אקשי ליה ואוקמיה": עיון אחד בסוגיית הבבלי, בבא קמא קיז ע"א

Translated title of the contribution: He Posed Him a Difficulty and Placed Him”: A Study in the Evolution of the Text of TB Bava Kama 117a'

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Abstract

The story of Rav Kahana's escape from Babylonia to Eretz Israel and what happened to him in R. Johanan's academy (TB Bava Kama 117a) is extant in two versions of the text. The better known version is that of the printed editions and most manuscripts; the other may be found in MS Hamburg 165 and a Geniza fragment published by A.I. Katsh, (Ginzei Talmud Babli, Jerusalem 1975, p. 201). The better known, longer version has drawn scholars' attention since it alludes to certain features of an institute for Torah study (academy) in the talmudic period. An attempt is made here to determine the relationship between the two versions of the text, by focusing on a single expression in the version of MS Hamburg and the Geniza fragment (אקשי ליה ואוקמיה) and its parallel in the longer version (אקשי, ואותביה בדרא קמא). This expression, appearing after Rav Kahana's questions to R. Johanan, is extremely rare in the Talmud, and is found elsewhere only once, in the story of צרת הבת (TB Yevamot 16a). Following J. Fraenkel, the present author believes that the expression indicates that a difficulty was posed to a person, who was unable to find an answer; this led to a tense situation. This explanation contributes to a better understanding of the story in Bava Kama and may also shed light on the evolution of the text. It is argued that the common version is secondary, resulting from a misunderstanding of the rare phrase. While the pronominal suffix in the word אוקמיה ('he placed him') should be understood as referring to R. Johanan, to whom Rav Kahana posed questions, it was understood as reflecting the former's reaction to these questions, and hence as referring to the latter. As a result of this confusion, the word אוקמיה was understood in a concrete sense, leading in the next stage to its replacement by the more precise word אותביה, 'he set (or placed) him'. Finally the words בדרא קמא were added, that being where Rav Kahana was formally placed. This misunderstanding seems to have occurred at a time when the original meaning of the rare expression was already unknown. It may therefore be assumed that it did not occur in the Amoraic period, when the expression was still in use, but much later – probably somewhere in the Gaonic period; a more precise dating is impossible.
Translated title of the contributionHe Posed Him a Difficulty and Placed Him”: A Study in the Evolution of the Text of TB Bava Kama 117a'
Original languageHebrew
Pages (from-to)403-415
JournalTarbiz
Volume66
StatePublished - 1997

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