Magic and Miracles in the Talmud: Class 3

We learned there (Kelim 5:10): One cut [the oven] into segments, and placed sand between each and every segment, Rabbi Eliezer deems it ritually pure. And the Rabbis deem it ritually impure.

And this is the oven of akhnai - the coiled serpent. Why akhnai? Rav Yehuda said Shmuel said: that they surrounded it with statements like this snake, and deemed it impure.

It is taught: On that day, Rabbi Eliezer answered all answers in the world, but they did not accept them from him. He said to them: If halakha is like me, this carob will prove it. The carob was uprooted from its place one hundred cubits, and some say four hundred cubits. They said to him: One does not cite proof from the carob. He then said to them: If halakha is like me, the stream will prove it. The stream reversed and flowed backward. They said to him: One does not cite proof from a stream. He then said to them: If halakha is like me, the walls of the study hall will prove it. The walls of the study hall started leaning so they would fall. Rabbi Yehoshua scolded them and said to them: If Torah scholars are contending with each other in halakha, what has that to do with you? They did not fall because of the honor of Rabbi Yehoshua, but they did not straighten because of the honor of Rabbi Eliezer, and they still remain leaning. Rabbi Eliezer then said to them: If halakha is like me, Heaven will prove it. A Divine Voice emerged and said: Why do you have with Rabbi Eliezer, as halakha is like him in every place? Rabbi Yehoshua stood on his feet and said: “It is not in heaven” (Deuteronomy 30:12). Why “It is not in heaven”? Rabbi Yirmeya says: As the Torah was already given at Mount Sinai, we do not attend to Divine Voice, as You already wrote at Mount Sinai, in the Torah: “After a majority to incline” (Exodus 23:2).

Rabbi Natan came across Elijah, he said to him: What did the Holy One, Blessed be He, do at that time? Elijah said to him: He smiled and said: My children have triumphed over Me; My children have triumphed over Me.

They said: On that day, the Sages brought all that was pure things that were purified by Rabbi Eliezer and burned them in fire, and they reached a consensus in his regard and ostracized him. And they said: Who will go and inform him? Rabbi Akiva said to them: I will go, lest an unseemly person go and he would thereby destroy the entire world. What did Rabbi Akiva do? He wore black and wrapped himself in black, and sat before him at a distance of four cubits. Rabbi Eliezer said to him: Akiva, what's with today from any other day? He said to him: My teacher, it appears to me that our colleagues are distancing from you. He too, rent his garments and removed his shoes, and he dropped and sat upon the ground. His eyes shed tears the entire world was afflicted: One-third of the olives, and one-third of the wheat, and one-third of the barley. And some say even dough in a woman’s hands spoiled.

They taught: There was great anger on that day, as any place that Rabbi Eliezer fixed his gaze was burned. And even Rabban Gamliel was coming on a boat and a large wave swelled over him to drown him. He said: It seems to me that this is only for the sake of Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrcanus. He stood on his feet and said: Master of the Universe, it is revealed and known before You that neither was it for my honor that I acted, nor was it for the honor of the house of my father that I acted; rather, for Your honor, so that disputes will not proliferate in Israel. The sea calmed from its raging.

Imma Shalom, the wife of Rabbi Eliezer, was the sister of Rabban Gamliel. From that incident forward, she would not allow Rabbi Eliezer to lower his head. A certain day was the New Moon, and she substituted a full month for a shorter one. Some say that a pauper came and stood at the door, and she took bread out to him. She found him and saw that he had lowered his head. She said to him: Arise, you killed my brother. Meanwhile, a shofar blast emerged from the house of Rabban Gamliel that the Nasi had died. He said to her: From where did you know that? She said to him: This is I received from the house of the father of my father: All the gates locked, except for the gates of mistreatment.

Since the Sages perceived that his mind was stable, they entered and sat before him at a distance of four cubits, He said to them: Why have you come? They said to him: We have come to study Torah. He said to them: And why have you not come until now? They said to him: We did not have spare time. He said to them: I would be surprised if they will die their own death. Rabbi Akiva said to him: What about mine? He said to him: Yours will be worse than theirs.

He raised his two arms and placed them on his heart, and said: Woe to you, my two arms, as they are like two Torah scrolls that are being rolled up. I have learned much Torah, and I have taught much Torah. I have learned much Torah, and I have not taken away from my teachers even like a dog lapping from the sea. I have taught much Torah, and my students have taken away from me only like a mascara brush from a tube. Moreover, I can teach three hundred halakhot with regard to a snow-white leprous mark [bebaheret], but no person has ever asked me anything about them. Moreover, I can teach three hundred halakhot—,and some say three thousand halakhot,—with regard to the planting of cucumbers by sorcery, but no person has ever asked me anything about them, besides Akiva ben Yosef.

Once he and I were walking along the way, he said to me: My teacher, teach me about the planting of cucumbers. I said one word of power, the entire field became filled with cucumbers. He said to me: My teacher, you have taught me planting them; teach me uprooting them. I said one word of power and they all were gathered to one place.

They asked him: What is the purity status of a ball, and a last, and an amulet , and a pouch for pearls, and a small weight (all wrapped in leather)? He said to them: They are susceptible to impurity, and their purification is in their current form. What about a shoe that is on a last? Rabbi Eliezer said to them: It is pure, and his soul left him in purity. Rabbi Yehoshua stood on his feet and said: The vow is permitted; the vow is permitted.