The Secret of Rabbi Akiva's Beginnings: The Power of Deep Vision

Lesson No. 253 | Transcript of Cassette No. 253 Thursday, Parashas Devarim, the eve of 3 Av 5760, a lesson for the avreichim (Torah scholars) of the Old City Kollel at the home of the Rav Thursday, Parashas Acharei Mos, the eve of 23 Nissan 5760, Bar Mitzvah (and the words of HaRav HaGaon Moshe Halberstam shlit"a) at Zvhil Halls.

Rachel, the daughter of Kalba Savua, recognized in the simple shepherd a soul that was even higher than the spiritual level of Moshe Rabbeinu. In the merit of her mesiras nefesh (self-sacrifice), and the humility of Rabbi Akiva who agreed to overcome his shame and start learning from scratch, he broke a heavenly accusation of forty years and became the greatest of his generation.

The Deep Vision of Rachel

The Midrash HaGadol recounts the beginning of Rabbi Akiva's path, noting that until the age of forty, he did not even know the shape of a Hebrew letter. His father-in-law, Kalba Savua, said that if he had at least known how to read the Aleph-Beis or recite Bircas HaMazon (Grace After Meals), he would have agreed to the marriage. But Rabbi Akiva was a simple shepherd who knew nothing.

The great wonder is how Rachel, the daughter of Kalba Savua, chose him. What deep vision she possessed, that she was able to see past his external facade and understand that he was destined to become the greatest of his generation.

The holy Arizal explains that there was a tremendous kitrug (heavenly accusation) here. For forty years, there was an accusation in Heaven that prevented Rabbi Akiva from learning Torah, even though in the root of his soul, he was the greatest of his generation. Rachel understood that this was only a temporary accusation, and that if he would begin to learn, a tremendous light would be revealed here.

A Soul Higher Than Moshe Rabbeinu

The Midrash HaGadol on the verse "Please send by the hand of whomever You will send" reveals an awesome secret. When Moshe Rabbeinu ascended to the Heavens, Hashem showed him every generation and its leaders, and He showed him the soul of Rabbi Akiva. When Moshe saw his greatness, he said: "Master of the Universe, give the Torah through him! For Rabbi Akiva is greater than me."

"Things that were not revealed to Moshe Rabbeinu were revealed to Rabbi Akiva and his colleagues. 'And his eye saw every precious thing' - this refers to Rabbi Akiva."

Moshe Rabbeinu saw a man who had been an am ha'aretz (ignoramus) for forty years, yet was destined to attain tremendous spiritual comprehensions. Rachel saw what no one else saw: She understood that if this simple shepherd would begin to learn Torah, a light on the level of Moshe Rabbeinu, and even higher than that, would blossom here.

Overcoming the Shame: The Parable of the Donkey

Before their marriage, Rachel made a condition with him: "After the wedding, you are going to learn Torah." But Rabbi Akiva was afraid of the shame. He said to her: "I am an old man of forty, how can I go now and sit in the cheder (Torah school) with three-year-old children to learn the Aleph-Beis?"

To help him overcome the shame, Rachel did something very wise. She asked him to bring a donkey, placed earth on its back, and planted seeds in it. After a week, when a bush began to grow on the donkey's back, they went out with it to the marketplace.

On the first day, people saw the bizarre sight and laughed. On the second day, they also laughed. But by the third day, they stopped laughing - they simply got used to it. Rachel said to him: "Do you see? People laugh for a day or two, and then they get used to it. Do not be afraid of what they will say."

Starting from the Beginning: Aleph Kamatz Ah

Immediately afterward, Rabbi Akiva went together with his son to sit by the teachers of young children (the commentators discuss how he already had a son - it is possible that this was a son from a previous marriage, or that they went to learn together when the child reached the age of education).

"What was the beginning of Rabbi Akiva? He and his son went to sit by the teachers of young children, and they held the top of the reading board and would say: Aleph kamatz ah, Beis kamatz bah."

Thus, with tremendous humility, a forty-year-old man sat with his young son, and they recited the letters together. He started with the kamatz vowel, which corresponds to the Sefirah (Divine emanation) of Kesser (Crown), and learned from Aleph to Tav. From there he continued to learn Bircas HaMazon (Grace After Meals), Bircas Kohanim (the Priestly Blessing), Mikra (Scripture), and Chumash (the Five Books of Moses), until he reached the point of learning the reasons behind the Mishnah from the greatest sages of the generation, Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Yehoshua.

Mesiras Nefesh for Torah and Closing the Circle

During those years, Rabbi Akiva and Rachel lived in abject poverty. Every day, Rabbi Akiva would gather a bundle of straw in the fields. He would sell half of it to earn a parnassah (livelihood), and the other half he would use to light a fire in his home and learn by its light.

Once, his neighbors came to him and complained: "Your straw makes a lot of smoke. Sell us the straw and buy oil for a lamp, which doesn't make smoke." Rabbi Akiva answered them: "The straw makes a large fire. I both study by the light of the fire and warm myself from it, and from oil I cannot warm myself." Out of this hardship and poverty, he brought the hidden mysteries of the Torah to light.

After twenty-four years of study, Rabbi Akiva returned as the Gadol HaDor (the greatest sage of the generation). Kalba Savua, who did not know who the great Rav was that had arrived in the city, came to him to annul the vow he had made against his daughter. He told the Rav: "My daughter angered me and took a shepherd who didn't even know how to recite Birchas HaMazon (Grace After Meals), and therefore I vowed to cut her off from my estate."

Rabbi Akiva asked him: "And if he had known Scripture and Mishnah, would you have cut her off?"

Kalba Savua answered him: "Even if he had only known Birchas HaMazon, I would not have cut him off, but rather I would have given him half of my wealth!"

Then Rabbi Akiva revealed himself to him and said: "I am he!" Immediately, Kalba Savua fell down, kissed him on his head and his feet, and gave him all his property. Thus Rabbi Akiva merited, that out of immense humility and mesiras nefesh (self-sacrifice), he reached the pinnacle of Torah.

Part 1 of 3 — Lesson No. 253

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