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“Jacob, stay behind for a few minutes.”
The other young men continued to file out of the room, each carrying a small scroll of writing they had copied that morning. Though they were not training to become scribes, and their own handwritten copies of scriptures would never meet the standards required of the official copyists employed by the Temple, Gamaliel nevertheless emphasized the need for his students to individually transcribe the Law and Prophets for their own personal collections. The act of writing made us more fully appreciate each word. Also, if the meaning of any terms eluded us as we meticulously set them down on parchment, we could raise the point for discussion in class. The group sometimes engaged in spirited debates over conflicting definitions of minor phrases contained in arcane passages. The rabbi said this would prepare us for the endless debates we would encounter as priests.
I straightened a bench as the last of the students shuffled out the door.
“Jacob,” started Gamaliel, “I hope all is well with your family, and that you are doing well as you live here so far from home.”
I smiled at the small talk. “Yes, Rabbi. As you know, I stay at the home of a friend of my father’s, outside the city in Bethany. My host treats me like a member of his own family, and he sends word to my father of my progress in my studies here. It has been a good arrangement for me. The walk to Benjamin’s home is not far, and they feed me well and give me a comfortable room for study and sleep.”
Gamaliel finished examining a note on his table before looking up. “Good. In fact, that is one of the things I wanted to talk to you about. We are getting a number of students from outlying provinces. I think some of these boys require special attention. For one thing, they live in Gentile communities, and they don’t seem to understand that the Law is part of their daily life, not just a reading exercise on Saturday. They speak with odd accents, and some of their habits and customs are downright irritating.”
“I’m sure many people still consider me an outsider because my family lives in Galilee, even though I have lived here near Jerusalem most of my life.”
“That’s just it,” the rabbi responded enthusiastically. “You have a better understanding of how these boys might feel about living away from their families. I was hoping you could be my assistant in tutoring these boys. Your own understanding of the Law and Prophets is outstanding, so you do not need to devote as much energy to your studies as your classmates. I would appreciate it if you could help me by devoting a bit of your time giving special attention to these outlanders.”
I finished carrying the last of the writing supplies from the tables to a shelf against the far wall. As I was arranging them in neat lines on the shelf, I spoke over my shoulder. “Of course, Rabbi, I would be honored to help. But of course, I would only instruct them under your supervision. You could tell me which students need help, and in what topics. I would only work with them in the areas you instruct me to do so.”
“Yes, yes, of course,” Gamaliel said. He stopped loading items into his satchel and turned to focus directly on me. “And that brings me to my second question. Jacob, I am old. I have a house in David’s City just below the Temple Mount. And of course I have a servant who handles all the work around the house. But I am distracted by affairs at the Temple, and my wife died last year. I was wondering if you, with your father’s permission, of course, would care to move into my home and manage affairs for me.
“And there is more,” he added. “There is an upper room that is large enough for you to hold meetings with these boys you are tutoring. You would not need to stay late in this classroom at the Temple, only to walk home to Bethany late in the day. You could lead the boys on the short walk to my house and teach them there, and then you would already be home. What do you think?”
The room went out of focus. Me, assistant to the great Rabbi Gamaliel! And manager of his personal home and affairs! This could make me privy to many of the inner workings of the Temple and concerns facing the Sanhedrin. This would be a tremendous opportunity.
“Rabbi,” I said as my eyes came back to focus on Gamaliel’s bearded face, “you honor me with this proposal. I will speak to my host Benjamin tonight, and I am sure he will agree with me that my father would enthusiastically support this move. May I speak to you again about this tomorrow?”
“Of course,” the old man replied. “Take as much time as you need.”