"Find Yourself a Teacher": The Story of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Perachya

Rabbi Yehoshua ben Perachya was the second head of the Sanhedrin whose name is recorded in our tradition. The first mentioned in Pirkei Avot is Yosi ben Yoezer, who was executed during the persecutions of Antiochus. After the Hasmoneans liberated Jerusalem and restored the service in the Beit HaMikdash, Rabbi Yehoshua ben Perachya was appointed to lead the Sanhedrin.

Several years later, however, Yochanan the High Priest, son of Shimon the Hasmonean, son of Matityahu, came to power. A bitter conflict erupted between him and the sages, and many Torah scholars were killed. Fearing for his life, Rabbi Yehoshua ben Perachya fled to Egypt, where the influence of the High Priest, who had aligned himself with the Sadducees, did not reach.

His students accompanied him into exile. One of them was a man named Yeshu.

During their journey, the group stayed at an inn. Rabbi Yehoshua praised the hospitality they received, but Yeshu responded by making an inappropriate remark about the appearance of the innkeeper. Disturbed by his student's behavior, Rabbi Yehoshua sharply rebuked him and placed him under excommunication.

Later, Yeshu came seeking reconciliation. At that moment, Rabbi Yehoshua was in the middle of prayer and motioned for him to wait. Yeshu misunderstood the gesture as a rejection and left.

According to the Gemara, he abandoned Judaism and went on to lead others toward idolatry. When Rabbi Yehoshua later explained that he had intended only to delay the conversation, not reject him permanently, Yeshu replied that his teacher himself had taught that one who sins and causes others to sin is not given the opportunity to repent. Believing there was no path back, he turned away completely.

The sages later commented on this incident:

"The left hand should push away, but the right hand should draw near, not like Yehoshua ben Perachya, who pushed away Yeshu."

Their point was not to criticize Rabbi Yehoshua personally, but to teach that even when discipline is necessary, it should always be balanced with compassion and the possibility of return.

The identity of this Yeshu remains the subject of debate among commentators. Some identify him with the figure associated with the beginnings of Christianity, while others maintain that he was a different individual who lived several generations earlier.

Returning to Jerusalem

When conditions in Jerusalem improved, Shimon ben Shetach sent Rabbi Yehoshua ben Perachya a coded letter so that no one would suspect his involvement in arranging the sage's return.

The message read:

"From me, Jerusalem, the holy city, to you, Alexandria of Egypt, my sister: My husband dwells with you while I sit desolate."

In this metaphor, the leader of Israel is described as the city's "husband," expressing Jerusalem's longing for the return of its spiritual leader.

Rabbi Yehoshua returned to Jerusalem and resumed his position as head of the Sanhedrin.

According to tradition, he also prepared one of the ten red heifers made throughout Jewish history. Hillel the Elder, while still a young man, witnessed the ceremony and later testified about it after becoming head of the Sanhedrin himself.

Archaeological Evidence

An intriguing connection to Rabbi Yehoshua ben Perachya emerged through archaeological discoveries in Babylonia.

A number of Aramaic incantation bowls dating to the period of the Amoraim contain references to traditions about Rabbi Yehoshua combating demons and sorcery.

One inscription states that a document was sent to Rabbi Yehoshua ben Perachya when the demon Lilith was harming infants, and that he placed her under ban. Other bowls refer to "the ban sent by Rabbi Yehoshua ben Perachya" or to "the seat established by Rabbi Yehoshua ben Perachya."

These inscriptions suggest that later generations associated him with special authority over harmful spiritual forces and invoked his name in protective incantations.

According to the external midrash Toldot Yeshu, a work known to Rashi, Rabbi Yehoshua also fought against Yeshu and his followers, who were described there as practitioners of sorcery, and succeeded in nullifying their influence.

His Enduring Teachings

Rabbi Yehoshua ben Perachya's best-known teaching appears in Pirkei Avot:

"Appoint for yourself a teacher, acquire for yourself a friend, and judge every person favorably."

Some commentators see this teaching as reflecting lessons drawn from his experience with Yeshu, emphasizing the importance of strong teacher-student relationships and giving others the benefit of the doubt.

In Avot d'Rabbi Natan, another of his teachings is recorded:

"Distance yourself from a bad neighbor, do not associate with the wicked, and do not assume punishment will never come."

He also spoke candidly about the burden of leadership:

"At first, if anyone told me, 'Accept a position of leadership,' I would have tied him up and placed him before a lion. Now, if someone tells me, 'Step down,' I would throw a kettle of hot water at him."

His words capture a timeless truth. Leadership may seem intimidating before one accepts it, but once entrusted with responsibility, it can be surprisingly difficult to let it go.