YOSE HA-GELILI

YOSE HA-GELILI (beginning of the second century c.e.), tanna, one of the scholars of *Jabneh. As his name indicates, Yose came from Galilee (Er. 53b). His teachers there are unknown, but at an early age he went to Jabneh, where he made a great impression in his discussions with Tarfon and Akiva – who also later were his chief disputants (Zev. 57a; et al.). His relations with Akiva were at first those of pupil and teacher, but in the course of time he became his colleague, even saying to him: "Akiva, even if you carry on all day I shall not heed you" (Sifra 6:23; Men. 89a). Akiva held him in high regard, and said: "Not for everyone [would I withdraw] but for you, who are Yose ha-Gelili." His name is not mentioned in the tractate Eduyyot because he was still young when the halakhot detailed there were established. His halakhot are scattered throughout the Talmud, but mainly in the order Kodashim. Generally he does not interpret the scriptural verses according to their literal meaning, and in the aggadah he inquires as to the intent of the verse. His permanent place of residence is not known. In Tiberias he studied together with Simeon b. Ḥanina (Sif. Zut. to Num. 19:4) and he was also in the south – when he accompanied Tarfon, Eleazar b. Azariah, and Akiva to comfort Ishmael – in Jabneh, and in Lydda, where Tarfon lived.

According to a talmudic tradition, his wife was a shrew and he was persuaded by his colleagues to divorce her, but after the divorce he acted generously toward her and supported her and her second husband, who became blind (tj, Ket. 11:3). He had three sons: Eliezer, Ḥanina, and one who died during his lifetime. He was also regarded as a wonder-worker whose prayers for rain were effective. Because of the similarity of names some of his statements are confused with those of *Yose b. Ḥalafta and vice versa. Nothing is known of his disciples, and those who transmitted statements in his name are few: Judah b. Ilai, Eleazar b. Shammua, Nathan, Simeon b. Eleazar, anti *Yose b. Dormaskos. Yose ha-Gelili apparently died before the Bar Kokhba War (132–135 c.e.), and according to a medieval tradition his tomb was located near Safed in Galilee.

bibliography:

Frankel, Mishnah, 132–4; Hyman, Toledot, 738–40; Bacher, Tann index; Z. Vilna, Maẓẓevot Kodesh be-Ereẓ Yisrael (1963²), 360–1.

[Israel Moses Ta-Shma]