רָבָא אָמַר: ״לֹא בַשָּׁמַיִם הִיא״ — לֹא תִּמָּצֵא בְּמִי שֶׁמַּגְבִּיהַּ דַּעְתּוֹ עָלֶיהָ כַּשָּׁמַיִם, וְלֹא תִּמָּצֵא בְּמִי שֶׁמַּרְחִיב דַּעְתּוֹ עָלֶיהָ כַּיָּם.

Expounding the verse differently, Rava said: “It is not in heaven” means that Torah is not to be found in someone who raises his mind over it, like the heavens, i.e., he thinks his mind is above the Torah and he does not need a teacher; nor is it to be found in someone who expands his mind over it, like the sea, i.e., he thinks he knows everything there is to know about the topic he has learned.

רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן אָמַר: ״לֹא בַּשָּׁמַיִם הִיא״ — לֹא תִּמָּצֵא בְּגַסַּי רוּחַ, ״וְלֹא מֵעֵבֶר לַיָּם הִיא״ — לֹא תִּמָּצֵא לֹא בְּסַחְרָנִים וְלֹא בְּתַגָּרִים.

Rabbi Yoḥanan said: “It is not in heaven” means that Torah is not to be found in the haughty, those who raise their self-image as though they were in heaven. “Nor is it beyond the sea” means that it is not to be found among merchants or traders who are constantly traveling and do not have the time to study Torah properly.

בן יהוידע

לֹא תִּמָּצֵא בַּסַּחְרָנִים וְלֹא בַּתַּגָּרִים. י"ל סוחר ותגר מין אחד, ועוד למה לא זכר עוד שלחנים וחנוונים וכן בעלי מלאכות חייטים נגרים אורגים וצורפים וכיוצא?

ונראה לי בס"ד יש תלמידי חכמים שאין לומדים תורה בעירם כדי שלא יתבלבלו או יתבטלו מלימודם בשביל צרכי הבית, אלא הולכים ללמוד תורה בעיר אחרת וכנגד אלו נקיט סַּחְרָנִים שהם המחזרין בעיירות וכמ"ש רש"י ז"ל. ועוד יש תלמידי חכמים שלומדים תורה בעירם, וכנגד אלו נקיט תַּגָּרִים שהם יושבים בעירם ומקומן.

Ben Yehoyada questions the two professions chosen: 1. What is the difference between a merchant and a trader? 2. Why not mention other professions as well? He answers that there are two types of students of torah. Some feel the need to travel outside their home town, and others feel it’s sufficient to study at home. This corresponds to the merchant who goes abroad and the trader who stays local. Neither in the merchant nor the trader Will be successful only the corresponding student of Torah will be successful.

It occurs to me a different explanation. The question is a good question why single out these two professions, that is the trader and the merchant? Also, what really is the difference between this clause by Rabbi Yochanan and the earlier one by Rava?

I would like to borrow from Ben Yehoyada’s Idea about the merchant and the trader but apply it in a different way. Perhaps this is a subtle criticism of the two different types of students of Torah. That is, there are those who think The only solution is to go abroad, and others who stubbornly stay put. Either situation may be “overthinking” because by all rights, Torah is accessible anywhere as the verse promises is it is not in heaven nor is it on the other side of the sea. And this might be actually the connection between the first clause of Rabbi Yochanan’s dicta  and the second. Namely don't be so arrogant to assume that you're so special that you have to travel abroad to study Torah, nor don't be so arrogant to think that you're so special that you somehow can afford not to go on a quest if that is really the right thing to do for your development. We cannot underestimate the need to sometimes make personal accommodations, that is why the directives are contradictory. So, yes, sometimes the answer is to travel abroad,  And sometimes the answer is to stay put. But ultimately, one must realize that the answer lies within oneself. As Yogi Bera famously said, “Wherever you go, that’s where you’ll be.”

for Video Shiur click here to listen:  Psychology of the DAF Eruvin 55

Translations Courtesy of Sefaria

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

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