Babylonian Talmud

Rodkinson 1918 — source 18, scan section 76

R. Elicar b. R. Zadok said that also at a banquet these children may be invited for the sake of their parents. If one of them has to go out for physiological requirements he may return, Said Rabha, this is so only when their fathers are still alive and also present. Said R. Johanan: This Mishna was taught in the time of R. Simeon b. Gamaliel, when he was the prince, R. Nathan the president, and R. Mair the sage of the college. When R. Simeon would enter, the people rose ; likewise when either R. Mair or R. Nathan entered the people would rise ; said then the prince : If so, there is no difference between me and the others, whereas I should like that a difference be made; and he accordingly enacted the rules laid down in the Mishna. However, this was carried out in the absence of R. Mair and R. Nathan, so that on the morrow when they came and saw the people behind the 2 rows remaining in their seats, they asked the reason thereof, in 28 THE BABYLONIAN TALMUD. answer to which they were told of the prince's enactment. There- upon said R. Mair to R. Nathan : I am the sage and you are the president, let us enact something in our behalf; let us ask R. Simeon to teach us Tract Uktzin (stalks of fruit), and as we are aware that he is not versed therein, we will say unto him [Psal. cvi. 2] " Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord?" he "who can publish all his praise! " Thereupon we will depose him and you will take his place and I yours. R. Jacob b. Oarshi (Rabbi's master) overheard this plan and was embarrassed as to how he could prevent R. Simeon's reputation from being marred ; he then hid himself in back of R. Simeon's attic and began to study aloud Uktzin over again and again, until R. Simeon has noticed it and the idea struck him that something must have happened in the college, to which Jacob would like to draw his attention ; he accordingly was quick enough to t "ke up the study of Uktzin, and, indeed, succeeded in acquiring close familiarity with this Tract. On the morrow he was asked in tlie college, according to the premeditated plan, to lecture on Uktzin which he did, and after he was through he said to them : If my attention had not been called to this Tract, T shov.Id have been put to public shame by your plan. On his command, then, R, Mair and R. Nathan were removed from the college. They, however, v/ere circulating in writing, questions and objections and throwing them in to the college; to those that could not be resolved in college, they would themselves write the answers and send them again to col- lege. Said R. Jose to the college: The v;hole Torah is outside and we should remain inside the college? This pressure urgnd R. Simeon to allow the relegated to return under the penalty, however, that the Halakhas be not proclaimed in their names. Therefore R. Mair's Halakhas were henceforth classed with the anonymous teachers, and R. Nathan's were given as "according to some." It once happened that both had dreams commanding them to reconcile R. Simeon ; whereupon R. Nathan did so, while R. Mair said that he does not yield to dreams as they are nonsense. When R. Nathan came to reconcile him, R. Simeon b. Gamaliel said : Because thy father's (official) belt helped the to be president of the court, must we make thee Nasi (prince)? Rabbi taught to R. Simeon his son: The anonymous teachers ■^ay so and so ; interrupted him his .son ; who are they whose water we imbibe and whose names we do not mention? And he answered : They were the men who conspired to destroy your glory and that of your father's house, rejoined he ; [Eccl. ix, 6.] TRACT HORIOTH (DECISIONS). 29 " Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy are now already lost," answered the Rabbi paraphrasing. (Psal. ix. 7) : The enemy is lost, but his ruinous deeds are still existing; said R. Simeon: this would be right if the deeds of the rabbis in question remained effective, but they whom you have in view had only an intention, and one that has never been realized. Thereupon Rabbi taught to him again ; so and so was said in the name of R. Mair. Said Rabha: Rabbi, though modest in nature, yet refrained from say- ing * it was said by R. Mair,' but taught it was said in the name of R. Mair. Said R. Johanan : R. Simeon C. Gamaliel and the rabbis dif- fered with regard to the following : according to one the erudite scholar, while according to the other, the dialectician, has has the preference, A message concerning this point was sent to the west, and the answer thereto was : the erudite has the preference, since every one is in need of the OAvner of the stored-up wheat, R. Joseph was the erudite, and Rabha was the dialectician, and though the answer of the west was in favor of the former, he did not accept the position of head of the college for 22 years, until Rabha who accepted this position died. During all this time R. Joseph did not invite to his house even a barber, but was himself going wherever he needed. Abaye and R.abha, R. Zero and Rabha C. Mathma were sitting together at the time when the presidency of the college was vacant, and they have decided that he who will recite a point that will meet no objection be elected to this office. The sayings of them all were objected, excepting that of Abaye which was not ; thereupon Rabha noticing that Abaye was raising his head, said to him : W.i'hmeni, begin your lecture (you are the head of the college). The schoolmen questioned regarding R. Zera who was a genius and in the habit of raising objections, and Rabha C. Mathma who was slow, careful and considerate in drawing conclusions, which of the two types has the preference. This question remained un- decided. END OF TRACT HORIOTH AND OF THE VOL; XVHI., AND ALSO OF THE WHOLE SECTION JURISPRUDENCE. Princeton Theoloqical Seminary Libraries 1 1012 01251 5849