One of the most unique elements of Judaism is the printed record of discussions of the rabbis on matter of Jewish law and life known as the Talmud. Compiled around 200 CE, this highly stylized, multi-volume text touches on every aspect of a well lived life, and is the foundation of the way we practice Judaism today.
There is a fascinating fact that often goes unnoticed even by those who study Talmud each day; the page numbers. In the Talmud, each page is known as a daf, and pages are assigned based on each piece of paper, not each side (as is standard for most books). This results in each daf having an A side (aleph) and a B side (bet). However, there is never a page one, either A or B.
The reason may be simple. Early printers of the Talmud considered the title page as page one, and thus began with the next page, two. But such an answer, while factually interesting, is not compelling. Rabbinic tradition is far more interested in providing answers which demonstrate how to live more connected, meaningful lives.
One such tradition (often attributed to one of the Sanzer Rabbis) answers the question of why we begin on page two by calling for humility. Since study of Talmud takes knowledge, skill and dedication, many who learn a daf each day are likely to feel great pride at their mastery. By remembering that they began with the second page, they can remind themselves that they don’t even know “page one.”
The same holds true for all of us. We should never be so sure of our superiority, skills or wisdom to think we no longer have anything to learn. Humility is a constant lesson.