#eduyot

Today, we are talking about a Mishnah, specifically Eduyot 4:8 (which is the same as Yebamot 1:4). We have a disagreement here between the houses of Hillel and Shammai on a variety of issues related to marriage, but I find the conclusion rather heartwarming.

The testimonies of the masters conclude in the mists of the future redemption.  Elijah's role is to bring near, to welcome in, to make agreement, to cause peace in the world.

But a specific type of peace.  A peace, not among the nations, but a peace between the generations: "Behold I will send you Elijah the prophet . . . and he will turn the heart of the fathers to the children and the heart of the children to their fathers." Malachi 3:23-24.

Redemption, a remedy to some hitherto unknown intergenerational strife rampant during mishnaic times.

Adherence to personal tradition in the face of pressure to conform.  Aqabia b Mahalalel could have been remembered as another Elisha b Abuyah.  He testifies against the sages with respect to four matters.  Rejecting an offer to make him the president of the court if he retracts, he lives the rest of his days in excommunication.

Interesting, then, that his four opinions are actually preserved in the mishnaic text.  He's also included as an authority in the third chapter of Abot.

The text preserves his instruction to his son to reject his opinion and follow the sages:

I have received my tradition from a majority of a school in my days, and so have my opponents. I was bound to conform to the tradition I had received; and so are they bound by their tradition. But you have heard the traditions both from myself and from my opponents; from a minority and from a majority, and it is proper for you to reject the opinions of the individual and adopt the views of the majority

A father endows his son with the blessings of beauty, strength, riches, wisdom and length of years, and with the merits of the number of the generations that have gone before him.

The talmud fixes the composition of Eduyot to the specific day: the day R Gamliel II was deposed from the patriarchate.  On the day of his deposition, the day Eduyot was fixed, "the doorkeeper to the bet midrash was removed and permission was given for all students to enter."

The connection between the two events is unclear.  Did Gamliel hinder the mishnaic enterprise?