[Avodah] Why Was RLakish Unhappy? Chanufah

[Micha Berger]

On Tue, Oct 25, 2022 at 03:45:07PM +1100, Rabbi Meir G. Rabi via Avodah wrote:
> Kesuvos 25b
...
> Reish Lakish turned and looked at Rabbi Elazar harshly, and said to him:
> You heard a statement of bar Naphac'a [the blacksmith's son - an epithet
> for Rabbi Yo'anan] and you did not say it to us in his name?

> WHat is the problem?
> He raised an objection; RLakish considered it and dismissed it.
> Is one supposed to stop thinking when one's teacher raises and objection
> and just accept it?

It is likely that Reish Laqish was giving his opinion in R Yochanan's
shiur because RL no longer just another fellow talmid, but RY's
chavrusa. Or closer to that time. For that matter, with RL's passying,
R Yochanan was upset that he couldn't find a chavrusa that would challenge
him. So, I would be hard pressed to say that RL expected to "just accept"
RY's position.

That said, R Shteinzaltz did assume that RL was saying that has he known
it was RY, he would have accepted the ruling. (Noticed when I looked
the quote up on Sepharia.)

Perhaps, though, the reason was localized and not about halachic theory.
Maybe in this one case, RL didn't think his reasoning was as solid as
all that, and would have had more faith in an alternative just because
it was RY's.

But what I wondered when I read this, despite RMR and RAShteinzaltz's
take on the gemara:

Why does RL's objection have to be due to legal outcome? Not naming
R Yochanan was a slight to RY's kavod, and missess a chance to bring
ge'ulah to the world. And RY's talmid-chaver and brother-in-law would
feel deeplyh about either.


Chodesh Tov!
Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger                 I thank God for my handicaps, for, through them,
http://www.aishdas.org/asp   I have found myself, my work, and my God.
Author: Widen Your Tent                   - Helen Keller
- https://amzn.to/2JRxnDF