Study Bava Metzia folio 59B with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
וזה הוא תנור של עכנאי. מאי עכנאי? אמר רב יהודה אמר שמואל: שהקיפו[הו] דברים כעכנא זו, וטמאוהו. תנא: באותו היום השיב רבי אליעזר כל תשובות שבעולם, ולא קיבלו הימנו.
And this is known as the oven of akhnai. The Talmud asks: What is the relevance of akhnai, a snake, in this context? Rav Yehuda said that Shmuel said: It is characterized in that manner due to the fact that the Rabbis surrounded it with their statements like this snake, which often forms a coil when at rest, and deemed it impure. A baraita states: On that day, when they discussed this matter, R' Eliezer answered all possible answers in the world to support his opinion, but the Rabbis did not accept his explanations from him.
אמר להם: אם הלכה כמותי – חרוב זה יוכיח. נעקר חרוב ממקומו מאה אמה, ואמרי לה: ארבע מאות אמה. אמרו לו: אין מביאין ראיה מן החרוב. חזר ואמר להם: אם הלכה כמותי – אמת המים יוכיחו. חזרו אמת המים לאחוריהם. אמרו לו: אין מביאין ראיה מאמת המים.
After failing to convince the Rabbis logically, R' Eliezer said to them: If the halakha is in accordance with my opinion, this carob tree will prove it. The carob tree was uprooted from its place 100 cubits, and some say 400 cubits. The Rabbis said to him: One does not cite halakhic proof from the carob tree. R' Eliezer then said to them: If the halakha is in accordance with my opinion, the stream will prove it. The water in the stream turned backward and began flowing in the opposite direction. They said to him: One does not cite halakhic proof from a stream.
חזר ואמר להם: אם הלכה כמותי – כותלי בית המדרש יוכיחו. הטו כותלי בית המדרש ליפול. גער בהם רבי יהושע, אמר להם: אם תלמידי חכמים מנצחים זה את זה בהלכה, אתם מה טיבכם? לא נפלו מפני כבודו של רבי יהושע, ולא זקפו מפני כבודו של רבי אליעזר, ועדין מטין ועומדין.
R' Eliezer then said to them: If the halakha is in accordance with my opinion, the walls of the study hall will prove it. The walls of the study hall leaned inward and began to fall. R' Yehoshua scolded the walls and said to them: If Torah scholars are contending with each other in matters of halakha, what is the nature of your involvement in this dispute? The Talmud relates: The walls did not fall because of the deference due R' Yehoshua, but they did not straighten because of the deference due R' Eliezer, and they still remain leaning.