meir, suggests that being a teacher is not about training students in rote memorization. When Rabbi Meir talks about learning Scripture or Mishnah—as opposed to learning wisdom—he is suggesting that real learning occurs not when a student is able to regurgitate facts and figures (or biblical verses!), but instead when he learns to think more deeply for himself. Any person who motivates such learning is, according to Rabbi Meir, a teacher.
The next Rabbi, Rabbi Judah, suggests that a person becomes someone else’s teacher when the learner can trace most of his learning back to him (the teacher). Rabbi Judah’s opinion seems to be connecting with a sense of loyalty toward teachers, and it reflects the bond which ought to form between students and teachers. It seems like, according to this second rabbi, the most important thing in counting as a teacher is that you have meaningfully connected with your learners.
The final opinion that the Talmud preserves in this passage, from Rabbi Yosi, seems to give the most lenient opinion on the topic. Rabbi Yosi argues against both Rabbi Meir and Rabbi Judah, and says that neither sagacity nor student-teacher bonding is the key to counting as a teacher. Instead, Rabbi Yosi seems convinced that the basis of a successful teaching experience is inspiration. Even if a teacher only manages to inspire a student about one thing, that occurrence of inspiration is enough for a learner to feel as though he has found a new teacher.
With the month of May at hand, we are nearly at the end of our 5775-5776 religious school year. This has been a year of learning and growth for our students, and my most sincere hope is that each of our students will finish the year feeling like he or she has found at least one new teacher for his or herself. While different teachers may have their own unique approaches to teaching, I believe that all of our teachers have undoubtedly exemplified the Talmud’s three models of what it means to be a teacher over the course of this year. On May 13th, we will be honoring our teachers during a Shabbat service led by our 5th and 6th grade students. Please come and join us that evening as we thank our teachers for all that they do: for the wisdom they share with our students, the bonds they forge with our children, and the inspiration they can provide for us all.