Rabbi Ishmael
Rabbi Yishmael ( Ishmael ben Elisha and Elisha Ishmael b or b Elisha Ishmael or Ishmael b Elisha etc.. . * 70; † ca 135? ) Was a Tannait (ie teachers of the Mishnah ) of the third generation and friend of Rabbi Akiba. Are attributed to him ( traditional figure, at an informal count, there were 16 more rules, the historicity of the attribution is uncertain and unproven ) the 13 Middot ( rules of interpretation ).
Life
Rabbi Yishmael was first a student of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Hananiah, who ransomed him from captivity. Later he studied with R. Nehunya ben haQana ( Nechonja ben ha - ha - Qana or Qane, meaning of the name unclear; significantly in the Hechalotliteratur, in Kabbalah, he is regarded as the author of Sefer ha - Bahir, Ishmael is of Nehunya preference for the application of the rule of General and Special have ) and Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrcanus. There, he established solid ties of friendship with Rabbi Akiba, its large counterparties in matters of Halacha. Originally he came from Kfar Asis in Südjudäa, on the border with Edom. From there he went to Yavne. When the Sanhedrin moved to Usha, he followed likewise.
Teaching
The study is based on the method of R. Ishmael on the simple meaning of the text and logic, not on ingenious interpretations of ( apparently) redundant or missing letters. The latter corresponds to the system of interpretations of Rabbi Akiva, Rabbi Ishmael, while stressing that " the Bible speaks in human fashion " ( Sifre Num § 112, H. 121). Content rises from his teaching his advocacy in favor of war widows measures, as well as enabling the remaining of the Jews in the Land of Israel. In the case of danger to life, he is even allowed idolatry have ( bSanhedrin 74a). But Rabbi Yishmael also devoted himself increasingly to the Midrash. His school are attributed to the Mechilta and Sifre. In the Talmud, there is often the phrase " doctrine of the house of Rabbi Ishmael " ( תנא דבי רבי ישמעאל ) to initiate a Baraita a scholar from the School Rabbi Ishmael.
Ishmael rules of interpretation which are only an extended version of the seven middot of Hillel essentially - only the " 13 " rule is new: A third verse of Scripture decide an opposition of two previous, contradictory verses of Scripture - are in Judaism in very high esteem and even make a part of the daily morning prayer. Many Jewish scholars declare it as her handed down from Sinai.
Ishmael, who was of priestly origin is said to have written even mystical writings, including Maase Bereshit on creationism and Maase Merkava about the vision of the merkabah. His name also appears in the earlier kabbalistic literature, in the " Hechalot " on.
His most important students were R. Josiah, R. Jonathan 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 Akiba. 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: Ishmael ben Elisha. In: Biographic- bibliographic church encyclopedia ( BBKL ). Volume 2, Bautz, Hamm, 1990, ISBN 3-88309-032-8, Sp 1385-1387. (Articles / Articles beginning possibly in the Internet Archive )