Avot205

1:
The biography of Rabbi El'azar ben-Azaryah is one of the better known of the sages, even if his role was a secondary one in a certain sense. He came to the fore during the great 'revolt' of the sages against the presidency of Rabban Gamli'el in Yavneh towards the end of the first century.

2:
We must first recall the basic historical facts concerning the leadership of the Pharisaic movement during the period covered by Tractate Avot. We have dealt with this is great detail in our study of Chapters 1 and 2, so what follows is just a quick resumé.

3:
After the death of the first Hillel (around 20 CE) the presidency of the Sanhedrin was vested in his descendants. [Concerning Hillel see Avot 051 and the following shiurim.] He was followed by his son, Rabban Gamli'el and by his grandson Shim'on (who died during the Great War against the Romans). [Concerning Rabban Gamli'el see Avot 068 and the following shiurim.] During the decade immediately after the war (70 – 80 CE) the leadership was vested in Rabban Yoĥanan ben-Zakkai, the undisputed leader of the school of Hillel even though he was not a descendent of Hillel. [Concerning Rabban Yoĥanan ben-Zakkai see Avot 117 and the following shiurim.] After his death, however, the presidency reverted back to Hillel's heir, his great-grandson, also called Gamli'el. These were difficult years for the Jewish people. The nation had been defeated and subjugated by the Romans, the Bet Mikdash and its panoply destroyed forever, and the sages, assembled in the little town of Yavneh, locked in a struggle as to which 'version' of Pharisaic Judaism would become predominant – the liberal school of Hillel or the conservative school of Shammai.

4:
Rabban Gamli'el ("of Yavneh", to distinguish him from his grandfather "old" Rabban Gamli'el) did his best to create and preserve unity in these trying circumstances. On a couple of occasions previously he had "brought to heel" the most prominent, respected and loved of all the sages of the school of Hillel, Rabbi Yehoshu'a (ben-Ĥananyah). [Concerning Rabbi Yehoshu'a see Avot 129 and the following shiurim.] Rabbi Yehoshu'a in his youth had been one of the two students who smuggled Rabban Yoĥanan ben-Zakkai out of beleaguered Jerusalem, and now in his old age he was the most popular and respected figure at Yavneh. (Later on Rabban Gamli'el was also to face down Rabbi Eli'ezer ben-Hyrkanos, Yehoshu'a's dear friend and rival, of the school of Shammai.) [Concerning Rabbai Eli'ezer see Avot 126 and the following shiurim.] A young student (later to become very famous in his own right, Rabbi Shim'on ben-Yoĥai) caused the explosion by asking whether the Evening Service was compulsory or voluntary. Rabban Gamli'el forced a showdown in the full plenum, haughtily subjected Rabbi Yehoshu'a (who held a different view) to a humiliating 'recantation'. The assembled sages exploded and voted to depose Rabban Gamli'el from the presidency of the Sanhedrin.

5:
The problem now was who to elect as his replacement. The most obvious candidate was Rabbi Yehoshu'a, but he could not be chosen because he was too 'interested' a party. The choice fell on a young scholar, Rabbi El'azar ben-Azaryah, of priestly stock, financially well-off and with no real enemies or rivals. On being offered the presidency El'azar said what would be considered today the most PC thing he could say: "I must first discuss this with my wife". She was against the whole idea, since she could easily see that he had been chosen not for his own merits but as a further punishment to Rabban Gamli'el. She pointed out that in all probability they would all make peace again very soon and Rabban Gamli'el would be restored to his hereditary position: "What will then become of you?" His youthful reply was that it was better to hold the honour of the presidency even only for one day than never to have held it at all! His wife then pointed out that he was very young (which was probably why he was chosen – to rub salt into the wounds of Rabban Gamli'el, as it were). He was only eighteen, says the Gemara [Berakhot 28a].

6:
The end of the episode: Rabban Gamli'el and Rabbi Yehoshu'a were reconciled and Rabban Gamli'el, appropriately chastened, was restored to the Presidency of the Sanhedrin. However, he had to accept Rabbi El'azar ben-Azaryah, the sage of our present mishnah, as his junior partner in the presidency.

To be continued.