Q: Who is a wise student (talmid chacham)?

A: Let’s open the Hebrew words to find the answer.

The term תלמיד חכם (wise student) breaks down into two parts: תלמיד (talmid) and חכם (chacham, wise).

Looking closely at תלמיד (talmid), we find that it holds the letters תם (tam, innocent, complete) and ילד (yeled, child).

So, who is a wise student?

The wise student is the one who, at their core, is like an innocent child (תם ילד). This isn’t about naivety, but rather the purity and openness of a child—someone who is humble and open to learning, not burdened by preconceived ideas or pride.

A true wise student embodies that inner child, maintaining a sense of wonder and receptivity to new wisdom, while also holding integrity and completeness within. They approach learning with openness, as a child does, yet with the depth and wisdom of experience.

The wise student is not simply one who knows, but one who remains open to learning, growing, and evolving at every step.

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