I was preparing for a class I am teaching next week when I re-read a text from the Talmud that is a great example of the rabbis’ sense of humor, their educational concepts, and their understanding of our bodies and our needs. We read in the Talmud, in Massechet Brachot 62a:
“It has been taught that Rabbi Akivah said: Once I followed Rabbi Yehoshua to the bathroom, and I learned three things from his behavior. I learned that one does not defecate while facing east and west but north and south; I learned that one evacuates not standing but sitting; and I learned that it is proper to wipe with the left hand and not with the right. Said Ben Azzai to him: Did you dare to take such liberties with your master? He replied: It is Torah, and I must learn.
It has been taught that Ben Azzai said: Once I followed Rabbi Akivah to the bathroom, and I learned three things from his behavior. I learned that one does not defecate while facing east and west but north and south; I learned that one evacuates not standing but sitting; and I learned that it is proper to wipe with the left hand and not with the right. Rabbi Yehuda said to him: Did you dare to take such liberties with your master? He replied: It is Torah, and I must learn.
Rav Kahana entered and lay beneath Rav’s bed. He heard Rav chatting with his wife, joking and having relations with her. Rav Kahana said to Rav: One would think that Abba’s mouth had never eaten a cooked dish before (in other words, his behavior was lustful)! He said to him: Kahana, are you here? Leave, because this is rude. He replied: It is Torah, and I must learn.”
Rabbi Akivah justified his decision to follow his teacher to the bathroom because he understood that even the completely human act of defecating demands our attention, and our respect, since it is a natural part of what our bodies need to continue functioning. Since we were created in the image of the Eternal, Rabbi Akivah thought that he needed to learn how to conduct himself with holiness in every moment, including when he went to the bathroom. His student, Ben Azzai, followed his example and learned from him how to take care of his body. They understood that learning is all encompassing, a lifelong pursuit that is not confined to a formal classroom.
To Rabbi Akivah and his students, learning with true curiosity is the way in which one acquires knowledge that ultimately provides a wider perspective on the issues that affect the world and all its inhabitants. Everything is Torah, and one must learn. As human beings we have the potential to change our lives for the better, and in keeping an open, curious mind we can always grow.
I think this talmudic episode is also truly funny. Even though I applaud the desire to learn, I would not want to have anyone in the bathroom with me, even if it is to further their understanding of the world. And I find hilarious Ben Azzai’s need to follow Rabbi Akivah to the bathroom, since Rabbi Akivah had already taught his students what he had learned. I wonder if Rabbi Akivah did not shoo Ben Azzai away because he wanted to inflict the same pain he experienced years before on his student, or because he was clear that the best way to teach is through example (this still does not convince me that it is good to have company in the bathroom).
The Talmudic text continues with another anecdote that seems to fit the mold of the others, with a few key differences. I am not sure that Rabbi Yehoshua or Rabbi Akivah were oblivious to the presence of their students in the bathroom with them. Unbeknownst to Rav, Rav Kahana is under his bed. The reason that Rav finds out about his student’s behavior is because Rav Kahana says a very judgmental thing about Rav’s behavior while under his marital bed. Rav Kahana is not curious and open to learning—he immediately criticizes the behavior of his teacher, although he was not invited to be there, and he was imposing his presence on the intimacy of a couple. Maybe there is a limit to teaching by example, maybe Rav Kahana could not learn because he had criticism instead of curiosity, or maybe the reason Rav wants Rav Kahana to leave is because intruding on a couple’s intimacy requires consent. The Talmud does not record the ending of this episode. I imagine that Rav Kahana left, even though he tried to explain his behavior by using the words of his predecessors.
From these stories, I learn that going to the bathroom is a natural need, and even though it seems we probably can do this without much outside direction, the rabbis felt they had something to teach their students relating to the sanctity of the human body and our relationship to God. I also learn that curiosity and an open mind are key elements in education, without which we are not able to better ourselves. And I also learn that being judgmental/critical of others is an impediment to the ultimate goal of adding knowledge. If I am listening to someone else looking for the points that I must criticize in their arguments, I miss the opportunity to learn something, to grow and to change, which is the ultimate goal of the process. My hope is that as a community we are always open to learning, filled with curiosity, widening our understanding of the people and the world around us.