Rabbi Akiva

Rabbi Akiva (or Rabbi Akiba ) is one of the most remarkable figures of the Judaïsme of the 2nd century. Born in Palestine, at the 1st century, one allots a book to him on Creation, as well as most of the Mishna, collection of ancient traditions. One looks it like the father of the Kabbale.

Akiba is also a main authority as regards Jewish tradition and oral Law. The Talmud does not hesitate to make say to Moïse, in the Treaty Mena' hot, that it is with Rabbi Akiva that the Torah should have been given. It is him which start to classify and hiérachiser the various scattered oral traditions in " ordres" , thus contributing to the development of the halakhic Mishna and the Midrash. It establishes the foundations of the mishnaïque Controverse, in which two or several wise, or schools, discuss biblical interpretation or of fixing of halakhic rules (normative).

Large political leader savagely opposed to the Roman capacity, it takes the party of Bar-Kokheba, which directs a Jewish revolt against the Romans. Akiba is taken because it continues has to teach the Torah and to train new rabbis (what the Romans prohibited under penalty of died) and alive, the Romans cuts out it in plates; he dies by pronouncing the last letter of the 1st sentence of Chema Israel (profession of faith of the Jewish law) in year 135 of this Christian era. He was then, according to Talmud, 120 years old.

Biography (based on Talmud)

Wire of a proselyte (Re) named Joseph, Akiva is, until its 40 years, a peasant, deeply pious but completely ignoramus. During this time, he likes to repeat ( Traité Pessa' him 49 B ): " Ah, drawn I to meet a talmid 'hakham (disciple of wise) and to bite it like an ass! " He works with the service of Kalba Savua, thus named because of his hospitality. Akiva is in love with his/her Rachel daughter, who, charmed by her modesty and her kindness, feels behind this rough frontage a brilliant spirit.

One day, being refreshed with a well, this simple man who, at 40 years, did not learn anything nor repeated, is filled with wonder in front of a stone perforated by the water which runs on it drop by drop. " If these small drops can perforate the stone, does he think, that it of my heart, flesh and blood is? Can't it be penetrated of the lesson of Tora? " Rachel reinforces it in this way by promising to him to marry it if it leaves to study. Their marriage thus takes place secretly, and Akiva leaves to study. Kalba Savua does not delay to learn it, and in front of this misalliance, his/her daughter disinherits (single) and made wish more re-examine it. Rachel grants this sacrifice readily, and lives in the most extreme destitution, obliged to sell its hair to remain.

Akiva, 40 years old, begins its studies in the primary classes, with the children. This will be one of its characteristic features: to be astonished by all, to put questions like a child and nothing to take for asset. Twelve years later, twelve thousand disciples drink with the sources of the lesson of that which, if he is not recognized yet like largest of wise of his generation, is already the quintessential model of the Ba' Al Tshouva (that which turns over to the faith) and inspires some well by others. Arrived in front of its house, it surprises a conversation between his wife and a neighbor: " How long will you live like a widow, whereas you are still married? " " If he heard me, I would say to him to study twelve years of plus" she answers. Regarding that as a mark of approval of his share, Rabbi Akiva sets out again to study 12 years more.

12 years later, and twelve thousand disciples moreover, the Wise one returns at his place. Its wife, who wants to accommodate it is scoffed by her neighbors on poverty at her behavior. " The man right knows the spirit of his animals domestiques" (Proverbs 12:10) answers (not very feminist, but this modesty which goes until humility more abysmale is recurring at Rachel, which let us recall it, lived 24 years in the most total destitution after having been the girl of the one of the richest inhabitants of Jerusalem). Students, acting as security service, want to move away this pig mould presenting itself in front of their Master. He says to them: " What is with me and what is with you is with elle". Another man, despaired of the wish that he formulated 24 years earlier with regard to his only daughter, hearing the arrival of a great man in the city, presses outward journey with his meeting, hoping that he will be able to cancel his wish, which is possible if the circumstances changed as well as they return originally the wish formulated no one. Rabbi Akiva asks him: " If you had known that her husband would become a great man, would you have made this wish? " Kalba Savua answers: " Even if he had known only one chapter, only one mishna" Rabbi Akiva answers: " It is moi" Kalba Savua prostrate, kisses the feet to him, and makes him gift of half of its possessions (according to the Ketubot treaty, 62b-63a).

Unfortunately, the Roman occupation hardens its yoke. When one named Shimon bar Kobeza is drawn up, Rabbi Akiva sees in him the Messie and the name of bar Kohba (wire of the star) gives him, according to the verse (24:17 Numbers): " A star rises house of Jacob". A whole generation of pupils of Rabbi Akiva follows Bar Kokhba, and perishes: the revolt is pitilessly repressed, and the study of Tora prohibited by the Romans.

Rabbi Akiva, with the contempt of the consequences, continues to teach the Law publicly and forms one second generation of disciples.

With that which is astonished by this contempt of the danger, Rabbi Akiva answers his most famous parabola: A fox, seeing a fish struggling to escape the nets from the fishermen, says to him: " Poisson, my friend, wouldn't you come to live with me on the dry land? " The fish answers him: " Fox, one says to you wisest, but you are most stupid of the animals. If to live in the water (allegory of Tora) which is my element is difficult for me, which do you believe that it would be on the ground? "

Stopped by Tornos Rufus, and condemned to be skinned sharp, Rabbi Akiva the Shema Israel with the lips dies. With its disciples who ask him: " Does rabbi, that have to go until there? " , he answers: " All my life, I wondered what the verse meant (of Shema) “You will love God of all your heart”. Even if it must cost you your heart of it! I said: when will I meet a situation which will enable me to achieve it? And now that I found it, I would not achieve it? "

It expired by pronouncing the word " E' had" (One). According to the treaty Berakhot (61b), a celestial voice announced: " Would be blessed, Rabbi Akiva, whose life finished with E' had"

The mystical experiment of the four of Pardès

A Baraïta brought back in the treaty Haguiga 14b, and Haguiga Yeroushalmi 2,1 described the experiment led by Rabbi Akiva and followed by three of its disciples:
Nos Sages taught: 4 men entered to the Pardès : Ben Azaï, Ben Zoma, A' her and Rabbi Akiva.
Rabbi Akiva says to them: " When you arrive in front of pure marble stones, known as step: “Of water, of water”, because it is known as: “That which outputs lies will not remain in front of My eyes” (Psaumes 101:7).
Ben Azaï contemplated (divine glory) and died. On its subject, he is written: “An invaluable thing in comparison with the Eternal, it is the death of its piles servants” (Psaumes 116:15). Ben Zoma contemplated and lost its spirits. On its subject, he is written: “You found honey, eat with your sufficiency, but avoids of you in goinfrer, you would reject it” (Proverbes 25:16). A' her cut the roots (its faith disavowed). Rabbi Akiva entered in peace and left in paix.

The most current interpretation is that Pardès (in Hebrew, the garden, but from this word " derives; Paradise ") is the acrostic of the four levels of interpretation of the Torah:

  • pshat - simple direction, whose verse never separates (according to the treaty Shabbat 63a)
  • remez - allusive direction,
  • drash - " allégorèse" ,
  • sod - secret direction
The message is then clear: the mystical speculation does not land without understanding, and the scholarship is insufficient to grant it.
Cependant, Jewish Encyclopedia estimates that the voyage of the " quatre" , like the rise of Enoch and so much of other piles, is to be taken with the letter. " To penetrate the garden of Eden" (another term for paradise) was a common expression at the time (cf Derekh Eretz Zouta I. ; Avot deRabbi Nathan 25.) to indicate one moment of exstase during which the wise one is within the skies.

Place in Mishna

It belongs to the third generation of Tannaïm, according to the comput of the Rambam.

It collected the lesson of Rabbi Nahoum de Gamzou, Rabbi Eliezer Ben Hyrcanos, Rabbi Yehoshoua Ben 'Hananya, and perhaps of Rabbi Tarfon, but according to others, this one was only its contemporary of study.

It formed the many Wise ones:

  • Shimon Ben Azaï, Shimon Ben Zoma, Elisha Ben Avouya
  • Rabbi Meir, Rabbi Shimon bar Yohaï, Rabbi Eleazar Ben Tsadok, Rabbi Eleazar Ben Azarya, his " second génération" disciples, the first having died of epidemic
  • Rabban Gamliel, Rabbi Yehuda Ben Beteira, Rabbi Yochanan Ben Nuri, Rabbi Yosei Haglili, Rabbi Ishmael, Rabbi Juda bar Ilaï, and perhaps Rabbi Yehuda haNassi itself.

Talmud allots the initiative to him, or at least a decisive role, in the compilation of the Mishna: " With what does resemble the life of Rabbi Akiva? - A peasant has who leaves with his basket. He finds barley - he puts it at it, of the oats - he puts it at it, of the sound - he puts it at it, of broad beans - he puts them, of the lenses - he puts them. When it returns at his place, it sorts them, barley with barley, oats with oats, its with its, broad beans with broad beans, lenses with lenses. It is what Rabbi Akiva did, who arranged the Torah rules by rules " (Avot deRabbi Natan CH. 18; Talmud of Babylon, Guittin treaty, 67a).

Rabbi Akiva had many controversies, as well with his Masters as his students and his colleagues. In general manner, " when Rabbi Akiva disputes with only one wise, the halakha is fixed according to its opinion, but when it discusses with more than the one wise one, it is not the cas."

Some lesson

  • You will like your next like yourself. It is a great rule in the Torah

  • pagan took one day Rabbi Akiva: “Which created the world? “
    ' God created the world,” answered Rabbi Akiva.
    ' Prouve the-me!”
    ' Return to see me tomorrow, 'answered him Rabbi Akiva.

    L' man returned the following day. Rabbi Akiva asked him:
    ' What do you carry? '
    ' a cape, as you can see it. “
    ' Which did it?”
    ' Tisserand, obviously. “
    ' I do not believe myself, proves the-me!” known as Rabbi Akiva
    ' Of which proof do you need? Don't you see that it is Tisserand which made this dress? '

    ' Alors why me requests you a proof that God created the world? Don't you see that it is the Saint, not blessed is it, who created it? "

Literatures

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