blogs/rabbi-huberman

There is a story told in the Talmud about the firing of one of Israel's greatest scholars, Rabban Gamliel II.

You may not recognize his name, but in all likelihood you've read his work. Rabban Gamliel is credited about two thousand years ago with overseeing the collection of a number of stories and rituals, forming what is known today as the Passover Haggadah.

As the Talmud recounts, Rabban Gamliel �" who occupied the nation's top rabbinical position--came under fire in part for publicly embarrassing some of his colleagues.

At one point, during a heated discussion, he made the great Rabbi Joshua stand endlessly in front of the other rabbis. It was regarded as a public shaming.

The people begin to murmur.

They accuse their greatest rabbinical leader of being out of touch with reality. He rubs shoulders with the elite. He is completely removed from those he supposedly serves.

He is replaced by an eighteen year old named Rabbi Elazar Ben Azaryah �" who opens the gates of the seminary to all who wish to learn. Hundreds take him up on his offer and on that day, the Talmud recounts, every outstanding legal matter was identified, discussed and resolved.

A reflective Rabban Gamliel decides to take a walk through the back streets, and ends up in the blacksmith shop of Rabbi Joshua, the rabbi he had shamed.

Being a rabbi isn't paying the bills. Rabbi Joshua is forced to work as a blacksmith.

“From the walls of your house, I see you are a blacksmith,” observes Rabban Gabriel.

To which the Rabbi Joshua looks up from his work bench and snips back.

“Woe unto the generation whose leader you are...for you know not the suffering of Torah scholars how they support