Four Rabbis: Rabban Gamaliel--Rosh HaShanah Day 1, p.

Rosh haShanah Day 1: Rabban Gamaliel: Mishna Rosh HaShana 2:9-11

[A] Rabban Gamaliel had images of forms of the moon on a tablet and on the
wall of his upper-story. He would show them to commoners [who came to
give testimony about the new moon] and ask: "Did you see [the moon] like
this one or like that one?"
[B] Once two came and said, "We saw it [the moon] in the morning in the
East, and in the evening in the West." R. Yohanan ben Nuri said, "They are
false witnesses." When they came to Yavneh, Rabban Gamaliel accepted them.
[C] Another time two came and said, "We saw it at the appropriate time. But
the following night it could not be seen "and Rabban Gamaliel accepted
them. R. Dosa b. Harkinas said, "They are false witnesses. How can one testify
about a woman who gave birth, and the next day her belly is between her
teeth?" R. Yehoshua said to him "I see your words.
[D] Rabban Gamaliel sent to him [R. Yehoshua], "I decree that you come to
me with your staff and your money on the day on which Yom Kippur falls
according to your [calendrical] reckoning.
[E] R. Akiva went to him [R Yelloshua] and found him upset. He [Akiva] said
to him, "I can demonstrate that every decision made by Rabban Gamaliel is
valid. For it says, These are the festivals of the Lord, the sacred occasions,
which you shall appoint (Lev 23) whether at their proper times, whether not
at their proper times, I have no festivals other than these ones [that you
appoint]."
[F] He [R. Yehoshual approached R. Dosa b. Harkinas]. He said to him, "If we
go and question [the decisions of] the court of Rabban Gamaliel, we should
also question [the decisions of] every single court that existed from the time of
Moses until now. For it says, Moses, Aaron, Nadav, Avihu, and seventy of the
elders of Israel ascended (Exod 24:9). Why were the names of the elders not
specified? To teach that every group of three who stood as a court for Israel
behold, they are like the court of Moses."'
[G] He took his staff and money in his hand, and he went to Yavneh to Rabban
Gamaliel on the day that the Day of Atonement fell according to his
reckoning. Rabban Gamaliel stood up and kissed him on his head. He said to
him, "Come in peace, my master and my student. My master in wisdom, and
my student in that you accepted my words.

] A[




]B [




]C [



'
:

] D[



]E[

( ")
'



]F[



) ( "






] G[




:

Aggadot of Yavneh, High Holiday Sermons, Jeffrey Spitzer, translations (mostly) Jeffrey Rubenstein, Rabbinic Stories

Four Rabbis: R. Eliezer--Rosh HaShanah Day 2, p. 2

Rosh haShanah Day 2: R. Eliezer and The Oven of Akhnai: Bavli Bava Metsia 59a-59b
Mishnah Bava Metzia 4:10
Just as there is wronging in business, so there is verbal wronging. A person
should not ask [a storeowner] how much is this item? when he doesnt want
to buy. If he is someone who has done teshuvah, one doesnt say to him,
Remember your earlier days. If he is the child of converts, one doesnt say
to him, Remember the actions of your ancestors. As it says, Do not wrong
or oppress the convert.
Bavli Bava Metzia 59b
[A] We learned there: If he cut it (an oven) into segments and placed sand
benveen the segments, R. Eliezer rules that it is pure and the sages rule that it
is impure. And this is the oven of Akhnai [Mishna Kelim 5:10]
[B] What is Akhnai (=snake)? Rav Yehuda said Shmuel said, "Since they
surrounded him with words like this snake and ruled it impure.
[C] It was taught: On that day R. Eliezer responded with all the responses in
the world, but they did not accept them from him.
[C1] He said to them, If the law is as I say, let the carob [tree] prove it." The
carob uprooted itself from its place and went 100 cubitsand some say 400
cubits. They said to him, "One does not bring proof from the carob." The
carob returned to its place.
[C2] He said to them, "If the law is as I say, let the aqueduct prove it." The
water turned backward. They said to him, "One does not bring proof from an
aqueduct." The water returned to its place.
[C3] He said to them, "If it [the law] is as I say, let the walls of the academy
prove it." The walls of the academy inclined to fall. R. Yehoshua rebuked
them. He said to them, "When sages defeat each other in law, what is it to
you?" It was taught: They did not fall because of the honor of R. Yehoshua,
and they did not stand upright because of the honor of R. Eliezer, and they are
still inclining and standing.
[D] He said to them, "If it is as I say, let it be proved from Heaven." A
heavenly voice went forth and said, "What do you have against R. Eliezer,
since the law is like him in every place?"
[E] R. Yehoshua stood up on his feet and said, "It is not in Heaven (Deut
30:12)."

( )
:
-
:
] A[
,
[ ] .
.
- ?
]B [
, :
.
:
]C [

.
- :
[C1]
.
: : ,
. :
:
[C2]
. -
: .
.
:
[C3]
. -
.
: ,
-
?
,
. ,
:
] D[
. -
:
!
:
]E[
.
+' +
]F[
: - ?
, ,

Aggadot of Yavneh, High Holiday Sermons, Jeffrey Spitzer, translations (mostly) Jeffrey Rubenstein, Rabbinic Stories

Four Rabbis: R. Eliezer--Rosh HaShanah Day 2, p. 3

[Fl What is, "It is not in Heaven"? R. Yirmiah said, "We do not listen to a
heavenly voice, since you already gave it to us on Mt. Sinai and it is written
there, Incline after the majority (Exod 23:2).
[G] R. Natan came upon Elijah. He said to him, "What was the Holy One
doing at that time?" He said to him, "He laughed and smiled and said, 'My
sons have defeated me, my sons have defeated me."'
[H] At that time they brought all the objects that R. Eliezer had ruled were
pure and burned them and voted and banned him.
[I] They said, "Who will go and inform him?" R. Akiva said to them, "I will
go and inform him lest a man who is not fitting goes and informs him and
destroys the whole world." What did he do? He dressed in black and covered
himself with black and took off his shoes and went and sat before him at a
distance of four cubits and his eyes streamed with tears. He [R. Eliezer] said
to him, "Akiva, why is this day different from other days?" He said to him, "It
seems to me that your colleagues are keeping separate from you." His eyes
too streamed with tears, and he took off his shoes and removed [his seat] and
sat on the ground.
[J1] The world was smitten in one third of the wheat, one third of the olives
and a third of the barley.
[J2] And some say that even the dough in the hands of women swelled up.
[J3] It was taught: It [the destruction] was so great on that day that every
place where R. Eliezer cast his eyes immediately was burned.
[K] Also Rabban Gamaliel was on a ship. A wave of the sea stood upon him
to drown him." He said, "It seems to me that this is because of [R. Eliezer] the
son of Hyrcanus. He stood up on his feet and said, "Master of the universe. I
acted not for my honor, nor did I act for the honor of my father's house, but I
acted for your honor, in order that disagreements do not multiply in Israel."
The sea immediately rested from its anger.
[L] Imma Shalom, the wife of R. Eliezer, was the sister of Rabban Gamaliel.
After that event, she never allowed him [Eliezer] to fall on his face. That day
was the new month and she got confused about whether it was a 29 or a 30
day month. And there are those who say, a poor man came and stood at the
door and she brought him bread. She found that he [Eliezer] had fallen on his
face [to recite tachanun]. She said, "Stand up. You have killed my brother."
Meanwhile the shofar [blast] went out from the House of Rabban Gamaliel
[signaling that he had died]. He said to her, "How did you know?" She said to
him "Thus I have received a tradition from my father's house: 'All the gates
are locked except for the gates of [verbal] wronging.'

+
. +"
,
] G[
:
: - ?
. ,
:
] H[
,
.
- ? :
]I[
, :
,
? .
, ,
- .
- ? , :
, :
, - .
.
,
,
[J1]
. ,
:
[J2]
.
, :
[J3]

.

[K]
: . ,

: .
,
,
, ,
. .

[L]
.

.
. ,
, :
.
. , : ,

: ? : .
:
.

Aggadot of Yavneh, High Holiday Sermons, Jeffrey Spitzer, translations (mostly) Jeffrey Rubenstein, Rabbinic Stories

Four Rabbis: R. Akiva--Kol Nidrei, p. 4

Kol Nidrei: R. Akiva, Mishnah Berakhot 4:3

[A] R. Gamaliel says: Every day, one is required to recite [the] eighteen
[blessings].
[B] R. Yehoshua says: Something like [the] eighteen [blessings]
[C] R. Akiva says: If his prayer is fluent/routine, he recites eighteen, and if
notsomething like [the] eighteen.
[D] R. Eliezer says: One who makes his prayer fixed, his prayer is not sincere

:[ A]
.
:] B[
.
:] C[
- , -
.
:] D[
.

Tosefta Berakhot 4:12

[A] This is the general rule: any food that is [made from one] of the seven kinds [of
produce of the land of Israel] or a kind of breadstuff
[B] Rabban Gamaliel says, One recites three benedictions [i.e., the full birkat
hamazon] after [eating] it,
[C] and sages say, [He recites] one benediction [i.e. al hamichya] [cf. M.Ber.6.8].
[D] A case: Rabban Gamaliel and the elders were seated at table in Jericho. They
brought them dates [i.e. one of the seven kinds of produce] and they ate them.
[E] R. Aqiba rushed in and recited one [blessing, i.e. al hamichya] after [eating] them.
[F] Rabban Gamaliel said to him, Aqiba, why do you poke your head into disputes?
[G] He [Aqiba] said to him, Did you not teach us `One should follow the majority`?
[cf. Exod.23.2] Even though you rule one way and your fellows rule another way, the
halakhah follows the ruling of the majority.

] A[

] B[

] C[

] D[


] ' E[

] F[


] G[
!

Aggadot of Yavneh, High Holiday Sermons, Jeffrey Spitzer, translations (mostly) Jeffrey Rubenstein, Rabbinic Stories

Four Rabbis: R. Eleazar b. AzariahYom Kippur, p. 5

Yom Kippur. R. Eleazar b. Azariah: Bavli Berakhot 27b-28a

:
] a[
: ,
?
, . :
? :
: . :
: !
.

[b] When the shield-bearers entered, the questioner stood up and asked, "The
,
]b [
evening prayeroptional or obligatory?" Rabban Gamaliel said to him,
:
"Obligatory." Rabban Gamaliel said to the sages, "Is there anyone who disagrees
. :?
on this matter?" R. Yehoshua said to him, "No." Rabban Gamaliel said to him,
:
"But did not they say to me in your name, 'Optional'?" He said to him,
?
"Yehoshua! Stand on your feet that they may bear witness against you.'
: . :
, : !
[c] R. Yehoshua stood on his feet and said, "If I were alive and he [the student]
!
deadthe living could contradict the dead. Now that I am alive and he is

] c[
alivehow can the living contradict the living?
- :
,
[d] Rabban Gamaliel was sitting and expounding while R. Yehoshua stood on
-
his feet, until all the people murmured and said to Hutspit the turgeman, "Stop!"
?
and he stopped. They said, "How long will he [Rabban Gamaliel] go on

]d [
distressing [R. Yehoshua]?
, ,

(1) He distressed him last year on Rosh HaShanah.
: . ! :
?
(2) He distressed him in [the matter of] the firstling, in the incident of R. Zadoq.
) 1(
,
(3) Now he distresses him again. Come, let us depose him. Whom will we raise
) 2(
up [in his place]?
,
,) 3(
(1) Shall we raise up R. Yehoshua? He is involved the matter.
?!
) ? 1(
(2) Shall we raise up R. Akiba? Perhaps he [Rabban Gamaliel] will harm him,
;
since he has no ancestral merit.
?) 2(
,
(3) Rather let us raise up R. Eleazar b. Azariah, for he is wise, and he is wealthy,
;
and he is tenth [in descent] from Ezra.
) 3(
,
(1) He is wiseso that if anyone asks a difficult question, he will be able to
.
solve it.
- ) 1(
,
(2) He is wealthyin case he has to pay honor to the emperor.
- ) 2(

,
Aggadot of Yavneh, High Holiday Sermons, Jeffrey Spitzer, translations (mostly) Jeffrey Rubenstein, Rabbinic Stories

[a] Our sages have taught. Once a certain student came before R. Yehoshua. He
said to him, "The evening prayeroptional or obligatory?" He said to him,
"Optional." He came before Rabban Gamaliel. He said to him, "The evening
prayeroptional or obligatory?" He said to him, "Obligatory." He said to him,
"But did not R. Yehoshua say to me, 'Optional. He said to him, "Wait until the
shield-bearers [the sages] enter the academy."

Four Rabbis: R. Eleazar b. AzariahYom Kippur, p. 6

(3) And he is tenth in descent from Ezrahe has ancestral merit and he [Rabban
Gamaliel] will not be able to harm him."
[e] They said to him, "Would our Master consent to be the head of the
academy?" He said to them, "Let me go and consult with the members of my
household." He went and consulted his wife.
(1) She said to him, "Perhaps they will reconcile with him and depose you?" He
said to her, "There is a tradition, One raises the level of holiness but does not
diminish it (Mishna Menahot 11:7)."
(2) She said to him, "Perhaps he [Rabban Gamaliel] will harm you?" He said,
"Let a man use a valuable cup for one day even if it breaks on the morrow."
(3) She said to him, "You have no white hair." That day he was eighteen years
old. A miracle happened for him and he was crowned with eighteen rows of
white hair. This explains what R. Eleazar b. Azariah said [elsewhere], One
recites the [paragraph about] the redemption from Egypt at night. R. Eleazar b.
Azariah said: Behold I am as seventy years old... (Mishna Berakhot 1:5), and not
"[I am] seventy years old.
[f] It was taught: That day they removed the guard of the gate and gave students
permission to enter. For Rabban Gamaliel had decreed, "Any student whose
inside is not like his outside may not enter the academy.
[g] That day many benches were added. R. Yohanan said, "Abba Yosef b.
Dostenai and the sages disagree. One said, 'Four hundred benches were added.'
And one said, 'Seven hundred benches were added.
[h] Rabban Gamaliel became distressed. He said, Perhaps, God forbid, I held
back Torah from Israel." They showed him in a dream white casks filled with
ashes. But that was not the case, they showed him [the dream] only to put his
mind at peace [but he really had held back Torah.]

- ) 3(

.
:
] e[
: ?
.
]. [ : .
[: ?
]
. : .
,

.
:
. ,
:
]f[

.
:
. -

]g [
: .
: ,
: ;
.

]h [
: ,
.
, .
.

Aggadot of Yavneh, High Holiday Sermons, Jeffrey Spitzer, translations (mostly) Jeffrey Rubenstein, Rabbinic Stories

Four Rabbis: R. Eleazar b. AzariahYom Kippur, p. 7

New Torah in the Bet Midrash, Hagigah 3ab

[A]
Our Rabbis taught: An incident concerning Rabbi Yohanan
ben Beroka and Rabbi Eleazar Hisma who went to pay their respects to
Rabbi Yehoshua at Peki'in.
[B]
He said to them: What new teaching was there in the bet
midrash today?
[C]
drink.

They said to him: We are your students and your waters do we

-
:

] A[

()
,
:

]B[
?

, :

]C[
.

[D]
He said to them: Nevertheless, it is impossible for there to be a
bet midrash without a new teaching. Whose Shabbat was it?
[E]

It was the Shabbat of Rabbi Eleazar ben Azaria.

[F]

And concerning what did he preach (darash)?

[G]

They said to him: The chapter concerning assembly.

[H]

And what did he say about it?

[I]
"Assemble the people, the men and the women and the
children". If the men came to learn, the women came to hear, but why
do the children come? In order to reward those that bring them.
[J]
He said to them: There was a precious pearl in your hands, and
you sought to deprive me of it!
[K]
And he also preached on "You have declared the Lord this day
. . . and the Lord has declared you this day."

, :

] D[

? ,
.

]E[

]F[

. :

] G[

] H[

+ "+

]I[

,
? ,
.
:

]J[

!
' + "+ :

] K[

'
:

]L[

[L]
The Holy Blessed One, said to Israel: You have made me a
unique object of your love in the world, and I shall make you a unique
object of My love in the world. You have made me a unique object of
your love, as it is written: Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is
One. And I shall make you a unique object of My love, as it is said: And
who is like unto Thy people Israel, a nation one in the earth.
[M]
And he also took up the text and expounded: "The words of
the wise are as goads, and as nails well planted are the words of the
masters of assemblies, given from one shepherd." (Ecclesiastes 12) Why
is Torah compared to a goad? Just as a goad directs the cow along its
furrow to bring forth life into the world, so words of Torah direct those
who study it away from the ways of death and towards the path of life.

-
' +' +
, '
+ ' "+ ]/ [:
.
+ "+ :

] M[

? .
:

Aggadot of Yavneh, High Holiday Sermons, Jeffrey Spitzer, translations (mostly) Jeffrey Rubenstein, Rabbinic Stories

Four Rabbis: R. Eleazar b. AzariahYom Kippur, p. 8

[N]
But perhaps just as the goad is movable so the words of the
Torah are movable; therefore the text says: "nails." But perhaps just as a
nail diminishes and does not increase, so too the words of the Torah
diminish and do not increase? The text says "Well planted"just as a
plant grows and increases, so the words of the Torah grow and increase.

,
.

] N[

. -

[O]
"Masters of assemblies"these are the disciples of the sages,
who sit in many assemblies and occupy themselves with the Torah,
these declaring impure and these declaring pure, these prohibiting and
these permitting, these declaring unfit and these declaring fit.

, -
. -
-

] O[

[P]
Lest a person say: How then can I learn Torah? The text says:
All of them "given from one shepherd." One God gave them; one leader
said them, from the mouth of the blessed Master of all creation, as it is
written: "And God spoke all these words". You, too, make your ear like
a hopper and acquire for yourself an understanding heart to hear the
words of those who declare impure and the words of those who declare
pure, the words of those who prohibit and the words of those who
permit, the words of those who declare unfit and the words of those who
declare fit.
[Q]
He said to them these words: It is not an orphan generation in
which Rabbi Eleazar ben Azariah lives.
[R]
But they could have told him directly. It was on account of a
certain occurrence.
[S]
For it is taught: An incident concerning Rabbi Yossi ben
Dormasquit who went to pay his respects to Rabbi Eliezer in Lod.

,
. ,
:

]P[

- :?
, ,
+' + ,
.
,
,
,
.
:

] Q[

.
- ?

]R[
.

]S[

Aggadot of Yavneh, High Holiday Sermons, Jeffrey Spitzer, translations (mostly) Jeffrey Rubenstein, Rabbinic Stories