- Judah ben Ilai
Rabbi Judah ben Ilai, also known as Rabbi Judah, was a Tanna (a sage recorded in the
Mishna ), who lived in the2nd Century .Rabbi Judah ben Ilai was born at Usha, a city in
Galilee . His teachers were his father, who had studied with Rabbi Eliezer. and RabbiAkiba .Rabbi Judah ben Ilai was ordained by Rabbi
Judah ben Baba at a time when the Roman government forbade ordination. Judah ben Ilai was forced to fleeHadrian 's persecution.Personal piety
Judah's personal piety was most rigid; and he observed many of the practices of the
Hasidean and theEssenes Fact|date=April 2007. He drank no wine except on the days when the Law required, and was a vegetarian.The study of the Law was his chief and dearest occupation; and he lamented the fact that such a devotion was not wide-spread as in former times.
He also had great compassion. Whenever a funeral or a wedding-procession passed, he interrupted his study to join it (Ket. 17a).
He lived in the utmost poverty.
ources of his teaching
Judah taught the Mishnah of Eliezer, which he had received from his father (Men. 18a),
In his interpretation of the Scriptures and in the deduction of legal requirements from it Judah adhered strictly to the method of his teacher
Rabbi Akiba .Many of Judah's maxims and proverbs have likewise been preserved; they include:
* "Great is beneficence: it quickeneth salvation" (B. B. 10a).
*"Great is toil: it honoreth the toiler" (Ned. 49b).
*"Who teacheth his son no trade, guideth him to robbery" (Ḳid. 29a).
*"The best path lies midway" (Ab. R. N. xxviii.).Judah lived to a ripe old age, surviving his teachers and all of his colleagues. Among his disciples who paid him the last honors was
Judah ha-Nasi .References
*JewishEncyclopedia
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