The power of I don’t know TB Yoma 48

Between TB Yoma 47 and daf 48, there are a total of nine dilemmas raised by Rav Pappa, seven of them ending in teyku — which means in essence “We don’t know the answer and we have to wait until Elijah comes to answer this question.” Some of Rav Pappa’s questions are directly related to the mishnah above and some are not. Rachel Scheinerman writes: “The 20th century scholar Rabbi Louis Jacobs wrote an entire book on the word teyku. He notes that it appears 319 times in the Babylonian Talmud and not at all in the Jerusalem Talmud. This strongly suggests it is something the editors of the Babylonian Talmud used to organize and present their material. He also notes that teyku is frequently applied to a set of rabbis we’ll deem the “usual suspects.” Rabba introduces 47 problems that are unresolved and left to stand, Rav Pappa (today’s rabbi) introduces 33, and Rav Ashi and Rabbi Yirmiya each introduce a few dozen” (https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/yoma-48/)

Only demagogues know all the answers. The ability to say “I don’t know” is a sign of a great leader. Moses is the paradigm of a great leader who wasn’t afraid to say “I don’t know.” Parashat Ba’alotekha which we read on the same day we studied TB Yoma 48 gives us a wonderful example of this quality. There are some men who could not offer up the Paschal Lamb because they were ritually unready and would not be ready in time for Passover. They felt it was unfair that they would not be given a chance to participate in such an important ritual. Moses didn’t know what they should do and told them “Stand by, and let me hear what instructions the Lord gives about you.” (Numbers 9:8) Instead of making up an answer pretending that he knew everything, he admitted that he had to ask for further instructions. Ultimately, God told him to institute Pesakh sheni, a makeup Passover opportunity a month later.

Gaurav Gupta wrote the following article entitled “The Power of I Don’t Know.”

We are conditioned to having and providing quick, confident answers as a sign of competence and leadership. We behave as though any gaps in knowledge should be hidden at all cost. But is this desire to have an answer - and have it quickly - actually helping you? How often do we trade factual accuracy and thoughtfulness for immediacy? Why do people find it so hard to say – "I don’t know"?

Effective leaders are able to set a vision and direction, get others to buy into this vision and mobilize them to produce the change required to achieve this vision. None of this requires having all the answers. Yet, many people’s idea of a leader involves someone who has foresight and insight - someone who is able to see what others don’t. This can often translate to never saying “I don’t know.”

The next time your instinct is to provide a conversation stopping quick reply, retort or comment - pause and consider:

Information is cheap and easy to access – just Google it. Being able to synthesize this data to make a robust decision – that is a much rarer skill. This desire to “know all” is particularly strong in areas we consider to be our expertise and where we find it hard to admit not knowing something. Knowledge is important. But overestimating the importance of having all the answers (or the belief that you already possess them) can quiet your curiosity to explore all the facets of a topic with a fresh, learning focused mindset.

Do you sometimes find yourself believing your opinions are facts?

Myths are a great example of the power of repetition. Once an opinion or a half-truth has been repeated a few times, we start believing it to be true. How many times have you stated an opinion confidently and you, and those who trust you, start believing it as fact? Subtly and importantly different from lying, it’s OK to demonstrate confidence in your opinions. Just don’t neglect to acknowledge that’s what it is – an opinion. This leaves the door open for others around you to feel safe sharing their points of view, particularly if they differ from yours.

What do you risk by assuming you know?

Shakespeare famously wrote “The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool.” Try starting from the assumption that you don’t know the answer. What subtleties do you discover? What nuances would you have missed if you assumed or speculated your way to the “right answer” based solely on your own knowledge bank? I am sure we can all remember situations where we have inadvertently created an illusion of knowledge because we didn’t want to admit to not knowing, or not knowing enough.

For leaders, admitting when you don’t know something can be a real opportunity to engage your team if you say, “I don’t know, what do you think?” or “I don’t know, but I would like to. Can you help me figure it out?”  Your willingness to admit when you don’t have all the answers and your curiosity to find them will lead to better decision making and greater trust within your team. This authentic approach will speak to your character as a leader. What is less obvious (but no less true) is that asking good questions to find the right answers will also enhance the view of your competence as a leader.

The next time you are asked something you don’t immediately know the answer to, try starting with “I don’t know…” (https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnkotter/2016/11/29/the-power-of-saying-i-dont-know/?sh=ce8aa7018583)