Eliezer ben Jacob I

Eliezer ben Jacob I (Hebrew: אליעזר בן יעקב) was a Tanna of the 1st century; contemporary of Eleazar Chisma and Eliezer ben Hyrcanus, and senior to Judah ben Ilai.[1]

Not to be confused with Eliezer ben Jacob II, a disciple of R. Akiva of the 2nd century.

Of his personal history nothing is known, except that he had seen the Temple at Jerusalem and was familiar with the specific purposes of its many apartments, a subject on which he was considered an authority.[2] Some of the details, however, he eventually forgot, and was reminded of them by Abba Saul ben Batnit.[3]

Simon ben Azzai, Rabbi Akiva's contemporary, relates that he had discovered a genealogical roll wherein was stated, "The Mishnah of R. Eliezer ben Jacob is only a kab [small in proportion], but clean [of all deficiencies]";[4][5] as a result, subsequent generations generally adopted Eliezer's views as law.[6]

In the aggadah, too, he is mentioned. According to him, Deuteronomy 11:13 ("To serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul") is an admonition to the priests that, when officiating, they shall entertain no thought foreign to their duty.[7]

Eliezer ben Jacob bequeathed to Israel many agrarian laws, such as the laws concerning the bringing of the Bikkurim to Jerusalem and who is eligible to recite the Avowal,[8], as well as the laws concerning Kil'ayim grown in a vineyard.[9]

He is buried near the old Kefar Hanaiah, in Galilee.[10]

References

1. Pesachim 32a, 39b; Yalkut Shimoni Leviticus 638
2. Yoma 16b
3. Middot 2:5, 5:4
4. Yebamot 49b
5. Avoth deRabbe Nathan 18:3, ed. Shmuel Yerushalmi, Machon Masoreth: Jerusalem 1976
6. Yebamot 60a; Bechorot 23b
7. Sifre Deuteronomy 41
8. Mishnah Bikkurim 1:5
9. Mishnah Kil'ayim 5:3; 6:2
10. Levi-Nahum, Yehuda (ed.), Sefer ṣohar le-ḥasifat ginzei teiman (ספר צהר לחשיפת גנזי תימן), Tel-Aviv 1986, s.v. chapter: Tombs of the forefathers and righteous [3], p. 252 (Hebrew)

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Solomon Schechter and S. Mendelsohn (1901–1906). "ELIEZER (LIEZER-ELEAZAR) B. JACOB". In Singer, Isidore; et al. (eds.). The Jewish Encyclopedia. New York: Funk & Wagnalls.CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link) It has the following bibliography:

• W. Bacher, Ag. Tan. i. 67-72, ii. 283-291;
• Brüll, Mebo ha-Mishnah, i. 71 et seq.;
• Z. Frankel, Darke ha-Mishnah, pp. 73 et seq.;
• Heilprin, Seder ha-Dorot, ed. Warsaw, 1897, ii. 57b et seq.;
• Weiss, Dor, ii. 41 et seq., 166 et seq.;
• Zacuto, Yuḥasin, ed. Filipowski, pp. 31b et seq., 51a.