Pt2 R' Yehuda HaNasi and Bar Kappara: Talmudic Stories of Humor, Wealth, and Reflection (Nedarim 50b-51a)

This is the second and final part of a two-part series. Part 1 is here, the outline can be found there.

R’ Yehuda HaNasi's Suffering and Bar Kappara's Antics

When R' Yehuda HaNasi laughed, it would bring calamity upon the world (tradtionally explained: as his suffering atoned for the sins of the Jewish people).

To prevent this, he told Bar Kappara: "Don’t make me laugh (לא תבדיחן), and I will give you forty se’a of wheat."

Bar Kappara, determined, took a large tarred basket, placed it upside-down (סחפיה) on his head, and asked R' Yehuda HaNasi to measure the wheat.

The absurd sight made R' Yehuda HaNasi laugh, despite his warning, and Bar Kappara (humorously) explained that he was merely claiming the wheat he was owed.

יומא דמחייך ביה רבי, אתיא פורענותא לעלמא.

אמר ליה לבר קפרא: לא תבדיחן, ויהיבנא לך ארבעין גריוי חיטי.

אמר ליה: ליחזי מר דכל גריוא דבעינא שקילנא.

שקל דיקולא רבה,

חפייה כופרא

וסחפיה על רישיה,

ואזל

ואמר ליה: ליכיל לי מר ארבעין גריוי חיטי דרשינא בך.

אחוך רבי.

אמר ליה: לאו אזהרתך דלא תבדחן?!

אמר ליה: חיטי דרשינא קא נסיבנא.

[...]

The Gemara relates additional incidents that occurred between the two scholars.

On a day when R' Yehuda HaNasi would laugh, calamity would befall the world, as R' Yehuda HaNasi’s sufferings would atone for the sins of the Jewish people.

He therefore said to bar Kappara: Do not cause me to laugh, and I will give you forty se’a of wheat in return.

Bar Kappara said to him: The Master will see that any se’a I wish I will take.

He took a large palm basket,

smeared it with tar,

and overturned it upon his head,

and went,

and said to R' Yehuda HaNasi: Let the Master measure for me the forty se’a of wheat that I am owed by you.

R' Yehuda HaNasi laughed at this

and said to him: Did I not warn you not to make me laugh?!

He said to him: What I am taking from you is simply the wheat that I am owed by you.

[...]

Ben-Elasa and the High Priest's “Lollian”-style Haircut

Ben-Elasa¹ was known for his extravagant spending on a special haircut. A braita states that this was not frivolous but intended to demonstrate the appearance of the High Priest's haircut, as understood to be referred to in Ezekiel 44:20.²

A baraita explains that this haircut style is called “Lollian”.³

Rav Yehuda interprets the the term "loleyanit" to mean “a unique haircut”.

Rava understands that the style of haircut is “the top (ראשו) of this by the roots (עיקרו) of that”.⁴

מאי בן אלעשה?

דתניא:

לא לחנם פיזר בן אלעשה את מעותיו,

אלא להראות בהן תספורת של כהן גדול.

דכתיב: ״כסום יכסמו את ראשיהם״.

תנא: כעין לולינית.

מאי ״לולינית״?

אמר רב יהודה: תספרתא יחידתא.

היכי דמי?

אמר רבא:

ראשו של זה בצד עיקרו של זה.

והיינו תספורת של כהן גדול.

In what other context is ben Elasa mentioned?

He is mentioned in a baraita, as it is taught:

Ben Elasa did not dispense his money on his special haircut for naught.

Rather, he spent it to show others what the haircut of a High Priest looked like.

As it is written with regard to the priests: “They shall poll their heads” (Ezekiel 44:20),

and it is taught in a baraita: This haircut is like a luleyanit.

The Gemara asks: What is a luleyanit?

Rav Yehuda said: It is a unique haircut.

The Gemara asks: What is this haircut like?

Rava said:

The edge of this hank of hair is by the roots of that hank of hair. The hair is cut in the form of hanks that do not overlap.

And this is the haircut of a High Priest, for which ben Elasa paid a large sum.

1. See my note on him and on this name in my piece here.

2. In the ordinances for the priests: verses 17–31 (see Wikipedia, “Ezekiel 44“).

This specific verse states, Ezekiel.44.20 :

וראשם לא יגלחו

ופרע לא ישלחו

כסום יכסמו את־ראשיהם

They shall neither shave their heads

nor let their hair go untrimmed;

they shall keep their hair trimmed (כסום).

3. לולינית - Jastrow: “Lulian style of hair-cutting, clipped hair.”

And see his previous entry, where he interprets:

Lulianus (popular corrupt[ion] of Julianus)

On this name, see Wikipedia, “Julian (given name)“ > “Antiquity“ and “Julianus“. (Pronounced Iulian / Iulianus.)

An alternative transliteration and interpretation is Lollian, referring to someone named “Lollius”. This name is well-documented, see Wikipedia, “Lollia gens” > “Members“.

The related name Lollianus / Lulianus (לוליאנוס) is featured in a well-known martyrdom story that appears in several places within rabbinic literature, see Wikipedia, “Lulianos and Paphos“, and “פפוס ולוליאנוס“.

Regarding the added ““-ian” and “-ianus” (Lollius → Lollian → Lollianus), see Wiktionary, “-ianus“:

Enlarged form of -ānus, especially frequent in adjectives formed from proper names.

Catullus + -iānus → Catulliānus

Cicerō (stem: Cicerōn-) + -iānus → Cicerōniānus

Tīrō (stem: Tīrōn-) + -iānus → Tīrōniānus

4. This phrase seems to describe a haircut where the hair is trimmed at different lengths or in sections: The “top” edge of one part of the hair aligns with the “roots” (the base) of another part, i.e. a layered or step-like appearance.

This could imply that the hair is cropped short in one area while another section is left longer, creating a sharp contrast or alignment.