Rabbi Akiva and Bar Kochba

Question

Dear Rabbi,

What was the comment of Rabbi Akiba about Bar Kokhba? (with Refrence please)

Thank you.

0

Answers

  1. The Just Ask! - AskTheRabbi.org Team

    The Jerusalem Talmud, Tractate Ta’anit 21a, records that Rabbi Akiva considered the leader of the revolt to be the awaited Messiah. The Talmud records an opposing view which is very sharply worded to the effect that Rabbi Akiva would be long dead before the Messiah appeared!

    Interesting to note that according to the Talmud (ibid., and the Midrash, Eicha Rabbah 2), Roman supporters tricked Bar Kochba into believing that the great Sage named Rabbi Elazar HaModi’i was plotting against him. Bar Kochba killed Rabbi Elazar HaModi’i, which caused the tide of the war to completely reverse, the end result being a slaughter of the Jewish People by the Romans. Although he possessed tremendous potential to accomplish great things, Bar Kochba was doomed by the negative choices he had made.

    Best wishes from the AskTheRabbi.org Team