Let your home be a meeting place for the wise; dust yourself in the soil of their feet, and drink thirstily of their words.

-Rabbi Yose ben Yoezer

A friend of mine, the poet Robert Bly, often talks about great writers emerging in groups, not singly. The implication is that by hanging out with other writers, they spark and inform each other, and produce better work than if they were working alone.

Now Im not sure if this is always the case for writers, but I know that one of the best ways to gain wisdom is to hang out with wise people. Rabbi Yose ben Yoezer urges us to make our home their meeting place, to roll in the dirt of their feet, and chug-a-lug their words! In other worlds, immerse ourselves in them. Who knows, maybe something will rub off!

The Hebrew word for wisdom, chochmah, is said to be a combination of the words for potential and being. The Potential to Be. If we are wise, we can see and realize our potential. If we are not, we will stay stuck in what we have always been. Maybe this is why we need to hang out with wise folks- to see their potential, and hopefully, let them see ours, even when we can’t see it ourselves.

Who brings wisdom into your life? Who sees your potential?

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Yose ben Yoezer (circa 164 BCE) was a rabbi of the early Maccabean period, possibly a disciple of Antigonus of Soko and member of the ascetic group known as the Hasidæans, though neither is certain. He belonged to a priestly family.

Joe Laur is a father, husband, naturalist, executive, consultant, and a lowly rabbinic student. He can be reached at joe.laur@godsdog.net.