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| | + | [[Image:Akiba ben joseph.jpg|thumb|200px|'''Rabbi Akiva''', from the Mantua Haggadah (1560)]] |
| | + | '''Akiva ben Joseph''' ([[Hebrew]]: '''עקיבא''') or simply '''Rabbi Akiva'''—also spelled '''Akiba''' or '''Aqiba'''—was a [[Judea]]n sage of the late first and early second century (c. 50–135 C.E.). He was a great authority in the matter of [[Jewish]] [[tradition]], and one of the most central and essential contributors to the [[Mishnah]] and [[Midrash Halakha]]—the precursors of the [[Talmud]]. He is referred to in the Talmud as ''Rosh la-Chachomim'' (Head of all the Sages) and the "father of the Mishna." |
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| − | {{Eras of the Halakha}}
| + | Akiva set the standard of Judaism's strong yet flexible adherence to a tradition which refused to compromise on basic points of the Mosaic Law yet was willing to change with the times. He argued for the liberalization of oppressive rules regarding female purity, the strengthening of rules limiting slavery, and an open attitude toward formerly hated categories of people such as [[Samaritan]]s and tax-collectors. |
| − | '''Akiba ben Joseph''' (ca.50–ca.135 C.E.) ([[Hebrew]]: '''עקיבא''') or simply '''Rabbi Akiva''' was a [[Judea]]n [[tannaim|tanna]] of the latter part of the [[1st century]] and the beginning of the [[2nd century]] (3rd [[tannaitic]] generation). He was a great authority in the matter of [[Jewish]] [[tradition]], and one of the most central and essential contributors to the [[Mishnah]] and [[Midrash Halakha]]. He is referred to in the [[Talmud]] as ''"Rosh la-Chachomim"'' (Head of all the Sages). Although a full history of Akiba, based upon authentic sources, will probably never be written, he—to a degree beyond any other—deserves to be called the father of [[rabbinical Judaism]]<ref>[[Yer.]] [[Moed|SheḲ.]] iii 47b, [[R. H.]] i. 56d.</ref>. | + | {{toc}} |
| | + | Rising from a humble background as a poor shepherd, Akiva was supported by his wife, Rachel, in his studies, from which he emerged as one of the greatest teachers of his age. Akiva was also a supporter of the revolt of Simon [[Bar Kochba]], to whom he gave great credibility when he declared the rebel leader to be the promised [[Messiah]] of the Jews. Akiva later died a [[martyr]]'s death at the hands of the Romans. He is revered in Judaism today both in story and [[liturgy]] and is considered by many to be the father of [[rabbinic Judaism]]. |
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| − | == Parentage and youth == | + | ==Biography== |
| − | [[Image:Akiba ben joseph.jpg|thumb|200|'''Rabbi Akiva''', from the Mantua Haggadah (1560)]] | + | === Parentage and youth === |
| − | Legend, which delights in embellishing the memory of epoch-marking personages, has not neglected Akiba. Despite the rich mass of material afforded by rabbinical sources, only an incomplete portrait can be drawn of the man who marked out a path for [[rabbinical Judaism]] for almost two thousand years.
| + | Akiva ben Joseph, usually called simply Akiba or Akiva, was of comparatively humble parentage. Akiva was a shepherd ([[Yeb.]] 86b) by trade, and was referred to as an ''am ha'ertz'' —meaning literally one of the "people of the land" but also a term of derision for an uneducated person. His wife's name was Rachel, the daughter of a wealthy man named Joshua. |
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| − | Akiba ben Joseph (written עקיבא in the [[Babylonian talmud]], and עקיבה in the [[Jerusalem talmud]]—another form for עקביה) who is usually called simply Akiba, was of comparatively humble parentage<ref>[[Yer.]] [[Ber.]] iv. 7d, [[Bab.]] ibid. 27b.</ref>. A misunderstanding of the expression "Zekut Abot" (Ber. l.c.), joined to a tradition concerning [[Sisera]], captain of the army of [[Hazor]] ([[Giṭ.]] 57b, [[Sanh.]] 96b), is the source of another tradition ([[Nissim Gaon]] to Ber. l.c.), which makes Akiba a descendant of Sisera. Of the romantic story of Akiba's marriage with the daughter of the wealthy Jerusalemite, Kalba Sabua, whose shepherd he is said to have been (see below [[#Akiba and his wife|"Akiba and his wife"]] and [[#His relationship with his wife|"His relationship with his wife"]]), only this is known to be true: that Akiba was a shepherd ([[Yeb.]] 86b; compare ibid. 16a). His wife's name was Rachel ([[Ab. R. N.]] ed. [[S. Schechter]], vi. 29), and she was the daughter of an entirely unknown man named Joshua, who is specifically mentioned ([[Yad.]] iii. 5) as Akiba's father-in-law. She stood loyally by her husband during that critical period of his life in which Akiba, thitherto the mortal enemy of the rabbis and an out-and-out ''am ha-aretz'' (ignoramus) ([[Pes.]] 49b), decided to place himself at the feet of those previously detested men. Prior to this change of heart, he used to say: "O that I would find a [[Talmid Chacham]] and bite him like a donkey" ([[Pesachim]], 49b).
| + | At the age of 40 when he was already the father of a large family, Akiva attended the academy of his native town, [[Lydda]], presided over by [[Eliezer ben Hyrcanus]]. Besides Eliezer, Akiva had other teachers—-principally [[Joshua ben Hananiah]] ([[Ab. R. N.]] l.c.) and [[Nahum of Gimzo]] ([[Hag.]] 12a). In reputation he was on equal footing with the great Rabban [[Gamaliel II]], whom he met later. Akiva probably remained in Lydda ([[R. H.]] i. 6) as long as Eliezer dwelled there, and then established his own school in [[Bene Berak]], five Roman miles from [[Jaffa]] ([[Sanh.]] 32b). Akiva also lived for some time at Ziphron, the modern [[Zafrân]], near Hamath. |
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| − | A reliable tradition ([[Ab. R. N.]] l.c.) narrates that Akiba at the age of 40, and when he was the father of a numerous family dependent upon him, eagerly attended the academy of his native town, [[Lydda]], presided over by [[Eliezer ben Hyrcanus]]. According to the [[Talmud]]{{Fact|date=January 2007}}, Hyrcanus was a neighbor of Joseph, the father of Akiba. The fact that Eliezer was his first teacher, and the only one whom Akiba later designates as "rabbi," is of importance in settling the date of Akiba's birth. It is known that in 95–96 Akiba had already attained great prominence ([[H. Grätz]], ''Gesch. d. Juden,'' 2d ed., iv. 121), and, further, that he studied for 13 years before becoming a teacher himself (Ab. R. N. l.c.). Thus the beginning of his years of study would fall about 75–80. Earlier than this, [[Johanan ben Zakkai]] was living, and Eliezer, being his pupil, would have been held of no authority in Johanan's lifetime. Consequently, if we accept the tradition that Akiba was 40 when beginning the study of the Law, he must have been born about 40–50.
| + | ===Akiva and his wife=== |
| | + | According to the [[Talmud]], Akiva owed almost everything to his wife Rachel. He was still a mere shepherd when she consented to secret betrothal on the condition that he devote himself to study. When his wealthy father-in-law learned of this betrothal, he drove his daughter from his house and swore that he would never help her while Akiva remained her husband. Akiva and his young wife were so poverty-stricken that the bride had to sell her hair to enable her husband to pursue his studies. However these difficulties only served to bring out Akiva's greatness of character. It is related that once, when a bundle of straw was the only bed they possessed, a poor man came to beg some straw to make a bed for his sick wife. Akiva at once divided with him his scanty possession, remarking to his wife, "Thou seest, my child, there are those poorer than we!" Legend has it that this supposedly poor man turned out to be none other than the prophet [[Elijah]], who had come to earth to test Akiva ([[Ned.]] 50a). |
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| − | Besides Eliezer, Akiba had other teachers—principally [[Joshua ben Hananiah]] ([[Ab. R. N.]] l.c.) and [[Nahum of Gimzo]] ([[Hag.]] 12a). He was on equal footing with Rabban [[Gamaliel II]], whom he met later. In a certain sense, [[Tarphon]] was considered as one of Akiba's masters ([[Ket.]] 84b), but the pupil outranked his teacher, and Tarphon became one of Akiba's greatest admirers ([[Sifre]], [[Num.]] 75). Akiba probably remained in Lydda ([[R. H.]] i. 6), as long as Eliezer dwelt there, and then removed his own school to [[Bene Berak]], five Roman miles from [[Jaffa]] ([[Sanh.]] 32b; [[Tosef.]], [[Shab.]] iii. [iv.] 3). Akiba also lived for some time at Ziphron (Num. xxxiv. 9), the modern [[Zafrân]] (Z. P. V. viii. 28), near Hamath (see Sifre, Num. iv., and the parallel passages quoted in the [[Talmudical]] dictionaries of [[Levy]] and [[M. Jastrow]]). For another identification of the place, and other forms of its name, see [[A. Neubauer]], ''Géographie,'' p. 391, and M. Jastrow, l.c.
| + | By agreement with his wife, Akiva spent 12 years away from her, pursuing his studies under [[Eliezer ben Hyrcanus]] and [[Joshua ben Hananiah]] at her expense. Returning at the end of that time, he was just about to enter his wretched home, when he overheard Rachel replying to a neighbor who was bitterly censuring him for his long absence: "If I had my wish, he should stay another 12 years at the academy." Without crossing the threshold, Akiva turned and went back to the academy, returning home only after another 12 years. The second time, however, he came back as a most famous scholar, escorted by a huge throng of disciples, who reverently followed their beloved master. When his poorly clad wife was about to embrace him, some of his students, not knowing who she was, sought to restrain her. But Akiva exclaimed, "Let her alone; for what I am, and for what you are, is hers." ([[Ned.]] 50a, [[Ket.]] 62b et seq.) |
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| − | Among Akiva's other contemporaries were [[Elisha ben Avuya]], [[Eliezer ben Tzodok]], [[Eleazar ben Azaria]], [[Gamliel II]], [[Yehuda ben Betheira]], [[Yochanan ben Nuri]], [[Yosi Haglili]], [[Rabbi Yishmael]] and [[Chanina ben Dosa]].
| + | The greatest rabbis of the middle of the second century came from Akiva's school, notably [[Rabbi Meir]], [[Judah ben Ilai]], [[Simeon ben Yohai]], [[Jose ben Halafta]], [[Eleazar ben Shammai]], and [[Rabbi Nehemiah]]. Besides these, who all attained great renown, Akiva undoubtedly had many disciples whose names have not been handed down. Their number is variously stated at 12,000 ([[Gen. R.]] lxi. 3), 24,000 ([[Yeb.]] 62b), and 48,000 ([[Ned.]] 50a). These figures are likely exaggerations, but they are also an indication of his unquestioned renown as a teacher. |
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| − | ==Akiba and his wife== | + | ===Akiva's travels=== |
| − | According to the [[Talmud]], it would appear that Akiba owed almost everything to his wife. Akiba was a shepherd in the employ of the rich and respected Kalba Sabu'a, whose daughter took a liking to him, the modest, conscientious servant. She consented to secret betrothal on the condition that he thenceforth devote himself to study. When the wealthy father-in-law learned of this secret betrothal, he drove his daughter from his house, and swore that he would never help her while Akiba remained her husband. Akiba, with his young wife, lived perforce in the most straitened circumstances. Indeed, so poverty-stricken did they become that the bride had to sell her hair to enable her husband to pursue his studies. But these very straits only served to bring out Akiba's greatness of character. It is related that once, when a bundle of straw was the only bed they possessed, a poor man came to beg some straw for a bed for his sick wife. Akiba at once divided with him his scanty possession, remarking to his wife, "Thou seest, my child, there are those poorer than we!" This pretended poor man was none other than the prophet [[Elijah]], who had come to test Akiba ([[Ned.]] 50a).
| + | Akiva and other rabbinic sages reportedly traveled to Rome around the year 95. When they saw the magnificence of the Roman Empire, his companions wept, recalling Rome's victory during the Jewish revolt of 66-70 C.E. Akiva's reaction was more hopeful. If God could be so kind to the evil Romans, he reasoned, He will be even more compassionate to his chosen people of Israel. A similar story is told of Akiva's response to the ruins of the [[Temple of Jerusalem]], which the Romans had destroyed at the end of the revolt in 70 C.E. Akiva did not mourn over the destruction of the Temple, but saw them as the fulfillment of prophecy. He reminded his companions that other prophecies concerning its rebuilding and Israel's future glory could only be fulfilled after such destruction had taken place. |
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| − | By agreement with his wife, Akiba spent twelve years away from her, pursuing his studies under [[Eliezer ben Hyrcanus]] and [[Joshua ben Hananiah]]. Returning at the end of that time, he was just about to enter his wretched home, when he overheard the following answer given by his wife to a neighbor who was bitterly censuring him for his long absence: "If I had my wish, he should stay another twelve years at the academy." Without crossing the threshold, Akiba turned about and went back to the academy, to return at the expiration of another twelve years. The second time, however, he came back as a most famous scholar, escorted by 24,000 disciples, who reverently followed their beloved master. When his poorly clad wife was about to embrace him, some of his students, not knowing who she was, sought to restrain her. But Akiba exclaimed, "Let her alone; for what I am, and for what you are, is hers" (she deserves the credit) ([[Ned.]] 50a, [[Ket.]] 62b et seq.).
| + | ===Akiva and Bar Kochba=== |
| | + | Akiva's supported Simon [[Bar Kochba]], the messianic figure who led a major revolt against Rome and briefly established an independent Jewish state (132–135). That the venerable teacher declared the patriot as the promised [[Jewish Messiah]] ([[Yer.]] [[Ta'anit]], iv. 68d), is clear, but his role in the revolt beyond that is uncertain. |
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| − | See [[#His relationship with his wife|"His relationship with his wife"]] below for the full story from the [[Talmud]].
| + | After the failure of the Bar Kochba revolt, Akiva was arrested by the Roman authorities either for disobeying a ban against Jews returning to Jerusalem or for teaching the Torah when this activity, too, had been banned. He died imprisoned in Caesarea c. 135. Legends concerning the actual date and manner of Akiva's death are numerous. Jewish sources relate that he was subjected to a [[Ancient Rome|Roman]] [[torture]] where his skin was [[flayed]] with [[iron]] combs. As this was happening, he recited the [[Shema]] prayer. |
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| − | == His Relations with Bar Kokba ==
| + | His having supported the apparently false [[Messiah]], however, in no way diminished his reputation, and he remains one of the most honored of the the ''tannaim''—the great rabbinic sages of the early Talmudic period. |
| − | The greatest [[tannaim]] of the middle of the 2nd century came from Akiba's school, notably [[Rabbi Meir]], [[Judah ben Ilai]], [[Simeon ben Yohai]], [[Jose ben Halafta]], [[Eleazar ben Shammai]], and [[Rabbi Nehemiah]]. Besides these, who all attained great renown, Akiba undoubtedly had many disciples whose names have not been handed down, but whose number is variously stated by the [[Aggadah]] at 12,000 ([[Gen. R.]] lxi. 3), 24,000 ([[Yeb.]] 62b), and 48,000 ([[Ned.]] 50a). That these figures are to be regarded merely as haggadic exaggerations, and not, as some modern historians insist, as the actual numbers of Akiba's political followers, is evident from the passage, [[Ket.]] 106a, in which there are similar exaggerations concerning the disciples of other rabbis.
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| − | The part which Akiba is said to have taken in the [[Bar Kokba revolt]] cannot be historically determined. The only established fact concerning his connection with Bar Kokba is that the venerable teacher regarded the patriot as the promised [[Jewish Messiah]] ([[Yer.]] [[Ta'anit]], iv. 68d), and this is absolutely all there is in evidence of an active participation by Akiba in the revolution. In this regard, Akiva expounded the following verse [[homiletic]]ally: "A star has shot off Jacob" ({{bibleverse|Numbers||24:17|HE}}) and so nicknamed the rebel as ''Kochva'', "the star," rather than ''Kozieva''. When Akiva would see bar Kochba, he would say: ''"Dein hu Malka Meshiecha!"'' (This is the King Messiah) ([[Jerusalem Talmud]], Ta'anit 4:8). The numerous journeys which, according to rabbinical sources, Akiba is said to have made, cannot have been in any way connected with politics. In 95–96 Akiba was in [[Ancient Rome|Rome]] ([[H. Grätz]], ''Gesch. d. Juden,'' iv. 121), and some time before 110 he was in [[Nehardea]] ([[Yeb.]] xvi. 7), which journeys cannot be made to coincide with revolutionary plans.
| + | ==Akiva's teaching== |
| | + | Akiva's intellectual capacity was unequaled, and he secured an enduring influence upon his contemporaries and upon posterity. |
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| − | In view of the mode of traveling then in vogue, it is not at all improbable that Akiba visited en route numerous other places having important Jewish communities (Neuburger in ''Monatsschrift,'' 1873, p. 393), but information on this point is lacking. The statement that he dwelt in Gazaka in [[Medes|Media]] rests upon a false reading in [[Gen. R.]] xxxiii. 5, and [[Ab. Zarah]], 34a, where for "Akiba" should be read "UḲba," the Babylonian, as [[Rashi]] on [[Ta'anit]], 11b, points out. Similarly the passage in [[Ber.]] 8b should read "[[Simon ben Gamaliel]]" instead of Akiba, just as the [[PesiḲta]] (ed. [[S. Buber]], iv. 33b) has it. A sufficient ground for refusing credence in any participation by Akiba in the political anti-Roman movements of his day is the statement of the [[Baraita]] (Ber. 61b) that he suffered martyrdom on account of his transgression of [[Hadrian]]'s edicts against the practice and the teaching of the Jewish religion, a religious and not a political reason for his death being given.
| + | ===Old Testament canon=== |
| | + | He is credited with being a rabbi who definitely fixed the canon of the [[Old Testament]] books. He protested strongly against the canonicity of certain of the [Apocrypha]]—[[Ecclesiasticus]], for instance ([[Sanh.]] x. 1). |
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| − | Akiba's death, which according to [[Sanh.]] 12a occurred after several years of imprisonment, must have taken place about 132, before the suppression of the [[Bar Kokhba's revolt|Bar Kokhba revolt]], otherwise, as [[Z. Frankel]] (''Darke ha-Mishnah,'' p. 121) remarks, the delay of the Romans in executing him would be quite inexplicable. That the religious interdicts of [[Hadrian]] preceded the overthrow of Bar Kokba, is shown by [[Mek.]], [[Mishpaṭim]], 18, where Akiba regards the martyrdom of two of his friends as ominous of his own fate. After the fall of [[Bethar]] no omens were needed to predict evil days. Legends concerning the date and manner of Akiba's death are numerous, but according to [[Crawford Howell Toy]] and [[Louis Ginzberg]] in the Jewish Encyclopedia, they must all be disregarded as being without historical foundation.
| + | Although he forbade the reading of such books publicly in the synagogue service, he had no objection to the private reading of the Apocrypha. His antagonism to the Apocrypha, is apparently related to a desire to undermine the arguments of the [[Christians]]—especially Jewish Christians—who drew many of their proofs from the Apocrypha. |
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| − | However Jewish sources relate that he was subjected to a [[Ancient Rome|Roman]] [[torture]] where his skin was [[flayed]] with [[iron]] combs. As this was happening, astonishingly - especially for those performing the torture - he was saying the [[Shema]] prayer. As they got to his forehead area where a Jewish man lays [[Tefillin]] he expired.
| + | === Akiva as systematizer === |
| | + | Akiva's true genius, however, is shown in his work in the domain of the ''[[halakah]]''—Jewish law—both in his systematization of its traditional material and in its further development. It was Akiva who systematized the [[Mishnah]],<ref>The formal compilation of the Mishnah is normally credited to the work of Judah Ha-Nasi at the end of the second century C.E. However, Talmudic sources also give Akiva credit for laying the groundwork of Judah's work.</ref> or ''halakic codex''; the [[Midrash]], or the exegesis of the [[Torah]]; and the ''halakot,'' the logical amplification of the Mishnah ([[Yer.]] [[SheḲ.]]) |
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| − | == His Personal Character ==
| + | The Talmud quotes Rabbi [[Johanan bar Nappaḥa]] (199–279) relative to Akiva's role in the the composition and editing of the Mishnah and other halakic works: "Our [[Mishnah]] comes directly from [[Rabbi Meir]], the [[Tosefta]] from [[R. Nehemiah]], the [[Sifra]] from [[R. Judah]], and the [[Sifre]] from [[Shimon bar Yochai|R. Simon]]; but they all took Akiva for a model in their works and followed him" ([[Sanh.]] 86a). |
| − | An example of his modesty is his funeral address over his son Simon. To the large assembly gathered on the occasion from every quarter, he said ([[Sem.]] viii., [[M. ḳ.]] 21b).
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| − | {{quotation|Brethren of the house of Israel, listen to me. Not because I am a scholar have ye appeared here so numerously; for there are those here more learned than I. Nor because I am a wealthy man; for there are many more wealthy than I. The people of the south know Akiba; but whence should the people of [[Galilee]] know him? The men are acquainted with him; but how shall the women and children I see here be said to be acquainted with him? Still I know that your reward shall be great, for ye have given yourselves the trouble to come simply in order to do honor to the Torah and to fulfill a religious duty.}}
| + | <blockquote>What was Rabbi Akiva like? A worker who goes out with his basket. He finds wheat, he puts it in; barley, he puts it in; spelt, he puts it in; beans, he puts it in; lentils, he puts it in. When he arrives home he sorts out the wheat by itself, barley by itself, spelt by itself, beans by themselves, lentils by themselves. So did Rabbi Akiva; he arranged the [[Torah]] rings by rings.([[Avot deRabbi Natan]] ch. 18)</blockquote> |
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| − | == Akiba and Gamaliel II == | + | ===Modesty=== |
| − | Modesty is a favorite theme with Akiba, and he reverts to it again and again. "He who esteems himself highly on account of his knowledge," he teaches, "is like a corpse lying on the wayside: the traveler turns his head away in disgust, and walks quickly by" ([[Ab. R. N.]], ed. [[S. Schechter]], xi. 46). Another of his sayings, quoted also in the name of [[Ben Azzai]] ([[Lev. R.]] i. 5), is specially interesting from the fact that [[Book of Luke]], xiv. 8-12, is almost literally identical with it: "Take thy place a few seats below thy rank until thou art bidden to take a higher place; for it is better that they should say to thee 'Come up higher' than that they should bid thee 'Go down lower'" (see [[Prov.]] xxv. 7). | + | Modesty was a favorite theme with Akiba. "He who esteems himself highly on account of his knowledge," he taught, "is like a corpse lying on the wayside. The traveler turns his head away in disgust, and walks quickly by" ([[Ab. R. N.]]). Another of his sayings on humility is interesting in that the [[Gospel of Luke]], 14:8-12, is almost literally identical with it: "Take thy place a few seats below thy rank until thou art bidden to take a higher place; for it is better that they should say to thee 'Come up higher' than that they should bid thee 'Go down lower'." |
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| − | Though so modest, yet when an important matter and not a merely personal one was concerned Akiba could not be cowed by the greatest, as is evidenced by his attitude toward the patriarch [[Gamaliel II]]. Convinced of the necessity of a central authority for [[Judaism]], Akiba became a devoted adherent and friend of Gamaliel, who aimed at constituting the patriarch the true spiritual chief of the Jews (R. H. ii. 9). But Akiba was just as firmly convinced that the power of the patriarch must be limited both by the written and the oral law, the interpretation of which lay in the hands of the learned; and he was accordingly brave enough to act in ritual matters in Gamaliel's own house contrary to the decisions of Gamaliel himself<ref>[[Tosef.]], [[Ber.]] iv. 12.</ref>. Concerning Akiba's other personal excellences, such as benevolence, and kindness toward the sick and needy, see [[Ned.]] 40a, [[Lev. R.]] xxxiv.16, and [[Tosef.]], [[Meg.]] iv. 16. Akiba filled the office of an overseer of the poor<ref>[[Ma'as. Sh.]] v. 9, and [[ḳid.]] 27a.</ref>. | + | Though modest, when an important matter was concerned, Akiva could not be cowed, as is evidenced by his attitude toward the great [[Gamaliel II]]. Convinced of the necessity of a central authority for [[Judaism]], Akiva became a devoted adherent and friend of Gamaliel, who was eventually recognized by Rome as the Jewish [[patriarch]]. But Akiva was just as firmly convinced that the power of the patriarch must be limited both by the written and the oral law, the interpretation of which lay in the hands of the learned rabbis. Accordingly, he intentionally acted in ritual matters contrary to the decisions of Gamaliel himself, even in Gamaliel's own house ([[Tosef.]], [[Ber.]] iv. 12). |
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| − | Eminent as Akiba was by his magnanimity and moral worthiness, he was still more so by his intellectual capacity, by which he secured an enduring influence upon his contemporaries and upon posterity. In the first place, Akiba was the one who definitely fixed the canon of the [[Old Testament]] books. He protested strongly against the canonicity of certain of the [[Apocrypha]], [[Ecclesiasticus]], for instance ([[Sanh.]] x. 1, [[Bab.]] ibid. 100b, [[Yer.]] ibid. x. 28a), in which passages קורא is to be explained according to [[ḳid.]] 49a, and חיצונים according to its [[Aramaic]] equivalent ברייתא; so that Akiba's utterance reads, "He who reads aloud in the synagogue from books not belonging to the canon as if they were canonical," etc.
| + | === Akiva's hermeneutic system === |
| | + | Convinced both of the unchangeableness of [[tanach|Holy Scripture]] and of the necessity for development in [[Judaism]], Akiva succeeded in reconciling these two apparent opposites by means of his remarkable method. The following illustrations will serve to make this clear: |
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| | + | *The high conception of woman's dignity, which Akiva shared in common with most other [[Pharisees]], induced him to abolish the Oriental custom that banished women at certain periods from social intercourse with men. He succeeded, moreover, in justifying his policy on the basis of the very scriptural passages that had formerly been used to ostracize women during their monthly periods ([[Sifra]], [[Meẓora]], end, and [[Shab.]] 64b). |
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| | + | *The biblical legislation in [[Ex.]] 21:7 concerning Jewish slaves could not be reconciled by Akiva with his view of ethics: for him a "Jewish slave" is a contradiction in terms, for every Jew is to be regarded as a prince ([[B. M.]] 113b). Akiva therefore taught, in opposition to the old ''halakah,'' that the sale of a daughter under age by her father conveys to her purchaser no legal title to marry her until she comes of age. |
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| − | He has, however, no objection to the private reading of the Apocrypha, as is evident from the fact that he himself makes frequent use of [[Ecclesiasticus]] ([[W. Bacher]], ''Ag. Tan.'' i. 277; [[H. Grätz]], ''Gnosticismus,'' p. 120). Akiba stoutly defended, however, the canonicity of the [[Song of Songs]], and [[Esther]] ([[Yad.]] iii.5, [[Meg.]] 7a). Grätz's statements (''Shir ha-Shirim,'' p. 115, and ''Kohelet,'' p. 169) respecting Akiba's attitude toward the canonicity of the Song of Songs are misconceptions, as [[I.H. Weiss]] (''Dor,'' ii. 97) has to some extent shown. To the same motive underlying his antagonism to the Apocrypha, namely, the desire to disarm [[Christians]]—especially Jewish Christians—who drew their "proofs" from the Apocrypha, must also be attributed his wish to emancipate the Jews of the Dispersion from the domination of the [[Septuagint]], the errors and inaccuracies in which frequently distorted the true meaning of [[tanach|Scripture]], and were even used as arguments against the Jews by the Christians.
| + | *How little he cared for the "letter of the Law" whenever he conceived it to be antagonistic to the true spirit of Judaism is shown by his attitude toward the [[Samaritans]]. He considered friendly relations with these semi-Jews as desirable on political as well as on religious grounds, and he permitted—in opposition to ''halakhic'' tradition—not only eating their bread ([[Sheb.]] viii. 10) but also eventual intermarriage ([[ḳid.]] 75b). |
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| − | [[Aquila of Sinope|Aquila]] was a man after Akiba's own heart; under Akiba's guidance he gave the Greek-speaking Jews a rabbinical Bible ([[Jerome]] on [[Isa.]] viii. 14, [[Yer.]] [[ḳid.]] i. 59a). Akiba probably also provided for a revised text of the [[Targums]]; certainly, for the essential base of the so-called [[Targum Onkelos]], which in matters of [[Halakah]] reflects Akiba's opinions completely (F. Rosenthal, ''Bet Talmud,'' ii. 280).
| + | ===Famous dicta=== |
| | + | Several of Akiba's well known utterances ([[Abot]], iii. 14, 15) present the essence of his religious conviction. They run: |
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| | + | {{cquote|Everything is foreseen; but freedom [of will] is given to every man.|20px|}} |
| | + | Akiva insists emphatically on the freedom of the will, to which he allows no limitations. This insistence is in opposition to the Christian doctrine of the sinfulness and depravity of fallen man. He derides those who find excuses for their sins in this supposed innate depravity ([[ḳid.]] 81a). |
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| | + | {{cquote|The world is governed by mercy... but the divine decision is made by the preponderance of the good or bad in one's actions.|20px|}} |
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| − | == Akiba as Systematizer ==
| + | Akiva teaches that God combines goodness and mercy with strict justice ([[Ḥag.]] 14a). The idea of justice, however, so strongly dominates Akiva's system that he will not allow God's grace and kindness to be understood as arbitrary. “No pity in judgment!” he insisted. |
| − | Akiba's true genius, however, is shown in his work in the domain of the [[Halakah]], both in his systematization of its traditional material and in its further development. The condition of the Halakah, that is, of religious praxis, and indeed of [[Judaism]] in general, was a very precarious one at the turn of the first [[Christian]] century. The lack of any systematized collection of the accumulated [[Halakot]] rendered impossible any presentation of them in form suitable for practical purposes. Means for the theoretical study of the Halakah were also scant; both logic and exegesis—the two props of the Halakah—being differently conceived by the various ruling [[tannaim]], and differently taught. According to a tradition which has historical confirmation, it was Akiba who systematized and brought into methodic arrangement the [[Mishnah]], or Halakah codex; the [[Midrash]], or the exegesis of the Halakah; and the Halakot, the logical amplification of the Halakah ([[Yer.]] [[SheḲ.]] v. 48c, according to the correct text given by Rabbinowicz, ''DiḲduḲe Soferim,'' p. 42; compare [[Giṭ.]] 67a and Dünner, in ''Monatsschrift,'' xx. 453, also [[W. Bacher]], in ''Rev. Ét. Juives,'' xxxviii. 215.) The Mishna of Akiva, as his pupil Meir had taken it from him, became the basis of the Six Orders of the Mishna.
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| − | The δευτερώσεις τοῦ καλουμένου Ραββὶ Ακιβά mentioned by [[Epiphanius]] (''[[Panarion|Adversus Hæreses]],'' xxxiii. 9, and xv., end), as well as the "great Mishnayot of Akiba" in the [[Midr. Cant. R.]] viii. 2, [[Eccl. R.]] vi. 2, are probably not to be understood as independent Mishnayot (δευτερώσεις) existing at that time, but as the teachings and opinions of Akiba contained in the officially recognized Mishnayot and Midrashim. But at the same time it is fair to consider the Mishnah of [[Judah ha-Nasi]] (called simply "the Mishnah") as derived from the school of Akiba; and the majority of halakic Midrashim now extant are also to be thus credited.
| + | {{cquote|''How favored is man, for he was created after an image; as Scripture says, "for in an image, Elohim made man"''. ([[Gen.]] ix. 6)|20px|}} |
| | + | Akiva's view of humankind is based upon the principle that man and woman were created not "in the image of God" but "after an image"—after a primordial type; or, philosophically speaking, after an Idea. Strict monotheist that Akiva was, he protested against any comparison of God with the angels. |
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| − | [[Johanan bar Nappaḥa]] (199–279) has left the following important note relative to the composition and editing of the Mishnah and other halakic works: "Our [[Mishnah]] comes directly from [[Rabbi Meir]], the [[Tosefta]] from [[R. Nehemiah]], the [[Sifra]] from [[R. Judah]], and the [[Sifre]] from [[Shimon bar Yochai|R. Simon]]; but they all took Akiba for a model in their works and followed him" ([[Sanh.]] 86a). One recognizes here the threefold division of the halakic material that emanated from Akiba: (1) The codified Halakah (which is Mishnah); (2) the Tosefta, which in its original form contains a concise logical argument for the Mishnah, somewhat like the ''Lebush'' of [[Mordecai Jafe]] on the ''Shulḥan 'Aruk''; (3) the halakic Midrash.
| + | === Eschatology and ethics === |
| | + | As to the question concerning the frequent sufferings of the pious and the prosperity of the wicked—-truly a burning one in Akiva's time—-this is answered by the explanation that the pious are punished in this life for their few sins, in order that in the next they may receive only reward; while the wicked obtain in this world all the recompense for the little good they have done, and in the next world will receive only punishment for their misdeeds ([[Gen. R.]] xxxiii; [[PesiḲ]] ix. 73a). Justice as an attribute of God must also be exemplary for man. "No mercy in [civil] justice!" is his basic principle in the doctrine concerning law ([[Ket.]] ix. 3), and he does not conceal his opinion that even the action of the Jews of the [[Exodus]] in taking the spoil of the Egyptians is to be condemned (Gen. R. xxviii. 7). |
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| − | The following may be mentioned here as the halakic Midrashim originating in Akiba's school: the [[Mekilta of Rabbi Simon]] (in manuscript only) on [[Exodus]]; [[Sifra]] on [[Leviticus]]; [[Sifre Zuṭṭa]] on the [[Book of Numbers]] (excerpts in [[YalḲ. Shim'oni]], and a manuscript in [[Midrash ha-Gadol]], (edited for the first time by B. Koenigsberger, 1894); and the Sifre to [[Deuteronomy]], the halakic portion of which belongs to Akiba's school.
| + | He recognizes as the chief and greatest principle of Judaism the command, "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself" ([[Lev.]] xix. 18; [[Sifra]], [[ḳedoshim]], iv.). However, he does not maintain, as [[Hillel]] reportedly did, that the execution of this command is equivalent to the performance of the whole Law ([[Mek.]], Shirah, 3, 44a, ed. [[I.H. Weiss]]). For, in spite of his broad-minded philosophy, Akiba was an extremely strict and nationalistic Jew. |
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| − | {{quotation|What was Rabbi Akiva like? - A worker who goes out with his basket. He finds wheat - he puts it in, barley - he puts it in, spelt - he puts it in, beans - he puts it in, lentils - he puts it in. When he arrives home he sorts out the wheat by itself, barley by itself, spelt by itself, beans by themselves, lentils by themselves. So did Rabbi Akiva; he arranged the [[Torah]] rings by rings.|[[Avot deRabbi Natan]] ch. 18; see also [[Gittin]], 67a}}
| + | === The Messianic Age and the future world === |
| − | | + | Likewise, Akiva's doctrine concerning the [[Messiah]] was the realistic and thoroughly Jewish one, as his declaration that [[Bar Kochba]] was the Messiah shows. He limited the messianic age to 40 years, as being within the scope of a man's life—similar to the reigns of [[David]] and [[Solomon]]—against the usual conception of a millennium ([[Midr. Teh.]] xc. 15). He distinguished, however, between the messianic age and the '''future world'''. This latter will come after the destruction of this world, lasting for 1,000 years ([[R. H.]] 31a). To the future world all Israel will be admitted, with the exception of the generation of the wilderness and the ten lost tribes ([[Sanh.]] xi. 3, 110b). Gentiles would also be admitted, they would be subjected to the judgment of the Jewish Messiah-king ([[Ḥag.]] 14a). |
| − | == Akiba's Halakah == | |
| − | Admirable as is the systematization of the [[Halakah]] by Akiba, his hermeneutics and halakic exegesis—which form the foundation of all Talmudic learning—surpassed it. A rule was later established: "whenever Rabbi Akiva disputes a single sage, the ''halakhic'' ruling follows him, but not so when he disputes more than one sage."{{Fact|date=January 2007}}
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| − | The enormous difference between the Halakah before and after Akiba may be briefly described as follows: The old Halakah was, as its name indicates, the religious practice sanctioned as binding by tradition, to which were added extensions, and, in some cases, limitations, of the [[Torah]], arrived at by strict logical deduction. The opposition offered by the [[Sadducees]]—which became especially strenuous in the last century B.C.E.—originated the [[halakic Midrash]], whose mission it was to deduce these amplifications of the Law, by tradition and logic, out of the Law itself. | |
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| − | It might be thought that with the destruction of the [[Temple in Jerusalem]]—which event made an end of [[Sadduceeism]]—the [[halakic Midrash]] would also have disappeared, seeing that the Halakah could now dispense with the Midrash. This probably would have been the case had not Akiba created his own Midrash, by means of which he was able "to discover things that were even unknown to Moses" ([[PesiḲ.]], [[Parah]], ed. [[S. Buber]], 39b). Akiba made the accumulated treasure of the oral law—which until his time was only a subject of knowledge, and not a science—an inexhaustible mine from which, by the means he provided, new treasures might be continually extracted.
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| − | If the older Halakah is to be considered as the product of the internal struggle between [[Phariseeism]] and [[Sadduceeism]], the Halakah of Akiba must be conceived as the result of an external contest between Judaism on the one hand and [[Hellenistic civilization|Hellenism]] and Hellenistic Christianity on the other. Akiba no doubt perceived that the intellectual bond uniting the Jews—far from being allowed to disappear with the destruction of the Jewish state—must be made to draw them closer together than before. He pondered also the nature of that bond. The Bible could never again fill the place alone; for the [[Christians]] also regarded it as a divine revelation. Still less could dogma serve the purpose, for dogmas were always repellent to [[rabbinical Judaism]], whose very essence is development and the susceptibility to development. Mention has already been made of the fact that Akiba was the creator of a rabbinical [[Bible]] version elaborated with the aid of his pupil, [[Aquila of Sinope|Aquila]], and designed to become the common property of all Jews, thus Judaizing the Bible, as it were, in opposition to the Christians.
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| − | But this was not sufficient to obviate all threatening danger. It was to be feared that the Jews, by their facility in accommodating themselves to surrounding circumstances—even then a marked characteristic—might become entangled in the net of [[Grecian philosophy]], and even in that of [[Gnosticism]]. The example of his colleagues and friends, [[Elisha ben Abuyah]], [[Ben Azzai]], and [[Ben Zoma]] strengthened him still more in his conviction of the necessity of providing some counterpoise to the intellectual influence of the non-Jewish world.
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| − | == Akiba's Hermeneutic System == | |
| − | Akiba sought to apply the system of isolation followed by the [[Pharisees]] (פרושים = those who "separate" themselves) to doctrine as they did to practise, to the intellectual life as they did to that of daily intercourse, and he succeeded in furnishing a firm foundation for his system. As the fundamental principle of his system, Akiba enunciates his conviction that the mode of expression used by the Torah is quite different from that of every other book. In the language of the Torah nothing is mere form; everything is essence. It has nothing superfluous; not a word, not a syllable, not even a letter. Every peculiarity of diction, every particle, every sign, is to be considered as of higher importance, as having a wider relation and as being of deeper meaning than it seems to have. Like [[Philo]] (see Siegfried, ''Philo,'' p. 168), who saw in the [[Hebrew]] construction of the infinitive with the finite form of the same verb—which is readily recognizable in the [[Septuagint]]—and in certain particles (adverbs, prepositions, etc.) some deep reference to philosophical and ethical doctrines, Akiba perceived in them indications of many important ceremonial laws, legal statutes, and ethical teachings (compare [[D. Hoffmann]], ''Zur Einleitung,'' pp. 5-12, and [[H. Grätz]], ''Gesch.'' iv. 427).
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| − | He thus gave the Jewish mind not only a new field for its own employment, but, convinced both of the unchangeableness of [[tanach|Holy Scripture]] and of the necessity for development in Judaism, he succeeded in reconciling these two apparently hopeless opposites by means of his remarkable method. The following two illustrations will serve to make this clear:
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| − | *The high conception of woman's dignity, which Akiba shared in common with most other [[Pharisees]], induced him to abolish the Oriental custom that banished women at certain periods from all social intercourse. He succeeded, moreover, in fully justifying his interpretation of those Scriptural passages upon which this ostracism had been founded by the older expounders of the Torah ([[Sifra]], [[Meẓora]], end, and [[Shab.]] 64b).
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| − | *The Biblical legislation in [[Ex.]] xxi. 7 could not be reconciled by Akiba with his view of Jewish ethics: for him a "Jewish slave" is a contradiction in terms, for every Jew is to be regarded as a prince ([[B. M.]] 113b). Akiba therefore teaches, in opposition to the old Halakah, that the sale of a daughter under age by her father conveys to her purchaser no legal title to marriage with her, but, on the contrary, carries with it the duty to keep the female slave until she is of age, and then to marry her ([[Mek.]], [[Mishpaṭim]], 3). How Akiba endeavors to substantiate this from the Hebrew text is shown by [[A. Geiger]] (''Urschrift,'' p. 187).
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| − | How little he cared for the letter of the Law whenever he conceives it to be antagonistic to the spirit of Judaism, is shown by his attitude toward the [[Samaritans]]. He considered friendly intercourse with these semi-Jews as desirable on political as well as on religious grounds, and he permitted—in opposition to tradition—not only eating their bread ([[Sheb.]] viii. 10) but also eventual intermarriage ([[ḳid.]] 75b). This is quite remarkable, seeing that in matrimonial legislation he went so far as to declare every forbidden union as absolutely void ([[Yeb.]] 92a) and the offspring as illegitimate (ḳid. 68a). For similar reasons Akiba comes near abolishing the Biblical ordinance of ''[[Kilaim]]''; nearly every chapter in the treatise of that name contains a mitigation by Akiba.
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| − | Love for the [[Holy Land]], which he as a genuine nationalist frequently and warmly expressed (see [[Ab. R. N.]] xxvi.), was so powerful with him that he would have exempted agriculture from much of the rigor of the Law. These examples will suffice to justify the opinion that Akiba was the man to whom Judaism owes preeminently its activity and its capacity for development.
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| − | == Religious Philosophy ==
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| − | [[Goethe]]'s saying, that "in self-restraint is the master shown," is contradicted by Akiba, who, though diametrically opposed to all philosophical speculation, is nevertheless the only [[tannaim|tanna]] to whom we can attribute something like a religious philosophy. A tannaitic tradition ([[Ḥag.]] 14b; [[Tosef.]], Ḥag. ii. 3) mentions that of the four who entered paradise, Akiba was the only one that returned unscathed. This serves at least to show how strong in later ages was the recollection of Akiba's philosophical speculation (see [[Elisha b. Abuya]]).
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| − | Akiba's utterances ([[Abot]], iii. 14, 15) may serve to present the essence of his religious conviction. They run:
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| − | * How favored is man, for he was created after an image; as Scripture says, "for in an image, Elohim made man" ([[Gen.]] ix. 6).
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| − | * Everything is foreseen; but freedom [of will] is given to every man.
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| − | *The world is governed by mercy... but the divine decision is made by the preponderance of the good or bad in one's actions.
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| − | Akiba's anthropology is based upon the principle that man was created בצלם, that is, not in the image of God—which would be בצלם אלהים—but after an image, after a primordial type; or, philosophically speaking, after an Idea—what [[Philo]] calls in agreement with judean theology, "the first heavenly man" (see [[Adam ḳadmon]]). Strict monotheist that Akiba was, he protested against any comparison of God with the angels, and declared the traditional interpretation of כאחד ממנו ([[Gen.]] iii. 22) as meaning "like one of us" to be arrant blasphemy ([[Mek.]], [[Beshallaḥ]], 6). It is quite instructive to read how a contemporary of Akiba, [[Justin Martyr]], calls the old interpretation—thus objected to by Akiba—a "Jewish heretical one" (''Dial. cum Tryph.'' lxii.). In his earnest endeavors to insist as strongly as possible upon the incomparable nature of God, Akiba indeed lowers the angels somewhat to the realms of mortals, and, alluding to [[Ps.]] lxxviii. 25, maintains that manna is the actual food of the angels ([[Yoma]], 75b). This view of Akiba's, in spite of the energetic protests of his colleague [[Rabbi Ishmael]], became the one generally accepted by his contemporaries, as Justin Martyr, l.c., lvii., indicates.
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| − | == Freedom of Will ==
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| − | Against the Judæo-Gnostic doctrine (''Recognit.'' iii. 30; [[Sifre]], [[Num.]] 103; [[Sifra]], [[Wayikra]], 2), which teaches that angels—who are spiritual beings—and also that the departed pious, who are bereft of their flesh, can see God, the words of Akiba, in Sifra, l.c., must be noticed. He insists that not even the angels can see God's glory; for he interprets the expression in [[Ex.]] xxxiii. 20, "no man can see me and live" (וחי), as if it read "no man or any living immortal can see me."
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| − | Next to the transcendental nature of God, Akiba insists emphatically, as has been mentioned, on the freedom of the will, to which he allows no limitations. This insistence is in opposition to the Christian doctrine of the sinfulness and depravity of man, and apparently controverts his view of divine predestination. He derides those who find excuse for their sins in this supposed innate depravity ([[ḳid.]] 81a). But Akiba's opposition to this genetically Jewish doctrine is probably directed mainly against its [[Christian]] correlative, the doctrine of the grace of God contingent upon faith in [[Christ]], and baptism. Referring to this, Akiba says, "Happy are ye, O Israelites, that ye purify yourselves through your heavenly Father, as it is said ([[Jer.]] xvii. 13, Heb.), 'Israel's hope is God'" ([[Mishnah]] [[Yoma]], end). This is a play on the Hebrew word מקוה ("hope" and "bath"). In opposition to the Christian insistence on God's love, Akiba upholds God's retributive justice elevated above all chance or arbitrariness ([[Mekilta]], [[Beshallaḥ]], 6).
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| − | == God's Two Attributes ==
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| − | But he is far from representing justice as the only attribute of God: in agreement with the ancient Palestinian theology of the מדת הדין ("the attribute of justice") and מדת הרחמים ("the attribute of mercy") ([[Gen. R.]] xii., end; the χαριστική and κολαστική of [[Philo]], ''Quis Rer. Div. Heres,'' 34 Mangey, i. 496), he teaches that God combines goodness and mercy with strict justice ([[Ḥag.]] 14a). The idea of justice, however, so strongly dominates Akiba's system that he will not allow God's grace and kindness to be understood as arbitrary. Hence his maxim, referred to above, "God rules the world in mercy, but according to the preponderance of good or bad in human acts."
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| − | == Eschatology and Ethics ==
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| − | As to the question concerning the frequent sufferings of the pious and the prosperity of the wicked —truly a burning one in Akiba's time—this is answered by the explanation that the pious are punished in this life for their few sins, in order that in the next they may receive only reward; while the wicked obtain in this world all the recompense for the little good they have done, and in the next world will receive only punishment for their misdeeds ([[Gen. R.]] xxxiii.; [[PesiḲ.]] ed. [[S. Buber]], ix. 73a). Consistent as Akiba always was, his ethics and his views of justice were only the strict consequences of his philosophical system. Justice as an attribute of God must also be exemplary for man. "No mercy in [civil] justice!" is his basic principle in the doctrine concerning law ([[Ket.]] ix. 3), and he does not conceal his opinion that the action of the Jews in taking the spoil of the Egyptians is to be condemned (Gen. R. xxviii. 7).
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| − | From his views as to the relation between God and man he deduces the inference that he who sheds the blood of a fellow man is to be considered as committing the crime against the divine archetype (דמות) of man ([[Gen. R.]] xxxiv. 14). He therefore recognizes as the chief and greatest principle of Judaism the command, "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself" ([[Lev.]] xix. 18; [[Sifra]], [[ḳedoshim]], iv.). He does not, indeed, maintain thereby that the execution of this command is equivalent to the performance of the whole Law; and in one of his polemic interpretations of Scripture he protests strongly against the contrary opinion of the [[Christians]], according to whom Judaism is "simply morality" ([[Mek.]], Shirah, 3, 44a, ed. [[I.H. Weiss]]). For, in spite of his philosophy, Akiba was an extremely strict and national Jew.
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| − | == The Messianic Age and the Future World ==
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| − | His doctrine concerning the [[Jewish Messiah]] was the realistic and thoroughly Jewish one, as his declaration that [[Bar Kokba]] was the Messiah shows. He accordingly limited the Messianic age to forty years, as being within the scope of a man's life—similar to the reigns of [[David]] and [[Solomon]]—against the usual conception of a millennium ([[Midr. Teh.]] xc. 15). A distinction is, however, to be made between the Messianic age and the future world (עולם הבא). This latter will come after the destruction of this world, lasting for 1,000 years ([[R. H.]] 31a). To the future world all Israel will be admitted, with the exception of the generation of the Wilderness and the [[Ten Tribes]] ([[Sanh.]] xi. 3, 110b). But even this future world is painted by Akiba in colors selected by his nationalist inclinations, for he makes Messiah (whom, according to [[Ezek.]] xxxvii. 24, he identifies with [[King David]]) the judge of all the heathen world ([[Ḥag.]] 14a).
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| | == Legends == | | == Legends == |
| − | A man like Akiba would naturally be the subject of many legends. The following examples indicate in what light the personality of this great teacher appeared to later generations. | + | A man like Akiva would naturally be the subject of many legends, as the following examples show. |
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| − | === His innovative method ===
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| − | "When Moses ascended into heaven, he saw God occupied in making little crowns for the letters of the Torah. Upon his inquiry as to what these might be for, he received the answer, "There will come a man, named Akiba ben Joseph, who will deduce Halakot from every little curve and crown of the letters of the Law." Moses' request to be allowed to see this man was granted; but he became much dismayed as he listened to Akiba's teaching; for he could not understand it" ([[Men.]] 29b). This story gives in naive style a picture of Akiba's activity as the father of [[rabbinical Judaism|Talmudical Judaism]].
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| − | === His transformation ===
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| − | The [[Aggadah]] explains how Akiba, in the prime of life, commenced his rabbinical studies. Legendary allusion to this change in Akiba's life is made in two slightly varying forms, of which the following is probably the older:
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| − | :Akiba, noticing a stone at a well that had been hollowed out by drippings from the buckets, said: "If these drippings can, by continuous action, penetrate this solid stone, how much more can the persistent word of God penetrate the pliant, fleshly human heart, if that word but be presented with patient insistency" ([[Ab. R. N.]] ed. [[S. Schechter]], vi. 28).
| + | === Smarter than Moses === |
| | + | The following story gives a picture of Akiva's activity as the father of [[rabbinical Judaism|talmudic Judaism]]. |
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| | + | <blockquote>When Moses ascended into heaven, he saw God occupied in making little crowns for the letters of the Torah. Upon his inquiry as to what these might be for, he received the answer, "There will come a man, named Akiva ben Joseph, who will deduce ''halakot'' from every little curve and crown of the letters of the Law." Moses' request to be allowed to see this man was granted; but he became much dismayed as he listened to Akiva's teaching, for he could not understand it. ([[Men.]] 29b)</blockquote> |
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| − | === His martydom === | + | === His martyrdom === |
| − | [[Image:Akivakever.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Akiba's grave in [[Tiberias]]]] | + | [[Image:Expulsion of the Jews in the Reign of the Emperor Hadrian AD 135 How Heraclius turned the Jews out of Jerusalem Fac simile of a Miniature in the Histoire des Empereurs Manuscript of the Fifteenth Century.png|thumb|Expulsion of the Jews from Jerusalem in 135 C.E.]] |
| − | Akiba's martyrdom—which is an important historical event—gave origin to many legends. The following account of his martyrdom is on a high plane and contains a proper appreciation of his principles: When Rufus—"Tyrannus Rufus," as he is called in Jewish sources—who was the pliant tool of [[Hadrian]]'s vengeance, condemned the venerable Akiba to the hand of the executioner, it was just the time to recite the ''[[Shema]]''. Full of devotion, Akiba recited his prayers calmly, though suffering agonies; and when Rufus asked him whether he was a sorcerer, since he felt no pain, Akiba replied, "I am no sorcerer; but I rejoice at the opportunity now given to me to love my God 'with all my life,' seeing that I have hitherto been able to love Him only 'with all my means' and 'with all my might,'" and with the word "One!" he expired ([[Yer.]] [[Ber.]] ix. 14b, and somewhat modified in [[Bab.]] 61b).
| + | Akiva's martyrdom gave rise to many legends. One story relates that when he was about to be executed, Akiva recited his prayers calmly, though suffering agonies; and when his torturer asked him whether he was a sorcerer, Akiva replied, "I am no sorcerer; but I rejoice at the opportunity now given to me to love my God 'with all my life,' seeing that I have hitherto been able to love Him only 'with all my means' and 'with all my might.'" ([[Yer.]] [[Ber.]] ix. 14b, and somewhat modified in [[Bab.]] 61b). |
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| − | The version in the [[Babylonian Talmud]] ([[Berachot]] 61b) tells it as a response of Akiva to his students, who asked him how even now—as he is being tortured—he could yet offer prayers to God. He says to them, "All my life I was worried about the verse, 'with all your soul,' (and the sages expounded this to signify), even if He takes away your soul. And I said to myself, when will I ever be able to fulfill this command? And now that I am finally able to fulfill it, I should not? Then he extended the final word ''Echad'' ("One") until his life expired with that word. A heavenly voice went out and announced: "Blessed are you, ''Rabbi'' Akiva, that your life expired with "''Echad''." Pure monotheism was for Akiba the essence of Judaism: he lived, worked, and died for it.
| + | Another legend tells how [[Elijah]], accompanied by Akiva's faithful servant, secretly entered the prison where Akiva's body lay. Priest though he was, Elijah took up the corpse—-for the dead body of such a saint could not defile—-and, escorted by many bands of angels, bore the body by night to [[Cæsarea]]. When they arrived there, they entered a cavern which contained a bed, table, chair, and lamp, and deposited Akiva's body there. As soon as they left it, the cavern closed of its own accord, so that one has found it since (''Bet ha-Midrash,'' vi. 27, 28; ii. 67, 68). |
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| − | Contrary to the vision ([[Men.]] 29b), which sees Akiba's body destined to be exposed for sale in the butcher's shop, legend tells how [[Elijah]], accompanied by Akiba's faithful servant Joshua, entered unperceived the prison where the body lay. Priest though he was, Elijah took up the corpse—for the dead body of such a saint could not defile—and, escorted by many bands of angels, bore the body by night to [[Cæsarea]]. The night, however, was as bright as the finest summer's day. When they arrived there, Elijah and Joshua entered a cavern which contained a bed, table, chair, and lamp, and deposited Akiba's body there. No sooner had they left it than the cavern closed of its own accord, so that no man has found it since ([[Jellinek]], ''Bet ha-Midrash,'' vi. 27, 28; ii. 67, 68; Braunschweiger, ''Lehrer der Mischnah,'' 192-206).
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| − | === His students ===
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| − | Akiva taught thousands of students; twenty four thousand students of his died in a plague.<ref> Talmud Bavli, Yevamoth 62b </ref> His five main, last remaining students were [[Judah bar Ilai]], [[Rabbi Meir]], [[Rabbi Nehemiah]], [[Jose ben Halafta]] and [[Shimon bar Yochai]].
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| | === His wealth and influence=== | | === His wealth and influence=== |
| − | Akiba's success as a teacher put an end to his poverty; for the wealthy father-in-law now rejoiced to acknowledge a son-in-law so distinguished as Akiba. There were, however, other circumstances which made a wealthy man of the former shepherd lad.
| + | Akiva's success as a teacher put an end to his poverty; for his wealthy father-in-law now rejoiced to acknowledge a son-in-law so distinguished as Akiva. There were, however, other circumstances which made a wealthy man of the former shepherd lad. |
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| − | It appears that Akiba, authorized by certain rabbis, borrowed a large sum of money from a prominent heathen woman—a matrona, says the legend. As bondsmen for the loan, Akiba named God and the sea, on the shore of which the matrona's house stood. Akiba, being sick, could not return the money at the time appointed; but his "bondsmen" did not leave him in the lurch. An imperial princess suddenly became insane, in which condition she threw a chest containing imperial treasures into the sea. It was cast upon the shore close to the house of Akiba's creditor, so that when the matrona went to the shore to demand of the sea the amount she had lent Akiba, the ebbing tide left boundless riches at her feet. Later, when Akiba arrived to discharge his indebtedness, the matrona not only refused to accept the money, but insisted upon Akiba's receiving a large share of what the sea had brought to her (Commentaries to [[Ned.]] l.c.).
| + | One relates that Akiva, authorized by certain rabbis, borrowed a large sum of money from a prominent [[Gentile]] woman. As bondsmen for the loan, Akiva named God and the sea. Akiva grew sick, however, and could not return the money at the appointed time. Meanwhile, an imperial princess suddenly became insane and threw a chest containing great treasures into the sea. It was cast upon the shore close to the house of Akiva's creditor, so that when she went to the shore to demand of the sea the amount she had lent Akiva, the ebbing tide left boundless riches at her feet. (Commentaries to [[Ned.]] l.c.). |
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| − | The Talmud also enumerates six occasions in which Akiva gained his wealth ([[Nedarim]], 50a-b). Akiba's many journeys brought numerous adventures, some of which are embellished by legend. Thus in [[Ethiopia]] he was once called upon to decide between the swarthy king and the king's wife; the latter having been accused of infidelity because she had borne her lord a white child. Akiba ascertained that the royal chamber was adorned with white marble statuary, and, basing his decision upon a well known physiological theory, he exonerated the queen from suspicion ([[Num. R.]] ix. 34). It is related that during his stay in [[Rome]] Akiba became intimately acquainted with the Jewish proselyte ḳeṭia' bar Shalom, a very influential Roman—according to some scholars identical with [[Titus Flavius Clemens (consul)|Flavius Clemens]], [[Domitian]]'s nephew, who, before his execution for pleading the cause of the Jews, bequeathed to Akiba all his possessions ([[Ab. Zarah]], 10b).
| + | ===Saved from captivity=== |
| | + | Once, being unable to find any sleeping accommodation in a certain town, Akiva was compelled to pass the night outside its walls. Without a murmur he resigned himself to this hardship. During the night, a lion devoured his donkey, a cat killed the rooster whose crowing was to herald the dawn to him, and the wind extinguished his candle. The only remark Akiva made was, "This, likewise, must be for a good purpose!" When morning dawned, he learned how true his words were. A large band of robbers had fallen upon the town and carried its inhabitants into captivity. Akiva had escaped because his abiding place had not been noticed in the darkness, and neither beast nor fowl had betrayed him ([[Ber.]] 60b). |
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| − | Another Roman, concerning whose relations with Akiba legend has much to tell, was [[Tinnius Rufus]], called in the Talmud "Tyrannus" Rufus. One day Rufus asked: "Which is the more beautiful—God's work or man's?" "Undoubtedly man's work is the better," was Akiba's reply; "for while nature at God's command supplies us only with the raw material, human skill enables us to elaborate the same according to the requirements of art and good taste." Rufus had hoped to drive Akiba into a corner by his strange question; for he expected quite a different answer from the sage, and intended to compel Akiba to admit the wickedness of circumcision. He then put the question, "Why has God not made man just as He wanted him to be?" "For the very reason," was Akiba's ready answer, "that the duty of man is to perfect himself" ([[Tan.]], [[Tazri'a]], 5, ed. [[S. Buber]] 7).
| + | ===Akiva and the dead=== |
| | + | Akiva once met a coal-black man carrying a heavy load of wood and running with the speed of a horse. Akiva stopped him and inquired: "My son, wherefore dost thou labor so hard? If thou art a slave and hast a harsh master, I will purchase thee of him. If it be out of poverty that thou doest thus, I will care for thy requirements." |
| | | | |
| − | ===His relationship with his wife===
| + | The man answered: "It is for neither of these. I am dead and am compelled because of my great sins to build my funeral pyre every day. In life I was a tax-gatherer and oppressed the poor. Let me go at once, lest the demon torture me for my delay." |
| − | {{Unreferenced|date=January 2007}}
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| − | Akiva was the shepherd of a rich man nicknamed Kalba Savua because anyone who entered his house hungry like a dog ''(kalba)'' went out satiated ''(savua)'' (a reference to his hospitality toward guests). Kalba Savua's daughter, whose name was Rachel, noticed his modesty and good nature. She saw that he had a great mind, and that if he would put his mind to The Almighty's Divine Torah, he would flourish into a great teacher in Israel. She spoke with Akiva about G-d and the role of the Jewish people, and it sparked his interest. One day Akiva came to Rachel by a river, and asked her why the Jewish people, if they were G-d's Chosen people, had to suffer so much. She replied,
| |
| | | | |
| − | :"The greater, the higher a man's task is, the more he must endure, the more he must fight and suffer. An ordinary simple man who doesn't bother about anything usually lives a quiet an undisturbed life. The man who wants to do something, who is concerned with the general welfare has troubles and worries. When G-d elevated Israel and chose us from all the nations, He placed us in the midst of every conflict. Wherever something great is being fought for, Israel must be there. Few peoples rise above the others, to put their foot on the neck of the nations. The various generations come up, grow, flourish and disappear. Israel must play its part in all of them. Of course, that involves suffering and sorrow. Sometimes we are hurled down to earth, and the ploughs are drawn across our backs and we are marked by long furrows. But G-d has always raised us up again. He has never punished us as He has punished those who torment us. He has never doomed us to die like those nations who oppress us. If we must suffer more than other peoples, G-d has also given us the strength to bear our troubles; to endure." {{Fact|date=January 2007}} | + | Akiva asked: "Is there no help for thee?" |
| | | | |
| − | Rachel's words moved Akiva, and he told her that he could only dedicate himself to Torah if he had a wife like her by his side. She said that she would accept his "wooing" if he would devote himself to the study of G-d's law. He said he would, and they married in secret. Her father, hearing this, drove her out of his house and prohibited her by vow of having any share in his assets.
| + | "Almost none," replied the deceased, "for I understand that my sufferings will end only when I have a pious son. When I died, my wife was pregnant; but I have little hope that she will give my child proper training." |
| | | | |
| − | Rachel brought Akiva to Gamzu, a small place near [[Lod]], to learn from the Torah sage [[Nochum of Gamzu]]. He learned with him until he died, at which point he moved to [[Yavneh]] to study at the feet of [[ben Zakkai]], as well as [[Gamliel II]] ''HaNasi'' (the Prince), and [[Yehoshua ben Chananya]]. After 12 years, he returned to his home with twelve thousand disciples following him. He overheard a neighbor saying to his wife Rachel: "How long will you live as a widow while still married? Your husband has probably forgotten all about you!" She answered her: "If he would listen to me, he should go study another twelve years." Hearing this, Rabbi Akiva said: "So I'm doing it with her approval!" and went and studied another twelve years.
| + | Akiva found the man's former home and asked the neighbors about his family. They expressed their opinion that both the deceased and his wife deserved to inhabit the infernal regions for all time. Moreover the wife had not even initiated her child into the [[Abrahamic covenant]] by giving him his [[Bar Mitzvah]]. Akiva sought the son of the tax-collector and labored long and assiduously in teaching him the word of God. After fasting 40 days, and praying to God to bless his efforts, he heard a heavenly voice asking, "Wherefore givest thou thyself so much trouble concerning this one?" He immediately replied: "Because he is just the kind to work for." |
| | | | |
| − | When he came back this time, he had twenty-four thousand disciples with him. Hearing this, his wife was about to go out and greet him. Her female neighbors said to her: "Go borrow garments and dress yourself!" She replied: "A righteous man knows the spirit of his domestic beast" (''[[Book of Proverbs|Proverbs]]'' 12:10). When she reached him she prostrated herself and started kissing his feet. His servants started pushing her away. He said to them: "Let her be! What both I and you have is hers."
| + | Akiva persevered until his pupil was able to officiate as reader in the synagogue; and when there for the first time he recited the prayer, "Bless ye the Lord!" the father suddenly appeared to Akiva, and overwhelmed him with thanks for his deliverance from the pains of hell through the merit of his son ([[Kallah]] 4b). |
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| − | Her father heard that a great man had arrived in town. He said: "Let me go to him, perhaps he may annul my vow." ''Rabbi'' Akiva asked him: "Had you known that her husband would become a great man, would you have vowed?" Kalba Savua answered: "Why, if he even knew one chapter, even one ''[[Halakha]]''!" ''Rabbi'' Akiva then said: "I am him." He prostrated himself and kissed him on his feet, and gave him half his assets ([[Ketubot]] 62b-63a).
| + | ==Legacy== |
| | + | [[Image:Akivakever.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Akiva's grave in [[Tiberias]]]] |
| | + | Akiva is one of the most quoted sages in the [[Mishnah]] and the [[Talmud]]. His attitude helped set the basic tradition of [[Judaism]] to remain steadfast in adherence to the spirit of the [[torah|Law]] while not remaining a slave to its letter. He argued effectively for the relaxation of oppressive restrictions against women and established the principle that Judaism could change with the times even as it remained faithful to the Law of [[Moses]]. He helped to firmly establish the long-hold [[Pharisee|Pharisaic]] principle that the [[Oral Law]], as interpreted in each age by the [[rabbi]]nic sages, held equal authority with the [[Written Law]]. Thus, both Reform and Orthodox Judaism look to Akiva as one of the greatest of the early rabbinic sages. In supporting Simon [[Bar Kochba]] as the [[Messiah]], Akiva also established the principle that Jews can make serious mistakes and yet retain their good standing and reputation in the Jewish community—a principle which enabled the Jews to retain a relatively cohesive tradition over the centuries compared to their Christian and Islamic counterparts. His name is invoked frequently in Jewish literature and liturgy, particularly the [[Passover]] Seder, where he is prominently mentioned. |
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| − | ===His Favorite Maxim=== | + | == See also == |
| − | This was not the only occasion on which Akiba was made to feel the truth of his favorite maxim ("Whatever God doeth He doeth for the best"). Once, being unable to find any sleeping accommodation in a certain city, he was compelled to pass the night outside its walls. Without a murmur he resigned himself to this hardship; and even when a lion devoured his ass, and a cat killed the cock whose crowing was to herald the dawn to him, and the wind extinguished his candle, the only remark he made was, "This, likewise, must be for a good purpose!" When morning dawned he learned how true his words were. A band of robbers had fallen upon the city and carried its inhabitants into captivity, but he had escaped because his abiding place had not been noticed in the darkness, and neither beast nor fowl had betrayed him ([[Ber.]] 60b).
| + | *[[Mishnah]] |
| − | | + | *[[Midrash]] |
| − | ===Akiba and the Dead===
| + | *[[Pharisee]] |
| − | A legend according to which the gates of the infernal regions opened for Akiba is analogous to the more familiar tale that he entered paradise and was allowed to leave it unscathed ([[Ḥag]]. 14b). There exists the following tradition: Akiba once met a coal-black man carrying a heavy load of wood and running with the speed of a horse. Akiba stopped him and inquired: "My son, wherefore dost thou labor so hard? If thou art a slave and hast a harsh master, I will purchase thee of him. If it be out of poverty that thou doest thus, I will care for thy requirements." "It is for neither of these," the man replied; "I am dead and am compelled because of my great sins to build my funeral pyre every day. In life I was a tax-gatherer and oppressed the poor. Let me go at once, lest the demon torture me for my delay." "Is there no help for thee?" asked Akiba. "Almost none," replied the deceased; "for I understand that my sufferings will end only when I have a pious son. When I died, my wife was pregnant; but I have little hope that she will give my child proper training."
| + | *[[Rabbi]] |
| − | | + | *[[Talmud]] |
| − | Akiba inquired the man's name and that of his wife and her dwelling-place; and when, in the course of his travels, he reached the place, Akiba sought for information concerning the man's family. The neighbors very freely expressed their opinion that both the deceased and his wife deserved to inhabit the infernal regions for all time—the latter because she had not even initiated her child into the [[Abrahamic covenant]]. Akiba, however, was not to be turned from his purpose; he sought the son of the tax-gatherer and labored long and assiduously in teaching him the word of God. After fasting 40 days, and praying to God to bless his efforts, he heard a heavenly voice (bat Ḳol) asking, "Wherefore givest thou thyself so much trouble concerning this one?" "Because he is just the kind to work for," was the prompt answer. Akiba persevered until his pupil was able to officiate as reader in the synagogue; and when there for the first time he recited the prayer, "Bless ye the Lord!" the father suddenly appeared to Akiba, and overwhelmed him with thanks for his deliverance from the pains of hell through the merit of his son ([[Kallah]], ed. Coronel, 4b, and see quotations from [[Tan.]] in [[Isaac Aboab]]'s ''Menorat ha-Maor,'' i. 1, 2, § 1, ed. [[Jacob Raphael Fürstenthal]], p. 82; also [[Maḥzor Vitry]], p. 112). This legend has been somewhat elaborately treated in [[Yiddish]] under the title, ''Ein ganz neie Maase vun dem Tanna R. Akiba,'' Lemberg, 1893 (compare [[Tanna debe Eliyahu Zuṭṭa]], xvii., where [[Johanan ben Zakkai]]'s name is given in place of Akiba).
| |
| − | | |
| − | == References ==
| |
| − | * {{JewishEncyclopedia}}. The JE cites the following sources:
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| − | ** [[Z. Frankel]], Darke ha-Mishnah, pp. 111-123;
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| − | ** [[J. Brüll]], Mebo ha-Mishnah, pp. 116-122;
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| − | ** [[Weiss, Dor]], ii. 107-118;
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| − | ** H. Oppenheim, in Bet Talmud, ii. 237-246, 269-274;
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| − | ** [[Isaac Gastfreund]], Biographie des R. Akiba, Lemberg, 1871;
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| − | ** J. S. Bloch, in Mimizraḥ u-Mima'Arab, 1894, pp. 47-54;
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| − | ** [[Heinrich Grätz]], Gesch. d. Juden, iv. (see index);
| |
| − | ** Ewald, Geschichte der Volkes Israel, vii. 367 et seq.;
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| − | ** [[Joseph Derenbourg]], Essai, pp. 329-331, 395 et seq., 418 et seq.;
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| − | ** Hamburger, R. B. T. ii. 32-43;
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| − | ** [[W. Bacher]], Ag. Tan. i. 271-348;
| |
| − | ** [[Isaak Markus Jost]], Gesch. des Judenthums und Seiner Sekten, ii. 59 et seq.;
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| − | **Landau, in Monatsschrift, 1854, pp. 45-51, 81-93, 130-148;
| |
| − | **Dünner, ibid. 1871, pp. 451-454;
| |
| − | **Neubürger, ibid. 1873, pp. 385-397, 433-445, 529-536;
| |
| − | **[[D. Hoffmann]], Zur Einleitung in die Halachischen Midraschim, pp. 5-12;
| |
| − | **[[H. Grätz]], Gnosticismus, pp. 83-120;
| |
| − | **F. Rosenthal, Vier Apokryph. Bücher . . . R. Akiba's, especially pp. 95-103, 124-131;
| |
| − | **S. Funk, Akiba (Jena Dissertation), 1896;
| |
| − | **M. Poper, PirḲe R. Akiba, Vienna, 1808;
| |
| − | **M. Lehmann, Akiba, Historische Erzählung, Frankfort-on-the-Main, 1880;
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| − | **J. Wittkind, Ḥuṭ ha-Meshulash, Wilna, 1877;
| |
| − | **Braunschweiger, Die Lehrer der Mischnah, pp. 92-110.
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| | | | |
| | ==Notes== | | ==Notes== |
| | <references/> | | <references/> |
| | | | |
| − | == See also == | + | == References == |
| − | *[[Ten Martyrs]] | + | * Feldman, Morton. ''Rabbi Akiba'' New York: Peters, 1963. OCLC 77188426 |
| − | *[[Mishnah]] | + | * Levene, Benjamin, et al. ''Rabbi Akiva.'' People of the book. [S.l.]: Gesher/SISU Home Ent., Inc., 1992. OCLC 44259438 |
| − | *[[Midrash]] | + | * Lehmann, Meir, and Pearly Zucker. ''Akiva.'' Feldheim Publishers, 2003. ISBN 1583306021 |
| − | *[[Talmud]] | + | * Nadich, Judah. ''Rabbi Akiba and His Contemporaries.'' Jason Aronson, 1997. ISBN 9780765759757 |
| | + | * Sḳulsḳi, Shelomoh. ''Legends of Rabbi Akiva.'' New York: Shulsinger Bros., 1975. ASIN B00072QUUA |
| | + | * {{JewishEncyclopedia}}. |
| | | | |
| | ==External links== | | ==External links== |
| − | *[http://www.chabad.org/277384 A biography of Rabbi Akiva] | + | All links retrieved June 16, 2023. |
| − | *[http://www.ou.org/chagim/elul/akiva.htm OU.org: Rabbi Akiva, Master of Teshuvah]
| + | *[http://www.chabad.org/277384 A biography of Rabbi Akiva]. ''www.chabad.org''. |
| − | *[http://www.yarzheit.com/heavensregister/rabbiakiva.htm Photos of Rabbi Akiva's tomb in Tiberias]
| + | *[http://www.chabad.org/search/keyword.asp?scope=6198&kid=1418 Articles on Akiva's teaching]. ''www.chabad.org''. |
| − | *[http://www.chabad.org/search/keyword.asp?scope=6198&kid=1418 A collection of articles on Rabbi Akiva's teaching] from [http://www.Chabad.org Chabad Knowledge Base] | + | *[http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/1033-akiba-ben-joseph Akiba ben Joseph] ''Jewish Encyclopedia'' |
| − | *[http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=1033&letter=A Jewish Encyclopedia article on Akiba], by [[Louis Ginzberg]]. | + | {{Credit|149112287}} |
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| − | {{DEFAULTSORT:Akiva}}
| + | [[Category:History]] |
| − | [[Category:history and biography]] | + | [[Category:Philosophy and religion]] |
| − | [[Category:philosophy and religion]] | |
| − | {{Credit|149112287}}
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Rabbi Akiva, from the Mantua Haggadah (1560)
Akiva ben Joseph (Hebrew: עקיבא) or simply Rabbi Akiva—also spelled Akiba or Aqiba—was a Judean sage of the late first and early second century (c. 50–135 C.E.). He was a great authority in the matter of Jewish tradition, and one of the most central and essential contributors to the Mishnah and Midrash Halakha—the precursors of the Talmud. He is referred to in the Talmud as Rosh la-Chachomim (Head of all the Sages) and the "father of the Mishna."
Akiva set the standard of Judaism's strong yet flexible adherence to a tradition which refused to compromise on basic points of the Mosaic Law yet was willing to change with the times. He argued for the liberalization of oppressive rules regarding female purity, the strengthening of rules limiting slavery, and an open attitude toward formerly hated categories of people such as Samaritans and tax-collectors.
Rising from a humble background as a poor shepherd, Akiva was supported by his wife, Rachel, in his studies, from which he emerged as one of the greatest teachers of his age. Akiva was also a supporter of the revolt of Simon Bar Kochba, to whom he gave great credibility when he declared the rebel leader to be the promised Messiah of the Jews. Akiva later died a martyr's death at the hands of the Romans. He is revered in Judaism today both in story and liturgy and is considered by many to be the father of rabbinic Judaism.
Biography
Parentage and youth
Akiva ben Joseph, usually called simply Akiba or Akiva, was of comparatively humble parentage. Akiva was a shepherd (Yeb. 86b) by trade, and was referred to as an am ha'ertz —meaning literally one of the "people of the land" but also a term of derision for an uneducated person. His wife's name was Rachel, the daughter of a wealthy man named Joshua.
At the age of 40 when he was already the father of a large family, Akiva attended the academy of his native town, Lydda, presided over by Eliezer ben Hyrcanus. Besides Eliezer, Akiva had other teachers—-principally Joshua ben Hananiah (Ab. R. N. l.c.) and Nahum of Gimzo (Hag. 12a). In reputation he was on equal footing with the great Rabban Gamaliel II, whom he met later. Akiva probably remained in Lydda (R. H. i. 6) as long as Eliezer dwelled there, and then established his own school in Bene Berak, five Roman miles from Jaffa (Sanh. 32b). Akiva also lived for some time at Ziphron, the modern Zafrân, near Hamath.
Akiva and his wife
According to the Talmud, Akiva owed almost everything to his wife Rachel. He was still a mere shepherd when she consented to secret betrothal on the condition that he devote himself to study. When his wealthy father-in-law learned of this betrothal, he drove his daughter from his house and swore that he would never help her while Akiva remained her husband. Akiva and his young wife were so poverty-stricken that the bride had to sell her hair to enable her husband to pursue his studies. However these difficulties only served to bring out Akiva's greatness of character. It is related that once, when a bundle of straw was the only bed they possessed, a poor man came to beg some straw to make a bed for his sick wife. Akiva at once divided with him his scanty possession, remarking to his wife, "Thou seest, my child, there are those poorer than we!" Legend has it that this supposedly poor man turned out to be none other than the prophet Elijah, who had come to earth to test Akiva (Ned. 50a).
By agreement with his wife, Akiva spent 12 years away from her, pursuing his studies under Eliezer ben Hyrcanus and Joshua ben Hananiah at her expense. Returning at the end of that time, he was just about to enter his wretched home, when he overheard Rachel replying to a neighbor who was bitterly censuring him for his long absence: "If I had my wish, he should stay another 12 years at the academy." Without crossing the threshold, Akiva turned and went back to the academy, returning home only after another 12 years. The second time, however, he came back as a most famous scholar, escorted by a huge throng of disciples, who reverently followed their beloved master. When his poorly clad wife was about to embrace him, some of his students, not knowing who she was, sought to restrain her. But Akiva exclaimed, "Let her alone; for what I am, and for what you are, is hers." (Ned. 50a, Ket. 62b et seq.)
The greatest rabbis of the middle of the second century came from Akiva's school, notably Rabbi Meir, Judah ben Ilai, Simeon ben Yohai, Jose ben Halafta, Eleazar ben Shammai, and Rabbi Nehemiah. Besides these, who all attained great renown, Akiva undoubtedly had many disciples whose names have not been handed down. Their number is variously stated at 12,000 (Gen. R. lxi. 3), 24,000 (Yeb. 62b), and 48,000 (Ned. 50a). These figures are likely exaggerations, but they are also an indication of his unquestioned renown as a teacher.
Akiva's travels
Akiva and other rabbinic sages reportedly traveled to Rome around the year 95. When they saw the magnificence of the Roman Empire, his companions wept, recalling Rome's victory during the Jewish revolt of 66-70 C.E. Akiva's reaction was more hopeful. If God could be so kind to the evil Romans, he reasoned, He will be even more compassionate to his chosen people of Israel. A similar story is told of Akiva's response to the ruins of the Temple of Jerusalem, which the Romans had destroyed at the end of the revolt in 70 C.E. Akiva did not mourn over the destruction of the Temple, but saw them as the fulfillment of prophecy. He reminded his companions that other prophecies concerning its rebuilding and Israel's future glory could only be fulfilled after such destruction had taken place.
Akiva and Bar Kochba
Akiva's supported Simon Bar Kochba, the messianic figure who led a major revolt against Rome and briefly established an independent Jewish state (132–135). That the venerable teacher declared the patriot as the promised Jewish Messiah (Yer. Ta'anit, iv. 68d), is clear, but his role in the revolt beyond that is uncertain.
After the failure of the Bar Kochba revolt, Akiva was arrested by the Roman authorities either for disobeying a ban against Jews returning to Jerusalem or for teaching the Torah when this activity, too, had been banned. He died imprisoned in Caesarea c. 135. Legends concerning the actual date and manner of Akiva's death are numerous. Jewish sources relate that he was subjected to a Roman torture where his skin was flayed with iron combs. As this was happening, he recited the Shema prayer.
His having supported the apparently false Messiah, however, in no way diminished his reputation, and he remains one of the most honored of the the tannaim—the great rabbinic sages of the early Talmudic period.
Akiva's teaching
Akiva's intellectual capacity was unequaled, and he secured an enduring influence upon his contemporaries and upon posterity.
Old Testament canon
He is credited with being a rabbi who definitely fixed the canon of the Old Testament books. He protested strongly against the canonicity of certain of the [Apocrypha]]—Ecclesiasticus, for instance (Sanh. x. 1).
Although he forbade the reading of such books publicly in the synagogue service, he had no objection to the private reading of the Apocrypha. His antagonism to the Apocrypha, is apparently related to a desire to undermine the arguments of the Christians—especially Jewish Christians—who drew many of their proofs from the Apocrypha.
Akiva as systematizer
Akiva's true genius, however, is shown in his work in the domain of the halakah—Jewish law—both in his systematization of its traditional material and in its further development. It was Akiva who systematized the Mishnah,[1] or halakic codex; the Midrash, or the exegesis of the Torah; and the halakot, the logical amplification of the Mishnah (Yer. SheḲ.)
The Talmud quotes Rabbi Johanan bar Nappaḥa (199–279) relative to Akiva's role in the the composition and editing of the Mishnah and other halakic works: "Our Mishnah comes directly from Rabbi Meir, the Tosefta from R. Nehemiah, the Sifra from R. Judah, and the Sifre from R. Simon; but they all took Akiva for a model in their works and followed him" (Sanh. 86a).
What was Rabbi Akiva like? A worker who goes out with his basket. He finds wheat, he puts it in; barley, he puts it in; spelt, he puts it in; beans, he puts it in; lentils, he puts it in. When he arrives home he sorts out the wheat by itself, barley by itself, spelt by itself, beans by themselves, lentils by themselves. So did Rabbi Akiva; he arranged the Torah rings by rings.(Avot deRabbi Natan ch. 18)
Modesty
Modesty was a favorite theme with Akiba. "He who esteems himself highly on account of his knowledge," he taught, "is like a corpse lying on the wayside. The traveler turns his head away in disgust, and walks quickly by" (Ab. R. N.). Another of his sayings on humility is interesting in that the Gospel of Luke, 14:8-12, is almost literally identical with it: "Take thy place a few seats below thy rank until thou art bidden to take a higher place; for it is better that they should say to thee 'Come up higher' than that they should bid thee 'Go down lower'."
Though modest, when an important matter was concerned, Akiva could not be cowed, as is evidenced by his attitude toward the great Gamaliel II. Convinced of the necessity of a central authority for Judaism, Akiva became a devoted adherent and friend of Gamaliel, who was eventually recognized by Rome as the Jewish patriarch. But Akiva was just as firmly convinced that the power of the patriarch must be limited both by the written and the oral law, the interpretation of which lay in the hands of the learned rabbis. Accordingly, he intentionally acted in ritual matters contrary to the decisions of Gamaliel himself, even in Gamaliel's own house (Tosef., Ber. iv. 12).
Akiva's hermeneutic system
Convinced both of the unchangeableness of Holy Scripture and of the necessity for development in Judaism, Akiva succeeded in reconciling these two apparent opposites by means of his remarkable method. The following illustrations will serve to make this clear:
- The high conception of woman's dignity, which Akiva shared in common with most other Pharisees, induced him to abolish the Oriental custom that banished women at certain periods from social intercourse with men. He succeeded, moreover, in justifying his policy on the basis of the very scriptural passages that had formerly been used to ostracize women during their monthly periods (Sifra, Meẓora, end, and Shab. 64b).
- The biblical legislation in Ex. 21:7 concerning Jewish slaves could not be reconciled by Akiva with his view of ethics: for him a "Jewish slave" is a contradiction in terms, for every Jew is to be regarded as a prince (B. M. 113b). Akiva therefore taught, in opposition to the old halakah, that the sale of a daughter under age by her father conveys to her purchaser no legal title to marry her until she comes of age.
- How little he cared for the "letter of the Law" whenever he conceived it to be antagonistic to the true spirit of Judaism is shown by his attitude toward the Samaritans. He considered friendly relations with these semi-Jews as desirable on political as well as on religious grounds, and he permitted—in opposition to halakhic tradition—not only eating their bread (Sheb. viii. 10) but also eventual intermarriage (ḳid. 75b).
Famous dicta
Several of Akiba's well known utterances (Abot, iii. 14, 15) present the essence of his religious conviction. They run:
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Everything is foreseen; but freedom [of will] is given to every man.
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Akiva insists emphatically on the freedom of the will, to which he allows no limitations. This insistence is in opposition to the Christian doctrine of the sinfulness and depravity of fallen man. He derides those who find excuses for their sins in this supposed innate depravity (ḳid. 81a).
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The world is governed by mercy... but the divine decision is made by the preponderance of the good or bad in one's actions.
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Akiva teaches that God combines goodness and mercy with strict justice (Ḥag. 14a). The idea of justice, however, so strongly dominates Akiva's system that he will not allow God's grace and kindness to be understood as arbitrary. “No pity in judgment!” he insisted.
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How favored is man, for he was created after an image; as Scripture says, "for in an image, Elohim made man". (Gen. ix. 6)
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Akiva's view of humankind is based upon the principle that man and woman were created not "in the image of God" but "after an image"—after a primordial type; or, philosophically speaking, after an Idea. Strict monotheist that Akiva was, he protested against any comparison of God with the angels.
Eschatology and ethics
As to the question concerning the frequent sufferings of the pious and the prosperity of the wicked—-truly a burning one in Akiva's time—-this is answered by the explanation that the pious are punished in this life for their few sins, in order that in the next they may receive only reward; while the wicked obtain in this world all the recompense for the little good they have done, and in the next world will receive only punishment for their misdeeds (Gen. R. xxxiii; PesiḲ ix. 73a). Justice as an attribute of God must also be exemplary for man. "No mercy in [civil] justice!" is his basic principle in the doctrine concerning law (Ket. ix. 3), and he does not conceal his opinion that even the action of the Jews of the Exodus in taking the spoil of the Egyptians is to be condemned (Gen. R. xxviii. 7).
He recognizes as the chief and greatest principle of Judaism the command, "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself" (Lev. xix. 18; Sifra, ḳedoshim, iv.). However, he does not maintain, as Hillel reportedly did, that the execution of this command is equivalent to the performance of the whole Law (Mek., Shirah, 3, 44a, ed. I.H. Weiss). For, in spite of his broad-minded philosophy, Akiba was an extremely strict and nationalistic Jew.
The Messianic Age and the future world
Likewise, Akiva's doctrine concerning the Messiah was the realistic and thoroughly Jewish one, as his declaration that Bar Kochba was the Messiah shows. He limited the messianic age to 40 years, as being within the scope of a man's life—similar to the reigns of David and Solomon—against the usual conception of a millennium (Midr. Teh. xc. 15). He distinguished, however, between the messianic age and the future world. This latter will come after the destruction of this world, lasting for 1,000 years (R. H. 31a). To the future world all Israel will be admitted, with the exception of the generation of the wilderness and the ten lost tribes (Sanh. xi. 3, 110b). Gentiles would also be admitted, they would be subjected to the judgment of the Jewish Messiah-king (Ḥag. 14a).
Legends
A man like Akiva would naturally be the subject of many legends, as the following examples show.
Smarter than Moses
The following story gives a picture of Akiva's activity as the father of talmudic Judaism.
When Moses ascended into heaven, he saw God occupied in making little crowns for the letters of the Torah. Upon his inquiry as to what these might be for, he received the answer, "There will come a man, named Akiva ben Joseph, who will deduce halakot from every little curve and crown of the letters of the Law." Moses' request to be allowed to see this man was granted; but he became much dismayed as he listened to Akiva's teaching, for he could not understand it. (Men. 29b)
His martyrdom
Expulsion of the Jews from Jerusalem in 135
C.E.Akiva's martyrdom gave rise to many legends. One story relates that when he was about to be executed, Akiva recited his prayers calmly, though suffering agonies; and when his torturer asked him whether he was a sorcerer, Akiva replied, "I am no sorcerer; but I rejoice at the opportunity now given to me to love my God 'with all my life,' seeing that I have hitherto been able to love Him only 'with all my means' and 'with all my might.'" (Yer. Ber. ix. 14b, and somewhat modified in Bab. 61b).
Another legend tells how Elijah, accompanied by Akiva's faithful servant, secretly entered the prison where Akiva's body lay. Priest though he was, Elijah took up the corpse—-for the dead body of such a saint could not defile—-and, escorted by many bands of angels, bore the body by night to Cæsarea. When they arrived there, they entered a cavern which contained a bed, table, chair, and lamp, and deposited Akiva's body there. As soon as they left it, the cavern closed of its own accord, so that one has found it since (Bet ha-Midrash, vi. 27, 28; ii. 67, 68).
His wealth and influence
Akiva's success as a teacher put an end to his poverty; for his wealthy father-in-law now rejoiced to acknowledge a son-in-law so distinguished as Akiva. There were, however, other circumstances which made a wealthy man of the former shepherd lad.
One relates that Akiva, authorized by certain rabbis, borrowed a large sum of money from a prominent Gentile woman. As bondsmen for the loan, Akiva named God and the sea. Akiva grew sick, however, and could not return the money at the appointed time. Meanwhile, an imperial princess suddenly became insane and threw a chest containing great treasures into the sea. It was cast upon the shore close to the house of Akiva's creditor, so that when she went to the shore to demand of the sea the amount she had lent Akiva, the ebbing tide left boundless riches at her feet. (Commentaries to Ned. l.c.).
Saved from captivity
Once, being unable to find any sleeping accommodation in a certain town, Akiva was compelled to pass the night outside its walls. Without a murmur he resigned himself to this hardship. During the night, a lion devoured his donkey, a cat killed the rooster whose crowing was to herald the dawn to him, and the wind extinguished his candle. The only remark Akiva made was, "This, likewise, must be for a good purpose!" When morning dawned, he learned how true his words were. A large band of robbers had fallen upon the town and carried its inhabitants into captivity. Akiva had escaped because his abiding place had not been noticed in the darkness, and neither beast nor fowl had betrayed him (Ber. 60b).
Akiva and the dead
Akiva once met a coal-black man carrying a heavy load of wood and running with the speed of a horse. Akiva stopped him and inquired: "My son, wherefore dost thou labor so hard? If thou art a slave and hast a harsh master, I will purchase thee of him. If it be out of poverty that thou doest thus, I will care for thy requirements."
The man answered: "It is for neither of these. I am dead and am compelled because of my great sins to build my funeral pyre every day. In life I was a tax-gatherer and oppressed the poor. Let me go at once, lest the demon torture me for my delay."
Akiva asked: "Is there no help for thee?"
"Almost none," replied the deceased, "for I understand that my sufferings will end only when I have a pious son. When I died, my wife was pregnant; but I have little hope that she will give my child proper training."
Akiva found the man's former home and asked the neighbors about his family. They expressed their opinion that both the deceased and his wife deserved to inhabit the infernal regions for all time. Moreover the wife had not even initiated her child into the Abrahamic covenant by giving him his Bar Mitzvah. Akiva sought the son of the tax-collector and labored long and assiduously in teaching him the word of God. After fasting 40 days, and praying to God to bless his efforts, he heard a heavenly voice asking, "Wherefore givest thou thyself so much trouble concerning this one?" He immediately replied: "Because he is just the kind to work for."
Akiva persevered until his pupil was able to officiate as reader in the synagogue; and when there for the first time he recited the prayer, "Bless ye the Lord!" the father suddenly appeared to Akiva, and overwhelmed him with thanks for his deliverance from the pains of hell through the merit of his son (Kallah 4b).
Legacy
Akiva's grave in Tiberias
Akiva is one of the most quoted sages in the Mishnah and the Talmud. His attitude helped set the basic tradition of Judaism to remain steadfast in adherence to the spirit of the Law while not remaining a slave to its letter. He argued effectively for the relaxation of oppressive restrictions against women and established the principle that Judaism could change with the times even as it remained faithful to the Law of Moses. He helped to firmly establish the long-hold Pharisaic principle that the Oral Law, as interpreted in each age by the rabbinic sages, held equal authority with the Written Law. Thus, both Reform and Orthodox Judaism look to Akiva as one of the greatest of the early rabbinic sages. In supporting Simon Bar Kochba as the Messiah, Akiva also established the principle that Jews can make serious mistakes and yet retain their good standing and reputation in the Jewish community—a principle which enabled the Jews to retain a relatively cohesive tradition over the centuries compared to their Christian and Islamic counterparts. His name is invoked frequently in Jewish literature and liturgy, particularly the Passover Seder, where he is prominently mentioned.
See also
Notes
- ↑ The formal compilation of the Mishnah is normally credited to the work of Judah Ha-Nasi at the end of the second century C.E. However, Talmudic sources also give Akiva credit for laying the groundwork of Judah's work.
References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees
- Feldman, Morton. Rabbi Akiba New York: Peters, 1963. OCLC 77188426
- Levene, Benjamin, et al. Rabbi Akiva. People of the book. [S.l.]: Gesher/SISU Home Ent., Inc., 1992. OCLC 44259438
- Lehmann, Meir, and Pearly Zucker. Akiva. Feldheim Publishers, 2003. ISBN 1583306021
- Nadich, Judah. Rabbi Akiba and His Contemporaries. Jason Aronson, 1997. ISBN 9780765759757
- Sḳulsḳi, Shelomoh. Legends of Rabbi Akiva. New York: Shulsinger Bros., 1975. ASIN B00072QUUA
- This article incorporates text from the 1901–1906 Jewish Encyclopedia, a publication now in the public domain.
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External links
All links retrieved June 16, 2023.
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