Yose ben Yoezer
Encyclopedia
Yose ben Yoezer was a rabbi of the early Maccabean period, possibly a disciple of Antigonus of Soko and member of the ascetic group known as the Hasidæans, though neither is certain. He belonged to a priestly family.
With him and Jose ben Johanan of Jerusalem, his colleague, begins the period known in Jewish history as that of the zugot (pairs), which ended with Hillel
and Shammai
. According to an old tradition, the member of the "zugot" mentioned first occupied the office of Nasi
(president) of the Sanhedrin
, while the one mentioned second served in the capacity of vice-president.
Yose belonged to the party of the Ḥasidim, and was a decided adversary of Hellenism
. To prevent Jews from settling beyond Judea he declared all heathen countries "unclean". He declared also glass utensils unclean, probably because they were manufactured in heathen countries. In other respects, however, he was very liberal, and received the surname "Sharaya" ("one who permits") for having rendered three liberal decisions on certain ritual questions
The first halakic
controversy known in the Talmud
was that between Yose ben Yoezer and his colleague Yose ben Johanan. It arose over the question whether the laying of hands on the heads of the sacrifice
s is permitted on feast-days. Yose ben Yoezer was distinguished for his piety, and is called "the pious of the priesthood" ("hasid shebi-kchunnah"). He professed great veneration for scholars, one of his sayings being: "Let thy house be a meeting-place for the wise; powder thyself in the dust of their feet, and drink their words with eagerness" Yose was probably among the sixty pious men who, at the instigation of the high priest Alcimus
, the son of his sister, were crucified by the Syrian general Bacchides (I Macc. vii. 16) in 161 BCE.
The Midrash reports the following dialogue between Alcimus
and Yose ben Yoezer while the latter was on the way to execution:
Yose ben Yoezer left a son whom he had disinherited for bad conduct.
With him and Jose ben Johanan of Jerusalem, his colleague, begins the period known in Jewish history as that of the zugot (pairs), which ended with Hillel
Hillel the Elder
Hillel was a famous Jewish religious leader, one of the most important figures in Jewish history. He is associated with the development of the Mishnah and the Talmud...
and Shammai
Shammai
Shammai was a Jewish scholar of the 1st century, and an important figure in Judaism's core work of rabbinic literature, the Mishnah....
. According to an old tradition, the member of the "zugot" mentioned first occupied the office of Nasi
Nasi
Nāśī’ is a Hebrew title meaning prince in Biblical Hebrew, Prince in Mishnaic Hebrew, or president in Modern Hebrew.-Genesis and Ancient Israel:...
(president) of the Sanhedrin
Sanhedrin
The Sanhedrin was an assembly of twenty-three judges appointed in every city in the Biblical Land of Israel.The Great Sanhedrin was the supreme court of ancient Israel made of 71 members...
, while the one mentioned second served in the capacity of vice-president.
Yose belonged to the party of the Ḥasidim, and was a decided adversary of Hellenism
Hellenization
Hellenization is a term used to describe the spread of ancient Greek culture, and, to a lesser extent, language. It is mainly used to describe the spread of Hellenistic civilization during the Hellenistic period following the campaigns of Alexander the Great of Macedon...
. To prevent Jews from settling beyond Judea he declared all heathen countries "unclean". He declared also glass utensils unclean, probably because they were manufactured in heathen countries. In other respects, however, he was very liberal, and received the surname "Sharaya" ("one who permits") for having rendered three liberal decisions on certain ritual questions
The first halakic
Halakha
Halakha — also transliterated Halocho , or Halacha — is the collective body of Jewish law, including biblical law and later talmudic and rabbinic law, as well as customs and traditions.Judaism classically draws no distinction in its laws between religious and ostensibly non-religious life; Jewish...
controversy known in the Talmud
Talmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
was that between Yose ben Yoezer and his colleague Yose ben Johanan. It arose over the question whether the laying of hands on the heads of the sacrifice
Sacrifice
Sacrifice is the offering of food, objects or the lives of animals or people to God or the gods as an act of propitiation or worship.While sacrifice often implies ritual killing, the term offering can be used for bloodless sacrifices of cereal food or artifacts...
s is permitted on feast-days. Yose ben Yoezer was distinguished for his piety, and is called "the pious of the priesthood" ("hasid shebi-kchunnah"). He professed great veneration for scholars, one of his sayings being: "Let thy house be a meeting-place for the wise; powder thyself in the dust of their feet, and drink their words with eagerness" Yose was probably among the sixty pious men who, at the instigation of the high priest Alcimus
Alcimus
Alcimus , also called Jacimus, or Joachim , was a High Priest of Israel for three years, 162 BCE-159 BCE, who espoused the Syrian cause....
, the son of his sister, were crucified by the Syrian general Bacchides (I Macc. vii. 16) in 161 BCE.
The Midrash reports the following dialogue between Alcimus
Alcimus
Alcimus , also called Jacimus, or Joachim , was a High Priest of Israel for three years, 162 BCE-159 BCE, who espoused the Syrian cause....
and Yose ben Yoezer while the latter was on the way to execution:
- Alcimus: "See the profit and honors that have fallen to my lot in consequence of what I have done, whilst thou, for thy obstinacy, hast the misfortune to die as a criminal."
- Yose, quietly: "if such is the lot of those who anger God, what shall be the lot of those who accomplish His will?"
- Alcimus: "Is there any one who accomplished His will more than thou?"
- Yose: "If this is the end of those who accomplish His will, what awaits those who anger Him?"
- On this Alcimus was seized with remorse and committed suicide.
Yose ben Yoezer left a son whom he had disinherited for bad conduct.
Resources
- Schechter, Solomon, and Isaac Broyde. "Yose ben Yoezer of Zeredah." Jewish EncyclopediaJewish EncyclopediaThe Jewish Encyclopedia is an encyclopedia originally published in New York between 1901 and 1906 by Funk and Wagnalls. It contained over 15,000 articles in 12 volumes on the history and then-current state of Judaism and the Jews as of 1901...
. Funk and Wagnalls, 1901-1906; which cites the following bibliography: - Yuḥasin, p. 60a, ed. Königsberg;
- Heilprin, Seder ha-Dorot, p. 211, ed. Warsaw;
- Weiss, Dor, i. 98;
- Braunschweiger, Die Lehrer der Mishnah, p. 165, Frankfort-on-the-Main, 1903;
- Z. Frankel, Darke ha-Mishnah, pp. 31, 32;
- Grätz, Gesch. 3d ed., iii. 3;
- Schürer, Gesch. ii. 202, 352, 357, 407.S. S. I. Br.