Shmu'os of Rav

How chashuv are the "Shmu'os" of Talmidei Chachamim...


See the Gemorah in Shabbos Daf 10b.

רב חסדא הוה נקיט בידיה תרתי מתנתא דתורא אמר כל מאן דאתי ואמר לי שמעתתא חדתא משמיה דרב יהיבנא ליה ניהליה א"ל רבא בר מחסיא הכי אמר רב הנותן מתנה לחבירו צריך להודיעו שנאמר לדעת כי אני ה' מקדשכם יהבה ניהליה אמר חביבין עלך שמעתתא דרב כולי האי א"ל אין א"ל היינו דאמר רב מילתא 

אלבישייהו יקירא א"ל אמר רב הכי בתרייתא עדיפא לי מקמייתא ואי הוה נקיטנא אחריתי יהיבנא לך

Rashi says:

מילתא אלבישי' יקירא. מעיל דמיו יקרים למי שרגיל ללובשו כלומר לפי שאתה תלמידו של רב ורגיל בשמועותיו אתה מחזר אחריהם

You see from here how chashuv the shmu'os of Rav were to Rav Chisda. Not only that but the 2nd "shmu'ah" that Ravah bar Machsia said over where Rav himself says how chashuv the shmuos of Chachamim are, that in and of itself was even more chashuv to Rav Chisda!

Shimush Chachamim

It seems to me now a days that the relationship between a Rebbe and Talmid isn't what it used to be. Now a days you don't see young talmidim running after Chachamim to learn from them. You don't see a "push" by Avrechim to get into a Kollel simply because they want to learn from a particular Rov. While I'm sure there are people that do this as a whole we don't see it so much anymore. Even on the other side, Rabbonim, Roshei Kollelim, Roshei Yeshivos, etc. have made themselves so busy to properly give time to each and every talmid that would want to learn from them.

Already though, Rashi gives us a feeling of what Shimush Chachamim should be like...

It says in the Braisa (see here) at the end Avos:

התורה נקנית במ"ח דברים ואלו הן...בשמוש חכמים

Rashi says there:

שדוחק ונכנס בכל מקום לשמוע דבריהן ולשמשן

The Sfas Emes (See here) writes however that b'zman hazeh could be that learning from seforim is considered to be "Shimush Chachamim".

With these 2 things in my mind my goal in this blog is to share with the world (and hopefully receive feedback and comments) different shailos and teshuva b'halacha, interesting things from seforim, savaras and chiddushim, biurim, and various thoughts and ideas in all areas of Torah. All of these gathered through years of Shimush Chachamim and Pilpul chavarim, together with the limud of many seforim.