Rabbi Elazar ben Pedat רבי אלעזר בן פדת
successor of Rabbi Yochanan at Tiberias
Rabbi Elazar ben Pedat was born in Babylonia and studied there under Rav and Shmuel, then went up to the Land of Israel and became the chief disciple of Rabbi Yochanan. After the deaths of his teacher and of Reish Lakish he led the study at Tiberias; in the Jerusalem Talmud his is among the most frequent voices.
Of his poverty the Talmud speaks with medical precision: he was so wasted that "when they let his blood, no blood was found" (Taanit 25a). The same passage tells how riches were offered him and he refused, saying he was content with his portion.
To him belongs a rule still used in law: "Wherever Rabbi Yochanan and Reish Lakish differ, the law follows Rabbi Yochanan", and much of the transmission of his teacher's words. And the saying on prayer: "Since the day the Temple was destroyed the gates of prayer are locked… but the gates of tears are not locked" (Berakhot 32b)—among the most quoted lines in the Talmud.
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Chazal: Mishnah, Talmud, midrash, Zohar
- Taanit 25a — the poverty: «no blood was found»
- Berakhot 32b — «the gates of tears are not locked»
- Taanit 25a — «to overturn the world anew»
- Yoma 9b — the hand of Rabbi Elazar
Basis: Talmud and midrash.