5785/2025
Brachot 64a presents the following poignant teaching:
Rabbi Avin HaLevi said: If one forces the moment and attempts to take advantage of an undeserved opportunity, the moment forces him and he is pushed aside. If one yields to the moment and relinquishes an opportunity that presents itself, the moment yields to him.
The Gemara then relates the following story that supports this lesson:
This may be derived from an incident involving Rabba and Rav Yosef, as Rav Yosef was Sinai, extremely erudite, and Rabba was one who uproots mountains, extremely sharp. The moment arrived when they were needed; one of them was to be chosen as head of the Yeshiva. They sent the following question there, to the Sages of Eretz Yisrael: Which takes precedence, Sinai or one who uproots mountains? They sent to them in response: Sinai takes precedence, for everyone needs the owner of the wheat, one who is expert in the sources. Nevertheless, Rav Yosef did not accept the appointment, as the Chaldean astrologers told him: You will preside as head of the Yeshiva for two years.
Rabba presided as head of the Yeshiva for twenty-two years. After he died, Rav Yosef presided for two and a half years. Though he did not take advantage of the opportunity that presented itself, he ultimately fulfilled that for which he was destined.
One may ask, though, why didn't the Gemara cite a Torah story that seems to express the same point? The Ma'apilim of BeMidbar Perek 14 attempted to enter Eretz Yisrael prematurely and paid an exceptionally heavy price. Why doesn't the Gemara marshal this story as evidence for its assertion?
Indeed, Rashi already notes that Avshalom is a prime example of someone who was Dochek Et HaSha’ah and paid a steep price.
Yisrael notes that the Rav Yosef-Rabba story illustrates both sides of the equation, unlike the Ma'apilim and Avshalom stories. He was not Dochek Et HaSha’ah and gained twenty-two years of life. Had he been Dochek Et HaSha’ah, he would have died twenty-two years earlier.
In addition, Rav Yosef was entitled to take the Rosh Yeshiva position. After all, the answer from the Eretz Yisrael sages was that Sinai is of greater importance. Despite this ruling, Rav Yosef declined the position.
It is difficult to believe that Rav Yosef acted simply because of the soothsayer. Shabbat 119a presents the individual who heeded a soothsayer's advice as foolish and self-destructive.
I suggest that Rav Yosef recognized that he and our people would thrive with Rabbah at the helm. While if there is a choice between the Sinai and Oker Harim, we choose the Sinai, it is best to have the Oker Harim in the lead, with the Sinai playing a supportive role.
The interactions of Rabba and Rav Yosef on Bava Batra 32 beautifully illustrate the synergy between Rabba and Rav Yosef. Rabba issues rulings, and Rav Yosef offers cogent challenges:
Ultimately, the Halachah blends Rav Yosef and Rabba's views.
Imagine if Rav Yosef had not acted in Am Yisrael’s best interest. The hundreds of Machlokot between Rabba and Rav Yosef that enrich the Gemara would not have developed. What a great loss this would have been for Torah!
Rav Yosef also came out ahead of his remarkable decision. As a result, his name and views are regularly on the lips of Torah learners for posterity! His great sacrifice not only yielded twenty-two extra years of life but also caused Rav Yosef’s teachings to have a major place in eternity.
Rav Yosef’s Humility
The Gemara concludes by telling the following about Rav Yosef:
All those years that Rabba presided, Rav Yosef did not even call a bloodletter to his home. Rav Yosef did not assume even the slightest air of authority, and would go to seek out the bloodletter rather than call upon the bloodletter to accommodate him.
No wonder why Rav Yosef (Sotah 49b) describes himself as supremely humble. His humility refers to placing the nation's best interests before his own. Not expecting even the minor entitlements of a Rosh Yeshiva shows Rav Yosef spurning self-centered behavior for Am Yisrael-centric thinking and action. In the end, this humility vaulted Rav Yosef to immortality. Interestingly, the same applies to Moshe Rabeinu. No wonder why the Navi Micha (6:8) states, "Anavim Yir'shu Aretz,” “the humble will inherit the land."
Conclusion – A Time to Refrain and a Time to Indulge
It takes restraint and humility to restrain oneself when appropriate. However, when the time is right, one should seize the opportunities. After all, Rav Yosef assumes the Rosh Yeshiva position after Rabba's death.
One should strive to discern the divine will in each situation to determine whether to wait or to act. Ultimately, keeping Rav Yosef’s wise and heroic actions as a guiding example helps us navigate situations where we must decide whether patience or action is best.
Postscript – the Rama’s Humility
Binyamin notes the striking similarity between the special humility of Rav Yosef and Rav Moshe Isserles (the Rama). When the Rama, who lived in Cracow, Poland during the sixteenth century, was shown the Shulchan Aruch just released by Rav Yosef Karo in Tzfat, he was composing his Halachic code. Upon recognizing the Shulchan Aruch’s greatness, the Rama cast aside his writing and shifted to limiting his work to glosses to the Shulchan Aruch to supplement Rav Karo’s writings with Ashkenazic traditions.
In this dramatic turn, the Rama refrained from writing a competing Halachic code in favor of having one book contain the Halachah for both Sephardic and Ashkenazic Jews. In doing so, the Rama unified our people, with Sephardim being aware of Ashkenazic practice and vice versa. Like Rav Yosef, the Rama let Rav Yosef Karo shine and instead took a back seat to his “competitor.” Like Rav Yosef, the Rama showed extraordinary humility, which reaped extraordinary benefits to our people.
However, the Rama did not lower his stature since, as a result of his heroic act, he gained profound authority from all Jews, including Sepharadim. Ultimately, his writings wildly increased in popularity through the generations due to his courageous retreat. Once again, as Michah teaches, the humble inherit the earth. How fortunate are the Jewish People to have such righteous scholars as Rav Yosef and the Rama!