Our Gemara on Amud Aleph seeks to prove from a verse that the person who administers lashes decreed by Beis Din need not be a learned individual (unlike, perhaps, other agents of Beis Din activity).

The verse states:

“Forty he shall flog him; he shall not exceed, lest he continue to beat him” (Devarim 25:3).

The Gemara explains: Granted, if even people lacking halachic knowledge are appointed, that is why it is necessary to warn them not to add lashes. But if only exceedingly knowledgeable people are appointed, does the Torah need to warn the attendant? (A learned person would already know to employ due restraint.) Apparently, even a person lacking knowledge can be appointed as an attendant.

The Gemara offers an aphorism: “One exhorts those who are diligent.”

However, the Gemara says this is not a proof, as even the learned—arguably especially the learned—benefit most from guidance. Torah Temimah (Devarim ibid.) explains that a learned agent might need more reinforcement to avoid overdoing the lashes because his zealotry might overtake him. Alternatively, a learned person is more receptive to learning even more. The more a person learns, the more he realizes he does not know. As Mark Twain quipped, “The older I get, the wiser my parents get.”

It’s a truism in human nature that the studious, talented, and motivated tend to benefit more from motivators and instruction than the disengaged. This is due to their increased Receptivity to their work, making them appreciate correction and guidance, as it aligns with their intrinsic motivation. The instruction and exhortation resonate with the recipient’s values and goals.

Teachers and parents often mistake token rewards and incentives as cash payments for services rendered. If the reward is seen as compensation, it will only reinforce behavior as long as the compensation continues. However, if rewards are token and symbolic, they attract and reinforce the intrinsically motivated because they internalize them as “thank yous”—recognition for their work. No one works for a thank you or sees it as payment, but properly given recognition acts as a motivator by affirming existing choices and focus, strengthening them. A good token or prize is neither payment nor bribe—just a pat on the back.

Translations Courtesy of Sefaria, except when, sometimes, I disagree with the translation

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Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, LCSW-R, DHL is a psychotherapist who works with high conflict couples and families. He can be reached via email at simchafeuerman@gmail.com