Day 9: שִׁמּוּשׁ חֲכָמִים / Serving sages/teachers/wise ones
The next three days present a triplet of relationships: teacher, colleague, student.
The Talmud teaches, "And Rabbi Yoḥanan said in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai: Service of Torah is greater than its study." The Steinsaltz commentary elaborates, "Serving a Torah scholar and spending time in [their] company is greater than learning Torah from [them]. Torah study is one component of a Torah life, but one who serves a Torah scholar learns about every aspect of life from [their] actions" (Brachot 7b).
Every moment is a learnable moment. When you find a good teacher, soak in their words, but also be sure to study their actions. Give them your attention and also your time.
Reflection:
How do we maintain an appropriate balance of transparency and privacy with regard to our lives and our teachers' lives?
This day seeks to see people as unified wholes. Is there an advantage to compartmentalizing ourselves into various identities? Should teachers (and frankly anyone else) have the right to separate their personal and professional lives?
Lived practice:
This day incorporates both observation and action. In terms of observation, really take notice of the values that your teachers live by, even when technically off the clock. In terms of action, make the extra effort to be polite and helpful to your teachers. In person, this could be as simple as holding open a door or picking up something that they dropped. What generous gestures can you think of when we aren't in person?
