The Forty-Eight Ways by Which Torah Is Acquired

"Discipline your son while there is hope" (Proverbs 19:18). Rabbi Yishmael said: Great is the Torah, for it is greater than the priesthood and than the kingship, for kingship is acquired through thirty qualities, and the priesthood through twenty-four, but the Torah is acquired through forty-eight things; and these are they: through settledness of mind, through attentiveness of the ear, through orderly speech, through cheerfulness of face, and a good heart, through understanding, and through wisdom; knowing one's place, and acquiring for oneself a companion, and being exacting in one's study, and reflecting upon one's tradition, and saying of the impure "impure" and of the pure "pure," and of the yes "yes" and of the no "no"; and reporting a matter in the name of the one who said it, and bearing the yoke together with one's fellow, and judging him favorably, and receiving the sages, and loving the give-and-take of the sages, and rejoicing in one's study, and not being arrogant in rendering decisions, and not deciding the law in the presence of one's teacher, and not sitting in the place of one who is greater than oneself, and loving people, and loving rebukes, and acknowledging the truth, and engaging in the give-and-take of one's tradition, and disciplining one's son in the study of Torah. Then he has hope and a future, as it is said, "Discipline your son while there is hope, and do not set your soul on putting him to death" (Proverbs 19:18). And Rabbi Yishmael said: Discipline him with the words of Torah, so that you may save him from the judgment of Gehinnom in the time to come. Rabbi Yohanan said: Whoever is a Torah scholar, and his son is a Torah scholar, and his grandson is a Torah scholar - Torah never again ceases from his descendants, as it is said, "They shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your offspring, nor from the mouth of your offspring's offspring, says the LORD, from now and forever" (Isaiah 59:21). What is "says the LORD"? Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: The Holy One, blessed be He, said: I am a guarantor in this matter. What is "from now and forever"? Rav Yehuda said in the name of Rav: From here onward, the Torah goes around seeking its lodging place.