Dismissal of Rabban Gamaliel - Essay Example

Dismissal of Rabban Gamaliel Saying that the evening prayer has no limit is close to saying that it is optional. The prayers should have a specific timed period, to ensure that they do not overlap. Once they overlap, some will end up foregoing some prayers. Stating that a man can say the evening Tefillah at any time indicates the evening Tefillah is as well the whole night Tefillah. Others could even interpret that saying the Tefilla had no time limit meant that it was not compulsory (Rubenstein, 2010). This issue raised a controversy in the Beth ha-Midrash. Rabban Gamaliel insisted that the evening prayer, the Tefillah, was compulsory and had a time limit. Contrary to this opinion, Rabban Joshua said that the evening prayers did not have a formal time limit and was not compulsory. This was after a disciple visited Rabban Joshua and asked him about the evening prayers and he replied it is optional (Cohen, 2013). The disciple then confronted Rabban Gamaliel who said that it was compulsory. This indicates how the two Rabbis differed constantly in their opinions. The two contradicting responses raised concerns in the disciple and he informed Rabban Gamaliel about what Rabban Joshua had said earlier (Cohen, 2013). Rabban Gamaliel then asked the disciple to wait for the champions to enter the Beth ha-Midrash and he will get a clear response. The champions were on higher hierarchies than the rabbi were. When the champions arrived, someone asked the same question and this time round, Rabban Joshua admitted that it was compulsory hence contradicting his initial answer (Cohen, 2013). This showed that the Rabbis honoured their authorities hence Joshua could not say something contrary to what was originally right. Rabban Gamaliel then sought to inquire why Rabban Joshua had given a contrary answer when a disciple asked him prior (Cohen, 2013). He asked Rabban Joshua to stand up and let the people testify against him. Joshua however stood up and said that if he was alive, and the disciple who spoke to him earlier on was dead, the living could contradict the dead. He further said that they were both alive and questioned how he, who was living could contradict the disciple who was also living (Cohen, 2013). He meant that he was guilty as charged and he could not deny. Rabban Gamaliel remained siting and expounding on the words of Joshua and Joshua remained standing until people started shouting and asked the interpreter to stop speaking. They wanted to know how long the insulting from Rabban Gamaliel to Rabban Joshua would go on (Drazin, 2008). Gamaliel had insulted Joshua during New Year when he asked him to bring his staff and wallet before him on the Atonement day (Drazin, 2008). He also insulted Rabban Joshua in the matter concerning the firstborn affair of Rabban Zaddock and he had now done it again (Babylonian Talmud 27b). The people advocated that they should remove him from the leadership of the academy and chose somebody else to take his place. This explains that it was against their practices for the Rabbans to insult others since they were to act as good examples to the rest. They also expected their leaders to be wise and answer any question brought before them. In this case, Rabban Gamaliel was not able to respond to the question posed to him by Rabban Joshua. The people therefore felt that they needed a better and wiser leader. They could not choose Rabban Joshua because he too was a party of the mistakes done by Rabban Gamaliel. Moreover, they could not appoint Rabban Akiba because they though Rabban Gamaliel will cast a curse on him because he had no ancestral lineage. This indicates that it was important for any leader that they chose to have an ancestral lineage (Babylonian Talmud 27b). They then decided to appoint R. Eleazer because they felt he was wise and rich besides being the tenth descendant from Ezra (Rodkinson, 2010). This indicates that they preferred a wise person who could be able to answer any question that has been put before him. They appreciated the fact that he was rich because he would be able to pay court fees in any situation arose hence be able to serve them well (Rodkinson, 2010). In addition, Rabban Gamaliel could not curse him because he was a descendant of Ezra. They then posed a question to Rabban Eleazar asking whether he could accept the appointment of being the head of the academy (Babylonian Talmud 27b). Rabban Eleazer said that he has to consult his family first and his wife advised him. His wife told him that he was still young and had no white hair and that maybe the people could eventually remove him from leadership office as they did to Rabban Gamaliel. Rabban Eleazer however told his wife that a man had to accept the power of leadership bestowed to him even if it could not last. A miracle then happened and eighteen rows in his beard turned white yet he was only eighteen years old. Rabbani Gamaliel had previously ordered that no disciple whose character did not respond to the exterior could enter the Beth ha-Midrash (Babylonian Talmud 28a). This shows that people whose inner pure nature did not correspond with their outward appearance could not enter Beth ha-Midrash. However, after that day that the miracle happened, the door- keeper was absent and the disciples could enter the Beth ha –Midrash freely. They added more benches in to the building hence making Rabban Gamaliel alarmed and angry (Babylonian Talmud 28a). On the same day, many testimonies were given in the Beth ha- Midrash and everything that the people doubted was understood to the latter. Rabban Gamaliel remained present in the academy always. Judah who was an Ammonite proselyte came and asked if he could enter the Beth ha-midrash to interact with the congregation, Joshua permitted him but Gamaliel objected by saying to him that no Ammonite to Moabite could enter the kingdom of God (Babylonian Talmud 28a). This raised an argument between Joshua and Gamaliel, Joshua told him that the Ammonite and Moabites no longer resided in their originals homes and they had mixed up with other nations (Jacobs, 2009). They therefore were not part of a larger section of any group any more hence should be let in. As much as Gamaliel still argued that the holy books stated that the children of Ammonites could return to captivity (Jacobs, 2009), Joshua further argued that the books also stated that the Lord could turn the captivity of the people of Israel (Babylonian Talmud 28a). Eventually, they allowed Judah to entered the Beth ha-Midrash and Rabban Gamaliel looked for Joshua to ask for forgiveness. He was astonished to find that the house of Joshua had black walls, when he asked him whether he was a charcoal burner, Joshua criticised him that he led a generation yet he did not know about the struggles of his scholars as well as the troubles they went through to sustain themselves (Babylonian Talmud a). Rabban Gamaliel then apologised to Joshua who reluctantly forgave him out of respect he had for his father. This indicates how much Gamaliel was not a good leader because he knew less about his scholars and that should not have been the case. It is however good to note that he dropped his pride and looked for Joshua to ask for forgiveness. He accepted his mistakes and did the necessary right thing. After the two reconciled, they sent a messenger to the rabbi to let them know that whoever felt acquainted to wear the robe should put in on. In addition, those who were not ready to wear the robes were to tell the accustomed ones to put them on (Jacobs, 2009). The messengers had to inform the rabbi to lock the doors of the academy to prevent interference from Rabban Gamaliel’s servants. Rabban Joshua then went to talk to the servants who told him that they had regards for him (Jacobs, 2009). Questions on who will lead the kingdom of God arose and they agreed that letting one master preach on one Sabbath and the other one on the next will create animosity (Jacobs, 2009). They therefore finally concluded that Rabban Gamaliel could preach on three Sabbaths and Rabban Eleazer was to preach on one Sabbath (Jacobs, 2009). References Rubenstein, J. (2010). Stories of the Babylonian Talmud. Baltimore [Md.: Johns Hopkins University Press. Rodkinson, M. L. (2010). The Babylonian Talmud: (All 20 Volumes). Boston: MobileReference.com. Drazin, I. (2008). Maimonides: The Exceptional mind Gefen Publishing House Jacobs, L. (2009). Structure and Form in the Babylonian Talmud. Cambridge University Press. Babylonian Talmud Berakoth .The story about the dismissal of Rabban Gamaniel. (27b-28a) Cohen, A. (2013). The Babylonian Talmud. Cambridge University Press Read More