[Avodah] Rav Ammi, Rav Assi and their baldness

[Eliyahu Grossman]

I'm a bit stuck on a Midrash in Berachot 44a, where it speaks of the fruits
of Genosar. It is apparent to me that it is speaking of the fruits of Torah
learning in Tiberias, established by Rabbi Yochanan, who was able to consume
all that was brought to him in tremendous amounts, being insatiable. And the
modest and ego-less persona of Rabbi Abahu is said to consume so much that a
fly fell from his head (as related a few pages later, 61, a fly is
considered to be the Yetzer Hara, which would fit within the personality of
Rabbi Abahu.) It the speaks of Rav Assi and Ammi (I'll skip for the moment),
and the Reish Lakish, who ate so much that he went away until his brother
in-law (R. Yochanan) contacted the teacher of Reish Lakish to get him back,
which he did, and it seems to refer to an actual event in his life when he
was overwhelmed with his learning and life around him. 

 

Now it also mentions Rav Ammi and Assi. Keeping in mind that all of these
personages were together and had close ties to the Tiberias community (Rav
Avahu intervened on Assi/Ammi behalf, R. Yochanan as the brother-in law of
one, but felt like the father to another, and so on). From what I have
learned, Rav Ammi and Assi were part of a 3-person bet din (with R. Chayya),
and would study Torah together, but interrupt it for judging as well as for
ensuring that there was adequate schooling in the land. In this particular
Midrash it says that they (R. Assi and Ammi) ."would learn until their hair
fell out." ("Ahd" or "until" seems to be used, not as a terminator, but as a
measuring point that is crossed and returned to).

 

That (the loss of hair) is the part that stumps me. Now, I did find another
Midrash where it has R. Ammi and Assi asking R. Yitzchak to tell them
something. One wants a halacha and the other an aggadah. When he tries to
tell one, the other interrupts and he says that it is like a man with 2
wives, where the older one pulls out the black hairs, and the younger one
pulls out the white hairs. (This also feels like a message on how to be a
judge - 2 people with opposing agendas will not both be satisfied).

 

So could their loss of hair in the Midrash in Berachot relate to their
actions as judges? Or has someone on this list encountered another item that
would fill in the missing piece of this puzzle?

 

As a side note, it's my viewpoint that this discussion in the Gemara began
from Rav Ashi who had become a force of learning in Bavel and was praising
the learning in Eretz Yisrael, in Tiberias, and that the Midrash was then
brought forth to speak of the Torah giants there and the sweetness of their
Torah.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Eliyahu Grossman 

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