Rabbi Yishmael ben Elisha Nachmani (Hebrew: רבי ישמעאל בן אלישע), often known as Rabbi Yishmael and sometimes given the title "Ba'al HaBaraita" (Hebrew: בעל הברייתא, “Master of the Outside Teaching”), was a rabbi of the 1st and 2nd centuries (third generation of tannaim) CE.[
]
Life
He was a descendant of a wealthy priestly family in Upper Galilee.[Tosefta Hallah 1:10; Bava Kamma 80a; compare Rabbinovicz, Dikdukei Soferim ad loc.; Hullin 49a] His year of birth was 90 CE. He was captured by the Romans as a young boy, but redeemed by R' Joshua ben Hananiah.[Tosefta Horayot 2:5; Gittin 58a] R' Nehunya ben HaKanah became his teacher,[Shevu'ot ] and he remained a close colleague of Rabbi Joshua.[Avodah Zarah 2:5; Tosefta Parah10(9):3] He is likely the grandson of the high priest of the same name.[ He lived in Kfar Aziz, south of Hebron.][Mishnah Kilaim 6:4]
Some suppose that he was among the martyrs of Betar.[Compare Avot of Rabbi Natan 38 [ed. Schechter, p. 57b; ] The more generally received opinion, however, is that one of the martyrs was a namesake (Rabbi Ishmael's death is mentioned in Nedarim ).
Jewish Encyclopedia bibliography:
-
Wilhelm Bacher, i. 210 et seq.;
-
Brüll, Mebo ha-Mishnah, i. 103 et seq.;
-
Frankel, Darke ha-Mishnah, pp. 105 et seq.;
-
Heinrich Graetz, iv. 60;
-
Jacob Hamburger, ii. 526 et seq.;
-
Jehiel Heilprin, Seder ha-Dorot, ii.;
-
Hoffmann, Einleitung in die Halachischen Midraschim, pp. 5 et seq.;
-
Weiss, , i. 101 et seq.;
-
idem, Introduction to his edition of Mekilta, x. et seq.;
-
Abraham Zacuto, Yuḥasin, ed. Filipowski, p. 25.
According to tradition, his burial place is at Parod in the Galilee.
Disposition
Yishmael's teachings were calculated to promote peace and goodwill among all:[ "Be indulgent with the hoary head;" he would say, "and be kind to the black-haired the; and meet every man with a friendly countenance".]
What he taught he practised. Even toward strangers, he acted considerately. When a non-Jew greeted him, he answered kindly, "Your reward has been predicted"; when another abused him, he repeated coolly, "Your reward has been predicted." This apparent inconsistency, he explained to his puzzled disciples by quoting : "Cursed be one who curses you, and blessed be one who blesses you".[ Jerusalem Talmud Berakhot, chapter 8, page 11c; ; ]
He was fatherly to the indigent, particularly to poor and plain maidens, whom he clothed attractively and provided with means, so that they might obtain husbands.[, ]
One Friday night, while absorbed in the study of the Hebrew Bible, he inadvertently turned the wick of a lamp; and he vowed that when the Third Temple was rebuilt, he would offer there an Sin offering.
Views on marriage
Yishmael opposed the refusal of the ultra-patriotic to beget children under the Roman sway.[Tosefta, Sotah, 15:5;; ] Even under the conditions then existing, he recommended early marriage. He said, "The Torah tells us, 'Thou shalt teach them the to thy sons and to thy sons' sons;' and how may one live to teach his sons' sons unless one marries early?"[Deuteronomy ; Jerusalem Talmud Kiddushin, chapter 1, page 61a. See also ]
Halakhic exegesis
Yishmael gradually developed a system of halakha exegesis which, while running parallel with that of Rabbi Akiva, is considered the more logical of the two. Indeed, Yishmael established the principles of the logical method by which laws may be deduced from laws and important decisions founded on the plain phraseology of the Scriptures. Like Akiva, he opened up a wide field for halakhic induction, but, unlike Akiva, he required more than a mere jot or a letter as a basis for making important rulings.[Compare ][
]
Yishmael was of opinion that the Torah was conveyed in the language of man,[ Jerusalem Talmud Yevamot, chapter 8, page 8d; ; Yerushalmi Nedarim, chapter 1, page 36c ] and that therefore a seemingly superfluous word or syllable cannot be used as a basis for new deductions. In discussing a hypothetical case with Akiva, he once exclaimed, "Wilt thou indeed decree death by fire on the strength of a single letter?"[ He considered the plain sense of the Scriptural text, irrespective of its verbal figures, to be the only safe guide.][
]
Hermeneutic rules
To consistently carry out his views in this direction, Ishmael formalized a set of 13 hermeneutic rules by which halakha was derived from the Torah. As a basis for these rules he took the seven rules of Hillel, and on them built up his own system, which he elaborated and strengthened by illustrating them with examples taken from the Scriptures.[See Baraita of R. Ishmael; Talmud; comp. Gen. R. 92:7] Even these rules, he would not permit to apply to important questions, such as capital cases in which no express Scriptural warrant for punishment existed; he would not consent to attach a sentence of death, or even a fine, to a crime or misdemeanor on the strength of a mere inference, however logical, where no such punishment is clearly stated in Scripture[ Jerusalem Talmud Avodah Zarah, chapter 5, page 45b, ] or to draw a rule from a law itself based on an inference.[ Yerushalmi Kiddushin, chapter 1, page 59a) ] His rules were universally adopted by his successors, tannaim, as well as amoraim, although occasionally he himself was forced to deviate from them.[See Sifre, Numbers, 32 ][
]
Aggadah
He had a reputation for greatness in aggadah.[ Text: ת"ר כשמתו בניו של רבי ישמעאל נכנסו ד' זקנים לנחמו ר' טרפון ור' יוסי הגלילי ור' אלעזר בן עזריה ור"ע אמר להם ר' טרפון דעו שחכם גדול הוא ובקי באגדות] Yishmael laid the foundation for the halakhic midrash on Exodus, the Mekhilta; and a considerable portion of the similar midrash, the Sifre on Numbers, appears also to have originated with him or in his school, known as "Bei R. Ishmael".
Regarding the question of whether future punishment will be limited to the spirit or to the body, or whether either one in fact merits punishment (since neither can sin when separated from the other), Ishmael draws the following parallel:[
]
See also
External links
