Q&A: The Oven of Akhnai
The Oven of Akhnai
Question
Hello Rabbi, I am A. from Hesder Yeshiva X. I’ve been listening to your lectures for quite some time. First of all, I want to say that I really enjoy the Rabbi’s lectures and the realistic, down-to-earth approach in them. But I’ve had difficulty with a question that no one has really managed to answer for me: the Oven of Akhnai. The Rabbi touched on the issue in his lectures on “Tolerance and Pluralism” regarding the search for truth or for guidance, but even according to the approach that looks for guidance, it is hard for me that a heavenly voice explicitly told us what to do and we still did not “listen.” No matter what the reasoning behind it was, we simply ignored the heavenly voice (unlike the heavenly voice in the dispute between the House of Shammai and the House of Hillel). God revealed Himself to us and we did not listen, and I find that very difficult.
I would be happy if the Rabbi could direct me to a lecture or article that deals with this.Thank you,
Answer
Hello A.,
I’ll answer briefly here.
First, the story is not a historical event but an aggadic tale that comes to teach a lesson. Rabbi Eliezer, the traditionalist, thought that the Torah comes from above, and therefore he insisted against the majority opinion because for him the truth was on his side. That is why they excommunicated him. The story comes to teach that “it is not in heaven,” meaning that the Torah is given over to human beings and to majority decision. If the event did not actually happen but was intended to teach a lesson, then there is no question why they did not listen to the heavenly voice (since it never really existed in the first place). I would just refer you to Rabbi Margaliot’s introduction to the responsa From Heaven in his edition, where he explained similar wording in Ravad’s glosses (“the Holy Spirit appeared in our study hall”), and said that the intention is that the matter was clear to them, not that some actual heavenly voice truly emerged. For general background, see this article:
https://mikyab.net/%D7%9B%D7%AA%D7%91%D7%99%D7%9D/%D7%9E%D7%90%D7%9E%D7%A8%D7%99%D7%9D/%D7%9B%D7%9C-%D7%94%D7%99%D7%9B%D7%90-%D7%93%D7%90%D7%9E%D7%A8%D7%99%D7%A0%D7%9F-%D7%91%D7%95-%D7%91%D7%99%D7%95%D7%9D-%D7%94%D7%94%D7%95%D7%90-%D7%99%D7%95%D7%9E%D7%90-%D7%94%D7%95%D7%94-%D7%99/
Second, even if the event really did happen (or even if it did not, but its lesson still has to stand the test of logic and Torah), that itself is exactly what we learn there: that we do not pay attention to a heavenly voice. So what is the question of why they did not listen? They explained why they were not listening. That is precisely the meaning of the Holy One’s statement, “My children have defeated Me.” He told them the truth, but they decided that although that was indeed the truth, they still had to do what they understood, even if it was not the truth.
As for your remark about the contradiction with the heavenly voice in the dispute between the House of Shammai and the House of Hillel, where they did listen to it—this is Tosafot’s question in Eruvin 13, and see there three answers. But in my opinion it is not difficult at all, because following the majority and “it is not in heaven” applies only when there is a way to decide according to the rules of Jewish law (for example, to follow the majority). But in the dispute between the House of Shammai and the House of Hillel, that was precisely the problem: it was impossible to decide according to the majority, because the argument was about the very methods of decision themselves (whether one follows a numerical majority or a qualitative majority, as Tosafot in Eruvin 6 implies). In such a situation, of course one follows a heavenly voice. That is exactly why it came forth—to get us out of the deadlock.
All the best and much success,