Akavia ben Mahalalel (Bechoros 25)
Oct 13, 2026 · 3 min · 3 segments
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Henry AbramsonHost
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Oct 13, 2026 · 3 min · 3 segments
Henry AbramsonHost
Today's Daf has a reference to Akavia ben Mahalalel, who is, uh, not a widely cited figure in the Talmud, but whenever he is cited, it is always extremely memorable.
He was, uh, a member of the Sanhedrin, the great court of the Jewish people in the first century and, uh, perhaps his most well-known statement is a passage in Pirkei Avot, beginning of the third chapter, where he says, "Think of three things and you will not come to the hands of sin.
Know from where you came, know where you are going, and before whom you will one day give an account." It's a fascinating, very, very s- stirring passage.
Uh, he was an extremely opinionated individual, and he famously got into a very serious dispute with Hanina Sgan HaGdol HaKohanim and Dosa ben Harqinus in Tractate Negaim.
Uh, over there, they were disputing several factors, and in one particular very heated dispute, uh, Akavia ben Mahalalel made a reference to, uh, a position which was interpreted by some to be an insult, to be, uh, a deriding statement with regards to its authors, the great Shmaya and Avtalyon of a much earlier generation, who were themselves proselytes, and it was felt that perhaps his statement, uh, impugned their status.
Uh, as a result of this and his, uh, generally, uh, adamant nature where he refused to, uh, bend to an opinion if he did not see its merit, uh, according to some opinions, he was actually excommunicated.
And according, uh, to the Mishnah as well, he- his coffin was actually stoned, uh, because he was viewed as a rebellious elder.
In fact, in the Tractate Eduyot talks quite a bit about how the, uh, the, his colleagues approached him and said, "Listen, you know, this dispute isn't going anywhere.
Why don't you just relent and go along with the majority?" And he famously said, "It is better for me to be called a fool all my days than I should be considered wicked even a single hour before God." A fascinating, kind of, principled position.
Today's Daf has a reference to Akavia ben Mahalalel, who is, uh, not a widely cited figure in the Talmud, but whenever he is cited, it is always extremely memorable.
He was, uh, a member of the Sanhedrin, the great court of the Jewish people in the first century and, uh, perhaps his most well-known statement is a passage in Pirkei Avot, beginning of the third chapter, where he says, "Think of three things and you will not come to the hands of sin.
Know from where you came, know where you are going, and before whom you will one day give an account." It's a fascinating, very, very s- stirring passage.
Uh, he was an extremely opinionated individual, and he famously got into a very serious dispute with Hanina Sgan HaGdol HaKohanim and Dosa ben Harqinus in Tractate Negaim.
Uh, over there, they were disputing several factors, and in one particular very heated dispute, uh, Akavia ben Mahalalel made a reference to, uh, a position which was interpreted by some to be an insult, to be, uh, a deriding statement with regards to its authors, the great Shmaya and Avtalyon of a much earlier generation, who were themselves proselytes, and it was felt that perhaps his statement, uh, impugned their status.
Uh, as a result of this and his, uh, generally, uh, adamant nature where he refused to, uh, bend to an opinion if he did not see its merit, uh, according to some opinions, he was actually excommunicated.
And according, uh, to the Mishnah as well, he- his coffin was actually stoned, uh, because he was viewed as a rebellious elder.
In fact, in the Tractate Eduyot talks quite a bit about how the, uh, the, his colleagues approached him and said, "Listen, you know, this dispute isn't going anywhere.
Why don't you just relent and go along with the majority?" And he famously said, "It is better for me to be called a fool all my days than I should be considered wicked even a single hour before God." A fascinating, kind of, principled position.
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