Rabbi Ishmael

Rabbi Ishmael ( Ishmael ben Elischa or Ismael b. Elisa or Ismael b. Elischa or Ishmael b. Elischa etc .; * approx. 70 ; † approx. 135 ?) Was a Tannait (i.e. teacher of the Mishnah ) of the third generation and friend of Rabbi Akiba . The 13 middot (rules of interpretation) are ascribed to him, 13 is the traditionally given number, with casual counting it would be more like 16 rules; the historicity of the attribution is uncertain.

Life

Rabbi Ishmael was initially a student of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Chananja , who bought him free from captivity. Later he learned from R. Nechunja ben haQana ( Nechonja ben ha-Qana or also ha-Qane , meaning of the name unclear; important in the Hechalot literature; in the Kabbalah he is regarded as the author of the Sefer ha-Bahir ; Ishmael is said to be from Nekhunja die Have a preference for the application of the general and specific rule) and Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrcanus . There he established solid friendships with Rabbi Akiba , his great adversary in matters of halacha . He originally came from Kfar Asis in South Judea , on the border with Edom . From there he went to Javne . When the Sanhedrin moved to Usha , he also followed.

Teaching

The course is based on the method of R. Jischmael on the simple sense of text and logic, not on astute interpretations of (apparently) superfluous or missing letters. The latter corresponds to the system of the interpretations of Rabbi Akiba , while Rabbi Ishmael emphasized that “the Bible speaks in the human way” (Sifre Num § 112, H. 121). In terms of content, his advocacy of war widows stands out from his teaching , as does the fact that Jews can remain in the Land of Israel. In the case of mortal danger, he is said to have even allowed idolatry (bSanhedrin 74a). Rabbi Ishmael also devoted himself more to the midrash . The Mechilta and Sifre are ascribed to his school . The Talmud often uses the formula “Doctrine of the house of Rabbi Ishmael” (תנא דבי רבי ישמעאל) to introduce a baraita by a scholar from the school of Rabbi Ishmael.

Ishmael's rules of interpretation, which are essentially just an expanded version of the seven Middot Hillels - only the "13th" rule is new: a third scriptural verse decides a contradiction between two previous, contradicting scriptural verses - are very highly regarded in Judaism and even form part of the daily morning prayer. Numerous Jewish scholars declare them to have been handed down from Sinai.

Ishmael, who was of priestly origin, is also said to have written mystical writings, including Maase Bereschit on the story of creation and Maase Merkava on the vision of the Merkaba . His name also appears in the older Kabbalistic literature, in the "Hechalot".

His most important students were R. Joschija , R. Jonatan and possibly Abba Chanin (Chanan).

Literature (selection)

• Israel Konovitz: Tannaitic Symposia. Complete Collected Sayings, in Halakha and Aggadah, in the Talmudic and Midrashic Literature . 4 volumes; Jerusalem 1967–1969 (Hebrew); especially Volume 3, pp. 261-367
• GG Porton: The Artificial Dispute: Ishmael and Aqiva . In: Festschrift M. Smith ; Leiden: Brill, 1975; Pp. 18-29
• GG Porton: The Traditions of Rabbi Ishmael , 3 volumes; Leiden: Brill, 1976-1979
• Thomas Uecker:  Ismael ben Elischa. In: Biographisch-Bibliographisches Kirchenlexikon (BBKL). Volume 2, Bautz, Hamm 1990, ISBN 3-88309-032-8 , Sp. 1385-1387.

Web links

• Article "ישמעאל בן אלישע" in Da'at, the Encyclopedia Jehudit
• Article "ISHMAEL B. ELISHA" in the Jewish Encyclopedia