שִׁבְעָה דְבָרִים בַּגֹּלֶם וְשִׁבְעָה בֶחָכָם. חָכָם אֵינוֹ מְדַבֵּר בִּפְנֵי מִי שֶׁהוּא גָדוֹל מִמֶּנּוּ בְחָכְמָה וּבְמִנְיָן, וְאֵינוֹ נִכְנָס לְתוֹךְ דִּבְרֵי חֲבֵרוֹ, וְאֵינוֹ נִבְהָל לְהָשִׁיב, שׁוֹאֵל כָּעִנְיָן וּמֵשִׁיב כַּהֲלָכָה, וְאוֹמֵר עַל רִאשׁוֹן רִאשׁוֹן וְעַל אַחֲרוֹן אַחֲרוֹן, וְעַל מַה שֶּׁלֹּא שָׁמַע, אוֹמֵר לֹא שָׁמָעְתִּי, וּמוֹדֶה עַל הָאֱמֶת. וְחִלּוּפֵיהֶן בַּגֹּלֶם:
Seven things characterize a golam, [from "golmei kelim," "unfinished vessels." So, a man who is not "finished" in mind, middoth, or wisdom is called a "golam."], and seven characterize a sage: A sage does not speak in the presence of one who is greater than he in wisdom. [For thus do we find with Elazar and Itamar (Leviticus 10:16-19), who declined to speak in the presence of their father (Aaron) when Moses became angry with them, and Aaron answered], and he does not interrupt the words of his neighbor, [so as not to confuse him, viz. (Bamidbar 12:6): "Hear, now, My words," i.e., Wait until I (the L rd) have finished speaking — a fortiori for a man (who can be confused)], and he is not hasty to answer, so that his answer be appropriate, as in the instance of Elihu, who said (Iyyov 36:2): "Wait for me awhile and I will tell you."], he asks on the subject and he answers according to the halachah. [This is one of the seven. The disciple asks on the subject, i.e., the subject that is being discussed, and then the Rabbi answers according to the halachah. But if the disciple does not ask on the subject, he brings the Rabbi to answer not according to the halachah, as R. Chiyya says to Rav: "When Rabbi is occupied with this tractate, do not ask him from a different tractate," and as in the instance of those men, who being unclean by reason of (contact with) a dead body, and seeing Moses occupied with the halachoth of the Pesach offering, asked him (the halachah) on that subject.], and he answers the first (question) first, and the last, last, [as we find with the Holy One Blessed be He, whom Moses asked (Exodus 3:11): "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and that I should take the children of Israel out of Egypt?", who answered the first question (Ibid. 12): "For I shall be with you," and the second (Ibid.): "When you take the people out of Egypt, you shall serve G-d, etc."], and of what he has not heard, he says "I have not heard it." [If he renders a ruling on his own, he does not say "Thus have I heard from my Rabbis." And we find with the men of Charan, that when Jacob asked them (Genesis 29:6): "Is he (Lavan) well?" they said to him: "(He is) well, and, behold, Rachel his daughter is coming with the flock." This (that he is well) we know. And if you would know more, behold his daughter is coming with the flock," and she will tell you; for we do not know more than this.], and he admits the truth, [even though he can argue for his view. And thus do we find with Moses (Leviticus 10:19) when Aaron refuted him, saying [If you have heard (from the L rd) that this (such eating) is permitted with kodshim for a particular occasion (the investiture), this is no license for permitting it in "ongoing" kodshim (such as the Rosh Chodesh goat). (Ibid. 20): "And Moses heard and it was good in his eyes." He admitted (that he had heard this from the L rd but had forgotten instead of "covering up" (by saying that he had not heard)]. And their converse, with the golam. [The opposite of these things that characterize a sage characterize a golam.]
Tractate Derekh Eretz Zuta
Avot DeRabbi Natan
From whom do we learn this? From Moses, as it says (Exodus 4:30), “Aaron repeated all the words that the Eternal had spoken to Moses, and he performed the signs in the sight of the people.” And who was the appropriate person to say all these things, Moses or Aaron? One would assume Moses, for Moses had heard them from the mouth of the Almighty, whereas Aaron had heard them just from Moses! However, Moses said to himself: Can I speak in place of my older brother while he is standing right there? Therefore, he told Aaron to speak, as it says (Exodus 4:30), “Aaron repeated all the words that the Eternal had spoken to Moses.”
And he does not interrupt his fellow.
This is Aaron [as it says (Leviticus 10:19), “Then Aaron spoke…see, this day they brought their sin offering and their burnt offering.” But] he was quiet until Moses had finished speaking, and he did not tell Moses to cut his words short. Only afterward did he say to Moses, “See, this day they brought their sin offering and their burnt offering,” but we are in mourning [and cannot eat of the offerings]. And some say that Aaron pulled Moses aside and said to him, “Moses my brother, tithes are the least important of the offerings, and it is still forbidden for a mourner to eat them. A sin offering is the most important of the offerings, so all the more so is it forbidden for a mourner to eat it! Immediately, Moses admitted that [Aaron] was right, as it says (Leviticus 10:20), “And when Moses heard this, it was good in his eyes.” (And in the eyes of the Almighty.)
We learn also from the fact that Moses became angry with Elazar and Itamar, Aaron’s sons. From this, they say that when a person [makes a celebration] for his students, he turns his attention to the greatest of them. But when he becomes angry with them, he directs his anger to the lowliest among them, as it says (Leviticus 10:16), “And he became angry with Elazar and Itamar.” This shows that he was actually angry with Aaron as well.
Aaron was older than Moses, but the Eternal is greater than Aaron! So why didn’t the Eternal speak to Aaron? Because he did not have his sons stand guard. Because if he had put Elazar and Itamar on guard, then he could have kept Nadav and Avihu from sinning.
We learn also from Abraham our forefather, who prayed for the men of Sodom. The Holy Blessed One said to him (Genesis 28:26), “If I find fifty righteous people in Sodom, I will save the whole place for their sake.” But the One who spoke and brought the world into being already knew full well that if there were even three or five righteous people in Sodom, it would have been saved. Yet the Holy Blessed One waited until Abraham finished talking, and only afterward replied, as it says (Genesis 18:33), “When the Eternal had finished speaking to Abraham, He departed…” (as if the Eternal had said to Abraham, see, now I am released, as it says [at the end of the verse]), “…and Abraham returned to his place.”
Avot DeRabbi Natan
This is Elihu ben Berakhel HaBuzi, as it says (Job 32:7), “I said to myself: Let age speak first.” This teaches that they were sitting in silence before Job. When he would stand up, they would stand up. When he would sit down again, they would sit down again. When he ate, they would eat. When he drank, they would drink. Finally, he asked permission to speak, as it says (Job 3:1, 3), “Afterward, Job began to speak, and cursed the day of his birth.” And he said, “Perish the day on which I was born, and the night it was announced: A male has been conceived!” Perish the day that my father came to my mother and she told him: I am pregnant. And how do we know that they did not all start speaking at the same time? For it says (Job 3:2), “Job answered and said…” and then (Job 4:1), “Elifaz HaTeimani answered and said…” and then (Job 8:1), “Bildad HaShukhi answered and said…” and then (Job 11:1), “Tzofar HaNa’amati answered and said…” and then (Job. 32:6), “Elihu ben Berakhel HaBuzi answered and said….” The book lays them out one at a time (however), to let everyone know that a wise person does not speak before someone who is greater in wisdom. And does not interrupt his fellow. And does not become agitated and respond quickly.
He asks appropriately. This is Judah, as it says (Genesis 43:9), “I will pledge myself for him.”
He asks inappropriately. This is Reuben, as its says (Genesis 42:3), “Reuben said to his father: Let my two sons die!”
He speaks of first things first. This is Jacob. And some say this is Sarah.
And last things last. These are the men of Haran.
And he admits to what is true. This is Moses, as it says (Deuteronomy 5:25), “The Eternal said to me…they did well to speak thus.” So, too, did the Holy Blessed One admit to what was true, as it says (Numbers 27:7), “The daughters of Tzelophechad have spoken correctly.”