1
On that fateful morning, Rabbi Eliezer and his disciple Rabbi Akiva were seen walking together to the Academy of Yavneh. The time was a few years before the Bar Kochba rebellion (approximately 132 - 134 CE). Oblivious to all about them, they were locked in an intense debate. "Master", said Rabbi Akiva, "the issue has been clearly defined. You believe, as does the owner of the oven, that since the oven of Akhnai is made of pieces that have been joined together, it is considered to be built of broken fragments. The law is that broken utensils cannot contract ritual impurity. Therefore the oven is ritually pure. Unfortunately, the other sages do not agree with your interpretation. They point out that the original oven had become contaminated. The owner cut it into tiles and reassembled the tiles with sand between them. He then plastered the reassembled oven over with cement so that it again could be used as a stove. They believe that since the intent of the owner was to make it into a whole vessel, its ritual impurity persists."
"Akiva, you have stated the problem well, but what is the answer? My colleagues have not understood the underlying concepts and have misinterpreted the law. It is my job to correct their erroneous way of thinking."
"Master, the debate between you and all the other sages has persisted so long without resolution that it has generated considerable anger and frustration. A number of us fear that this partisan zealotry will split the Academy and result in harm to yourself, the Academy and possibly the whole Jewish community. It is not unusual for the sages to hold differing views, and then the matter is decided in favor of the opinion of the majority. Why not follow that principle?
The older man slowly shook his head back and forth, "No, the truth must be sought, and when found, followed. It is my duty to convince the others of the error of their thinking." When they reached the Academy, Rabbi Eliezer went directly in to take his appointed place, while his disciple turned to join several colleagues standing near the entrance.
Rabbi Tarfon had been expressing his concern over the increasing intensity of the debate concerning the oven of Akhnai. "Rabbi Eliezer is increasingly obdurate and stiff-necked in holding to his opinion in the face of opposition by nearly all of the Sages. I fear that our Nasi (Head of the Sanhedrin), Rabban Gamliel, will not easily accept such strong opposition to his leadership. Yehoshua, you felt the sting of Rabban Gamliel's displeasure on more than one occasion. What do you think?"
"It was more than a sting that I felt. I was the only one to disagree with Rabban Gamliel on the matter of whether evening prayer was optional or mandatory. In the end I changed my opinion and agreed with him. Nevertheless, he proceeded to publicly humiliate me by forcing me to stand throughout the remainder of the session. What will he do to a man like Rabbi Eliezer who has continued to express such forceful opposition to the majority? Although I strongly disagree with Rabbi Eliezer's arguments in the matter of the oven, I feel sorry for him. You have been speaking with him, Akiva, do you think he will change his mind and accept the opinion of the majority?"
"I did try to influence him to do so, but I was not successful. His teacher, Rabban Yochanan, described his astounding memory as `a cemented cistern which loses not a drop (of stored knowledge).' It also stores emotional memories. Under stress cement will not bend or yield to accommodate outside forces. I do not know what he will say this morning, but I too fear for him."
2
"I have more to say." When the members of the Sanhedrin had gathered that morning, Rabban Gamliel the Nasi rose and started to speak. "We have now heard the arguments concerning the ritual purity or impurity of the oven of Akhnai, and now it is time..."
"One moment sir, I have not yet completed my arguments." It was Rabbi Eliezer. Rabban Gamliel turned and imperiously looked from one side of the Assembly to the other, and then looked directly at Eliezer, "Is it absolutely necessary for you to further prolong this discussion?"
"So be it. Proceed."
Rabbi Eliezer stood alone before the Assembly. He spoke slowly but in a loud clear voice. "I know that you have not accepted the logic of my arguments. I now ask if the halacha is in accordance with me, let this carob tree prove it!" The carob tree immediately uprooted itself and moved one hundred cubits, and some say 400 cubits, from its original place. Voices from the Sages of the Assembly were heard crying out, "Proof cannot be brought from a carob tree."
Rabbi Eliezer then said, "If the halacha is in accordance with me, let the stream of water prove it." The stream of water immediately flowed backward, against the direction in which it usually flowed. The Sages responded, "Proof cannot be brought from a stream of water either."
Rabbi Eliezer then said, "If the halacha is in accordance with me, let the walls of the House of Study prove it." The walls of the House of Study then leaned and were about to fall. Rabbi Yehoshua, who was one of Rabbi Eliezer's chief opponents, rebuked them, saying, If Talmudic scholars are engaged in a halachic dispute, what right have you to interfere?" The walls did not fall down, out of respect for Rabbi Yehoshua, nor did they straighten, out of respect for Rabbi Eliezer. Indeed, they remain leaning to this day.
Rabbi Eliezer then said to the Sages, "If the halacha is in accordance with me, let it be proved directly from Heaven." Whereupon a Heavenly Voice cried out, "Why do you dispute with Rabbi Eliezer, seeing that in all matters the halacha agrees with him!" Rabbi Yehoshua immediately rose and, quoting from Deuteronomy, said, "The Torah is not in heaven!" Rabbi Jeremiah explained, "The Torah has already been given at Mount Sinai; we pay no attention to a Heavenly Voice, because You have written in the Torah at Mount Sinai, `After the majority must one incline'."
A long period of silence followed. Rabbi Eliezer, with head erect, looked over the entire assembly of Sages as though to acknowledge that he had heard their decision. Then he turned and left the Assembly.
The Sages then brought in all the objects that had been placed within the Oven of Akhnai and that Rabbi Eliezer had declared clean. The Assembly pronounced them unclean and burned them.
3
Rabbi Eliezer, lost in thought, slowly and quietly opened the door to his home, walked into the dining room and sat down at the table without saying a word to his wife who was in the kitchen. He placed his elbow on the table and sighed as he rested his head on his hand. His wife, Imma Shalom, entered the room and sat down on the other side of the table. After a few minutes of silence, she asked him in a soft voice, "How did things go this morning?" "Not good," he replied wearily, and then he briefly summarized the events of the morning for her. Imma Shalom remained silent for a short while carefully considering what she had heard. She then said, "The sages directly disagreed with the Heavenly Voice. I wonder what G-d must think." Rabbi Eliezer raised his head and looked at her. "We now know what G-d does think. On my way home, I passed Rabbi Nathan. He stopped me and told me he had met Elijah, the Prophet. He had asked him, "What did the Holy One do when the Sages challenged the Heavenly Voice?" Elijah replied, "The Holy One laughed with joy, saying, `My sons have defeated me! My sons have defeated me!"
So, you are saying that Jesus was wrong? He says nothing that enters the mouth defiles you. He does not say "food eaten with unclean hands". He says NOTHING. Sin is defined int he Torah, to an extent. About 90% of the OT is useful to us today. Those sins that Jesus releases us from are not sins after we are washed by the Blood. Matthew 15:11 is a direct quote from Jesus Christ and is a release from the Levitical law on pork or any law in the Pentateuch (or the OT for that matter) on food.
Wonderful point!
