Hoshaiah Rabbah

Halacha

Hoshaiah was called the "father of the Mishnah," not so much because of his collection and edition of the mishnayot as because of his ability to explain and interpret them according to Kiddushin 1:60a and Bava Kamma 4:4c. His most important halakhic decision is directed against the standard weights and measures, held by Johanan bar Nappaha to be traditional from the Sinaitic period. Hoshaiah's radical point of view can be traced to his theory of the development of the Mishnah. He even goes so far as to overrule both the Houses of Hillel and Shammai concerning offerings brought during the Three Pilgrimage Festivals in Hagigah 1:2. The custom of greeting mourners on Shabbat was permitted in southern Galilee, including Caesarea Maritima, and prohibited in other places. According to Mo'ed Katan 3 82d, Hoshaiah happened to be in a specific town on the Shabbat, and, meeting mourners, greeted them, saying, "I do not know your custom, but I greet you according to our custom".

Aggadah

Hoshaiah's aggadic teachings are numerous, scattered principally in Midrash Rabbah, which some have erroneously attributed to him because of the opening words "R. Hoshaiah Rabbah." In Genesis Rabbah, Hoshaiah's text concerning the Genesis creation narrative is the verse "Then I was by him, as one brought up [= אמון] with him", in Proverbs 8:30. He transposes the letters to read אומן "an architect". He explains that "wisdom" (the Torah) was used as an instrument by God to create the universe. He illustrates this by the example of an earthly king who, in building a palace, needs an architect with plans and specifications.

Relations with Origen and Christianity

Freudenthal points out the analogy between Philo's ideas and those of Hoshaiah and Wilhelm Bacher expresses his opinion that if Hoshaiah had not himself read the philosopher's works, he at least had heard of them from Origen, the most important champion of Philo.^[1] In a dialogue with Hoshaiah regarding circumcision, a "philosopher" (identified as Origen by Bacher) asked: "'If circumcision is so dear to Him [God], why was it not given to Adam the first man?'"^[2] Hoshaiah replied that man, with all things created on the first six days, needs improving and perfecting and that circumcision conduces to perfection. Bacher quotes a passage in which Hoshaiah refuted the incarnation dogma:

So, when the Holy One blessed be He created Adam the first man, the ministering angels erred concerning him and sought to proclaim 'holy' before him. What did the Holy One blessed be He do? He cast a deep slumber upon him, and everyone then knew that he was [merely] a man. That is what is written: "Desist from man, who has breath in his nostrils, for in what way is he worthy?" (Isaiah 2:22).^[3]

There are more examples in the Talmud to justify the assertion that Hoshaiah, as the representative of Rabbinic Judaism, was in constant touch with early Christians at Caesarea Maritima, particularly with Origen, who was ordained presbyter (bishop) at Caesarea in 228 and who in 231 opened a philosophical and theological school attended by persons from all parts, anxious to hear his interpretation of the Christian Scriptures. Origen died in 254 at Tyre, so his last twenty-five years were spent in the region where most of the Amoraim lived. The "philosopher" whom the latter mention as controverting Hoshaiah's exegesis was doubtless Origen himself or one of his students. The influence brought to bear by Hoshaiah and others probably induced Origen to formulate the doctrine of the different degrees of dignity in the Trinity, for which Origen was accused as a heretic.

Hoshaiah was very strict in requiring from a proselyte both circumcision and mikveh immersion in the presence of three rabbis according to Yevamot 46b; this was very likely directed against the free conversion of gentiles by Judaizing Christians. In a case of partition by heirs or partners, Bava Batra 1:5:6, records, "'But Holy Scripture they should not divide even if both of them want it.' Rebbi Hoshaia said, for example, Psalms and the Books of Chronicles. But Psalms and Psalms one may divide."^[4] It is explained that such an exchange would be considered as unequal and as giving the impression that one book is holier than another. This is more easily understood because Judaizing Christians exalted Psalms over the other books of the Hebrew Bible, especially the Books of Chronicles, in contrast with the Jewish view, which recognizes no preference between the various books.