..Told of in the Book "Bava-Metzia; or, The Middle Gate" of
the Holy Shas.... The Lord loveth the gates that are marked
with the Halacha more than the synagogues and the schools.
Now, in those days there was a dispute between the Mishnic Doctors
and Rabbi Eliezer concerning the legal cleanliness of a certain
bake-oven, as is written in the Bava-Metzia of the Talmud. For while
all the others held the oven to be unclean according to the Halacha,
Rabbi Eliezer declared that it was clean; and all their arguments he
overthrew, and all their objections he confuted, although they would
not suffer themselves to be convinced. Then did Rabbi Eliezer at last
summon a carob-tree to bear witness to his interpretation of the law;
and the carob-tree uprooted itself, and rose in air with the clay
trickling from its roots, and moved through air to the distance of four
hundred yards, and replanted itself, trembling, in the soil.
But the Doctors of the Mishna, being used to marvelous things, were
little moved; and they said: "We may not admit the testimony of a
carob-tree. Shall a carob-tree discourse to us regarding the Halacha?
Will a carob-tree teach us the law?"
Then said Rabbi Eliezer to the brook that muttered its unceasing prayer
without: "Bear me witness, O thou running water!" And the rivulet
changed the course of its current; its waters receded, and, flowing
back to their fountain-head, left naked the pebbles of their bed to dry
under the sun.
But the Disciples of the Sages still held to their first opinion,
saying: "Shall a brook prattle to us of law? Shall we hearken to
the voice of running water rather than to the voice of the Holy
One--blessed be He!--and of His servant Moses?"
Then Rabbi Eliezer, lifting his eyes toward the walls above, bearing
holy words written upon them, cried out: "Yet bear me witness also,
ye consecrated walls, that I have decided aright in this matter!" And
the walls quivered, bent inward, curved like a bellying sail in the
moment of a changing wind, impended above the hands of the Rabbis, and
would have fallen had not Rabbi Joshuah rebuked them, saying: "What
is it to you if the Rabbis do wrangle in the Halacha? Would ye crush
us? Be ye still!" So the walls, obeying Rabbi Joshuah, would not fall;
but neither would they return to their former place, forasmuch as they
obeyed Rabbi Eliezer also--so that they remain toppling even unto this
day.
Then, seeing that their hearts were hardened against him even more than
the stones of the building, Rabbi Eliezer cried out: "Let the Bath-Kol
decide between us!" Whereupon the college shook to its foundation;
and a Voice from heaven answered, saying: "What have ye to do with
Rabbi Eliezer? for in all things the Halacha is even according to his
decision!"
But Rabbi Joshuah stood upon his feet fearlessly in the midst, and
said: "It is not lawful that even a Voice from heaven should be
regarded by us. For Thou, O God, didst long ago write down in the
law which Thou gavest upon Sinai, saying, 'Thou shalt follow the
multitude.'" And they would not hearken unto Rabbi Eliezer; but they
did excommunicate him, and did commit all his decisions regarding the
law to be consumed with fire.
[Now some have it that Rabbi Nathan testified that the
Prophet Elijah declared unto him that God Himself was
deceived in this matter, and acknowledged error in His
decision, saying: "My children have vanquished me! my
children have prevailed against me!" But as we also know
that in punishment for the excommunication of Rabbi Eliezer
a third portion of all the barley and of the olives and of
the wheat in the whole world was smitten with blight, we may
well believe that Rabbi Eliezer was not in error.]
Now, while yet under sentence of excommunication, Rabbi Eliezer fell
grievously ill; and the Rabbonim knew nothing of it. Yet such was his
learning, that Rabbi Akiva and all the disciples of the latter came
unto him to seek instruction.... Then Rabbi Eliezer, rising upon his
elbow, asked them, "Wherefore came ye hither?"
"We came that we might learn the Halacha," answered Akiva.
"But wherefore came ye not sooner?"