Question: I find it very difficult to understand the punishment of death that was meted out to Rabbi Akiva’s students. If he was so great, we can assume that his students were of a superior caliber as well. How did they rate such a harsh punishment?
Zelig Aronson
Queens, N.Y.
Synopsis: Last week we discussed the halachic strictures not to marry or cut our hair – two signs of mourning observed for a minimum period of 34 days between Passover and Shavuot. The mourning is for the deaths of thousands of Rabbi Akiva’s students that occurred in that time period. We also sought to explain the reason they rated such harsh punishment. We cited as a similar situation the two sons of Aaron (Leviticus 1:7) and their transgression, which Torah Temima proved to be a situation of shogeg (a sin committed by mistake). Nevertheless their hasty actions led to the fatal transgression of issuing a ruling before their master Moses, rendering them culpable.
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Answer: Rambam (Hilchot Talmud Torah 5:2), based upon the Gemara (Erubin 63a), rules that one who issues a decision before one’s master is punishable with death (at Heaven’s hand).
Hagahot Maimoniyot (ad loc.) clarifies this and cites exceptions to this rule. One such example is that if one sees a psak (a halachic decision) recorded in sifrei haGeonim (books written by halachic greats), he may issue a ruling based on what he saw even in his master’s lifetime, i.e., presence.
Moses, in his humility, obviously saw no slight to his person when his students, Aaron’s sons, issued their ruling, but he was aware of the infraction. He sought to console his brother on his tragic loss, stating that it is the untimely death of those who are closest, near and dear to Hashem, that serves as a means of His sanctification.
The great Rabbi Akiva himself died in a martyrdom that sanctified the Holy Name. Similarly, the students of Rabbi Akiva were so great that like other tzaddikim, they were judged kechut hasa’ara – like a fine strand of hair, meaning in a very exacting and demanding manner – and through them Hashem was sanctified.
Indeed, we find the following incident in the Talmud (Yevamot 121b):
It once happened that the daughter of Nehonia the well-digger [he would dig water wells for the benefit of those traveling on the roads and byways] fell into a large cistern, and people reported this to R. Hanina b. Dosa. During the first hour, R. Hanina told them, “All is well.” In the second hour, he again said, “All is well.” At the third hour, he told them, “She is saved.”
- Hanina then asked her, “My daughter, who saved you?” She replied, “A ram came to my aid with an aged man leading it.” [Rashi notes that this was our Patriarch Abraham.] The people observing this incident asked R. Hanina b. Dosa, “Are you a prophet?” He replied, “I am neither a prophet nor the son of a prophet, but this I do know: Should the work [for the benefit of others] in which a righteous man is engaged be the cause of disaster for his offspring?”
The Gemara continues: R. Abba stated, “Even so, his [Nehonia’s] son died of thirst. The verse (Psalms 50:3) states, ‘U’sevivav nis’ara me’od’ – His surroundings are exceedingly turbulent.”
This teaches that Hashem deals with those near Him even to a hair’s breadth (i.e., strictly). Rashi (ad loc.) explains that verse as a play on the word nis’ara – turbulent, which can also be interpreted as a hair (sa’ara), sharing similar aleph–bet letters.
Maharsha (ad loc.) notes: If this is the manner in which Hashem treats those near and dear to Him, how much [stricter] will He deal with the wicked.
The students of Rabbi Akiva were so great and close to Hashem that they were punished for any – even the slightest – infraction.
To be continued
