[Avodah] Who is a Talmid Chacham

[Zev Sero]

On 6/07/2012 5:58 AM, Micha Berger wrote:
> In some wars. Shemuel I 19:8, "vayeitzei David bayilachem baPelishtim",
> predate his appointment. II 8:1, "vayakh David es Pelishtim". v. 2
> "Vayach es Moav". Etc.. for a number of battles through that pereq.

> "Lo sivneh bayis liShmi, ki damim Rabim shafakhta artzah lefanai"
> -Divrei haYamim I 22:8.

> He went to enough wars to be disqualified from bulding bayis rishon.

1. Maybe he wasn't a talmid chacham then

2. There was a long period when he had no choice but to fight.  Nobody
says a talmid chochom *may* not fight, that he's some sort of sacred
person who must not lift up a weapon, like priests in some religions.
When Asa conscripted talmidei chachamim they fought, but he was punished
for it.


> On Fri, Jul 06, 2012 at 07:30:21AM +0300, Doron Beckerman wrote:
>:>  the Shofetim

>: Who, by and large, were not the greatest Talmidei Chachamim of their times.

> Yiftach bedoro keShmuel bedoro.

How is that relevant?  As the shofet he must be obeyed; how does that
make him a talmid chacham who is exempt from fighting?  On the contrary,
the only reason he was accepted as the shofet was as the price of his
agreeing to fight; if he were then to turn around and say "since I'm
the shofet I must be a talmid chacham so I won't fight" they'd have
made him "ois shoifet" on the spot!

Reminds me of the story I read on Areivim, about the Polish Jew in a
German shul who wore his talles over his head.  The gabbai said to him,
"Reb Yid, I see by the talles over your head that you're a talmid chochom,
so how is it that you don't know that bai unz an am ho'oretz doesn't wear
a talles over his head?"

-- 
Zev Sero
zev at sero.name