NUM326 Greater is Torah than the cohen's realm and than royalty: for royalty is acquired with thirty attainments, and the cohen's realm with twenty-four, while the Torah is acquired by forty-eight things. And they are: [21] by long-suffering patience; Pirkei Avot, Perek VI, mishnah 6. Whether you are a learner or a teacher, this quality is greatly needed. When a passage in the Talmud is perplexing, do not give up at once, in exasperation or despair. Try a little patience and persevere: go over it again and again; look up additional commentaries. Have patience, and you will ultimately see the light of understanding. Similarly, a teacher should never lose his aplomb or patience with his students. Often they can irritate and infuriate. Yet he should be ready to repeat his lesson again and again until it has been understood. It was Hillel, himself sweet-tempered, who warned in the second perek (mishnah six) that "a quick-tempered person cannot teach." ... Scripture tells: When the Hebrew soldiers returned, having vanquished the Midianites, "Moses was angry with the officers," etc. for sparing the enemy's treacherous women. Then, we find, El'azar the cohen explained to the soldiers the Divine laws for cleansing both war-booty metals and themselves from ritual impurity. Moses could not state these laws, says the Talmud: In his anger he forgot them! (Numbers 31:12-24. T.B. Pesahim 66b). And anger does worse things to the ordinary man: "He who has long-suffering patience," counsels the wise Solomon, "has great understanding; but a short-tempered person exults folly" (Proverbs 14:29).