Simeon ben Zoma

Embracing a mindset of teshuvah also involves acknowledging that although we cannot control other for- forces in life, we can control our own behavior.

This is captured in Pirkei Avot by Ben Zoma's response to the question, who is truly strong? One who exercises self-control.

Tefilah.

Prayer allows us to name our fears and express our hopes.

A story of Rabbi Yehoshua, who's walking.

He reached Ben Zoma and did not greet him.

He said to him, and to where, Ben Zoma? Where are you coming from? Where are you going? He said to him, I was watching the creation, and there is not between the upper waters and the lower waters even a hand breath.

As it is written, Genesis 1, 2, and the spirit of God, ruach Adonai, mirach hefet al penei hamaim, hovered over the face of the waters.

This is before anything is created, y'all.

And it says, as an eagle awakens its nest, et cetera, right? So the same word is used.

Just as the eagle flies over the nest, touching and not touching, so too, there is not even a hand breadth between the upper waters and the lower waters.

Rabbi Yehushua said to his students, Ben Zoma is outside, and then in a few days, Ben Zoma passed away.

So these were, these were the four rabbis who entered Pardes.

So Ben Azzai, Ben Zoma, Acher, or the other, a name for Elish- uh, Elisha ben Av- Avahuya, and Rabbi Akiva.

Rabbi Akiva, the senior among them, said, "When upon your arrival in the upper worlds you reach pure marble stones, do not say 'Water, water,' although they appear to be water, because it is stated, 'He who speaks falsehood shall not be established before my eyes.'" So the Gemara proceeds to relate what happened to each of them.

So Ben Azzai glimpsed the Divine Presence and died, and with re- with regard to him, the verse states, "Precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of his pious ones."

Okay.

From Psalms.

Ben Zoma glimpsed at the Divine Presence and was harmed, i.e., he lost his mind.

With re- re- with revol- eh, with regard to the verse about him, it says, "Have you found honey? Eat as much as is sufficient for you, lest you become full from it and vomit it."

Uh, why did the rabbis do that? Uh, evidently, it was, uh, it became a, uh, a style of writing that, uh, proof texts were adopted.

Apparently, Rabbi Akiva and, um, and, uh, Ben Zoma, uh, Ben Zoma is, has a beautiful quote at the very beginning of chapter four.

Uh, they were the first ones to introduce proof texts, and Ben Zoma was regarded as, as an expert in using proof texts, and his proof texts actually make a lot of sense, as does, as do some of, some of those that are given by Rabbi Akiva.

But after that, uh, the, the, uh, genre of proof texts, uh, seems to have degenerated, uh, [chuckles] so that many of the texts that are given that are intended to be proofs, uh, are very far from proofs.

And even if you apply the term asmachta, if you ask, "Does it really support what's being said in any way?" You would say, "No, not really." So, but it's a, it's a, it's, it's a fascinating subtopic of, uh, Pirkei Avot.