בס "ד
Pirkei Avot 1:4
Yose ben Yoezer of Tzeredah and Yose ben Yochanan of Jerusalem received [the tradition] from them. Yose ben Yoezer of Tzeredah says: Let your house be a meeting place for the sages, and dust yourself in the dust of their feet, and drink in their words with thirst.
What Does This Teach Us?
When we want to be good servants of Hashem, it is important that we learn from the Torah what He expects of us. For some, this will come easily; for others, it may be more difficult.
“Let your house be a meeting place for the sages”
The Rambam (on Pirkei Avot 1:4) explains what this means: a place of gathering, meaning that you should always make your home available for sages to come together, just as they do in synagogues and houses of study (batei midrash) — so that when someone says to another person, “Where can I meet you? Where can we discuss things?”, he can answer, “At so-and-so’s house.”
Opening your home in this way is not merely an expression of hospitality — loving-kindness, one of the things upon which the world is founded. Rabbi Moshe Alshich also points out that when you find it difficult to study yourself, it is beneficial to show hospitality to rabbis, so that they can teach people from your home — and in this way, you share in the merit of their Torah learning.[1]
The great advantage of this is that even if learning is difficult for you personally, you will always gain something from it. Bartenura compares this to a perfumery: even if you do not buy anything, when you leave the shop, you still take some of the fragrance with you.[2]
“And dust yourself in the dust of their feet”
This image continues the same idea: just as when you walk directly behind someone, you literally walk through the dust raised by their feet, so too is it meant by “sitting in the dust of the feet” of a sage. In Mishnaic times, it was customary for the teacher to sit on a bench while his students sat on the ground at his feet.[3] In other words, even if you understand little of what is being taught, you will always pick up something that can be of benefit to you.
“And drink in their words with thirst”
Just as a thirsty person drinks until he is satisfied, rather than like a person who is already full and therefore rejects even pleasant and good things. So, even when you find something difficult to understand, remain focused and attentive.
A Noahide Perspective
When someone has just discovered the Torah way of life for non-Jews, it can be incredibly overwhelming. When reading books or listening to classes, one may wonder: Where on earth should I begin? What are these people even talking about? Remember that you do not have to understand everything all at once. Give yourself time to explore everything and to learn things slowly, little by little.
It is important, however, to maintain an open attitude toward learning and, as it were, to invite rabbis with knowledge of the Seven Laws into your home through the various channels available to you — books, blogs, YouTube, podcasts, and so on — because a Noahide is required to learn the Seven Laws and their details and to observe them.[4]
A Noahide is expected to learn the laws applicable to him. When he assumes that an otherwise prohibited act is permitted, his ignorance does not necessarily exempt him from liability, since “he should have learned but did not” (Rambam, Lois des rois et guerres, 10:1).[5]
When you have the opportunity and are in a position where there are Noahides living in your area, you could invite them into your home and, for example, watch a podcast or YouTube lesson together, discuss it, and learn from it together.
Another possibility is to contact a rabbi and ask him to provide classes for you and for the people you are able to reach in your own way.
Creative minds can surely think of other ways to put this Mishnah into practice and learn from a rabbi through hospitality.
From Sinai to Everyday Life
This Mishnah invites us not merely to read Torah, but to make a place for it in our daily lives. For a Noahide, this can begin simply by regularly setting aside time to learn, seeking out reliable teachers, and involving others in that learning.
In this way, even an ordinary living room can become a small place of Torah — a place where questions are asked, insights are shared, and where we gradually learn how the Seven Laws can take shape in our daily lives.
Angelique Sijbolts
Nous remercions le rabbin Tani Burton pour ses commentaires.
Sourcese
[1] Rabbi Moshe Alshich, commentary to Avot, cited in the original article (Feldheim edition, p. 39). — Let Torah scholars have a place to study and food to eat in your house; you will thus share in the merit of their Torah learning. … Hospitality is also a great act of loving-kindness.
[2] Bartenura on Pirkei Avot 1:4 — “May your house be a meeting place for the sages”: When the sages wish to gather together or to meet, let your house be ready for this purpose, so that they will become accustomed to saying, “Let us gather at so-and-so’s house.” For it is not possible that you will not learn some bit of wisdom from them. They stated allegorically, “To what can this be compared? To one who entered a perfumer’s shop; though he did not purchase anything, in any case he soaked up a good scent and brought it out with him.”
[3] Pirkei Avot — The ArtScroll Mesorah Series, p. 11 — In Mishnaic Times, the teacher sat on a bench and his pupils sat on the ground.
[4] It is important to make use of reliable sources, because the media can be overwhelming. Examples include AskNoah, Sukkat Shalom Bnei Noach, and 7 Gates Publishing.
[5] Rambam, Lois des rois et guerres, 10:1; see also Ramban, Commentary to Makkot 9b, s.v. “והיינו דאמרינן.”
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