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The Oven of Akhnai
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The Oven of Akhnai
The Oven of Akhnai is a Talmudic story found in Bava Metzia 59a-b which is set around the early 2nd century CE. The story concerns a debate which was held over the halakhic status of a new type of oven. In the course of the rabbinic disagreement, the story expresses differing views of the nature of law and authority, concerns over a fractured and divisive community, and the issue of harming another person through words and actions.
The story according to the Talmud goes as follows:
A new type of oven is brought before the Sanhedrin. The rabbis debate whether or not this oven is susceptible to ritual impurity. Rabbi Eliezer ben Hurcanus argues that the oven is ritually pure, while the other rabbis, including the nasi Rabban Gamaliel,[citation needed] argue that the oven is impure. When none of Rabbi Eliezer's arguments convince his colleagues, he says that if he's right, the trees will give him a sign. At this point, the tree leaps from the ground and moves far away.
The other rabbis tell Rabbi Eliezer that the movement of the tree was not evidence of what he was arguing. Rabbi Eliezer then says if the halacha is according to him, an irrigation canal will give them a sign. The canal begins to flow backwards, but again the other rabbis are not convinced. Rabbi Eliezer cries out, "If the halakha is in accordance with my opinion, the walls of the study hall will prove it." The walls of the study hall begin to fall, but are then scolded by Rabbi Joshua ben Hananiah[citation needed] who reprimands the walls for interfering in a debate among scholars.[citation needed] Out of respect for Rabbi Joshua, they do not continue to fall, but out of respect for Rabbi Eliezer, they do not return to their original places.[citation needed]
In frustration, Rabbi Eliezer finally argues that if the halakha is according to his opinion, God himself will say so.[citation needed] God then speaks directly to the arguing rabbis, saying that Rabbi Eliezer's opinion is correct. Rabbi Joshua responds, "It [the Torah] is not in heaven". Upon hearing Rabbi Joshua's response, God smiled and stated, "My children have defeated me!"
There are many different themes in the story of the Oven of Akhnai. Rabbi Joshua's response expresses the view that the work of Law is a work of human activity; the Torah is not a document of mystery which must have its innate meaning revealed by a minority, but it is instead a document from which law must be created through the human activity of debate and consensus – in quoting Deuteronomy, Joshua shows that the Torah itself supports this legal theory. Rabbinic literature was capable of recognizing differing opinions as having a degree of legitimacy (Yer. Ber. 3b), yet the community remains united and the ruling which is ultimately followed comes through proper jurisprudence. As such, Rabbi Eliezer's miraculous appeals represent a differing legal theory and were outside of proper jurisprudence which meant that they would not be followed. Instead, the Jewish community followed the ruling of the majority in this issue and in others.
In the backdrop of the story is the status of Judaism prior to Rabban Gamaliel and the views that developed among the late Pharisaic or early Rabbinic Jews. During the Second Temple period there existed numerous forms of Judaism. Jewish factions during the Second Temple period harshly denounced one another and sometimes were violent towards each other. Following the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 CE, the Rabbis pondered why the destruction occurred. The Rabbis concluded that the Second Temple was destroyed due to "baseless hate" (Yoma 9b). In their retelling of the destruction, they point to divisions and a lack of empathy for one another.
The Rabbis under Rabban Gamaliel sought to unify Judaism and end wanton sectarianism. Rabban Gamaliel's school recognized a degree of validity in varying statements, but chose to follow the more lenient philosophy of the school of Hillel. Jewish leaders like Rabban Gamaliel sought to create a cohesive Jewish community where major issues were settled, a system was in place to decide divisive issues, and minor issues could be tolerated. Rejection of this cooperation and an embrace of sectarianism was condemned in the strongest terms. Rabban Gamaliel himself was known to at times be too forceful in humiliating those who formed divisions.
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The Oven of Akhnai
The Oven of Akhnai is a Talmudic story found in Bava Metzia 59a-b which is set around the early 2nd century CE. The story concerns a debate which was held over the halakhic status of a new type of oven. In the course of the rabbinic disagreement, the story expresses differing views of the nature of law and authority, concerns over a fractured and divisive community, and the issue of harming another person through words and actions.
The story according to the Talmud goes as follows:
A new type of oven is brought before the Sanhedrin. The rabbis debate whether or not this oven is susceptible to ritual impurity. Rabbi Eliezer ben Hurcanus argues that the oven is ritually pure, while the other rabbis, including the nasi Rabban Gamaliel,[citation needed] argue that the oven is impure. When none of Rabbi Eliezer's arguments convince his colleagues, he says that if he's right, the trees will give him a sign. At this point, the tree leaps from the ground and moves far away.
The other rabbis tell Rabbi Eliezer that the movement of the tree was not evidence of what he was arguing. Rabbi Eliezer then says if the halacha is according to him, an irrigation canal will give them a sign. The canal begins to flow backwards, but again the other rabbis are not convinced. Rabbi Eliezer cries out, "If the halakha is in accordance with my opinion, the walls of the study hall will prove it." The walls of the study hall begin to fall, but are then scolded by Rabbi Joshua ben Hananiah[citation needed] who reprimands the walls for interfering in a debate among scholars.[citation needed] Out of respect for Rabbi Joshua, they do not continue to fall, but out of respect for Rabbi Eliezer, they do not return to their original places.[citation needed]
In frustration, Rabbi Eliezer finally argues that if the halakha is according to his opinion, God himself will say so.[citation needed] God then speaks directly to the arguing rabbis, saying that Rabbi Eliezer's opinion is correct. Rabbi Joshua responds, "It [the Torah] is not in heaven". Upon hearing Rabbi Joshua's response, God smiled and stated, "My children have defeated me!"
There are many different themes in the story of the Oven of Akhnai. Rabbi Joshua's response expresses the view that the work of Law is a work of human activity; the Torah is not a document of mystery which must have its innate meaning revealed by a minority, but it is instead a document from which law must be created through the human activity of debate and consensus – in quoting Deuteronomy, Joshua shows that the Torah itself supports this legal theory. Rabbinic literature was capable of recognizing differing opinions as having a degree of legitimacy (Yer. Ber. 3b), yet the community remains united and the ruling which is ultimately followed comes through proper jurisprudence. As such, Rabbi Eliezer's miraculous appeals represent a differing legal theory and were outside of proper jurisprudence which meant that they would not be followed. Instead, the Jewish community followed the ruling of the majority in this issue and in others.
In the backdrop of the story is the status of Judaism prior to Rabban Gamaliel and the views that developed among the late Pharisaic or early Rabbinic Jews. During the Second Temple period there existed numerous forms of Judaism. Jewish factions during the Second Temple period harshly denounced one another and sometimes were violent towards each other. Following the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 CE, the Rabbis pondered why the destruction occurred. The Rabbis concluded that the Second Temple was destroyed due to "baseless hate" (Yoma 9b). In their retelling of the destruction, they point to divisions and a lack of empathy for one another.
The Rabbis under Rabban Gamaliel sought to unify Judaism and end wanton sectarianism. Rabban Gamaliel's school recognized a degree of validity in varying statements, but chose to follow the more lenient philosophy of the school of Hillel. Jewish leaders like Rabban Gamaliel sought to create a cohesive Jewish community where major issues were settled, a system was in place to decide divisive issues, and minor issues could be tolerated. Rejection of this cooperation and an embrace of sectarianism was condemned in the strongest terms. Rabban Gamaliel himself was known to at times be too forceful in humiliating those who formed divisions.