Rabbi Yehoshua ben Korcha is not Rabbi Akiva's Son

In Shevuot 6a, we see Rabbi Akiva, a fourth-generation Tanna, interact with his son Yehoshua:

אִילֵּימָא מֵהָא – דְּתַנְיָא: אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹסֵי, שָׁאַל יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בְּנוֹ שֶׁל רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא מֵרַבִּי עֲקִיבָא: מִפְּנֵי מָה אָמְרוּ מַרְאוֹת נְגָעִים שְׁנַיִם שֶׁהֵן אַרְבָּעָה? אָמַר לוֹ: וְאִם לָאו, מָה יֹאמְרוּ? יֹאמְרוּ מִקְּרוּם בֵּיצָה וּלְמַעְלָה טָמֵא!

If we say we learned it from that which is taught in the following baraita, it is difficult. The baraita teaches: Rabbi Yosei said that Yehoshua, son of Rabbi Akiva, asked of Rabbi Akiva: For what reason did the Sages say that the different shades of leprous marks are two types that are four, and proceed to specify their names? Rabbi Akiva said to him: But if not that, what else could they say? Rabbi Yehoshua answered him: Let them say that any mark of a degree of brightness from that of an egg membrane and above is ritually impure.

אָמַר לוֹ: לוֹמַר שֶׁמִּצְטָרְפִים זֶה עִם זֶה. אָמַר לוֹ, וְיֹאמְרוּ: ״מִקְּרוּם בֵּיצָה וּלְמַעְלָה טָמֵא, וּמִצְטָרְפִין זֶה עִם זֶה״! אָמַר לוֹ: לוֹמַר לָךְ, כׇּל כֹּהֵן שֶׁאֵינוֹ בָּקִי בָּהֶן וּבִשְׁמוֹתֵיהֶן, אֵינוֹ רוֹאֶה אֶת הַנְּגָעִים.

Rabbi Akiva said to him: They specified the four different shades in order to say that they combine with each other in that order, i.e., each one with its adjacent shade. Rabbi Yehoshua said to him: If so, let them simply say: Any mark of a degree of brightness from that of an egg membrane and above is ritually impure, and they combine with each other. Rabbi Akiva said to him: They specified their names in order to tell you: Any priest who is not an expert in distinguishing between them and in identifying their names is not authorized to inspect the leprous marks and make a decision regarding them.

Who is this person? Rashi here connects him to Rabbi Yehoshua ben Korcha,

יהושע בנו של ר' עקיבא - הוא יהושע בן קרחה שר' עקיבא קרח היה כדאמרי' בבכורות (דף נח.) חוץ מן הקרח הזה:

making the connection because “Korcha” can refer to baldness, and in Bechorot 58a, we see that Rabbi Akiva was bald. Thus:

וְלִיחְזֵי טַעְמֵיהּ דְּמַאן מִסְתַּבַּר! וְכִי תֵּימָא: לָא מָצֵי קָאֵי אַטַּעְמַיְיהוּ, וְהָתַנְיָא: בֶּן עַזַּאי אוֹמֵר: כׇּל חַכְמֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל דּוֹמִין עָלַי כִּקְלִיפַּת הַשּׁוּם חוּץ מִן הַקֵּרֵחַ הַזֶּה!

The Gemara raises a difficulty: But let ben Azzai see whose opinion is more reasonable, and decide accordingly. And if you would say that it is not possible for him to establish their reasoning, that is difficult: But it is taught in a baraita that ben Azzai says: All the Sages of Israel appear to me to be as unimpressive in their intellect as garlic peel, except for this bald one, i.e., Rabbi Akiva.

Tosafot in Bechorot disagree with this identification.

חוץ מן הקרח הזה - פ"ה היינו ר"ע ור' יהושע בן קרחה הוא ר' יהושע בנו של ר"ע וקשה מי סני ליה להזכיר ר"ע בשמו שמזכירו בלשון גנאי כדכתיב (מלכים ב ב׳:כ״ג) עלה קרח ובפ' שואל (שבת ד' קנב.) אמר מהכא לקרחינאה כמה ולגנאי נתכוין ובמס' מגילה (דף כח.) רבי שאל את רבי יהושע בן קרחה במה הארכת ימים [וכו'] ואמר לו רבי ברכני ואמר לו יהי רצון שתגיע לחצי שני ואילו ר"ע כשנשא בת כלבא שבוע בן מ' שנה היה וקבל עליו לעסוק בתורה ועסק מ' שנים ומ' שנה פרנס ישראל ובספרי (פרשה ברכה) תניא ד' חיו ק"כ שנה משה והלל ורבן יוחנן בן זכאי ור"ע וביום שמת ר"ע (קדושין דף עב.) נולד רבי ואפילו נולד ר' יהושע בשנה ראשונה שנשא בת כלבא שבוע לא היה כי אם שמונים כשנולד רבי ולכל הפחות היה ר' יהושע בן ק"מ שנה כשבירך רבי דבפחות מע' שנה לא היה מברכו שהן חיי שנות סתם אדם דכתיב (תהילים צ׳:י׳) ימי שנותינו ע' ואז היה רבי בן ס' שנה נמצא כשברכו להגיע לחצי ימיו לא ברכו רק י' שנה ומה ברכה היתה זו ועוד לכאורה מסתבר שלא נולד עד שעשה בי רב תרתי סרי ותרתי סרי שנין נמצא כשהיה ר' יהושע בן ק"מ שנה היה רבי יותר מחצי שניו ורבינו נסים פי' (קרחה) רבי אלעזר בן עזריה דאמר בירושלמי שהיה קרח (וא"ר יהושע מהכא לקרחינא) ור"ת מפרש שם אדם:

Firstly, would we refer to Rabbi Akiva in such a derogatory way. (And, not just Korcha, Baldy, like Elisha was insulted by the youths, but I’d add, also stripping Rabbi Akiva of his rabbinic title while giving it to his son.) Secondly, mathematical calculations of his age. Here is a translation of Tosafot from Point by Point Summary of Tosafot:

תוספות ד"ה חוץ מן הקרח הזה

(SUMMARY: Tosfos concludes that this was not R. Akiva.)

פ''ה היינו ר''ע ור' יהושע בן קרחה הוא ר' יהושע בנו של ר''ע

(a)

Explanation #1 (Rashi): This refers to R. Akiva, and R. Yehoshua ben Korchah was R. Akiva's son.

וקשה מי סני ליה להזכיר ר''ע בשמו שמזכירו בלשון גנאי

(b)

Objection #1: Why didn't he mention R. Akiva by name, that [rather] he mentions him in a derogatory way?

כדכתיב (מ''ב ב) עלה קרח ובפ' שואל (שבת ד' קנב.) אמר מהכא לקרחינאה כמה ולגנאי נתכוין

1.

[This is derogatory,] like it says "Alei Kere'ach", and in Shabbos (152a, a Tzeduki asked R. Yehoshua ben Korchah) "how far is it from here to Karchina'ah?", and he intended for disgrace.

ובמס' מגילה (דף כח.) רבי שאל את רבי יהושע בן קרחה במה הארכת ימים [וכו'] ואמר לו רבי ברכני ואמר לו יהי רצון שתגיע לחצי שני

(c)

Objection #2: In Megilah (28a), Rebbi asked about R. Yehoshua ben Korchah "how did you merit to live so long?"... Rebbi requested a Brachah, and (R. Yehoshua) said "may it be His will that you reach half my years";

ואילו ר''ע כשנשא בת כלבא שבוע בן מ' שנה היה וקבל עליו לעסוק בתורה ועסק מ' שנים ומ' שנה פרנס ישראל ובספרי (פרשה ברכה) תניא ד' חיו ק''כ שנה משה והלל ורבן יוחנן בן זכאי ור''ע

1.

When R. Akiva married the daughter of Kalba Savu'a, he was 40 years old, and he accepted to learn Torah. He engaged in Torah for 40 year, and was the leader of Yisrael for 40 years, and in the Sifri (Parshas Zos ha'Brachah) it says that there are four who lived for 120 years - Moshe, Hillel, R. Yochanan ben Zakai and R. Akiva;

וביום שמת ר''ע (קדושין דף עב.) נולד רבי ואפילו נולד ר' יהושע בשנה ראשונה שנשא בת כלבא שבוע לא היה כי אם שמונים כשנולד רבי ולכל הפחות היה ר' יהושע בן ק''מ שנה כשבירך רבי

2.

On the day that R. Akiva died, Rebbi was born. And even if R. Yehoshua was born in the first year that [R. Akiva] married Bas Kalba Savu'a, he would be only 80 when Rebbi was born, and R. Yehoshua was at least 140 years old when he blessed Rebbi;

דבפחות מע' שנה לא היה מברכו שהן חיי שנות סתם אדם דכתיב (תהלים צ) ימי שנותינו ע'

i.

Source: He would not bless him to live less than 70 years, which is the lifespan of a Stam person, for it says "Yemei Shenoseinu Shiv'im";

ואז היה רבי בן ס' שנה נמצא כשברכו להגיע לחצי ימיו לא ברכו רק י' שנה ומה ברכה היתה זו

3.

Summation of Objection #2: Then Rebbi was 60. It turns out that when he blessed him to reach half of [R. Yehoshua's] years, he blessed him to live only 10 [more] years. What kind of Brachah is this?!

ועוד לכאורה מסתבר שלא נולד עד שעשה בי רב תרתי סרי ותרתי סרי שנין נמצא כשהיה ר' יהושע בן ק''מ שנה היה רבי יותר מחצי שניו

(d)

Objection #3: It seems that presumably, [R. Yehoshua] was not born until R. Akiva learned for 12 and another 12 years. It turns out when R. Yehoshua ben Korchah was 140, Rebbi was more than half the age [of R. Yehoshua. If so, he did not bless him at all!]

ורבינו נסים פי' (קרחה) רבי אלעזר בן עזריה דאמר בירושלמי שהיה קרח (וא''ר יהושע מהכא לקרחינא) [צ"ל ואמר לראב"ע מהכא לקרחינא - צאן קדשים]

(e)

Explanation #2 (Rabbeinu Nisim): "Korchah" refers to R. Elazar ben Azaryah. It says in the Yerushalmi that he was bald. (Tzon Kodashim - it is praiseworthy to be such a Chacham while still bald, i.e. beardless, before he became Nasi at the age of 18. In Shabbos, the Tzeduki asked R. Elazar ben Azaryah "how far is it) from here to Karchina'ah?"

ור''ת מפרש שם אדם

(f)

Explanation #3 (R. Tam): [Korchah] is a person's name [like Korach].

While often, mathematical calculations about chronology such as this seem technical and unassailable, I generally dislike the approach. I say this more commonly about Biblical interpretations based on such calculations, but the same is true here. It is a constraint satisfaction problem, where you’re provided with a set of constraints and try to find values for variables that can work within those constraints. But, in the case of finding peshat in Biblical narratives, each of the constraints comes from a particular interpretation of verses. When it leads to farfetched conclusions, it might be easier to revisit and relax the constraints themselves. For instance, a 3 year old Rivkah getting married is based on having fixed particular events in particular years, but maybe revisit those assumptions.

We can wonder whether Rabbi Akiva living precisely 120 years, divided into 40 year periods, is meant absolutely literally or allegorically. Forty is a “magic” number; the idea of splitting a lifetime into three absolutely equal spans seems like it might be conveying a message; and the sum of 120 like Moshe might be similar. I discussed this earlier regarding a different Talmudic figure, Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai. See here:

Similarly, the 12 years and 12 years. Is this story absolutely historically accurate? Are the precisely 24,000 students he brought back with him after 24 years of study meant literally. And perhaps they had intercourse before he left for yeshiva. The statement in Nedarim preceding his leaving reads:

בְּסִיתְוָא הֲוָה גָּנוּ בֵּי תִיבְנָא, הֲוָה קָא מְנַקֵּיט לַיהּ תִּיבְנָא מִן מַזְּיַיהּ. אֲמַר לַהּ: אִי הֲוַאי לִי, רָמֵינָא לִיךְ יְרוּשָׁלַיִם דְּדַהֲבָא. אֲתָא אֵלִיָּהוּ אִידְּמִי לְהוֹן כֶּאֱנָשָׁא וְקָא קָרֵי אַבָּבָא. אֲמַר לְהוּ: הַבוּ לִי פּוּרְתָּא דְתִיבְנָא דִּילֵדַת אִתְּתִי, וְלֵית לִי מִידַּעַם לְאַגְנוֹיַהּ. אֲמַר לַהּ רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא לְאִנְתְּתֵיהּ: חֲזִי גַּבְרָא דַּאֲפִילּוּ תִּיבְנָא לָא אִית לֵיהּ.

In the winter they would sleep in a storehouse of straw, and Rabbi Akiva would gather strands of straw from her hair. He said to her: If I had the means I would place on your head a Jerusalem of Gold, a type of crown. Elijah the prophet came and appeared to them as a regular person and started calling and knocking on the door. He said to them: Give me a bit of straw, as my wife gave birth and I do not have anything on which to lay her. Rabbi Akiva said to his wife: See this man, who does not even have straw. We should be happy with our lot, as we at least have straw to sleep on.

followed by:

אֲמַרָה לֵיהּ: זִיל הֱוֵי בֵּי רַב. אֲזַל תַּרְתֵּי סְרֵי שְׁנִין קַמֵּי דְּרַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר וְרַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ.

She said to him: Go and be a student of Torah. He went and studied Torah for twelve years before Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Yehoshua.

So again, the assumption his child’s birth it must have been after the 24 year is really an assumption, and it is a constraint that could be relaxed.

Even so, it seems farfetched that Rabbi Yehoshua ben Korcha is Rabbi Akiva’s son. Indeed, we’d want him of an earlier generation extended until Rabbi’s time to make this longevity work. Also, not only is “baldy” an insult, but why does Rabbi Yehoshua get a rabbinic title of “Rabbi” while his father does not?

Further, in our local sugya, Rabbi Akiva’s son is called Yehoshua, not Rabbi Yehoshua. This even when Rabbi Yossi, who gets the title, is talking. We can say that the title is omitted because Rabbi Yossi is speaking of his colleague, or because at the time of the discussion with his father, Rabbi Akiva, Yehoshua was just Yehoshua. Still, it seems strange that in one context Rabbi Yehoshua gets the title (but not his father) and in other he does not get the title (but his father does).

We can see some variation in manuscripts here. The printings all have plain Yehoshua.

But regarding manuscripts, Florence 8-9 and Vatican 140 lack the rabbinic title. Munich 95 has it as R’ Yehosh’.

Finally, Vatican 156 had it originally without the “Rabbi” title, but later has a fix about the line to give him the title.

Vatican 156 of Shevuot 6a