Rashi on Amud Aleph (“Yomru”) quotes a dictum from Pesachim (3b): “One should always teach his students in a concise manner.”

What is the purpose and extent of this directive? The Maharal (Tiferes Yisrael 69) says that it is an order that a student on any level would understand the fundamentals. Students who are wiser can develop by reading between the lines or asking follow-up questions. According to the Maharal, then, the function of this principle is to teach in a progressive manner, with broader, general teaching first and details later.

Rav Yaakov Emden (Lechem Shamayim Avos 6:6) says that the teacher should be brief to save time. This is interesting because he believes that extra explanations are not necessarily cost-efficient for the time it takes to explain them. This is hard to understand because we think adding nuance and detail is not a waste of time but part and parcel of deeper study. Perhaps he means this principle is limited to situations where there is unnecessary elaboration. Sometimes, people over-talk out of anxiety or to fill spaces. The teacher is anxious that his material be heard and understood and over-talks instead of allowing silence and time for students to ponder, even creating conditions that encourage students to reflect quietly before the next teaching is thrown at them.

Rashi (Pesachim ibid, “v’kol”) explains that since the teachings were memorized, if they were brief, it would be easier to remember and less likely to be forgotten.

The Maggid Mimezeritch (Maggid Devarav Leyaakov 65) explains the importance and function of brevity with the following metaphor:

When a rabbi wishes to impart his vast wisdom to a student who cannot fully grasp it, the rabbi condenses his intellect into words and letters. For example, when someone wants to pour liquid from one vessel to another but fears spilling, they use a funnel. The liquid is channeled through the funnel, allowing the receiving vessel to accept it without waste. Similarly, the rabbi’s wisdom is condensed into words and letters, enabling the student to receive and understand the rabbi’s profound intellect.

The Maggid is saying that somehow the teacher can condense deeper ideas into carefully chosen words that act as a funnel to channel a large amount into a smaller vessel.

Regardless of which interpretation and underpinning you choose, we see that words and knowledge were treated as a commodity and resource to be conserved, like water or wood for the fire. This kind of ethic is different from our world, where excessive verbosity and oversharing are the norm. In the world of our revered sages, words were used consciously and judiciously to express carefully guarded wisdom with deference and sanctity.

Translations Courtesy of Sefaria, except when, sometimes, I disagree with the translation

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Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, LCSW-R, DHL is a psychotherapist who works with high conflict couples and families. He can be reached via email at simchafeuerman@gmail.com