As a result of significant Torah study and self-approbation, Rabbi Elazar son of Rabbi Shimon became arrogant and severely insulted a passerby. From this episode he learned an important lesson in how to conduct himself when interacting with people.

There was an incident in which Rabbi Elazar son of Rabbi Shimon came from Migdal Gedor, from his rabbi’s house, and he was riding on a donkey along the bank of the river. He was greatly rejoicing, and he was very arrogant because he had studied much Torah. A certain person who was exceedingly ugly happened to encounter him.

The man said to him: Greetings to you, my rabbi. Rabbi Elazar did not respond to his greeting. Instead, Rabbi Elazar said to him: Worthless one, how ugly is that man! Are all the people of your city as ugly as you are? The man said to him: I do not know, but go and say to the Craftsman who made me: How ugly is this vessel that You made!

When Rabbi Elazar became aware that he had sinned, he dismounted from his donkey and prostrated himself before the man, and said to him: I have sinned against you; forgive me. He said to him: I will not forgive you until you go to the Craftsman who made me and say: How ugly is this vessel that You made.

He was following the man, trying to placate him, until they reached Rabbi Elazar’s city. The people of his city came out to greet him, saying to him: Greetings to you, my rabbi, my rabbi, my Master, my Master. The man said to them: Who are you calling my rabbi, my rabbi? They said to him: This man, who is walking behind you. He said to them: If this man is a rabbi, may there not be many like him among the Jewish people. They said to him: For what reason do you say this? He said to them: He did such and such to me. They said to him: Nevertheless, forgive him, as he is a great Torah scholar. He said to them: For your sakes I forgive him, provided that he will not be accustomed to behave like this.

Immediately, Rabbi Elazar ben Rabbi Shimon entered the study hall and taught: A person should always be pliable like a reed, and not inflexible like a cedar. It is for this reason that the reed merited to have a quill taken from it, with which to write Torah scrolls, phylacteries, and mezuzot. (Ta’anit 20a–b)