Reference for Taanit 39:16

תנו רבנן לעולם יהא אדם רך כקנה ואל יהא קשה כארז מעשה שבא רבי אלעזר (בן ר') שמעון ממגדל גדור מבית רבו והיה רכוב על החמור ומטייל על שפת נהר ושמח שמחה גדולה והיתה דעתו גסה עליו מפני שלמד תורה הרבה

Moreover, [because of its yielding nature] the reed merited that of it should be made a pen for the writing of the Law, the Prophets and Hagiographa. Our Rabbis have taught: A man should always be gentle as the reed and never unyielding as the cedar. Once R'Eleazar son of R'Simeon was coming from Migdal Gedor,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' probably in Judah. V. Josh. XV, 36.');">²²</span> from the house of his teacher, and he was riding leisurely on his ass by the riverside and was feeling happy and elated because he had studied much Torah

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