Gemara Clarity

Horayos 14a

הוריות י״ד ע״א

Horayot 14a

Learn Horayos 14a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Horayos 14a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Restoring רבי מאיר's name, and which kind of Torah scholar should lead: the one with vast knowledge, the sharp reasoner, or the one whose words cannot be refuted

Overview

This amud opens at the end of a story. רבי had been teaching his son a הלכה in the name of 'others', a code name for רבי מאיר, whose name was hidden because he had tried to remove the נשיא. The son trades פסוקים with his father and argues that since the plot failed, the name should not be hidden. רבי then quotes the teaching 'in the name of רבי מאיר', and רבא notes that even the humble רבי did not say 'רבי מאיר said'. Next, רבי יוחנן reports a מחלוקת over who is preferred: a סיני (a scholar with vast knowledge) or an עוקר הרים (a sharp reasoner). When this came up for real between רב יוסף and רבה, ארץ ישראל answered 'סיני', yet רב יוסף humbly let רבה lead for 22 years. The גמרא then tells how אביי became head of his learning group by making a statement no one could refute. It ends with a question about whether the sharp רבי זירא or the steady רבה בר רב מתנה is greater, which stays unresolved (תיקו). The amud closes with the הדרן that finishes פרק כהן משיח and all of מסכת הוריות.

Opening lines

לֹא הָיָה קָרֵב.

it would not be sacrificed.

אָמַר לוֹ: מִי הֵם הַלָּלוּ

He said to him: Who are these

שֶׁמֵּימֵיהֶם אָנוּ שׁוֹתִים

whose water we drink

וּשְׁמוֹתָם אֵין אָנוּ מַזְכִּירִים?

but whose names we do not mention?

The steps (16)

  1. QuestionThe son asks: why do we hide the names of these Sages?
  2. Responseרבי explains: they tried to take away our family's honor
  3. ChallengeThe son quotes קהלת: they are dead, so let it go
  4. Resolutionרבי answers from תהלים: the enemy is gone, but the damage stays
  5. RejectionThe son replies: their plan never worked
  6. Conclusionרבי is convinced and names רבי מאיר
  7. Statementרבא praises רבי's humility
  8. StatementWho is better: a scholar of vast knowledge or a sharp thinker?
  9. QuestionA real case: רב יוסף versus רבה
  10. Responseארץ ישראל answers: סיני comes first
  11. Conclusionרב יוסף steps aside and shows great humility
  12. StatementFour scholars set a test to choose their head
  13. ConclusionOnly אביי passed the test and was told to begin teaching
  14. QuestionWho is greater: the sharp questioner or the steady reasoner?
  15. ConclusionThe question stays unresolved
  16. ConclusionHadran — Closing כהן משיח and the end of מסכת הוריות