The Order of
Tanna Sages
And Now
We Will List Them Alphabetically
So That
You Will Be Able to Readily Find Them All
א
ALEPH
Abba Saul
stam is
mentioned many times in the Mishna and Gemara.
[Abba
Saul Bar Nash and some say bar Rosh – in Ch. Hamapeleth,[1]
on the inspection of a deformed foetus. I am surprised at the
author of such a comprehensive treasury of the Talmud, for not
mentioning this name at all. Yavetz. Abba Saul is mentioned. ZHF]
Abtolos
(i.e., Abtalion) – We have already said that
he was the Head of the Court, a descendent of Sennacherib, a
colleague of Shemaiah the Prince, the master of Hillel and
Shammai during the time of the second Temple, approximately 120
years before the Second Temple’s Destruction, from the sixth
company.
Abtolemos.
In the Ch. Three, Eiruvin,[2]
R. Jose said, Abtolemos testified in the name of the five elders
that an eruv in doubt is usable. The Gemara says that he
was the master of R. Jose. There are versions that say Absholem
or Abtolos and there is a version Ben Abtolemos.[3]
In Me’ilah,[4]
before R. Simeon b. Yohai and R. Eleazar b.R. Jose went to Rome,
Abtolemos cancelled three harsh decrees of religious persecution
since he was close to the authorities, and they did not realize
that he was a Jew. At that time, R. Mathia b. Heresh and his
Court were in Rome. When the Romans realized that he was a Jew,
they decreed again, what they had decreed until R. Simeon b.
Yohai went to Rome and had the decrees cancelled. In the
Baraitha, it mentions a Tanna, R. Nathan b. Abtolemos,
who is his son.[5]
In the Ch. One, RH,[6]
R. Jose said, Abtolemos testified in the name of the five elders
about a citron picked for the tithe, etc. At the end of Sotah
and at the end of Ch. Merube, Abtilus b. Reuben is
mentioned. [The sages] permitted him to get a komi
haircut since he was close to the authorities. Rashi explains
(at the end of BK) the komi haircut is trimming in
the front, an Amorite hairstyle where the hair is trimmed in
front but tresses are left behind. Another interpretation;
komi is the Roman fashion of shaving off the hair above the
ears. Thus, it is written in the Responsa of the Gaons.
End of quote. The Tosafoth explains (in Me’ilah)
that Abtolemos b. Reuben had a komi haircut so that the
Romans would not realize that he was a Jew. But I saw in the
Gemara of Me’ilah[8]
just the name of R. Reuben Istroboli[9]
who was perhaps his father. R. Zemach in his Aruch, under
letter Heh, explains that hamesaper komi is one
who talks in the language of royalty, using oaths.
[The sages] did not permit the house of Rabban Gamaliel to talk
in that language if not out of respect for the kingship. This
does not seem coherent, for the Gemara says that [the sages]
permitted Rabban Gamaliel’s household to speak about Greek
wisdom because they were close to the royalty and it does not
mention komi, except in reference to R. Abtolemos b.
Reuben, when it speaks about the Amorite ways in the Gemara. But
the Greek wisdom was banned by the sages in the days of the
Hasmonean kings, Hyrcanus and Aristobulus, when they fought each
other in Jerusalem, as was mentioned above. Afterwards I saw
(under letter Sameh) that R. Zemach Gaon had changed his
mind and explained as Rashi did.
[Abba
Jose b. Dosethai. In the beginning of the Ch. Two, Yoma,[11]
is quoted by Rabbi. Yavetz.]
Admon
was a judge during the time of Abtalion. At the end of
Kethuboth,[12]
it says that Admon b. Gedai and Hanan Absalom were the two civil
judges in Jerusalem. R. Johanan b. Zakkai said: I agree with the
words of Admon b. Gedai and Hanan because they were great sages.
Ela
was a sage of Jabneh in the Ch. Four, Bechoroth,[13]
who could ascertain the permissibility of firstlings. They
permitted him to take recompense for lost time, which is four
issars for a small animal and six for a large animal,
disregarding presence or absence of a defect. I do not know
which one was his expertise. There was also an Amora named R.
Ela.
He was certainly a sage, for only a sage could know how to
permit firstlings since the permissibility of the firstling is
stricter than voiding vows. Instead of an expert sage, three
laymen who are learned and have understanding may undo [vows].
It is not so with firstlings – unless there is a missing limb,
in which case permission may be given by three laymen as it is
stated in the Ch. One, Hulin,[15]
and in Ch. Kirah of Shabbath.[16]
In our days, the Rosh obm said that there is no expert for
voiding vows and even Rab was not authorized by Rabbi to permit
firstlings.
Elihoeini[17]
b. Hekef, the High Priest who sacrificed a [red] heifer during
the time of Onias (Honi) Hameagel and in the times of Judah b.
Tabbai and Simeon b. Shetah.
[R.
Eliezer b. Diglai was left out by the author. He is mentioned in
Tamid 30b (Prague printing). R. Eliezer b. Diglai said,
My father had goats in the cities of Macherus[18]
and they would sneeze from the scent of the incense. ZHF]
R. Eliezer ha-Modai.
We have already spoken of him
above, that he was martyred at Bethar. He was a colleague of R.
Tarfon but he would call R. Tarfon, Rabbi. He was a great
exegete quoted by Rabbi Eleazar b. Parta. Hananiah the nephew of
R. Joshua and R. Eleazar b. Azariah quoted R. Eliezer ha-Modai.
In Ch. Shevuath Haeduth: We still need ha-Modai.
R. Eliezer ha-Kappar
in Ch. Kol Hatzelamim:[19]
R. Joshua b. Levi was walking behind R. Eleazar[20]
ha-Kappar Berabbi. In the Tosefta in the Ch. Seven, Hulin,
R. Eliezer the son of R. Eleazar ha-Kappar answered regarding
circumcision, etc. In the Ch. Five of Kethuboth,[21]
R. Menahem b. Nafah tells in the name of R. Eliezer ha-Kappar of
a deed by R. Tarfon who married 300 women so that they could eat
from the priestly offering in a year of famine, etc. Perhaps
there are two, [Eleazar and Eliezer]. In Ch. Elu Treifoth,
R. Joshua b. Levi sent a chicken to R. Eleazar Berabbi; that is
to say, the greatest in his generation. In Ch. Kisui Hadam,[22]
we see R. Eliezer ha-Kappar Berabbi together with R. Hiyya and
in Ch. Rabbi Eliezer Demilah[23]
– with R. Simeon b. Eleazar. It seems that he was one of the
latter sages, though he is mentioned in Pirkei Rabbi Eliezer.
It is well known that although it is called after R. Eliezer,
the later sages wrote its chapters; similar to the Zohar,
which is ascribed to R. Simeon and the Sefer ha-Yetzira,
which is ascribed to Abraham our forefather, as Ibn Ezra writes.
Alternatively, perhaps there are two and he is called Berabbi.
Rashi explains in Ch. Kol Hatzelamim that he was the
great sage in his generation and that he explained in Nazir
the verse ‘Because he sinned by being in the presence of the
dead body.’[24]
There are versions of the beginning of the explanation of the
Mishna in Ch. four where he is mentioned amongst those of the
second generation.[25]
R. Eliezer
the Great b. Hyrcanus. He was the greatest disciple of R.
Johanan b. Zakkai and he wrote Pirkei Rabbi Eliezer. His
father, Hyrcanus, vowed not to leave him any of his money and he
was a very wealthy man. Eventually he came and voided the vow
when he found out what happened with his son.[26]
In Aboth deRabbi Nathan; in the Mishna of Jose b.
Joezer, there is a story how R. Eliezer learned from R. Johanan
b. Zakkai. When Rabban Gamaliel the Elder died, R. Eliezer was
old and he saw the death of Rabban Gamaliel his grandson who was
his brother-in-law. His face shone, as they said: The face of
Moses is like the face of the sun and the face of Joshua is like
the face of the moon - so is the face of R. Eliezer, when he
preached. We have already explained his life above. R. Bachyah
said, And the name of the other was Eliezer,[27]
for it says in the Midrash that he was descended from Moses[28],
perhaps from his mother’s side.
R. Eliezer Hisma.
We have already spoken at length about him. He was a great
astronomer and mathematician and knew geometry, as it is said in
Horayoth[29].
He was the disciple of R. Akiba and the colleague of R.
Johanan b. Gudgada and R. Eliezer b. Jacob, in the Ch. Two,
Pesachim; and R. Johanan b. Beroka and R. Johanan b. Nuri.
Why was he called ‘Hisma’? Because he was strong as a muzzled
[ox][30]
(neksam) as it is stated in portion Sons of Aaron
in Leviticus Rabah and he taught a Halacha about muzzling
in Ch. Hasocher Et Hapoalim. [R. Gamaliel] appointed
them; that is to say, R. Johanan b. Gudgada and R. Eliezer b.
Hisma, to positions of authority and judgement in the Academy.
R. Eliezer
b. Judah, of Kefar Barthotha, quoted R. Joshua. In the Ch. One,
Orlah, Rabban Simeon b. Gamaliel quoted him. In the Ch.
One, Pesachim, he quoted a Halacha of R. Joshua. He was a
colleague of R. Akiba. Regarding his piety and the miracle that
was done for him see Ch. Seder Ta’aniyoth.[32]
His whole house became filled with wheat. The charity collectors
would flee from him because he would give them everything he
had. Some people are called by their native town, as they were
known in that place, such as ‘of Zeredah’ or ‘of Jerusalem’ or
‘of Kefar Hananiah.’
As an example, a similar
thing happened to me when I lived in the kingdom of Spain or in
the other lands of the Christians. When my books on astronomy
were published, people would say, That is R. Abraham Zacuto of
Salamanca. As for me, I am entitled to be proud of this, as our
sages obm said, What wisdom is appreciated by the Gentiles? This
must be said to be mathematics and calendar calculations and
astrology.[33]
I can testify to Heaven that they greatly praised Israel for it.
But I sought just to understand the words of our sages obm and
the laws they established.
[There is also] in the
Tosefta, a R. Eliezer b. Judah, of Obelim[34]
in the Ch. One, Maaser Sheni and in Ch. Haor Veharotev[35]
in the Gemara.
R. Eliezer b.R. Jose the
Galilean composed the 32 rules for
hermeneutic exegesis of the Torah. [The mnemonics are] the
heart [= 32] of the wise, etc.[36]
Wherever you find his words of Aggada, make your ears like unto
a funnel, as it is stated in Ch. Kisui Hadam.[37]
He lived in the time of R. Akiba, R. Eleazar b. Azariah and the
latter sages, as it appears in the Talmud.
[R. Eliezer b.R. Judah.
In the Ch. Three, Ohaloth, ‘We had a
dream’, for there were three colleagues: R. Simeon, R. Judah and
R. Jacob. Each one had a son named R. Eliezer. See above what I
wrote there. Yavetz]
R. Eliezer
b. Jacob – his rulings are few, (just a kab) but pure. He
lived a long life, from the times of the Temple until the later
generations. His mother’s brother was a Levite in the Temple. He
was the source of Middoth; that is, R. Eliezer b. Jacob.
We have already spoken of this above. In Ch. Veelu Kesharim,[38]
the Halacha follows R. Eliezer b. Jacob. It seems that this rule
does not prevail elsewhere since it had to be stated. So he
established only 102 [= kab] rules as the Rosh wrote in Ch.
Mi Shehotziuhu,[39]
in the name of R. Hananel, And no more than that; [that is, 102]
like unto the number of sages in the Mishna who recited
traditions. There are rules that are not according to him but
they are very few, and all his words are pure. He knew all the
measurements of the Temple and lived a long time. He recited a
tradition in the name of R. Hananiah b. Hakinai but the Halacha
does not follow him, in the Ch. Four of Kilaim.
R. Eleazar b. Mathia.
In the Ch. Ten of Yevamoth, one of the four scholars of
Jabneh: Ben Azzai, Ben Zoma, Hananiah b. Hakinai, [and him]. He
speaks in the Ch. One, Kiddushin,[40]
in a Baraitha, about honouring a father and mother. In the
Tosefta on the Ch. Six of Pesachim, R. Eleazar b. Mathia
disagrees with R. Judah, etc. In the Ch. Two, Sotah, R.
Judah quoted R. Eleazar b. Mathia. In the Ch. Eight [of Sotah[41]],
Eleazar b. Mathia and Abba Halafta and Hananiah b. Hakinai
assessed the weight of Joshua’s stones.
R. Eleazar b. Azariah
the Priest is the tenth generation from Ezra and a prince in
Israel. We have already explained his life and his wisdom. R.
Hanina said that his master was R. Eliezer. In Exodus Rabah,
portion Judgements,
Rabban Gamaliel, R. Joshua, R. Eleazar b. Azariah and R. Akiba
went to Rome. His father, R. Azariah, was wise and wealthy and
he helped his brother Simeon to study. R. Dosa b. Harkinas said:
Azariah, our colleague, has a son, [to whom we can apply the
verse] ‘I have never seen a righteous person forsaken’[43].
This seems to be that his father was R. Azariah b. Abtolemos. He
was very wise and the tenth generation from Ezra the Priest. He
learned before R. Perida, as it is stated in Ch. Kol
Ha-Menachoth, in Menachoth. However, there is
a version that says that this R. Azariah was the tenth
generation until R. Eleazar b. Azariah, for this R. Perida lived
at the time of R. Ammi. On this Rashi comments that the tenth
[generation] until Ezra was R. Eleazar b. Azariah. It seems to
me that Rashi interpreted it that way because in Ch. Tefilath
Hashachar,[44]
it says, ‘the tenth to Ezra [is R. Eleazar b. Azariah].’ You
already know that R. Perida, in Ch. Ketzad Meabrin,[45]
would repeat the law 400 times to his disciple. Then, because
his disciple forgot the law, he repeated it additional 400
times, until a Divine Voice called out, Either you will live 400
years or you and your generation will merit the World-to-Come.
He chose the World-to-Come and he was told that both wishes
would be fulfilled and he lived 400 years. R. Perida’s
grandfather[46]
found the skull of Jehoiakim and kept it [hidden]. His wife
found it and burned it because she thought it belonged to her
husband’s previous wife. Upon it, the words were written:
this and yet another.[47]
We have already written at length about this above and we will
surely do so for the Amora Sages. In the PT of BB[48]:
R. Perida gave R. Judan[49]
the Prince two radishes that were sown on the year after the
Sabbatical year, between the New Year and the Day of Atonement.
He asked [whether it is fit to use] and the Prince permitted the
produce of the end of the Sabbatical year.
R. Eleazar b. Arach
was the astute disciple of Rabban Johanan b. Zakkai. He is
called R. Nehorai in Shabbath[50].
We have already explained his words, but the truth is that R.
Nehorai [usually] was the name of R. Nehemiah.
R. Eleazar b. Pila
is mentioned at the end of the Ch. Seven, Taharoth[51].
There are versions that say ‘b. Fabi.’ He responded to the words
of R. Akiba.
R. Eleazar b. Parta.
His son was R. Simeon b.R. Eleazar
b. Parta. R. Parta was a colleague of Rabbi. R. Parta, who lived
at the time of Rabbi, was the grandson of R. Parta the Great. We
have already explained above that he was very old and was
arrested for learning Torah with R. Hananiah b. Teradion and was
saved, in the Ch. One, AZ[52].
He was saved by Elijah obm. His master was R. Eleazar ha-Modai
(as it is stated) in Ch. Cohen Gadol.[53]
R. Eleazar b. Zadok.
In SeMaG in the prohibition precept 235, it is explained
that he was a priest, and we have already explained all his
matters. He saw the destruction of the Temple and lived in the
time of R. Meir. It remains in doubt to us whether or not he was
a priest. He spoke in the name of R. Meir in the Ch. Seven,
Kilaim[54].
This is surprising because R. Eleazar saw the destruction of the
Temple and he was an early Tanna and he saw the daughter of
Nakdimon b. Gorion, etc.[55]
as is written in Ch. Metziyath Haisha. In Ch. Arba
Mitoth,[56]
it says that he was a prominent man before the destruction of
the Temple. He testified that he saw the daughter of a priest
who had fornicated and was burned surrounded by tree branches.
It would seem that he lived at least 40 years before the
Destruction for afterwards they did not judge capital crimes.
R. Eleazar b. Shammua
the priest who lived a long life, in Ch. Bene Hair. He
was the master of Rabbi and we have already explained his
affairs. Rab called him ‘the tuvaina of the sages.’[57]
R. Zemach interpreted it as ‘extraordinarily wise,’ while Rashi
translated it as ‘the happiest of the sages.’ They said that he
was the last of the Ten Martyrs and that he was martyred on
Sabbath eve, as he was beginning to sanctify the Sabbath day.[58]
He said, Leave me in peace until my soul departs. When he got up
to, that He had created,[59]
a Divine Voice exclaimed: You are blessed, Eleazar, My son! In
this world, your soul was like God’s and your soul has departed
with the word ‘God’. I wonder about [his martyrdom], because he
was the master of Rabbi, as we have said. It seems that there
were no persecutions during the time of Rabbi. However, at the
end of Ch. Im Einan Makirin,[60]
Rashi explains in the name of his master that during the
sighting of the new moon there was persecution, when Rabbi sent
a message to R. Hiyya. This does not seem to be correct and the
first explanation of Rashi is preferable.
R. Eleazar, son of R.
Simeon b. Yohai. You already know
all about him, that he was in a cave for thirteen years with his
father and received the suffering with love. All his saintly
words are in Ch. Hasocher Et Hapoalim.[61]
He was a friend and colleague of Rabbi but died many years
before Rabbi.
Elisha b. Abuyah[62].
We have already spoken of him
above. He was called Another (Aher). He was the master of
R. Meir and he was one of the four who entered Paradise. He
gained the [eternal] life in the World-to-Come because of his
knowledge of Torah and of his disciples. He did not cause others
to sin, for he said to R. Meir: «That is the limit [of travel]
for the Sabbath.»[63]
Fire from the sky surrounded his grave[64].
He was granted that R. Jacob the Tanna[65]
was the son of his daughter. He (R. Jacob) told us the secrets
of the World-to-Come in Pirkei Aboth[66]
and at the end of Hulin and in Kiddushin. Rabbi
also included Elisha in Aboth[67]
along with our saintly fathers. He saw the destruction, praised
R. Akiba and lived many years after him.
R. Ila'i,
the father of R. Judah, was the disciple of R. Eliezer, as
stated in the Ch. Two, Sukkah[68]
and in Ch. Hakometz Rabah[69]
and in the Ch. Two, Eiruvin.[70]
He was like a colleague to R. Ishmael but he called R. Ishmael
‘my master’ and R. Ishmael called him ‘my son’ as we find in the
Ch. One, Gittin where he was stricter than Rabban
Gamaliel in his ruling. In the Ch. Two, Pesachim, he
interpreted the law before R. Eliezer and R. Joshua. He was an
Elder,[71]
as it says, R. Ila’i the Elder said: If a man feels that he
cannot control his passion, etc.[72]
Abba Eleazar
b. Dolai [is mentioned] in the Ch. Two, Mikva’oth. It
seems that he flourished in the time of the disciples of R.
Akiba: R. Meir, R. Judah, R. Simeon and R. Eleazar b. Shammua.
In Ch. Kol Haget, the Tanna in the Baraitha is Abba
Eleazar b. Gamla.
R. Eleazar b. Dama.
We have already said that he was the nephew of R. Ishmael and
that he died of snakebite but he died in holiness. There are
those who say that he is one of the Ten Martyrs and not R. Judah
b. Tema. Alternatively, the one who died from snakebite was
Joshua b. Dama, the nephew of R. Ishmael, while R. Eleazar b.
Dama was martyred for wearing phylacteries and they were still
on his head when they executed him and he died in holiness and
purity.
[R.
Eleazar b.R. Jannai was left out by the author. He is found in
Beitzah 34a. R. Eleazar b.R. Jannai said in the name of
R. Eleazar b. Antigonus, in Hulin 45 and 55. R. Eleazar
b. Antigonus said in the name of R. Eleazar b.R. Jannai. ZHF]
Antigonus
of Soko received [the tradition] from Simeon the Righteous.
Because of his words stated in the Mishna[73],
Zadok and Boethus, his evil disciples, sinned[74].
They are the heresiarchs, as we have already mentioned. His
pious disciples were Joseph b. Joezer and Joseph b. Johanan, the
first was the Prince and the second was the Head of the Court.
Onkelos the Proselyte[75]
was the nephew of Titus as well as the Tanna in the Baraitha in
Ch. Hamocher Perot. Onkelos the proselyte said: The
cherubim were like the image of children.[76]
He received [the tradition] from R. Eliezer and from R. Joshua
and translated the five books of the Torah according to their
words but he is not mentioned in the Mishna. In the Tosefta on
the Ch. Five of Demai, it says that he was strict with
himself in regards to what he inherited and shared with his
brothers, for they were goyim; he threw it into the Dead Sea.
[Afkashion. In
Yoma 28b. Yavetz.]
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