Who Is a Talmid

The Alter wrote that not everyone who listens to a great man can be called his talmid. He had heard that Rav Chaim of Volozhin said he could not be called a talmid of the Gaon, because a talmid is one who receives wisdom from his teacher in true proportion, and not merely a little. Between such a person and a Rebbe there is a great gap, and it is impossible to call one the Rebbe and the other his talmid.