5785/2025
Rabban Yochanan ben Zakai and Rabi Chanina ben Dosa
Brachot 34b tells an intriguing story:
And there was another incident involving Rabbi Ḥanina ben Dosa, who went to study Torah before Rabbi Yoḥanan ben Zakkai, and Rabbi Yoḥanan’s son fell ill. He said to him: Ḥanina, my son, pray for mercy on behalf of my son so that he will live. Rabbi Ḥanina ben Dosa placed his head between his knees in order to meditate and prayed for mercy upon his behalf, and Rabbi Yoḥanan ben Zakkai’s son lived. Rabbi Yoḥanan ben Zakkai said about himself: Had ben Zakkai stuck his head between his knees throughout the entire day, they would have paid him no attention. His wife said to him: And is Ḥanina greater than you? He replied to her: No, but his prayer is better received than my own because he is like a servant before the King, and as such he is able to enter before the King and make various requests at all times. I, on the other hand, am like a minister before the King, and I can enter only when invited and can make requests only with regard to especially significant matters.
Rabban Yochanan ben Zakai’s Humility
Notably, Rabban Yochanan ben Zakai was not disturbed by Hashem responding to his Talmid and not to him. Genuine humility is a hallmark of authentic Torah personality. However, Rabban Yochanan ben Zakai was conscious of his greatness, as he described himself as Hashem’s minister. Torah humility does not involve not realizing and appreciating one's achievements and stature, as many noted at Rav Moshe Feinstein’s funeral.
The Rabbanit Guards Her Husband’s Honor
Interestingly, the Rabbanit was concerned for her husband's honor. Often, it is the Rabbanit who upholds her husband's honor. In this manner, protecting the respect accorded to the rabbi is not a self-serving enterprise but rather an effort of a loving spouse on behalf of her beloved.
Chachamim as Ministers
Most intriguing in this story is Rabban Yochanan ben Zakai's distinction between a minister and a servant. A minister holds much power and is of great influence upon the king. A great Torah leader who dramatically impacts the Jewish people is most appropriately described as Hashem’s minister. The idea of “Lo BaShamayim Hee” (Bava Metzia 59b), that the Chachamim and shockingly not Hashem interpret the Torah and set Halachic policy, makes the description of the Chachamim as ministers most appropriate.
The Servant’s Close Relationship
By contrast, a servant lacks the influence of a minister but paradoxically enjoys more access and perhaps a closer relationship. We do not find any Halachic rulings from Rabi Chanina ben Dosa recorded in the Mishna and Gemara. However, we hear his many Mussar teachings and profound stories.
Rabi Chanina ben Dosa is aptly described as Hashem’s servant as he loyally serves Hashem without expecting a reward. The Gemara (Brachot 17b) records that Rabi Chanina ben Dosa subsists weekly on a small ration of carobs. The Gemara in Ta’anit 25a even records that his wife could not afford to bake Shabbat bread. Yet, his love of and devotion to Hashem knew no bounds.
Thus, while Rabi Chanina ben Dosa was of dramatically lower intellectual stature than Rabban Yochanan ben Zakai, he seems to have forged a closer bond with Hashem than Rabban Yochanan ben Zakai. The latter could not match Rabi Chanina ben Dosa’s righteousness.
A stark lesson emerges. Very few have the intellectual capacity of a Rabban Yochanan ben Zakai and attain the lofty stature of being Hashem’s minister. However, everyone has the potential to become Hashem’s servant. Chassidim love to cite this story and rightfully view themselves as striving to become Hashem’s servant.
No Deduction
Interestingly, Rabi Chanina ben Dosa does not have merit deducted from his spiritual account. This sharply contrasts when Hashem sends him a golden leg to alleviate his deep poverty (Ta’anit 25a), and Rabi Chanina and his wife are shocked to discover that a portion of their reward in Olam HaBa has been deducted.
The difference is that when one prays for another individual, it is noble and not self-serving. Thus, influencing Hashem to save the child of a Rabban Yochanan ben Zakai does not detract from Rabi Chanina ben Dosa’s account.
Selfless Tefillah
Finally, the Gemara (Brachot 5b) records the context of a different interaction between Rabban Yochanan ben Zakai and Rabi Chanina ben Dosa, where the prisoner cannot release himself. Rather, it takes another to set him free. Thus, Rabi Chanina ben Dosa's tefillot were more potent than that of Rabban Yochanan ben Zakai. Hashem loves Tefillah focused on others. No wonder why the one who prays for the other person's needs is answered first (Bava Kama 92a).
This is yet another way to follow Rabi Chanina ben Dosa's footsteps. Everyone can first pray for his friends' needs and elevate his Tefillah from a self-centered to a noble pursuit.
Conclusion – Hope for Later Generations
Binyamin observes that our Gemara reassures later generations that they can make significant spiritual contributions despite Yeridat HaDorot, the lessening of the stature of succeeding generations (Shabbat 112b). In our Gemara, the presumably younger Rabi Chanina ben Dosa can accomplish what the older Rabban Yochanan ben Zakai cannot. Although Rabban Yochanan ben Zakai is greater, Rabi Chanina ben Dosa still occupies a niche his mentor cannot fill.
Similarly, although our predecessors were greater than us, we successors can accomplish things that could not have been done earlier. For example, the Baal Shem Tov, although lesser in stature than Eliyahu HaNavi, could achieve much that Eliyahu HaNavi was unlikely to have been able to do. Although not as great as the Vilna Gaon, Rav Moshe Feinstein generated a great legacy for our people. May each of us similarly merit making a significant spiritual contribution that is unique and special as is our personality, like Rabi Chanina ben Dosa.