The relationship between Master and Student is examined. It
is considered rude for a student to give a ruling on Jewish law in his Master’s
presence. More than rude, actually:
Raba ruled: In the presence of
one's Master it is forbidden [to give a legal decision] under the penalty of
death;
This is death at the “hands of Heaven.” Still, not very pleasant.
But what happens if the Master is not around?
in his absence this is forbidden
but the penalty of death is not incurred.
So it is, when one lives in the vicinity of the Master, it
is wrong to give rulings. That is there should not be two competing
authorities.
Is then no penalty of death
incurred in his absence? Was it not in fact taught: R. Eliezer b. Jacob stated:
The sons of Aaron died29 only because they gave a legal decision in the
presence of their Master Moses.
This is the story of Aaron’s sons Nadav and Abihu who
brought “alien fire” to the alter and were struck dead by a fire from Heaven:
What was the exposition they made? And
the sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire upon the altar; (Lev. 1:7) although,
they said, fire came down from heaven [to light the alter originally](Lev.
9, 24) it is nevertheless a religious duty to bring also some ordinary fire.
What was the sin of Nadav and Abihu according to this
reading? Not that they brought the “alien fire” but that they offered a “ruling”
(the text says we should ‘put a fire’, not heaven) while their father the High
Priest was alive!
Another story:
R. Eliezer, furthermore, had a
disciple who once gave a legal decision in his presence. ‘I wonder’, remarked
R. Eliezer to his wife, Imma Shalom, ‘whether this man will live through the
year’; and he actually did not live through the year. ‘Are you’, she asked
him,’a prophet?’ ‘I’, he replied: ‘am neither a prophet for the son of a
prophet, but I have this tradition: Whosoever gives a legal decision in the
presence of his Master incurs the penalty of death’.
More details are given about this story and those details
are debated. Why are the details even given?
in order that it be not said that
the whole story was a fable.
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