c"qa CAN YOU ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS? 1. How old was Rabbi Akiva when he started learning Torah? How old was he when he died? 2. Who was Rabbi Akiva's father•in•law? 3. How many students did Rabbi Akiva have? How many outstanding students? 4. What special item did Rabbi Akiva give his wife? 5. How did Rabbi Akiva acquire his wealth? This and much more will be addressed in the tenth lecture of this series: "Rabbi Akiva and the Renaissance of Torah". To derive maximum benefit from this lecture, keep these questions in mind as you listen to the tape and read through the outline. Go back to these questions once again at the end of the lecture and see how well you answer them. PLEASE NOTE: This outline and source book was designed as a powerful tool to help you appreciate and understand the basis of Jewish History. Although the lectures can be listened to without the use of the outline, we advise you to read the outline to enhance your comprehension. Use it as well as a handy reference guide and for quick review. THE EPIC OF THE ETERNAL PEOPLE Presented by Rabbi Shmuel Irons Series II Lecture #10 RABBI AKIVA AND THE RENAISSANCE OF TORAH I. From Shepherd To Scholar A. dWn .`aiwr iaxe i`kf oa opgFi oax owfd lld dWn :dpW mixUre d`n ipa Ezn drax` owfd lld .dpW mirax` l`xUi z` qpxtE dpW mirax` oicnaE dpW mirax` mixvna did oax .dpU mirax` l`xUi z` qpxtE dpW mirax` minkg WnWe dpW mirax` oa laan dlr l`xUi z` qpxtE dpW mirax` minkg WnWe dpW mirax` `ihnwxta wqr i`kf oa opgFi z` qpxtE dpW mirax` minkg WnWe dpW mirax` drFx did `aiwr iax .dpW mirax` e"l 'q dkxad z`f ixtq .dpW mirax` l`xUi Four died at the age of one hundred and twenty: Moshe, Hillel the Elder, Rabban Yochanon ben Zakai, and Rabbi Akiva. Moshe was in Egypt for forty years, was in Midian for forty years and led the Jewish People for forty years. Hillel the Elder went up from Babylon at the age of forty, studied under the Sages for forty years and led the Jewish people for forty years. Rabban Yochanon ben Zakai was involved in business for forty years, studied under the Sages for forty years and led the Jewish people for forty years. Rabbi Akiva was a shepherd for forty years, studied under the Sages for forty years and led the Jewish people for forty years. Sifrei Zos Habracha 36 B. .eixiage `aiwr iax df epir dz`x xwi lke eixiage r"xl elbp dWnl elbp `lW mixac e:hi dax xacna Wxcn Things that were not revealed to Moshe were revealed to Rabbi Akiva and his colleagues. [The following verse:] "And his eye has seen every precious thing" (Job 28:10) refers to Rabbi Akiva and his colleagues. Midrash BaMidbar Rabbah 19:6 C. mixzk xWewe aWeiW d"awdl e`vn mexnl dWn dlrW drWa ax xn` dcedi iax xn` dnk seqa zeidl cizrW Wi cg` mc` el xn` jci lr akrn in r"Wax eiptl xn` zeize`l xn` zekld lW oiliz oiliz uewe uew lk lr Wexcl cizrW enW sqei oa `aiwre zexec rcei did `le zexeW dpenW seqa aWie jld jxeg`l xefg el xn` il ed`xd r"Wax eiptl odl xn` jl oipn iax eicinlz el exn` cg` xacl ribdW oeik egk WWz mixne` od dn jl Wi mler lW epeax eiptl xn` d"awd iptl `ae xfg ezrc daWiizp ipiqn dWnl dkld lW epeax eiptl xn` iptl daWgna dlr jk wezW el xn` i"r dxez ozep dz`e dfk mc` exUa oilweWW d`x eixeg`l xfg jxeg`l xefg el xn` exkU ip`xd ezxez ipzi`xd mler .iptl daWgna dlr jk wezW l"` dxkU efe dxez ef r"Wax eiptl xn` oilewna :hk zegpn Series II 2 Lecture #10 Said Rabbi Yehuda, said Rav: At the time that Moshe went up to Heaven, he found Hashem sitting and tying crowns to the letters. Said Moshe, "Hashem, who stays Your hand?" He answered, "There will arise a man at the end of many generations, Akiva ben Yosef by name, who will expound upon each tittle heaps and heaps of laws". "Hashem," said Moshe, "permit me to see him." He replied, "Turn yourself round." Moshe went and sat down behind eight rows. Not being able to follow their arguments, he was ill at ease, but when they came to a certain subject and the disciples said to the master, "Whence do you know it?" and the latter replied, "It is a law given unto Moshe at Sinai.", he was comforted. Thereupon he returned to the Holy One, blessed be He, and said, "Hashem, You have such a man and You give the Torah by me!" He replied, "Be silent, for such is My decree." Then said Moshe, "Hashem, You have shown me his Torah; show me his reward." "Turn yourself round," said He; and Moshe turned round and saw them weighing out his flesh at the market•stalls. "Hashem," cried Moshe, "such Torah, and such a reward!" He replied, "Be silent, for such is My decree." Menachos 29b D. zqxb itl :fp oihib .`aiwr iax oEpi` o`nE milWExia dxFz Ecnl `xqiq lW eipa ipan mixtFq iwEcwce xF`nd zxFpn lraE oF`b miqip Epiax [One] of Sisro's descendants learned Torah in Jerusalem. Who was he? Rabbi Akiva. Gitin 57b (according to the text of Rabeinu Nissim Gaon, Menoras HaMaor, and Dikdukei Sofrim) E. dwfgd cil dncwda m"anx .xb did `aiwr iax lW eia` sqFi Yosef, the father of Rabbi Akiva, was a convert. Rambam in his Introduction to Yad HaChazakah F. dUrpe e`a exn`e zewepiz mW eide cred zial minkg eqpkp `le xixbq meia did dUrn xn`nn `l` s"k s"k `"t `"t i"cv i"cv o"ep o"ep m"n m"n aizk mrh dn exn` cred zia lW xn`nn xn`nl xn`nn .skl skn dtl dtne wicvl wicvne on`pl on`pne xn`nl on`p jln l-` `xwpW `ed jexa Wecwdn on`pl on`pn dWn lW xn`nl `ed jexa Wecwd aizkc wicv `xwpW d"awdn wicvl wicvn `ed on`p izia lka aizkc on`p `xwpW dWnl Wecwd lW eitn dtl dtn dUr 'c zwcv aizkc wicv `xwpW dWnl eikxc lka 'c wicv eniiqe dWn lW eci skl `ed jexa Wecwd lW eci skn skl skn dWn lW eitl `ed jexa eid `aiwr 'xe rWedi iaxe xfril` iax mixne` Wie .l`xUia milecb minkg ecnre oze` `i:` dax ziW`xa Wxcn .'ebe xrp xkpzi eillrna mb odilr e`xwe Series II 3 Lecture #10 The following incident occured on a dark and cloudy day: The scholars didn't enter the House of Study that day. There were children there [that day]. They said, "Let's come and [pretend to] make a yeshivah." They said, "Why are there two of the following letters: 'mem', 'nun', 'tzadi', 'pai', and 'cof'? [The meaning of the double letters is: 'Mem' stands for the Hebrew word 'mamar' meaning statement. Therefore the two mems mean two statements.] From the statement [of Hashem to Moshe] to the statement [of Moshe to the Jewish People]. ['Nun' stands for the Hebrew word 'ne•eman' which means trustworthy.] From the One who is trustworthy to the one (Moshe) who is trustworthy. ['Tzadi' stands for the Hebrew word 'Tzadik' which means righteous.] From the Righteous One to the righteous one (Moshe). ['Pai' stands for 'peh' which means mouth.] From the mouth of Hashem to the mouth of Moshe. ['Cof' stands for 'caf' which means hand.] From the hand of Hashem to the hand of Moshe." They identified these children and they grew up to be amongst the great of Israel. Some say that they were Rabbi Eliezer, Rabbi Yehoshua, and Rabbi Akiva. They applied the following verse to them, "Even as a child [a person] is recognized by his doings, whether his work is pure, and whether it is right." (Mishlei 20:11) Midrash Beraishis Rabbah 1:11 G. exn` xengk epkWp`e mkg cinlz il ozi in izxn` ux` mr iziidWk `aiwr iax xn` `ipz .mvr xaeW epi`e jWep dfe mvr xaeWe jWep df odl xn` alkk xen` iax eicinlz el :hn migqt It was taught in a Braiisa: Rabbi Akiva said, "When I was an 'am ha•aretz' I said, 'I wish that I had a scholar [in my grasp] so that I would bite him like a donkey.'" Said his disciples to him, "Rabbi, say like a dog!" "The former bites and breaks the bones, while the latter bites but does not break the bones," he answered them. Pesachim 49b H. did dn .`aiwr iax df mdixac z` `nva dzeWe xfril` iax df mdilbx xtra wa`zn ied it lr cner did zg` mrt melk dpW `le did dpW mirax` oa exn` `aiwr iax lW ezlgz i` `aiwr el exn` mei lka dilr miltep xiczW mind el exn` ef oa` wwg in xn` x`ad dWwd z` lqt jx dn envra xnege lw oc `aiwr iax did cin min ewgW mipa` `xew dz` xfg cin mce xUa `edW ial z` ewwgiW dnke dnk zg` lr lfxak dWwW dxez ixac iax fg` dxez ipcnl iax l"` zewepiz icnln lv` eaWie epae `ed jld .dxez cenll lk cnlW cr jlede cnel did dcnle zia sl` el azk geld W`xa epae geld W`xa `aiwr mrh il egzt izeax mdl xn` rWedi iax iptle xfril` iax iptl aWie jld dlek dxezd zia dazkp dnl ef sl` xn` envr oial epia el aWie jld zg` dkld el xn`W oeik dpWn xne` xfrl` oa oernW iax .mixaca ocinrde ol`We xfg xn`p dnl df xac dazkp dnl ef ecia enecxw lhp zg` mrt mixda zzqn didW zzql dnec xacd dnl lWn jl leWn` Series II 4 Lecture #10 dUer dz` dn el exn`e mc` ipa e`a zewc zexexv epnn dkn dide xdd lr aWie jlde did xdd lk z` xewrl leki dz` i` el exn` ocxid jeza elihne xwer ip` ixd mdl xn` el xn`e ocxid l` elihde exwre exzq eizgz qpkp lecb rlq lv` ribdW cr jlede zzqn iax el xn` rWedi iaxe xfril` iaxl `aiwr iax mdl dUr jk df mewn `l` jnewn df oi` mixzeqnd mixac xe` `ivei dnelrze Wag zexdp ikan xne` aezkd jilr `aiwr oetxh xken divg mivr lW dliag `ian did meie mei lka .