JUDAICA - Wisdom In Torah

eleazar ben pedat
as to the legality of flight from their Roman persecutors on
the Sabbath, Eleazar, not wishing to commit himself by giving
them a direct answer, said: “Why do you ask me? Go and ask
Jacob, Moses, and David,” and referred them to biblical verses
which mention distinguished leaders who had fled.
Bibliography: Hyman, Toledot, 200f.; Bacher, Tann.
[Jehonatan Etz-Chaim]
ELEAZAR (in TJ usually Lazar) BEN PEDAT (d. 279), third
century amora. He is the amora Eleazar mentioned without a
patronymic. Scion of a priestly family (MK 28a), Eleazar was
born in Babylon (Ber. 2:1, 4b). There he studied under *Samuel
(Er. 66a), and more particularly under *Rav (Hul. 111b).
After the latter’s death, he migrated to Ereẓ Israel. It was in
Ereẓ Israel that he referred to the academy of Rav as the “little
sanctuary” (Meg. 29a; cf. Ezek. 11:16). He was still unmarried
when he went to Ereẓ Israel, and R. Ammi and R. Assi
participated at his wedding in Tiberias (Ber. 16a). He emphasizes
his great fortune in having had the privilege to migrate
to Ereẓ Israel and resume semikhah there, as well as being
one of the scholars who was entrusted with the intercalation
of the calendar (Kil. 112a). In Ereẓ Israel he studied under
Ḥanina, the av bet din of Sepphoris (Kil. 9:4, 32c). He quoted
so many halakhic decisions and even more aggadic sayings
in Ḥanina’s name (Ber. 27b; Meg. 5a; et al.) that the Talmud
remarks, “Everywhere Eleazar relies upon Ḥanina” (Ter. 8:5,
45c; et al.). In Caesarea, he studied under Hoshaya Rabbah
(Ber. 32b), whom he refers to as the “father of the Mishnah”
(Kid. 1:3, 60a; et al.). The Jerusalem Talmud also frequently
cites traditions transmitted by Eleazar in the name of *Ḥiyya
b. Abba (BM 10:4, 12c), and in one instance even states that the
opinions of the two scholars cannot be regarded as those of
separate people since “Eleazar is the pupil of Ḥiyya Rabbah”
(Kid. 1:4, 60b). It cannot mean that he was his actual disciple,
since Ḥiyya had probably died by the time Eleazar migrated
to Ereẓ Israel. The intensity of Eleazar’s study often made him
oblivious to all worldly events (Er. 54b).
Although the Babylonian Talmud describes Eleazar as
Johanan’s “pupil” in Tiberias (BB 135b; Tem. 25b), the Jerusalem
sources see the relationship rather as that of a typical
“pupil-associate” (TJ, Sanh. 1, 18b; cf. TJ, Ber. 2:4b). Moreover,
the phrase “both Johanan and Eleazar say,” is often found in
the Babylonian Talmud itself (Yoma 9b, et al.). Eleazar was,
in fact, appointed Johanan’s associate in the leadership of the
council after the death of Simeon b. Lakish, Johanan’s previous
colleague (BM 84a), but the appointment was not a happy
one, Eleazar being distinguished by his extensive knowledge
in contrast to the profound acumen of Resh Lakish (Sanh.
24a). He was also one of the communal leaders of Ereẓ Israel
(Pe’ah 8:7, 21a), and he is sometimes referred to as serving as
dayyan, in which capacity he consulted Johanan on difficult
cases (Sanh. 3:13, 21d; BB 7b). During his last years Johanan
took no active part as head of the council and it appears that
Eleazar took his place (Meg. 1:13, 72b). During this period he
became widely known as the “master [i.e., legal authority] of
the land of Israel” (Yoma 9b), and on many occasions sent rulings
and decisions to Babylon which were transmitted by the
*Neḥutei (Sanh. 63b). In fact it is stated that the words “they
sent from there,” i.e., from Ereẓ Israel to Babylon, refers to
Eleazar (ibid. 17b). Among those to whom he sent his decisions
were Mar Ukva the exilarch, and Judah the principal of
the academy of Pumbedita (BK 1:1, 2c).
After the death of Johanan in 279, Eleazar was appointed
head of the council in Tiberias, but he died in the same year
(see Iggeret Sherira Gaon).
Private Life
Eleazar was extremely poor (Ta’an. 25a). He was, nevertheless,
loath to accept any gifts from the house of the *nasi. He
excused himself by quoting the verse (Prov. 15:27), “He that
hateth gifts shall live” (Meg. 28a). Moreover, despite his poverty,
he sought to support other needy scholars. This he did
in an honorable manner, supplying their needs in secret to
save them embarrassment (BM 2:3, 8c). All but one of Eleazar’s
children died during his lifetime (Ber. 5b), his surviving
son, Pedat, acting as an “amora” (“interpreter”) in the bet hamidrash
of Assi (Meg. 4:10, 75c).
Teaching
Eleazar was one of the great exponents of the Oral Law, and
the Mishnah. He quoted numerous statements of both early
and late tannaim and several beraitot, particularly in *Midrash
Halakhah, without indicating their source. It was with
regard to one of his interpretations (Sifra 4:1) that Johanan
once remarked to Simon B. Lakish, “I saw the son of Pedat
sitting and interpreting the Law, like Moses in the name of
the Almighty” (i.e., he expounded the verse in the manner
of the tannaim, cf. Rashi). He was also a great halakhist who
profoundly influenced the methods of mishnaic exegesis. Although
he naturally preferred to follow the text of the Mishnah
rather than that of the various beraitot, he nevertheless examined
the wording of each mishnah in the light of the earliest
sources (BB 87a). He often employed the technique of dividing
the mishnayot, saying, “The author of this section is not
the author of that section” (Shab. 92b; Ker. 24b; et al.). He
would reject a mishnah whose source he could not find, with
the words, “I do not know who taught this” (BM 51a). He thus
considerably corrected and explained the Mishnah. He is the
author of the rule that whenever Judah ha-Nasi transmits a
case, first as subject to a difference of opinion and then in an
undisputed form, the halakhah is in accordance with the second
form (Yev. 42b) (see *Conflict of Opinion).
Eleazar was also an exceptionally prolific and profound
aggadist, whose sayings are frequently quoted in the Midrash
and in both Talmuds. Among them may be mentioned, “In
seven places in the Bible, God equates Himself with the lowliest
of creatures” (Tanḥ. Va-Yera, 3); “The performance of charity
is greater than all sacrifices” (Suk. 49b); “Let us be grateful
to cheats [mendicants who are not in need], for were it not for
them we would sin daily by becoming unused to giving charity
to the poor” (Ket. 68a); “Let my sustenance be as bitter as
306 ENCYCLOPAEDIA JUDAICA, Second Edition, Volume 6