Rabbi Tarfon

(טו) רַבִּי טַרְפוֹן אוֹמֵר, הַיּוֹם קָצָר וְהַמְּלָאכָה מְרֻבָּה, וְהַפּוֹעֲלִים עֲצֵלִים, וְהַשָּׂכָר הַרְבֵּה, וּבַעַל הַבַּיִת דּוֹחֵק:

(טז) הוּא הָיָה אוֹמֵר, לֹא עָלֶיךָ הַמְּלָאכָה לִגְמֹר, וְלֹא אַתָּה בֶן חוֹרִין לִבָּטֵל מִמֶּנָּה. אִם לָמַדְתָּ תוֹרָה הַרְבֵּה, נוֹתְנִים לְךָ שָׂכָר הַרְבֵּה. וְנֶאֱמָן הוּא בַעַל מְלַאכְתְּךָ שֶׁיְּשַׁלֵּם לְךָ שְׂכַר פְּעֻלָּתֶךָ. וְדַע מַתַּן שְׂכָרָן שֶׁל צַדִּיקִים לֶעָתִיד לָבֹא:

Pirkei Avot 2:15-16

(15) Rabbi Tarfon said: The day is short and the work is much, and the workers are lazy and the reward is great, and the Master of the house is pressing.

(16) He used to say: It is not your responsibility to finish the work, but neither are you free to desist from it. If you have learned much Torah, your reward will be much; and the Master of your work is trustworthy to pay you the wage for your activity. And know, the giving of reward to the righteous is in the future to come.

קידושין מ׳ ב:ח׳

וכבר היה רבי טרפון וזקנים מסובין בעלית בית נתזה בלוד נשאלה שאילה זו בפניהם תלמוד גדול או מעשה גדול נענה רבי טרפון ואמר מעשה גדול נענה ר"ע ואמר תלמוד גדול נענו כולם ואמרו תלמוד גדול שהתלמוד מביא לידי מעשה

Kiddushin 40b:8

In connection to the mishna’s statement about the importance of Torah study, the Gemara relates the following incident: And there already was an incident in which Rabbi Tarfon and the Elders were reclining in the loft of the house of Nit’za in Lod, when this question was asked of them: Is study greater or is action greater? Rabbi Tarfon answered and said: Action is greater. Rabbi Akiva answered and said: Study is greater. Everyone answered and said: Study is greater, but not as an independent value; rather, it is greater as study leads to action.

קידושין ע״א א:י״ב

ת"ר בראשונה שם בן שתים עשרה אותיות היו מוסרין אותו לכל אדם משרבו הפריצים היו מוסרים אותו לצנועים שבכהונה והצנועים שבכהונה מבליעים אותו בנעימת אחיהם הכהנים תניא אמר רבי טרפון פעם אחת עליתי אחר אחי אמי לדוכן והטיתי אזני אצל כהן גדול ושמעתי שהבליע שם בנעימת אחיו הכהנים

Kiddushin 71a:12

The Sages taught: Initially, the Sages would transmit the twelve-letter name of God to any person. When the uninhibited ones who used the name disrespectfully increased, they would transmit it only to discreet members of the priesthood, and the discreet members of the priesthood would pronounce the name during the Priestly Benediction. They would conceal it by saying it during the sweet melody of their priestly brothers, so that it would not become publicly known. It is taught in a baraita: Rabbi Tarfon, who was himself a priest, said: On one occasion I ascended after my mother’s brother to the platform to give the Priestly Benediction, and I inclined my ear near the High Priest, and I heard him conceal the name during the sweet melody of his priestly brothers.

ברכות י׳ ב:מ׳-מ״א

אמר רבי טרפון אני הייתי בא בדרך והטתי לקרות כדברי בית שמאי וסכנתי בעצמי מפני הלסטים אמרו לו כדי היית לחוב בעצמך שעברת על דברי בית הלל:

Berakhot 10b:40-41

With regard to this halakha, Rabbi Tarfon said: Once, I was coming on the road when I stopped and reclined to recite Shema in accordance with the statement of Beit Shammai. Although Rabbi Tarfon was a disciple of Beit Hillel, he thought that fulfilling the mitzva in accordance with the opinion of Beit Shammai would be a more meticulous fulfillment of the mitzva, acceptable to all opinions. Yet in so doing, I endangered myself due to the highwaymen [listim] who accost travelers. The Sages said to him: You deserved to be in a position where you were liable to pay with your life, as you transgressed the statement of Beit Hillel. This statement will be explained in the Gemara.

תענית י״ט א:י״א

מעשה שגזרו תענית בלוד וירדו להם גשמים קודם חצות אמר להם ר' טרפון צאו ואכלו ושתו ועשו יו"ט ויצאו ואכלו ושתו ועשו יום טוב ובאו בין הערבים וקראו הלל הגדול:

Taanit 19a:11

The mishna relates: An incident occurred in which the court decreed a fast in Lod due to a lack of rain, and rain fell for them before midday. Rabbi Tarfon said to the people: Go out, and eat, and drink, and treat this day as a Festival. And they went out, and ate, and drank, and treated the day as a Festival, and in the afternoon they came to the synagogue and recited the great hallel, to thank God for answering their prayers.

נדרים ס״ב א:ד׳

ר' טרפון אשכחיה ההוא גברא בזמן שהוקפלו המקצועות דקאכיל אחתיה בשקא ושקליה ואמטייה למשדיה בנהרא אמר לו אוי לו לטרפון שזה הורגו שמע ההוא גברא שבקיה וערק אמר רבי אבהו משום ר' חנניה בן גמליאל כל ימיו של אותו צדיק היה מצטער על דבר זה אמר אוי לי שנשתמשתי בכתרה של תורה

Nedarim 62a:4

The Gemara relates another incident: A certain man found Rabbi Tarfon eating figs from his field at the time when most of the knives had been set aside. He placed Rabbi Tarfon in a sack, lifted him up, and carried him to throw him into the river. Rabbi Tarfon said to him: Woe to Tarfon, for this man is killing him. When that man heard that he was carrying the great Rabbi Tarfon, he left him and fled. Rabbi Abbahu said in the name of Rabbi Ḥananya ben Gamliel: All the days of that righteous man, Rabbi Tarfon, he was distressed over this matter, saying: Woe is me, for I made use of the crown of Torah, as Rabbi Tarfon was only released out of respect for his Torah learning.

נדרים ס״ב א:ו׳

ורבי טרפון כיון דכי אכיל דהוקפלו רוב המקצועות הוה אמאי צעריה ההוא גברא משום דההוא הוו גנבי ליה ענבי כולה שתא וכיון דאשכחיה לר' טרפון סבר היינו דגנבן אי הכי אמאי ציער נפשיה משום דרבי טרפון עשיר גדול הוה והוה ליה לפייסו בדמים

Nedarim 62a:6

The Gemara returns to the incident involving Rabbi Tarfon. And in the case of Rabbi Tarfon, since he was eating during the time when most of the knives had been set aside, why did that man trouble him? The Gemara explains: It was because someone had been stealing grapes from that man all year, and when he found Rabbi Tarfon he thought: This is the one who stole from me the entire year. The Gemara asks: If so, why did Rabbi Tarfon berate himself? Clearly he was justified in saving himself. The Gemara answers: Since Rabbi Tarfon was very wealthy, he should have sought to appease him with money in order to save himself, rather than relying on his status as a Torah scholar.

בבא מציעא פ״ה א:י״ד-ט״ו

איקלע רבי לאתריה דר' טרפון אמר להו יש לו בן לאותו צדיק שהיה מקפח את בניו אמרו לו בן אין לו בן בת יש לו וכל זונה שנשכרת בשנים שוכרתו בשמנה אתיוהו לקמיה אמר ליה אי הדרת בך יהיבנא לך ברתאי הדר ביה איכא דאמרי נסבה וגירשה איכא דאמרי לא נסבה כלל כדי שלא יאמרו בשביל זו חזר זה

Bava Metzia 85a:14-15

The Gemara relates a similar incident: Once Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi arrived at the place of Rabbi Tarfon. He said to the townspeople: Does that righteous person, Rabbi Tarfon, who would take an oath by the life of his children, have a son? Rabbi Tarfon was wont to take oaths by the lives of his children (see Oholot 16:1). They said to him: He does not have a son, but he has a grandson, a son from his daughter, and every prostitute who is hired for two coins hires him for eight. The townspeople brought Rabbi Tarfon’s grandson before Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi, who said to him: If you repent from your evil ways, I will give you my daughter in marriage. He repented and became a righteous individual. There are those who say that he married Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi’s daughter and subsequently divorced her. There are those who say that he did not marry her at all, so that it would not be said about him: It was for the sake of that woman that this man repented.

שבת קט״ז א:ח׳

גופא הגליונים וספרי מינין אין מצילין אותם מפני הדליקה רבי יוסי אומר בחול קודר את האזכרות שבהן וגונזן והשאר שורפן אמר רבי טרפון אקפח את בני שאם יבאו לידי שאני אשרוף אותם ואת האזכרות שבהן שאפילו אדם רודף אחריו להורגו ונחש רץ להכישו נכנס לבית עבודה זרה ואין נכנס לבתיהן של אלו שהללו מכירין וכופרין והללו אין מכירין וכופרין ועליהן הכתוב אומר אחר הדלת והמזוזה שמת זכרונך

Shabbat 116a:8

Apropos the scrolls of heretics, the Gemara analyzes the matter itself. With regard to the blank folios and the Torah scrolls of the heretics, one does not rescue them from the fire. Rabbi Yosei says: During the week, one cuts the names of God contained therein and buries them, and burns the rest. Rabbi Tarfon said in the form of an oath: I will bury my sons if I fail to do the following, that if these books come into my possession I will burn them and the names contained therein. As even if a person is pursuing him with the intent to kill him, and a snake is hurrying to bite him, one enters a house of idolatry and does not enter the houses of these heretics. The reason is that these heretics are aware of the greatness of the Creator manifest in the Torah and its mitzvot, and nevertheless, they deny the existence of God; whereas these idolators are not aware, and that is the reason that they deny the existence of God. And with regard to the heretics, the verse says: “And behind the door and the doorpost you place your memory” (Isaiah 57:8). Although they remember the word of God, they treat it contemptuously, as if casting it behind the door.

משנה כתובות ה׳:ב׳

(ב) נוֹתְנִין לִבְתוּלָה שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר חֹדֶשׁ מִשֶּׁתְּבָעָהּ הַבַּעַל לְפַרְנֵס אֶת עַצְמָהּ. וּכְשֵׁם שֶׁנּוֹתְנִין לָאִשָּׁה, כָּךְ נוֹתְנִין לָאִישׁ לְפַרְנֵס אֶת עַצְמוֹ. וּלְאַלְמָנָה שְׁלֹשִׁים יוֹם. הִגִּיעַ זְמָן וְלֹא נִשָּׂאוּ, אוֹכְלוֹת מִשֶּׁלּוֹ וְאוֹכְלוֹת בַּתְּרוּמָה. רַבִּי טַרְפוֹן אוֹמֵר, נוֹתְנִין לָהּ הַכֹּל תְּרוּמָה. רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא אוֹמֵר, מֶחֱצָה חֻלִּין וּמֶחֱצָה תְרוּמָה:

Mishnah Ketubot 5:2

(2) We give a virgin twelve months from [the time] the husband proposed [marriage] to her, to provide for herself. And just as we give the woman [twelve months time], we also give the man [twelve months] to provide for himself. And for a widow, [the time allowed is] thirty days. If the appointed time came, and they did not [yet] marry, [any of these women] may eat from his [property], and [if he is a kohen] she may eat terumah [A portion of a crop given to a kohen which becomes holy upon separation, and can only be consumed by kohanim or their household]. Rabbi Tarfon says, "They may give her all [her food in] terumah." Rabbi Akiva says, "Half non-holy food, and half terumah."

משנה נזיר ה׳:ה׳

(ה) הָיוּ מְהַלְּכִין בַּדֶּרֶךְ וְאֶחָד בָּא כְנֶגְדָּן, אָמַר אֶחָד מֵהֶן הֲרֵינִי נָזִיר שֶׁזֶּה פְלוֹנִי, וְאֶחָד אָמַר הֲרֵינִי נָזִיר שֶׁאֵין זֶה פְלוֹנִי, הֲרֵינִי נָזִיר שֶׁאֶחָד מִכֶּם נָזִיר, שֶׁאֵין אֶחָד מִכֶּם נָזִיר, שֶׁשְּׁנֵיכֶם נְזִירִים, שֶׁכֻּלְּכֶם נְזִירִים, בֵּית שַׁמַּאי אוֹמְרִים כֻּלָּם נְזִירִים. וּבֵית הִלֵּל אוֹמְרִים, אֵינוֹ נָזִיר אֶלָּא מִי שֶׁלֹּא נִתְקַיְּמוּ דְבָרָיו. וְרַבִּי טַרְפוֹן אוֹמֵר, אֵין אֶחָד מֵהֶם נָזִיר:

Mishnah Nazir 5:5

(5) Some were walking on the road and someone was coming opposite them. One of them said, "Behold I am nazir if that is so and so." And one said, "Behold I am a nazir if that is not so and so." [Another said,] "Behold I am a nazir if one of you is a nazir." [Another said,] "[Behold I am a nazir] if neither of you is a nazir." [Another said,] "[Behold I am a nazir] if two of you are nezirim." [Another said,] "[Behold I am a nazir] if all of you are nezirim." Beit Shammai says: "They are all nezirim." Beit Hillel says: "None is a nazir except for the one whose words are not upheld." Rabbi Tarfon says: "None of them is a nazir."

משנה פסחים י׳:ו׳

(ו) עַד הֵיכָן הוּא אוֹמֵר, בֵּית שַׁמַּאי אוֹמְרִים, עַד אֵם הַבָּנִים שְׂמֵחָה. וּבֵית הִלֵּל אוֹמְרִים, עַד חַלָּמִישׁ לְמַעְיְנוֹ מָיִם. וְחוֹתֵם בִּגְאֻלָּה. רַבִּי טַרְפוֹן אוֹמֵר, אֲשֶׁר גְּאָלָנוּ וְגָאַל אֶת אֲבוֹתֵינוּ מִמִּצְרָיִם, וְלֹא הָיָה חוֹתֵם. רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא אוֹמֵר, כֵּן ה' אֱלֹהֵינוּ וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ יַגִּיעֵנוּ לְמוֹעֲדִים וְלִרְגָלִים אֲחֵרִים הַבָּאִים לִקְרָאתֵנוּ לְשָׁלוֹם, שְׂמֵחִים בְּבִנְיַן עִירֶךָ וְשָׂשִׂים בַּעֲבוֹדָתֶךָ, וְנֹאכַל שָׁם מִן הַזְּבָחִים וּמִן הַפְּסָחִים כוּ', עַד בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה' גָּאַל יִשְׂרָאֵל:

Mishnah Pesachim 10:6

(6) Up until which point should he recite? The House of Shammai says: Up to 'as a happy mother of children'. The House of Hillel says: Up to 'flint stone into a water-spring', and conclude with the blessing of redemption. Rabbi Tarfon says: 'who redeemed us and our ancestors from Egypt', but without a concluding blessing. Rabbi Akiva says: 'O YHVH our God and God of our ancestors--may we come to reach other seasons and festivals in peace, joyful in the rebuilding of your city, and jubilant in your Temple service, where we will eat from the offerings and Passover sacrifices etc.' until 'Bless you YHVH, Redeemer of Israel.

סנהדרין ק״א א:י״ג-י״ד

ת"ר כשחלה ר' אליעזר נכנסו ארבעה זקנים לבקרו ר' טרפון ור' יהושע ור' אלעזר בן עזריה ור' עקיבא נענה ר' טרפון ואמר טוב אתה לישראל מטיפה של גשמים שטיפה של גשמים בעולם הזה ורבי בעולם הזה ובעולם הבא

Sanhedrin 101a:13-14

The Sages taught in a baraita: When Rabbi Eliezer fell ill, four Sages entered to visit him: Rabbi Tarfon, and Rabbi Yehoshua, and Rabbi Elazar ben Azarya, and Rabbi Akiva. Rabbi Tarfon responded to the situation with words of encouragement and said: You are better for the Jewish people than a drop of rain, as a drop of rain provides benefit in this world, and my teacher provides them benefit in this world and in the World-to-Come.

סנהדרין ק״א א:ט״ו-י״ז

נענה ר' יהושע ואמר טוב אתה לישראל יותר מגלגל חמה שגלגל חמה בעולם הזה ורבי בעולם הזה ובעולם הבא נענה רבי אלעזר בן עזריה ואמר טוב אתה לישראל יותר מאב ואם שאב ואם בעולם הזה ורבי בעולם הזה ובעולם הבא נענה רבי עקיבא ואמר חביבין יסורין אמר להם סמכוני ואשמעה דברי עקיבא תלמידי שאמר חביבין יסורין אמר לו עקיבא זו מנין לך אמר מקרא אני דורש (מלכים ב כא, א) בן שתים עשרה שנה מנשה במלכו וחמשים וחמש שנה מלך בירושלים [וגו'] ויעש הרע בעיני ה' וכתיב

Sanhedrin 101a:15-17

Rabbi Yehoshua responded and said: You are better for the Jewish people than the sphere of the sun, as the sphere of the sun provides benefit in this world, and my teacher provides benefit in this world and in the World-to-Come. Rabbi Elazar ben Azarya responded and said: You are better for the Jewish people than a father and mother, as a father and mother provide benefit in this world, and my teacher provides benefit in this world and in the World-to-Come. Rabbi Akiva responded and said: Afflictions are cherished. When Rabbi Eliezer heard this he said to his attendants: Support me so I can sit and hear the statement of Akiva my student, who said: Afflictions are cherished. Rabbi Eliezer said to him: Akiva, from where do you derive this? Rabbi Akiva said: I interpret a verse in order to derive it. It is written: “Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem…And he performed that which was evil in the eyes of the Lord” (II Kings 21:1–2). And it is written:

גיטין פ״ג א:ד׳-ח׳

ת"ר לאחר פטירתו של ר"א נכנסו ארבעה זקנים להשיב על דבריו אלו הן רבי יוסי הגלילי ור"ט ורבי אלעזר בן עזריה ור"ע נענה ר"ט ואמר הרי שהלכה זו ונישאת לאחיו של זה שנאסרה עליו ומת בלא בנים לא נמצא זה עוקר דבר מן התורה הא למדת שאין זה כריתות נענה רבי יוסי הגלילי ואמר היכן מצינו אסור לזה ומותר לזה האסור אסור לכל והמותר מותר לכל הא למדת שאין זה כריתות נענה רבי אלעזר בן עזריה ואמר כריתות דבר הכורת בינו לבינה הא למדת שאין זה כריתות נענה ר"ע ואמר הרי שהלכה זו ונשאת לאחד מן השוק והיו לה בנים ונתארמלה או נתגרשה ועמדה ונישאת לזה שנאסרה עליו לא נמצא גט בטל ובניה ממזרים הא למדת שאין זה כריתות

Gittin 83a:4-8

§ The Sages taught (Tosefta 9:1): After the death of Rabbi Eliezer, four Sages entered the discussion to refute his statement. They were: Rabbi Yosei HaGelili, Rabbi Tarfon, Rabbi Elazar ben Azarya, and Rabbi Akiva. Rabbi Tarfon responded to Rabbi Eliezer’s opinion, saying: If after the husband stipulated that the wife not marry a certain man she went and married the brother of the one to whom she was prohibited from marrying, and this husband died without children, she cannot perform levirate marriage with her husband’s brother, because he is forbidden to her due to the stipulation of her first husband. Is the first husband not found to be uprooting a matter of Torah law through his stipulation? You have therefore derived that this is not an act of severance. The divorce is not valid, as the Torah would not sanction a manner of divorce that can cause a mitzva to be nullified. Rabbi Yosei also responded to Rabbi Eliezer’s opinion, saying: Where do we find an example of something that is forbidden to this person and permitted to that other person? What is forbidden is forbidden to everyone, and what is permitted is permitted to everyone. This contradicts Rabbi Eliezer’s opinion that a divorcée can be prohibited from marrying a certain man and permitted to marry all other men. You have therefore derived that this is not an act of severance. Rabbi Elazar ben Azarya responded, saying: What is the meaning of the expression: “Scroll of severance,” which is used in the Torah for a bill of divorce? It means something that severs the bond between him and her entirely. This woman, by contrast, is still bound to her husband after their divorce, as his stipulation prevents her from marrying a certain man. You have therefore derived that this is not an act of severance. Rabbi Akiva responded, saying: If after the husband stipulated that the wife not marry a certain man she went and married a man from the general public, and she had children with him, and she was subsequently widowed or divorced from the second husband, and she then arose and married the one to whom she was forbidden by her first husband’s condition, isn’t the bill of divorce thereby found to be nullified? And would this not render her children from her second marriage as born from an adulterous relationship [mamzerim], as she is retroactively considered her first husband’s wife? You have therefore derived that this is not an act of severance, as the Torah would not enable a divorce that could lead to such a situation.

מועד קטן כ״ח ב:י׳-י״ד

ואיכא דאמרי דלא ידל ידלוניה דכתיב (משלי כה, ז) כי טוב אמר לך עלה הנה וגו' ת"ר כשמתו בניו של רבי ישמעאל נכנסו ד' זקנים לנחמו ר' טרפון ור' יוסי הגלילי ור' אלעזר בן עזריה ור"ע אמר להם ר' טרפון דעו שחכם גדול הוא ובקי באגדות אל יכנס אחד מכם לתוך דברי חבירו אמר ר"ע ואני אחרון פתח רבי ישמעאל ואמר רבו עונותיו תכפוהו אבליו הטריח רבותיו פעם ראשונה ושניה נענה ר"ט ואמר (ויקרא י, ו) ואחיכם כל בית ישראל יבכו את השריפה והלא דברים ק"ו ומה נדב ואביהוא שלא עשו אלא מצוה אחת דכתיב (ויקרא ט, ט) ויקריבו בני אהרן את הדם אליו כך בניו של ר' ישמעאל על אחת כמה וכמה נענה ר' יוסי הגלילי ואמר (מלכים א יד, יג) וספדו לו כל ישראל וקברו אותו והלא דברים ק"ו ומה אביה בן ירבעם שלא עשה אלא דבר אחד טוב דכתיב ביה (מלכים א יד, יג) יען נמצא בו דבר טוב כך בניו של ר' ישמעאל על אחת כמה וכמה

Moed Katan 28b:10-14

And some say: One who does not raise himself with pride, but chooses his place among the lowly, will be raised by others, as it is written: “Do not exalt yourself in the king’s presence, and stand not in the place of great men. For it is better to be told, step up here, than to be degraded in the presence of the great” (Proverbs 25:6–7). The Sages taught the following baraita: When the sons of Rabbi Yishmael died, four Elders entered to console him: Rabbi Tarfon, Rabbi Yosei HaGelili, Rabbi Elazar ben Azarya, and Rabbi Akiva. Rabbi Tarfon said to them: Know that Rabbi Yishmael is a great Sage and well versed in aggadot. Let none of you interrupt the words of another, but rather each person should say something novel of his own. Rabbi Akiva said: And I shall speak last. Rabbi Yishmael, the mourner, opened and said about himself: Many are his sins. Due to this, his bereavements came in quick succession and he troubled his teachers once and then a second time to come and console him. Having been granted permission to speak, Rabbi Tarfon answered and said: With regard to the death of Aaron’s sons it says: “But let your brethren, the whole house of Israel, bewail the burning that the Lord has kindled” (Leviticus 10:6). Are these matters not inferred a fortiori: If, with regard to Nadav and Avihu, who had performed only one mitzva that is explicitly mentioned in the Bible, as it is written: “And the sons of Aaron brought the blood to him” (Leviticus 9:9), this was nevertheless stated about them, then with regard to the sons of Rabbi Yishmael, who were well known for their performance of many mitzvot, all the more so should the entire Jewish people bewail their death. Rabbi Yosei HaGelili answered and said: With regard to Abijah, son of King Jeroboam, the verse states: “And all Israel shall mourn for him, and bury him” (I Kings 14:13). Are these matters not inferred a fortiori: If, with regard to Abijah, son of Jeroboam, who did only one good thing, as it is written: “Because in him there is found some good thing toward the Lord God of Israel” (I Kings 14:13), i.e., he did only one good thing, and this was his reward, then with regard to the sons of Rabbi Yishmael all the more so should they be rewarded by having the entire Jewish people mourn for them and bury them.

מועד קטן כ״ח ב:ט״ז-י״ז

נענה ר' אלעזר בן עזריה ואמר (ירמיהו לד, ה) בשלום תמות ובמשרפות אבותיך המלכים הראשונים [אשר היו לפניך כן] ישרפו לך והלא דברים ק"ו ומה צדקיהו מלך יהודה שלא עשה אלא מצוה אחת שהעלה ירמיה מן הטיט כך בניו של ר' ישמעאל על אחת כמה וכמה נענה ר"ע ואמר (זכריה יב, יא) ביום ההוא יגדל המספד בירושלם כמספד הדדרימון [בבקעת מגידון] ואמר רב יוסף אלמלא תרגומיה דהאי קרא לא הוה ידענא מאי קאמר

Moed Katan 28b:16-17

The baraita continues: Rabbi Elazar ben Azarya answered and said: With regard to King Zedekiah, the verse states: “But you shall die in peace; and with the burnings of your fathers, the former kings that were before you, so shall they make a burning for you” (Jeremiah 34:5). Are these matters not inferred a fortiori: If, with regard to Zedekiah, king of Judea, who had performed only one mitzva that is explicitly mentioned in the Bible, for he had Jeremiah lifted out of the mire (Jeremiah 38:10), this was nevertheless stated about him, then with regard to the sons of Rabbi Yishmael all the more so should they be rewarded by dying in peace. Rabbi Akiva answered and said: The verse states: “On that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, like the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon” (Zechariah 12:11). The Gemara comments: With regard to this verse, Rav Yosef said: Had it not been for the Aramaic translation of this verse, we would not have known what it is saying, as nowhere in the Bible do we find this incident involving Hadadrimmon.

חגיגה י״ח א:י׳

ומותרין בהספד ותענית שלא לקיים את דברי האומרין עצרת אחר השבת: (והאיתמר) מעשה ומת אלכסא בלוד ונכנסו כל ישראל לסופדו ולא הניחם רבי טרפון מפני שיום טוב של עצרת היה

Chagigah 18a:10

§ The mishna taught: All were permitted to eulogize and fast on the days of slaughter, in order not to uphold the opinion of the Sadducees, who would say: Shavuot must always occur after Shabbat. The Gemara raises a difficulty: But wasn’t it stated: An incident occurred when Alexa died in Lod, and all of Israel gathered to eulogize him, but Rabbi Tarfon would not allow them do so because it was the Festival day of Shavuot?

משנה תענית ג׳:ט׳

(ט) הָיוּ מִתְעַנִּין וְיָרְדוּ לָהֶם גְּשָׁמִים קֹדֶם הָנֵץ הַחַמָּה, לֹא יַשְׁלִימוּ. לְאַחַר הָנֵץ הַחַמָּה, יַשְׁלִימוּ. רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר, קֹדֶם חֲצוֹת לֹא יַשְׁלִימוּ, לְאַחַר חֲצוֹת יַשְׁלִימוּ. מַעֲשֶׂה שֶׁגָּזְרוּ תַעֲנִית בְּלוֹד, וְיָרְדוּ לָהֶם גְּשָׁמִים קֹדֶם חֲצוֹת. אָמַר לָהֶם רַבִּי טַרְפוֹן, צְאוּ וְאִכְלוּ וּשְׁתוּ וַעֲשׂוּ יוֹם טוֹב. וְיָצְאוּ וְאָכְלוּ וְשָׁתוּ וְעָשׂוּ יוֹם טוֹב, וּבָאוּ בֵּין הָעַרְבַּיִם וְקָרְאוּ הַלֵּל הַגָּדוֹל:

Mishnah Ta'anit 3:9

(9) If, while they are fasting, rain should fall before sunrise, they shall not continue to fast the whole day; but they must if after sunrise. R. Eleazar says, "If [it rains] before noon they need not continue to fast the whole day; but they must if the rain commenced after noon is passed." It happened once that a fast [for rain] was ordered in Lydda [‏לוד‎], and it rained before noon; when R. Tarphon said unto them, "Go, eat and drink, and make a feast." They went, eat and drank, and made a feast; but in the evening they returned, and sang the great Hallel. (Ps. 136, &c.)

זבחים ס״ב ב:א׳

(בראשית כה, ד) בני קטורה בני אחתיה דרבי טרפון הוו יתבי קמיה דרבי טרפון פתח ואמר (בראשית כה, א) ויוסף אברהם ויקח אשה ושמה יוחני אמרי ליה קטורה כתיב קרי עליהם בני קטורה

Zevachim 62b:1

“The children of Keturah” (Genesis 25:4). Although Keturah’s children were children of Abraham, they were not of the same caliber as Isaac. Similarly, Rav Yosef was saying that his other students were not of the caliber of Abaye. Having mentioned this term, the Gemara relates: The sons of Rabbi Tarfon’s sister were sitting silently before Rabbi Tarfon. In an attempt to encourage them to say something, he began and said: The verse states: And Abraham took another wife, and her name was Yoḥani. They said to Rabbi Tarfon: It is written: “Keturah” (Genesis 25:1), not Yoḥani. Rabbi Tarfon read, i.e., said, about them the phrase “the children of Keturah” as they were able to contribute only this small piece of information.

קידושין ל״א ב:ה׳

רבי טרפון הוה ליה ההיא אמא דכל אימת דהות בעיא למיסק לפוריא גחין וסליק לה וכל אימת דהות נחית נחתת עלויה אתא וקא משתבח בי מדרשא אמרי ליה עדיין לא הגעת לחצי כיבוד כלום זרקה ארנקי בפניך לים ולא הכלמתה

Kiddushin 31b:5

The Gemara relates: Rabbi Tarfon had a certain manner of treating his mother, that whenever she wished to ascend into her bed he would bend over and help her to ascend, and whenever she wished to descend from the bed, she would descend onto him. He came and praised himself in the study hall for performing the mitzva of honoring one’s father and mother so thoroughly. They said to him: You still have not reached even half of the honor due to her. Has it ever happened that she threw a purse into the sea in front of you, and you did not embarrass her?

כתובות ע״ב א:י׳

ואיזוהי דת יהודית יוצאה וראשה פרוע וטווה בשוק ומדברת עם כל אדם אבא שאול אומר אף המקללת יולדיו בפניו רבי טרפון אומר אף הקולנית ואיזוהי קולנית לכשהיא מדברת בתוך ביתה ושכיניה שומעין קולה:

Ketubot 72a:10

And who is considered a woman who violates the precepts of Jewish women? One who, for example, goes out of her house, and her head, i.e., her hair, is uncovered; or she spins wool in the public marketplace; or she speaks with every man she encounters. Abba Shaul says: Also one who curses his, i.e., her husband’s, parents in his presence. Rabbi Tarfon says: Also a loud woman. And who is defined as a loud woman? When she speaks inside her house and her neighbors hear her voice.

שבת כ״ה ב:ו׳

תנו רבנן איזהו עשיר כל שיש לו נחת רוח בעשרו דברי רבי מאיר: סימן מט קס: רבי טרפון אומר כל שיש לו מאה כרמים ומאה שדות ומאה עבדים שעובדין בהן רבי עקיבא אומר כל שיש לו אשה נאה במעשים רבי יוסי אומר כל שיש לו בית הכסא סמוך לשולחנו

Shabbat 25b:6

Incidental to the discussion of prosperity, the Gemara mentions that on a similar topic, the Sages taught: Who is wealthy? Anyone who gets pleasure from his wealth, that is the statement of Rabbi Meir. The letters mem (Meir), tet (Tarfon), kuf (Akiva), samekh (Yosei) are a mnemonic for the tannaim who expressed opinions on this matter. Rabbi Tarfon says: A wealthy person is anyone who has one hundred vineyards, and one hundred fields, and one hundred slaves working in them. Rabbi Akiva says: Anyone who has a wife whose actions are pleasant. Rabbi Yosei says: Anyone who has a bathroom close to his table.

יומא ע״ו א:ה׳-ו׳

וכבר היה רבי טרפון ורבי ישמעאל וזקנים יושבין ועוסקין בפרשת המן והיה רבי אלעזר המודעי יושב ביניהן נענה רבי אלעזר המודעי ואמר מן שירד להן לישראל היה גבוה ששים אמה אמר לו רבי טרפון מודעי עד מתי אתה מגבב דברים ומביא עלינו אמר לו רבי מקרא אני דורש (בראשית ז, כ) חמש עשרה אמה מלמעלה גברו המים ויכסו ההרים וכי חמש עשרה אמה בעמק (חמש עשרה בשפלה) חמש עשרה בהרים וכי מיא שורי שורי קיימי ועוד תיבה היכי סגיא אלא נבקעו כל מעינות תהום רבה עד דאשוו מיא בהדי טורי והדר חמש עשרה אמה מלמעלה גברו המים

Yoma 76a:5-6

§ It is told: Rabbi Tarfon, and Rabbi Yishmael, and the Elders were sitting and discussing the passage about the manna and Rabbi Elazar HaModa’i was sitting among them. Rabbi Elazar HaModa’i responded and said: The manna that fell for the Jewish people was sixty cubits high. Rabbi Tarfon said to him: Moda’i, how long will you collect words and bring upon us teachings that have no basis? He said to him: Rabbi, I am interpreting a verse. How so? It states about the Flood: “Fifteen cubits above did the waters prevail; and the mountains were covered” (Genesis 7:20). Is it possible that it would be fifteen cubits high from a valley, fifteen cubits from the plain, and fifteen cubits from the mountains? Did the water stand as though in layers, conforming to the height of the land below it? Furthermore, how could the Ark travel over water that was at different levels? Rather: “On the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up” (Genesis 7:11), until the water rose and was level with the mountains. Afterward, the verse states that “fifteen cubits above did the waters prevail.”

תוספתא מקוואות א׳:ח׳

אמר לו ר"ט עקיבה כל הפורש ממך כפורש מן החיים

Tosefta Mikvaot 1:8

Rabbi Tarfon said to [Rabbi Akiva], "Akiva, whoever separates from you it is as if they separate from life!"

משנה מכות א׳:י׳

(י) מִי שֶׁנִּגְמַר דִּינוֹ וּבָרַח וּבָא לִפְנֵי אוֹתוֹ בֵית דִּין, אֵין סוֹתְרִים אֶת דִּינוֹ. כָּל מָקוֹם שֶׁיַּעַמְדוּ שְׁנַיִם וְיֹאמְרוּ, מְעִידִין אָנוּ בְאִישׁ פְּלוֹנִי שֶׁנִּגְמַר דִּינוֹ בְּבֵית דִּינוֹ שֶׁל פְּלוֹנִי, וּפְלוֹנִי וּפְלוֹנִי עֵדָיו, הֲרֵי זֶה יֵהָרֵג. סַנְהֶדְרִין נוֹהֶגֶת בָּאָרֶץ וּבְחוּצָה לָאָרֶץ. סַנְהֶדְרִין הַהוֹרֶגֶת אֶחָד בְּשָׁבוּעַ נִקְרֵאת חָבְלָנִית. רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן עֲזַרְיָה אוֹמֵר, אֶחָד לְשִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה. רַבִּי טַרְפוֹן וְרַבִּי עֲקִיבָא אוֹמְרִים, אִלּוּ הָיִינוּ בַסַּנְהֶדְרִין לֹא נֶהֱרַג אָדָם מֵעוֹלָם. רַבָּן שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן גַּמְלִיאֵל אוֹמֵר, אַף הֵן מַרְבִּין שׁוֹפְכֵי דָמִים בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל:

Mishnah Makkot 1:10

(10) If someone whose judgement was final [sentenced to death], and ran away but came back to the same Beit Din, we do not re-evaluate his old judgment. Any time that two witnesses came and say, "We testify that this person had a judgement passed against him in a certain court," so and so were the witnesses, we execute him [the defendant on this testimony]. A Sanhedrin [highest court, charged with deciding cases and appeals that had national significance. It was comprised of 71 scholars who had received the full traditional rabbinical ordination, and its decisions fixed Jewish practice for subsequent generations]that would execute somebody once in seven years would be considered destructive. Rabbi Elazar Ben Azariah says: "Once in seventy years." Rabbi Tarfon and Rabbi Akiva said: "If we were on the Sanhedrin , nobody would have ever been executed." Rabban Shim'on Ben Gamliel said: "They too would have increased violence in Israel."

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