Jerusalem Talmud

Jerusalem Talmud Moed Katan — 3 / 1

[Jerusalem Talmud Moed Katan / 3 / 1 / 7] They wished to ban Rabbi Eliezer. They said, “Who will go and inform him?” Rabbi Akiva said, “I shall go and inform him.” He went to him and said to him, “Master, Master, your colleagues are banning you.” He (Eliezer) took him and went outside and said, “O Carob, O Carob, if the law is according to their words, uproot yourself,” but it did not uproot itself. “If the law is according to my words, uproot yourself,” and it uprooted itself. “If the law is according to them, return,” and it did not return. “If the law is according to my words, return,” and it returned. All this praise and the law is not according to Rabbi Eliezer? Rabbi Hanania said, “When it was given, it was given only such that incline after the majority” (Exodus 23:2). But did not Rabbi Eliezer know incline after the majority (Exodus 23:2)? He became angry only because they burned his purities in front of him. We learned there: If cut it (an oven) into segments and placed sand between the segments, Rabbi Liezer rules that it is pure and the sages rule that it is impure. This is the oven of Akhnai. Rabbi Yirmiyah said, “A great burning occurred on that day. Every place that Rabbi Eliezer cast his eye was burned. Not only that but even one grain of wheat, half of it [that he looked upon] was blighted and half of it [that he did not look upon] was not blighted.” And the columns of the assembly house were trembling. Rabbi Yehoshua said to them, “If the sages are fighting, what care is it of yours?” A heavenly voice went forth and said, “the law accords with my son Eliezer.” Rabbi Yehoshua said, “It is not in heaven” (Deuteronomy 30:12). Rabbi Kerispa, Rabbi Yohanan in the name of Rabbi said, “If someone says to me, ‘thus teaches Rabbi Eliezer,’ then I teach according to his words. But the Tannaim change [the names and attribute Eliezer’s opinions to others].” Once he (Eliezer) was passing through a market and he saw a woman cleaning her house, and she threw it out and it fell on his head. He said, “it seems that today my colleagues will bring me near (i.e. forgive me), as it is written, “He lifts up the needy from the refuse heap” (Psalm 113:7).