Hi,
Pirkei Avot 6:5 teaches that Torah is acquired in 48 ways,
which it lists for us. The forty-ninth of the 48 is machkim et rabbo,making one's rebbe [mentor] wiser.
As we have already said, one must ask questions while learning, and doing so will increase not only the student's understanding, but also that of the mentor. This also leads to an indirect benefit for the student; as Rabbeinu Bechayye notes, the mentor will know be able to teach more, and in better ways.
Have a great day,
Mordechai
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How can there be 49 out of 48? Is this because the benefit is to the rabbi, not the student? Or was there a counting issue earlier on?
ReplyDeleteI was going to ask the same question. Hoping answering it makes you wiser!
ReplyDeleteI was hoping someone might ask...
ReplyDeleteDifferent editions break up the mishnah differently in order to reach 48, and it seemed to me that there was more to learn by disregarding the number and focussing on the particular "ways". So in the end, I will have 51, I think.