Mapping Descriptors to Names in Sanhedrin 17b
This past Friday’s daf was a pivotal one, as it serves as a dictionary mapping names, e.g. “The Elders of Sura”, to actual Amoraim across the Talmud. Thus, any time such a phrase is used in a sugya, we would consider Sanhedrin 17b to see if it appears there, and if the mapping makes sense in context.
I’ve written about it extensively in the past, but didn’t want to move past the daf without noting it. I also have a separate thought about the daf which may appear at the bottom, time permitting.
Here are some times I’ve discussed this.
Most recently, in my article from this past Shabbat, about Rav Nachman and the Pumbeditan Talmud. Especially for those scholars who want to say that the default assumption is that attributions are fabricated, they want to point to eponymous attributions, where the name matches the statement, this was an invention of some redactor. And an easy target for this is Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak, because Rabbi Reuven Margolios interpreted, or IMHO, misinterpreted, our sugya in Sanhedrin 17b as saying that it was Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak who devised all these nicknames. It is not the case, and that is not what Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak matni hachi means. Instead, it is a Pumbeditan variant of various shmaytas that appear in the regular Talmud.
They Sent From There — as Rabbi Eleazar ben Pedat, but this is after the Talmudic Narrator pulled a switcheroo, instead of Rabbi Yosef beRabbi Chanina. In this sugya towards the end of Bava Batra, we have Rabbi Eleazar ben Pedat respond to it!
The Identity of the Laugher — which is the reverse identification as above, also switched.
In Rav Pappa and the Papunians, I discuss Rav Pappa bar Shmuel, who is “the judges of Pumbedita” according to Sanhedrin 17b.
In Confounded by Rav Hamnuna, I grapple with which Rav Hamnuna is under discussion. This plays into Sanhedrin 17b, where “they said in Rav’s academy” was first understood as Rav Huna, revised to mean Rav Hamnuna, whereupon Tosafot grapple with his scholastic generation. Spoiler: there are a bunch of Rav Hamnunas.
In about a week, we’ll discuss the sons of Rachava, who were the sharp ones of Pumbedita. So stay tuned!
Another thought about the daf… On amud aleph:
וּמָה נְבוּאָה נִתְנַבְּאוּ? אָמְרוּ: מֹשֶׁה מֵת, יְהוֹשֻׁעַ מַכְנִיס אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל לָאָרֶץ. אַבָּא חָנִין אוֹמֵר מִשּׁוּם רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר: עַל עִסְקֵי שְׂלָיו הֵן מִתְנַבְּאִים: עֲלִי שְׂלָיו, עֲלִי שְׂלָיו.
Apropos Eldad and Medad being prophets, the Gemara asks: And what prophecy did they prophesy? They said: Moses will die, and Joshua will bring the Jewish people into Eretz Yisrael. Abba Ḥanin says in the name of Rabbi Eliezer: They prophesied about the matter of the quail that came afterward (Numbers 11:31–33), saying: Arise quail, arise quail, and then the quail came.
Midrashim aren’t fabricated out of whole cloth.
In terms of the quail, it is because it is the immediately juxtaposed next section, in the next verses (as Rav Steinsaltz also notes), plus perhaps the words introducing the quail, וְר֜וּחַ נָסַ֣ע ׀ מֵאֵ֣ת יְהֹוָ֗ה, taken as prophetic spirit.
In terms of the Moshe will die and Yehoshua will take over, where is this coming from?
First, from a theme the midrashic author may be sensing, or Moshe passing the torch. He is imbuing a whole bunch of others with the spirit of prophecy, so that they, too, can speak to God. And his student, who eventually takes over, speaks up saying what Moshe should do.
But also, midrash kvetches and reinterprets words. And the pasuk read:
וַיַּ֜עַן יְהוֹשֻׁ֣עַ בִּן־נ֗וּן מְשָׁרֵ֥ת מֹשֶׁ֛ה מִבְּחֻרָ֖יו וַיֹּאמַ֑ר אֲדֹנִ֥י מֹשֶׁ֖ה כְּלָאֵֽם׃
And Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ attendant from his youth, spoke up and said, “My lord Moses, restrain them!”
This becomes the very content of the Eldad / Medad prophecy.
Thus, וַיַּ֜עַן, indicating the speech act. What was it? יְהוֹשֻׁ֣עַ בִּן־נ֗וּן מְשָׁרֵ֥ת מֹשֶׁ֛ה מִבְּחֻרָ֖יו, that Yehoshua who was the mesharet was to gain prominence. Maybe even אֲדֹנִ֥י, that he shall be lord. What of Moshe? מֹשֶׁ֖ה כְּלָאֵֽם, he will pass away.