Rabbinic Stories

Acknowledgments xv Preface xvii Introduction 1(24) Part I: Historical Memories and the Lessons of History Hasmonean Memories 25(6) The Festival of Hanukka (Bavli Shabbat 21a) 27(1) Nikanor's Day (Bavli Taanit 18b) 27(2) The War of Aristobolus and Hyrcanus (Bavli Sotah 49b) 29(1) Of Sieges and Sacrifices (Yerushalmi Berakhot 4:1, 7b) 29(2) The Sages and King Yannai: Standing Up to Authority (Bavli Sanhedrin 19a-b) 31(2) Herod and Bava b. Buta (Bavli Bava Batra 3b-4a) 33(5) Stories of Destruction 38(17) The Destruction of the Second Temple (I) (Bavli Gittin 55b-57a) 38(10) The Destruction of the Second Temple (II) (Avot d'Rabbi Natan §4) 48(3) The Destructions of Tur Malka and Betar (Bavli Gittin 57a) 51(4) Bar Kokhba: Hubris and Defeat (Yerushalmi Taanit 4: 8, 68d) 55(6) Rebuilding the Temple (Genesis Rabbah 64:8) 61(6) Part II: Rabbinic Authority, Rabbinic Character The Banning of Akavia b. Mehalalel: A Dissident Opposes the Majority (Mishna Eduyyot 5:6-7) 67(4) Hillel and the Passover 71(9) Hillel and the Passover (I): The Sources and Methods of Rabbinic Law (Tosefta Pesahim 4:13-14) 71(3) Hillel and the Passover (II): Mastery of Torah and Arrogance (Bavli Pesahim 66a) 74(2) Hillel and the Passover (III): The Importance of Tradition (Yerushalmi Pesahim 6:1, 33a) 76(4) The ``Oven of Akhnai'': Rabbinic Authority and Human Dignity (Bavli Bava Metsia 59a-59b) 80(5) The New Month and the Authority Patriarch (Mishna Rosh HaShana 2:9-11) 85(3) Authority over the Calendar 88(7) Palestinian Privilege; Babylonian Challenge (I) (Yerushalmi Sanhedrin 1:2, 19a) 90(1) Palestinian Privilege; Babylonian Challenge (II) (Bavli Berakhot 63a-b) 91(4) Part III: Life and Death in the Rabbinic Academy Conflict in the Academy: The Deposition Rabban Gamaliel 95(9) Gamaliel the Tyrant (Yerushalmi Berakhot 4:1, 7c-d) 98(1) Gamaliel the Elitist (Bavli Berakhot 27b-28a) 99(5) Leadership of the Academy: Lineage or Torah? (Bavli Horayot 13b-14a) 104(5) The Saga of Rav Kahana: The Torah of Babylonia vs. the Torah of Palestine (Bavli Bava Qama 117a-b) 109(5) The Tragedy of R. Yohanan and Resh Laqish: Give Me Dialectics or Give Me Death! (Bavli Bava Metsia 84a) 114(3) The Tragedy of Honi: Give Me Fellowship or Give Me Death! (Bavli Taanit 23a) 117(4) Part IV: Holy Men and Rabbinic Masters R. Shimon bar Yohai 121(7) R. Shimon bar Yohai, the Miracle-worker (Yerushalmi Sheviit 9:1, 38d) 123(2) The Education of R. Shimon bar Yohai (Bavli Shabbat 33b-34a) 125(3) Honi the Circle-Drawer: The Holy Man and Rain 128(5) Honi's Prayers for Rain (I) (Mishna Taanit 3:9-12) 129(1) Honi's Prayers for Rain (II) (Bavli Taanit 23a) 130(3) R. Yehoshua b. Levi and the Angel of Death (Bavli Ketubot 77b) 133(6) Part V: Women, Wives and Marriage Rabbis and Wives: Love, Babylonian Style (Bavli Ketubot 62b) 139(7) God as Marriage-Maker (Leviticus Rabbah 8:1) 146(2) Rabbis, Husbands and Wives 148(3) The Pious Wife (Yerushalmi Sotah 1:4, 16d) 149(1) The Ugly Wife (Bavli Nedarim 66b) 150(1) Beruria (Bavli Eruvin 53b, Berakhot 10a) 151(6) Part VI: Romans, Gentiles and Others Alexander Macedon and the World Court (Bavli Sanhedrin 91a) 157(4) Alexander Macedon and the Faraway King (Yerushalmi Bava Metsia 2:5, 8c) 161(2) Antoninus and Rabbi 163(6) The Body and the Soul (Bavli Sanhedrin 91a) 164(1) The Evil Inclination (Genesis Rabbah 34:10) 165(1) Political Consultation (Genesis Rabbah 67:5) 166(1) Antoninus, Servant of Rabbi (Bavli Avodah Zarah 10b) 167(2) Jesus and His Disciples 169(7) Rabbis and Christians (Tosefta Hullin 2:22-24) 172(2) Jesus the Wayward Disciple (Bavli Sanhedrin 107b) 174(1) The Trial and Death of Jesus (Bavli Sanhedrin 43a) 175(1) Onqelos the Convert (Bavli Avodah Zarah 11a) 176(5) Part VII: The Life of Piety: Charity, Commandments, Virtues Hillel, Shammai and Converts: Virtues and Theological Basics (Bavli Shabbat 31a) 181(5) The Commandment of the Fringes and Its Reward (Sifre Numbers §115) 186(4) The Power of Righteousness (Bavli Shabbat 156b) 190(3) The Honor of Parents (Yerushalmi Qiddushin 1:6, 61b / Bavli Qiddushin 31b) 193(7) The Pursuit of Torah (Bavli Yoma 35b, Sanhedrin 10a, Berakhot 62a) 200(7) Part VIII: Suffering, Martyrdom and Theodicy Nahum of Gamzu: Happy that You See Me Suffer 207(3) To Suffer or Not to Suffer (Yerushalmi Peah 8:9, 21b) 208(1) The Rewards for Suffering (Bavli Taanit 21a) 208(2) Suffering: Not Them and Not Their Reward 210(5) Test of the Righteous (Song of Songs Rabbah 2:16) 211(2) Not Them and Not Their Reward (Bavli Berakhot 5b) 213(2) Theodicy and Torah (Bavli Menahot 29b) 215(3) Stories of Martyrdom 218(11) The Mother and Her Seven Sons (Bavli Gittin 57b) 220(2) The Martyrdom of R. Ishmael and R. Shimon (Mekhilta d'Rabbi Ishmael, Neziqin, §18) 222(1) The Martyrdom of R. Akiba (I) (Yerushalmi Berakhot 9:5, 14b) 223(1) The Martyrdom of R. Akiba (II) (Bavli Berakhot 61b) 223(6) Part IX: Sin and Repentance Stories of Elisha b. Abuya 229(16) Elisha as Sinning Sage: The Inviolability of Torah (I) (Bavli Hagiga 15 a-b) 230(7) Elisha as Sinning Sage: The Inviolability of Torah (II) (Yerushalmi Hagiga 2:2, 77b-c) 237(5) Elisha the Heinous Sinner (Yerushalmi Hagiga 2:1, 77b) 242(3) The Power of Repentance (Bavli Avodah Zarah 17a) 245(2) A Sinner's Good Deed (Yerushalmi Taanit 1:4, 64b) 247(2) Notes 249(54) Bibliography 303(2) Indices 305(1) Index of Biblical and Rabbinic Sources 305(6) Subject and Name Index 311