The Scholar Bought With Silver and the Cry to Wood, Awake

Rabbi Ami would treat lightly any scholar who was appointed for silver. Rabbi Yoshiya taught: the tallit that is upon him is like the saddlecloth of a donkey. Rabbi Ashian taught: an elder who is appointed for silver, they do not call him "Rabbi," and they do not rise before him; rather, may he be cast down upon the ground, and the tallit that is upon him is like the saddlecloth of a donkey. Rabbi Zeira and one of the rabbis were sitting and laboring in the Torah before the study house of Tiberias. One of those who are appointed for silver passed by. That one of the rabbis said to Rabbi Zeira: let us appear to be laboring in the Torah, so that we need not rise before him. Rabbi Zeira said: I, explicitly, will not rise before him. Yaakov, the man of Kfar Nevoria, expounded a single verse in the rebellious synagogue of Caesarea, and the rabbis praised him. "Woe to him who says to wood, Awake" (Habakkuk 2:19) — this is an elder who is appointed for silver. "Arise, to the dumb stone, it shall teach" (ibid.) — does he know how to teach? — in astonishment. "Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver" (ibid.) — and for the sake of his silver he was appointed. "And there is no breath at all within it" (ibid.) — he knows nothing. If you seek a word of Torah, behold there is Rabbi Yitzchak son of Rabbi Elazar in the rebellious synagogue of Caesarea. "But the LORD is in His holy Temple; let all the earth be silent before Him" (ibid. 2:20) — but the LORD is in His holy Temple.