Читать книгу The Essential Agus - Steven T. Katz - Страница 19

The Disciples of the Wise were heirs of the prophets. “From the day when the Temple was destroyed, prophecy was taken from the prophets and given to the wise.” ⁴⁶

The ideal Disciple of the Wise was, therefore, somewhat of a mystic. His learning was more than an accumulation of knowledge—it was also the attainment of a high degree of holiness. The Divine Presence (Shechinah) was in attendance whenever the Disciples debated the Law.

“From the day when the Holy Temple was destroyed, the Holy One, blessed be He, possesses in His world only the four ells of Halacha.”⁴⁷ In the Talmudic period, the Disciples of the Wise were believed to experience mystical visions and to possess miraculous powers. While this phase of their personality was not always elaborated by way of tales of wonder, mystical potency forms part of the ideal. The Disciple of the Wise is more than a scholar; he is a pneumatic personality, a spiritual athlete, forever striving to approach the Divine Presence and, on extreme occasions, disposing of superhuman powers.