For the source text click/tap here: Taanit 7
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Should we expect that a person who is a Torah scholar should also be a physically attractive person?
Rabbi Oshaya says that we should not. He points out that the Torah is compared to three liquids – water, wine and milk (Isa 55:1) – all of which are stored best in simple, clay vessels.
We explore the notion of Torah containing the seemingly opposite elements of fire and water and contrast it with the other rabbinic claim that for some it is an elixir of life and for others a poison. (sam hachayim vs sam hamaves).