Joshua ben Hananiah Peacemaker or Rabble Rouser

Rabbi Dosa ben Hyrcanus remembered that Rabbi Yehoshua's mother used to carry him in his cradle into the synagogue so that his ears might become accustomed to the sounds of the words of the Torah.

It happened that Yehoshua bar Hanania went to assist Rabbi Yohanan bar Gudgeda in the closing of the Temple doors. (Yohanan) said to him, "My son, return to where you came for you are a singer and not a doorkeeper."

The Sages taught: The verse states: “Justice, justice, shall you follow.” This teaches that one should follow the Sages to the academy where they are found. For example, follow after Rabbi Eliezer to Lod, after Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakkai to Beror Ḥayil, after Rabbi Yehoshua to Peki’in, after Rabban Gamliel to Yavne, after Rabbi Akiva to Bnei Brak.

When the man reached (Yehoshua’s) house, he saw that the walls of his house were black. He said to (Yehoshua in wonderment): From the walls of your house it is apparent that you are a charcoal maker.

Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai had five students: Rabbi Eliezer ben Horkenos, Rabbi Yehoshua ben Chananya, Rabbi Yosi the Priest, Rabbi Shimon ben Netanel, and Rabbi Elazar ben Arakh. He would recount their praises: Rabbi Eliezer ben Horkenos is a pit covered in plaster that does not lose a drop. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Chananya--happy is the one who gave birth to him! Rabbi Yosi the Priest is pious. Rabbi Shimon ben Netanel fears sin. And Rabbi Elazar ben Arakh is an ever-strengthening fountain. He [Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai] used to say: If all the sages of Israel were on one side of a balance scale, and Rabbi Eliezer ben Horkenos were on the other side, he [Rabbi Eliezer] would outweigh them all.

The sages taught that when the Temple was destroyed a second time, there was an increase in the number of ascetics among the Jews, whose practice was to not eat meat and to not drink wine. Rabbi Yehoshua joined them to discuss their practice. He said to them: My children, for what reason do you not eat meat and do you not drink wine? They said to him: Shall we eat meat, from which offerings are sacrificed upon the altar, and now the altar has ceased to exist? Shall we drink wine, which is poured as a libation upon the altar, and now the altar has ceased to exist?

Once, as Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai was coming out of Jerusalem, Rabbi Yehoshua followed after him and beheld the Temple in ruins. Rabbi Yehoshua cried out, "Woe unto us that this place, where the iniquities of Israel were atoned for, is laid waste."

"My son," Rabban Yohanan said to him, "be not grieved; we have another atonement as effective as this. And what is it? It is acts of loving kindness, as it is said: 'I desire goodness, not sacrifice.'" (Hosea 6:6)

Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakkai did this. Rabbi Eliezer entered from one side and Rabbi Yehoshua from the other side to take him out. When they arrived at the entrance of the city on the inside, the guards, who were of the faction of the zealots, wanted to pierce him with their swords in order to ascertain that he was actually dead, as was the common practice. Abba Sikkara said to them: The Romans will say that they pierce even their teacher. The guards then wanted at least to push him to see whether he was still alive, in which case he would cry out on account of the pushing. Abba Sikkara said to them: They will say that they push even their teacher. The guards then opened the gate and he was taken out.

And there was another incident in which two witnesses came and said: We saw the new moon at its anticipated time, i.e., on the night of the thirtieth day of the previous month; however, on the following night, i.e., the start of the thirty-first, which is often the determinant of a full, thirty-day month, it was not seen. And nevertheless Rabban Gamliel accepted their testimony and established the New Moon on the thirtieth day. Rabbi Dosa ben Horkinas disagreed and said: They are false witnesses; how can witnesses testify that a woman gave birth and the next day her belly is between her teeth, i.e., she is obviously still pregnant? If the new moon was already visible at its anticipated time, how could it not be seen a day later? Rabbi Yehoshua said to him: I see the logic of your statement; the New Moon must be established a day later. Upon hearing that Rabbi Yehoshua had challenged his ruling, Rabban Gamliel sent a message to him: I decree against you that you must appear before me with your staff and with your money on the day on which Yom Kippur occurs according to your calculation; according to my calculation, that day is the eleventh of Tishrei, the day after Yom Kippur. ... Rabbi Yehoshua went to Rabbi Dosa ben Harkinas to discuss the matter who said to him: If we call into question the decision of Rabban Gamliel, then we need to call into question every decision that has been made since Moses. ... So, he took his staff and his money in his hand, and went to Yavne to Rabban Gamliel on the day on which Yom Kippur occurred according to his own calculation. Upon seeing him, Rabban Gamliel stood up and kissed him on his head. He said to him: Come in peace, my teacher and my student. You are my teacher in wisdom, as Rabbi Yehoshua was wiser than anyone else in his generation, and you are my student, as you accepted my statement, despite your disagreement.

Rabban Gamliel says: Each and every day a person recites the prayer of eighteen blessings. Rabbi Yehoshua says: A short prayer is sufficient, and one only recites an abridged version of the prayer of eighteen blessings.

The yeshiva of Rabbi Eliezer was shaped like an arena, and there was one stone reserved for him to sit on. One time, Rabbi Yehoshua entered the yeshiva and began kissing the stone. He said, "this stone is like Mt. Sinai, and the one who sits on it is like the ark of the covenant."

Rabbi Yehoshua 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.

The Sages taught: There was an incident involving a student, who came before Rabbi Yehoshua. The student said to him: Is the evening prayer optional or obligatory? Rabbi Yehoshua said to him: Optional. The same student came before Rabban Gamliel and said to him: Is the evening prayer optional or obligatory? Rabban Gamliel said to him: Obligatory. The student said to Rabban Gamliel: But didn’t Rabbi Yehoshua tell me that the evening prayer is optional? Rabban Gamliel said to the student: Wait until the “masters of the shields,” enter the study hall. When the masters of the shields entered, the questioner stood before everyone present and asked: Is the evening prayer optional or obligatory? Rabban Gamliel said to him: Obligatory. Rabban Gamliel said: Is there any person who disputes this matter? Rabbi Yehoshua said to him: No. Rabban Gamliel said to Rabbi Yehoshua: But was it not in your name that they told me, optional? Rabban Gamliel said to Rabbi Yehoshua: Yehoshua, stand on your feet and they will testify against you. Rabbi Yehoshua stood on his feet and said: If I were alive and the student were dead, the living can contradict the dead, Now that I am alive and he is alive, how can the living contradict the living? Rabban Gamliel, as the Nasi, was sitting and lecturing, and Rabbi Yehoshua all the while was standing on his feet, until all of the people assembled began murmuring and said to Ḥutzpit the disseminator: Stop. And he stopped. They said: How long will Rabban Gamliel continue afflicting him? Last year on Rosh HaShana, he afflicted him; Regarding the firstborn, in the incident of Rabbi Tzadok, he afflicted him by forcing him to remain standing during a lecture Here too, he is afflicting him. Let us remove him. Who shall we establish in his place? Shall we establish Rabbi Yehoshua in his place? The Sages rejected that option because Rabbi Yehoshua was party to the incident for which Rabban Gamliel was deposed. Shall we establish Rabbi Akiva. Perhaps due to Rabban Gamliel’s resentment he would cause him to be divinely punished as he lacks the merit of his ancestors to protect him. Rather, suggested the Sages, let us establish Rabbi Elazar ben Azarya. He is wise, rich, and a tenth generation descendant of Ezra. ...

It was taught: On that day that they removed Rabban Gamliel from his position and appointed Rabbi Elazar ben Azarya in his place, there was also a fundamental change in the general approach of the study hall as they dismissed the guard at the door and permission was granted to the students to enter. As Rabban Gamliel was known to say: Any student whose inside, his thoughts and feelings, are not like his outside, will not enter the study hall. The Gemara relates: On that day several benches were added ...

Rabban Gamliel was disheartened. He said: Perhaps, Heaven forbid, I prevented Israel from engaging in Torah study. They showed him in his dream white jugs filled with ashes alluding to the fact that the additional students were worthless idlers. The Gemara comments: That is not the case, but that dream was shown to him to ease his mind so that he would not feel bad. It was taught: There is a tradition that tractate Eduyyot was taught that day. And everywhere in the Mishna or in a baraita that they say: On that day, it is referring to that day. ... Rabban Gamliel said to himself: Since this is the situation, I will go and appease Rabbi Yehoshua. When he reached Rabbi Yehoshua’s house, he saw that the walls of his house were black. Rabban Gamliel said to Rabbi Yehoshua in wonderment: From the walls of your house it is apparent that you are a charcoal maker. Rabbi Yehoshua said to him: Woe unto a generation that you are its leader as you are unaware of the difficulties of Torah scholars, how they make a living and how they feed themselves. Rabban Gamliel said to him: I insulted you, forgive me. Rabbi Yehoshua paid him no attention and did not forgive him. He asked him again: Do it in deference to my father. Rabbi Yehoshua was appeased.

Now that Rabbi Yehoshua was no longer offended, it was only natural that Rabban Gamliel would be restored to his position. They said: Who will go and inform the Sages? This launderer said to them: I will go. Rabbi Yehoshua sent to the Sages of the study hall this message: The one who wears the uniform will continue to wear the uniform, Gamliel will return to his position so that the one who did not wear the uniform will not say to the one who wears the uniform, remove your uniform and I will wear it.

(They didn't believe the laundryman) Rabbi Akiva said to the Sages: Lock the gates so that Rabban Gamliel’s servants will not come and disturb the Sages. When he heard what happened, Rabbi Yehoshua said: It is best if I go to them. He came and knocked on the door. He said to them: Let the sprinkler's son sprinkle water. ...

Rabbi Akiva said to him: Rabbi Yehoshua, have you been appeased? Everything we did was to defend your honor. If you have forgiven him, none of us is opposed. Early tomorrow you and I will go to Rabban Gamliel’s doorway and offer to restore him to his position as Nasi. The question arose what to do with Rabbi Elazar ben Azarya? They said: What shall we do? Remove him? Said Rabbi Yehoshua, That is inappropriate as we learned: One elevates to a higher level of sanctity and does not downgrade. Rabbi Yehoshua then said, if we Let one Sage lecture one week and the other Sage one week, they will come to be jealous. Rather, Rabban Gamliel will lecture three weeks and Rabbi Elazar ben Azarya will lecture as head of the yeshiva one week.

From the time when Rabban Yoḥanan died, wisdom ceased. The Sages taught: From the time when Rabbi Eliezer died, it was as if the Torah scroll had been interred. From the time when Rabbi Yehoshua died, council and thought ceased, as he had the sharpest mind in Israel. From the time when Rabbi Akiva died, the powerful arm of Torah, meaning the exposition of all the details of Torah scripture, ceased, and the fountains of wisdom were sealed.