Berakhot 033

A student once approached Rabbi Yehoshu'a and asked him what the law was concerning the Evening Amidah; he responded that it was voluntary. He then asked Rabban Gamli'el what the law was concerning the Evening Amidah; he responded that it was compulsory. He then retorted that Rabbi Yehoshu'a had told him that it was voluntary! [Rabban Gamli'el] said, "Tomorrow, when I enter the Conventicle I want you to stand and ask this halakhah." The following day the student stood and asked Rabban Gamli'el, "What is the law concerning the Evening Amidah?" He responded, "It is compulsory". He said, "But Rabbi Yehoshu'a told me it was voluntary." Rabban Gamli'el said to Rabbi Yehoshu'a, "Do you say that it is voluntary?" He replied, "No." [Rabban Gamli'el] said, "Stand up and evidence will be given against you." And Rabban Gamli'el sat and gave his lecture leaving Rabbi Yehoshu'a still standing, until all the people clamoured. [The sages] told Rabbi Ĥutzpit the Spokesman to dismiss the people. They then told Rabbi Xenon the Superintendent to give the order for the debate to begin – which he did.

Everyone stood up and shouted at him [Rabban Gamli'el], "Whom hasn't your bad nature touched?" They thereupon appointed Rabbi El'azar ben-Azaryah to preside over the Yeshivah. He was sixteen years old but had a head of white hair. Rabbi Akiva sat unhappily saying, "Not that he is a greater scholar than me, but that he has a better ancestry than me. How lucky the person who has forebears to get him his place, how lucky the person who has a hook on which to hang himself!" (What was this hook of Rabbi El'azar ben-Azaryah? – He was tenth generation from Ezra.)

How many benches were there? – Rabbi Ya'akov ben-Sussi says that there were eighty benches for the sages, not counting those standing behind the fence; but Rabbi Yosé ben-Abun says that there were three hundred, not counting those standing behind the fence.

This is what the mishnah is referring to when it speaks of "the day they appointed Rabbi El'azar ben-Azaryah to head the Yeshivah". There is also another mishnah that tells of "the Midrash taught by Rabbi El'azar ben-Azaryah before the sages in the Vineyard in Yavneh"…

Rabban Gamli'el immediately visited each one personally in his home to patch things up. When he visited Rabbi Yehoshu'a he found him making needles. He said, "Is this how you live?!" He replied, "And only now you wish to know this? Woe to the generation that has you for its leader!" [Rabban Gamli'el] said, "I have abased myself for you."

They sent the following short note to Rabbi El'azar ben-Azaryah (some say it was sent via Rabbi Akiva): "Let the second generation sprinkler sprinkle, and let not he who is neither a sprinkler nor the son of a sprinkler say to a second generation sprinkler, 'Your waters are from a cistern and your dust just ordinary dust!'" [Ben-Azaryah] replied, "Have you patched things up then? You and I will visit Rabban Gamli'el first thing tomorrow morning." Nevertheless they did not remove him, but appointed him Chief Justice of the Court.