Pt3 Exploring the Greatness of R' Hiyya (Bava Metzia 85b-86a)
Story of Elijah and R’ Yehuda Hanasi; Shmuel Yarḥina’a, physician of R' Yehuda HaNasi; The failed effort to give ordination to Shmuel Yarḥina’a
The third and final part of a three-part series. The first part is here; second part here.
Story of Elijah and R’ Yehuda Hanasi
This passage from the Talmud recounts a tale involving the afore-mentioned Elijah the Prophet. Elijah, a frequent visitor to the academy of the previously mentioned R' Yehuda HaNasi, was unexpectedly late on a Rosh Chodesh day (ריש ירחא - New Moon).
When questioned by R' Yehuda HaNasi, Elijah explained that his delay was due to waking up the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob individually to pray. He explained that they’re woken up individually to prevent their combined prayers from prematurely bringing the Messiah.
Elijah revealed that in the present world, only R' Ḥiyya and his sons could match the patriarchs' powerful prayers. Consequently, R' Yehuda HaNasi decreed a fast and brought R' Ḥiyya and his sons to lead prayers.
During the prayers, as R' Ḥiyya recites the blessings, miraculous events occur corresponding to the words he speaks—first, the wind blows, and then rain falls. As he approaches the blessing about reviving the dead, a divine commotion arises, questioning who reveals secrets on Earth. Elijah, identified as the revealer, is punished in heaven with 60 fiery lashes ( פולסי דנורא).1
Returning to Earth in the form of a fiery bear (דובא דנורא), Elijah disrupts the congregation's prayers, effectively preventing R' Ḥiyya from invoking the power of resurrection.
אליהו הוה שכיח במתיבתא דרבי,
יומא חד, ריש ירחא הוה,
נגה ליה ולא אתא.
אמר ליה: מאי טעמא נגה ליה למר?
אמר ליה: אדאוקימנא לאברהם, ומשינא ידיה, ומצלי, ומגנינא ליה,
וכן ליצחק
וכן ליעקב.
ולוקמינהו בהדי הדדי?!
סברי: תקפי ברחמי, ומייתי ליה למשיח בלא זמניה.
אמר ליה: ויש דוגמתן בעולם הזה?
אמר ליה: איכא רבי חייא ובניו.
גזר רבי תעניתא, אחתינהו לרבי חייא ובניו.
אמר ״משיב הרוח״ – ונשבה זיקא.
אמר ״מוריד הגשם״ – ואתא מיטרא,
כי מטא למימר ״מחיה המתים״ – רגש עלמא.
אמרי ברקיעא: מאן גלי רזיא בעלמא?!
אמרי: אליהו.
אתיוה לאליהו, מחיוה שתין פולסי דנורא.
אתא, אידמי להו כדובא דנורא, על בינייהו, וטרדינהו.
The Gemara relates another incident involving Elijah the prophet. Elijah was often found in the academy of R' Yehuda HaNasi.
One day it was a New Moon, the first of the month,
and Elijah was delayed and did not come to the academy.
Later, R' Yehuda HaNasi said to Elijah: What is the reason that the Master was delayed?
Elijah said to him: I had to wake up Abraham, wash his hands, and wait for him to pray, and then lay him down again.
And similarly, I followed the same procedure for Isaac,
and similarly for Jacob in turn.
R' Yehuda HaNasi asked Elijah: And let the Master wake them all together.
Elijah responded: I maintain that if I were to wake all three to pray at the same time, they would generate powerful prayers and bring the Messiah prematurely.
R' Yehuda HaNasi said to Elijah: And is there anyone alive in this world who is comparable to them and can produce such efficacious prayers?
Elijah said to him: There are R' Ḥiyya and his sons.
R' Yehuda HaNasi decreed a fast, and the Sages brought R' Ḥiyya and his sons down to the pulpit to pray on behalf of the congregation.
R' Ḥiyya recited the phrase in the Amida prayer: Who makes the wind blow, and the wind blew.
R' Ḥiyya recited the next phrase: Who makes the rain fall, and rain fell.
When he was about to say the phrase: Who revives the dead, the world trembled.
They said in heaven: Who is the revealer of secrets in the world?
They said in response: It is Elijah.
Elijah was brought to heaven, whereupon he was beaten with sixty fiery lashes. Elijah came back down to earth disguised as a bear of fire.
He came among the congregation and distracted them from their prayers, preventing R' Ḥiyya from reciting the phrase: Who revives the dead.
Shmuel Yarḥina’a, physician of R' Yehuda HaNasi
In this passage, Shmuel Yarḥina’a,2 who was the physician of R' Yehuda HaNasi, treats R' Yehuda's eye pain. R' Yehuda expresses fear of direct application of medication to his eye, so Shmuel suggests applying a salve above the eye instead.
R' Yehuda still finds this unbearable. Ultimately, Shmuel ingeniously places the medication in a tube of herbs under R' Yehuda's pillow, which leads to his healing.
שמואל ירחינאה, אסייה דרבי הוה.
חלש רבי בעיניה.
אמר ליה: אימלי לך סמא.
אמר ליה: לא יכילנא.
אשטר לך משטר.
אמר ליה: לא יכילנא.
הוה מותיב ליה בגובתא דסמני תותי בי סדייה,
ואיתסי.
The Gemara relates: Shmuel Yarḥina’a was the physician of R' Yehuda HaNasi.
One time, R' Yehuda HaNasi felt a pain in his eye.
Shmuel said to him: I will place a medication in your eye.
R' Yehuda HaNasi said to him: I cannot have the medication placed directly in my eye, as I am afraid it will cause me too much pain.
Shmuel said to him: I will apply a salve above your eye, not directly in it.
R' Yehuda HaNasi said to him: Even that I cannot bear.
Shmuel placed the medication in a tube of herbs beneath his pillow,
and R' Yehuda HaNasi was healed.
The failed effort to give ordination to Shmuel Yarḥina’a
R’ Yehuda HaNasi tried unsuccessfully to ordain Shmuel Yarḥina’a as a Rabbi. Shmuel reassured him, explaining that it was not his destiny to be ordained. He disclosed that he had seen “the book of Adam”,3 which contained the genealogy of humans and specific destinies.
This book stated that Shmuel was to be recognized as a “Chacham” (חכים) but not as a “Rabbi”, and that he would heal R’ Yehuda HaNasi.
הוה קא מצטער רבי למסמכיה, ולא הוה מסתייעא מילתא.
אמר ליה: לא לצטער מר,
לדידי חזי לי סיפרא דאדם הראשון,
וכתיב ביה:
שמואל ירחינאה --
חכים יתקרי,
ורבי לא יתקרי.
ואסו דרבי על ידו תהא.
[...]
R' Yehuda HaNasi made efforts to ordain Shmuel Yarḥina’a as a Rabbi but was unsuccessful.
Shmuel Yarḥina’a said to him: The Master should not be upset, as I know that I am not destined to be ordained as a R'.
I myself saw the book of Adam the first man, which contains the genealogy of the human race,
and it is written in it:
Shmuel Yarḥina’a --
shall be called a wise [ḥakim] physician,
but he shall not be called Rabbi,
and R' Yehuda HaNasi’s convalescence shall be through him.
[...]
The Aramaic word נורא - nura is used twice in this passage as an adjective (Hebrew, and Steinsaltz ed. translation):
פולסי דנורא - fiery lashes
דובא דנורא - a fiery bear
See also the term in the talmudic passage in my piece here:
גוריא דנורא - a fiery lion cub
And in the term in the talmudic passage in my piece here (subsequent to this sugya):
זקוקין דנורא ובעורין דאשא - fiery sparks and burning fires
All these are used as adjectives for heavenly beings.
Compare the Biblical, and later talmudic, term “river of nur”, see Hebrew Wikipedia, “נהר די-נור“.
And compare the Classical Arabic word nur, see Wikipedia, “Nūr (Islam)“:
Nūr (Arabic: النور) is a term in Islamic context referring to the "cold light of the night" or "heatless light" i.e. the light of the moon. This light is used as a symbol for "God's guidance" and "knowledge", a symbol of mercy in contrast to Nar, which refers to the diurnal solar "hot light" i.e. fire.
In the Quran, God is stated to be "the light (Nūr) of the heavens and the earth" (Verse of Light).
It’s possible that here, as well, there’s a connotation of “light”. The reconstructed proto semitic nur likely also meant light. The meaning of fire was a development of that.
שמואל ירחינאה - traditionally understood to be identical with the major amora known simply as Shmuel.
סיפרא דאדם הראשון - on this “book”, see discussion here: