Eleazar ha-Kappar ( he, אלעזר הקפר, or אליעזר בן הקפר , read as ''Eliezer ben ha-Kappar'', or אלעזר בן הקפר, read as ''Eleazar ha-Kappar'') was a Jewish

rabbi A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as ''semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of ...

of the fifth and last generation of the

Tannaim ''Tannaim'' ( Amoraic Hebrew: תנאים , singular , ''Tanna'' "repeaters", "teachers") were the rabbinic sages whose views are recorded in the Mishnah, from approximately 10–220 CE. The period of the ''Tannaim'', also referred to as the Mis ...

era. He was a colleague of

Judah haNasi Judah ha-Nasi ( he, יְהוּדָה הַנָּשִׂיא‎, ''Yəhūḏā hanNāsīʾ‎''; Yehudah HaNasi or Judah the Prince) or Judah I, was a second-century rabbi (a tanna of the fifth generation) and chief redactor and editor of the ''Mis ...

, and was in the company of him occasionally. He spent most of his life at ancient

Katzrin Katzrin ( he, קַצְרִין; also Qatzrin, ar, قصرين, qaṣrīn) is an Israeli settlement organized as a local council in the Golan Heights. Known as the "capital of the Golan", it is the second-largest locality there after Majdal Sh ...

. He was the father of

Bar Kappara Bar Kappara ( he, בר קפרא) was a rabbi of the late 2nd and early 3rd century CE, during the period between the ''tannaim'' and ''amoraim''. He was active in Caesarea in the Land of Israel, from around 180 to 220 CE. His name, meaning "Son o ...

, who is sometimes cited by the same name. He had a nephew named Hiyya, who was known for his pleasant voice.

Teachings

He is cited infrequently in the

Mishnah The Mishnah or the Mishna (; he, מִשְׁנָה, "study by repetition", from the verb ''shanah'' , or "to study and review", also "secondary") is the first major written collection of the Jewish oral traditions which is known as the Oral Torah ...

, but more often in the

Talmud The Talmud (; he, , Talmūḏ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law (''halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the cente ...

and works of

midrash ''Midrash'' (;"midrash"
''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary''. he, מִדְרָשׁ; ...

, on both halachic and aggadic topics. In

Derech Eretz Zutta Derekh Eretz Zutta (Hebrew: מסכת דרך ארץ זוטא) is one of the minor tractates of the Talmud. "The Way of the Land", or "Ethics" are common translations of the hebrew concept of "Derekh Eretz", which every scholar is expected to embod ...

he teaches a long list of ethical rules.

Quotes

* Jealousy, lust, and ambition put a man out of the world. * The synagogues and study halls in Babylonia will in the time to come be planted in the

Land of Israel The Land of Israel () is the traditional Jewish name for an area of the Southern Levant. Related biblical, religious and historical English terms include the Land of Canaan, the Promised Land, the Holy Land, and Palestine (see also Isra ...

. * Great is peace, for all blessings conclude with peace. * When wine (whose

gematria Gematria (; he, גמטריא or gimatria , plural or , ''gimatriot'') is the practice of assigning a numerical value to a name, word or phrase according to an alphanumerical cipher. A single word can yield several values depending on the cipher ...

is 70) enters, a secret (whose gematria is also 70) comes out.Tanhuma (Buber) Shmini 7:6
/ref>

Archaeological finding

In a

mosque A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...

in "Kfar Devora" (central

Golan Heights The Golan Heights ( ar, هَضْبَةُ الْجَوْلَانِ, Haḍbatu l-Jawlān or ; he, רמת הגולן, ), or simply the Golan, is a region in the Levant spanning about . The region defined as the Golan Heights differs between di ...

), a door-

lintel A lintel or lintol is a type of beam (a horizontal structural element) that spans openings such as portals, doors, windows and fireplaces. It can be a decorative architectural element, or a combined ornamented structural item. In the case of w ...

was discovered decorated with two

birds of prey Birds of prey or predatory birds, also known as raptors, are hypercarnivorous bird species that actively hunt and feed on other vertebrates (mainly mammals, reptiles and other smaller birds). In addition to speed and strength, these predators ...

, holding

nosegay A nosegay, posy, or tussie-mussie is a small flower bouquet, typically given as a gift. They have existed in some form since at least medieval times, when they were carried or worn around the head or bodice. Doilies are traditionally used to bin ...

in their

beak The beak, bill, or rostrum is an external anatomical structure found mostly in birds, but also in turtles, non-avian dinosaurs and a few mammals. A beak is used for eating, preening, manipulating objects, killing prey, fighting, probing for food ...

s. The lintel bears the inscription: This is the only archaeological finding from the era of the Tannaim in which the term "beit midrash" appears. The lintel is exhibited at the

Golan Archaeological Museum The Golan Archaeological Museum is a museum of the archaeological finds of the Golan Heights, located in Katzrin. The museum features artifacts from all historical periods. Among these are artifacts and decorated architectural fragments from a n ...

. Eleazar himself is noted for a saying in praise of humility, which uses as a metaphor the lintel and other parts of a door:

References

Its bibliography: * Bacher, Ag. Tan. ii. 500; * Heilprin, Seder ha-Dorot, ii., s.v.; * C. Taylor, Sayings of the Jewish Fathers, 2d ed., pp. 76 et seq. {{DEFAULTSORT:Eleazar ha-Kappar Mishnah rabbis 2nd-century rabbis Pirkei Avot rabbis