Q&A: Rabbi Akiva and Rabbi Ishmael
Rabbi Akiva and Rabbi Ishmael
Question
Hello Rabbi Dr. etc.,
As someone who has dealt with Talmudic logic, do you accept the distinction scholars make between the methods and midrashim of the school of Rabbi Akiva and the school of Rabbi Ishmael?
And if so, does that mean there are two kinds of logic in the Talmud?
Answer
I’m not well-versed in what the scholars have written. There is a thesis of Heschel’s (that Rabbi Akiva was a formalist and was precise about the language of Scripture, whereas Rabbi Ishmael held that the Torah speaks in human language) that many have challenged. In any case, the Talmud itself states that there are types of exegesis associated with the school of Rabbi Ishmael (general and particular) and others associated with the school of Rabbi Akiva (inclusions and exclusions).
Discussion on Answer
https://korenpub.co.il/products/tora-min-hashamim-heshel
In which of Heschel’s books does this appear?