Lesson 1: Teachers and Mentors

Rabbi Adler begins his commentary on Pirkei Avot 1:6 by Joshua Ben Perachyah: Provide for yourself a teacher or mentor.

Bob's Application:  While the topic of seeking a mentor is quite commonly discussed within Christian circles, I find Rabbi Adler's comment about the importance of distinguishing between a teacher's public persona and private persona to be a perspective that we rarely hear discussed in the Christian world. Perhaps the biggest application I draw from this lesson is, not the importance of having teachers, but the importance of expending the effort necessary to acquire great teachers with whom we can also build relationships over time.