Because sometimes, the universe has a funny way of showing us that insight isn't exclusive to the scholars and sages.
We find a perfect example in Bereshit Rabbah, specifically section 32, which retells and expands on the stories we know from the Book of Genesis. This particular passage centers on a fascinating encounter involving Rabbi Yonatan.
Rabbi Yonatan was on his way to Jerusalem, making a pilgrimage to pray. The story tells us he was passing near Palatinos – the sacred area of the Samaritans on Mount Gerizim. There, he met a Samaritan who, knowing Rabbi Yonatan was heading to Jerusalem, challenged him. Why, the Samaritan asked, would he pray on "that mountain of ruins" when he could pray on the "blessed mountain" of Gerizim? The Samaritan's reasoning? Gerizim, he claimed, was not inundated during the Great Flood.
Now, Rabbi Yonatan, a learned man, was momentarily stumped. He didn't have an immediate answer. Can you imagine that? A scholar, caught off guard!
But here's where it gets interesting. Rabbi Yonatan's donkey driver – the person leading the animal he was riding – spoke up. This seemingly ordinary individual asked the Samaritan a piercingly logical question: "If it [Gerizim] is one of the highest mountains, is it not written: “All the high mountains…were covered”? And if it is one of the lower ones, the verse does not pay any attention to it and gave it no consideration at all." In other words, either Gerizim was high, in which case it must have been covered by the flood according to the Torah, or it was low, in which case it wasn't worth mentioning at all!
Boom. Mic drop. Right? The Torah (Genesis 7:19) states clearly "And the water accumulated exceedingly upon the earth, and all the high mountains under the entire heavens were covered.” It's hard to argue with that!
Rabbi Yonatan was so impressed by the donkey driver's wisdom that he immediately dismounted and honored him by letting him ride the donkey for three miles.
And then, in a beautiful move, Rabbi Yonatan quotes three verses to highlight the driver’s unexpected wisdom. He says of the driver, "There will not be an infertile male or a barren female among you, or among your animals [behema]" (Deuteronomy 7:14). Rabbi Yonatan cleverly extends this to include animal drivers [bahamot], implying that even the lowliest among us can possess wisdom. Even the lowly animal drivers will not be “barren” of wisdom.
He continues with a verse from Song of Songs 4:3, "Your temple [rakatekh] is like a pomegranate slice behind your braid." He interprets rakatekh to mean even the empty ones [reikanin] among you are as full of responses as a pomegranate [is full of seeds]. Think about a pomegranate – packed with seeds. Even those who seem empty can be full of insight.
Finally, he quotes Isaiah 54:17, "Any weapon crafted against you will not succeed, and any tongue that will rise against you in judgment will be condemned. This is the inheritance of the servants of the Lord…" This final verse underscores that even those who might be underestimated are ultimately protected and possessors of divine inheritance.
What can we take away from this little story found in the pages of Bereshit Rabbah? It's a powerful reminder that wisdom can appear in the most unexpected forms and from the most unexpected sources. It challenges us to look beyond appearances and preconceived notions, to listen to everyone, regardless of their position or status. Because sometimes, the person leading the donkey might just have the answer you're looking for. And that, my friends, is a beautiful thing.