Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai received [the oral tradition] from Hillel and Shammai.He used to say: if you have learned much torah, do not claim credit for yourself, because for such a purpose were you created. Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai had five disciples and they were these: Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrcanus, Rabbi Joshua ben Hananiah, Rabbi Yose, the priest, Rabbi Shimon ben Nethaneel and Rabbi Eleazar ben Arach. He [Rabbi Johanan] used to list their outstanding virtues: Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrcanus is a plastered cistern which loses not a drop; Rabbi Joshua ben Hananiah happy is the woman that gave birth to him; Rabbi Yose, the priest, is a pious man; Rabbi Simeon ben Nethaneel is one that fears sin, And Rabbi Eleazar ben Arach is like a spring that [ever] gathers force. He [Rabbi Yohanan] used to say: if all the sages of Israel were on one scale of the balance and Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrcanus on the other scale, he would outweigh them all. Abba Shaul said in his name: if all the sages of Israel were on one scale of the balance, and Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrcanus also with them, and Rabbi Eleazar ben Arach on the other scale, he would outweigh them all.
אמרו עליו על רבן יוחנן בן זכאי שהיה יושב בצילו של היכל ודורש כל היום כולו
They said about Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakkai that he would sit in the street adjacent to the Temple Mount in the shade of the Sanctuary and expound [to a large number of people] all day long.
Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai certainly had way more than 5 students, so why does the mishna say he only has 5? Furthermore, why does the mishna tell me that there are 5, and then lists them -- can't I count for myself?
RABBAN YOCHANAN BEN ZAKKAI HAD FIVE STUDENTS. The mishna mentions only the greatest ones, the ones to whom the tradition passed, but he had many other students—Midrash Shmuel in the name of Rashbatz.
How does this statement describe R. Yehoshua's unique quality? It speaks about his mother, not him!
What does it mean to fear sin?
ומשה בן מאה ועשרים שנה - זה אחד מארבעה שמתו בן מאה ועשרים, ואלו הם: משה והלל הזקן ורבן יוחנן בן זכאי ור' עקיבא. משה היה במצרים מ' שנה, ובמדין מ' שנה, ופירנס את ישראל מ' שנה; הלל הזקן עלה מבבל בן מ' שנה, ושימש חכמים מ' שנה, ופירנס את ישראל מ' שנה; רבן יוחנן בן זכאי עסק בפרגמטיא מ' שנה, ושימש חכמים מ' שנה, ופירנס ישראל מ' שנה; רבי עקיבא למד תורה מ' שנה, ופירנס את ישראל מ' שנה
"And Moses was one hundred and twenty years old when he died": He was one of the four who died at the age of one hundred and twenty: Moses, Hillel the Elder, R. Yochanan b. Zakkai, and R. Akiva. Moses was in Egypt for forty years, in Midian for forty years, and led Israel for forty years. Hillel the Elder went up from Bavel (to Eretz Yisrael) at the age of forty, attended upon the sages for forty years, and led Israel for forty years. R. Yochanan b. Zakkai was in business for forty years, attended upon the sages for forty years, and led Israel for forty years. R. Akiva was a shepherd for forty years, learned (Torah) for forty years, and led Israel for forty years.
