Friday, January 20, 2017

Did the Amoraim know all of Torah?


Yesterday's daf (בבא מציעא קי"ד) had a fascinating encounter between רבה בר אבוה and אליהו הנביא in a cemetary. רבה בר אבוה asked אליהו how he could be in a cemetary since he is a Kohen? אליהו answered רבה בר אבוה, as follows. He said don't you know Taharos and quoted a ברייתא in the name of רשב"י that the grave of a non-Jew is not מטמא and therefore a kohen can be there. רבה בר אבוה gave a startling answer, he said I don;t even know the 4 sedarim that are relevant halacha l'maase so well, you think I know the other 2 (זרעים וטהרות)? Tosafos claims that of course he knew Mishanyos זרעים וטהרות, he just didn't know all of the ברייתות. 

Even acceptng Tosafos's clarification it is still a stunning admission. There are people today who know all of Shas, Rishonim, shulchan aruch etc. and an Amora didn't know Taharos? Could it be that R' Chaim Kanievsky or R' Ovadya Yosef are bigger בקי then רבה בר אבוה?

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