Ishmael B. Elisha
From The Jewish Encyclopedia
Rabbi Yishmael ben Elisha was a Tanna of the first and second centuries . He was a descendant of a wealthy priestly family in Upper Galilee and presumably the grandson of the high priest of the same name. As a child he was carried away by the Romans, but Joshua b. Hananiah, succeeding in purchasing his freedom, bringing him back to Palestine, where he rapidly developed into an accomplished scholar... he doubtless learned much from his benefactor (Yehoshua ben Hanania), between whom and himself grew up a close friendship; Joshua called him "brother" a term by which he was afterward known to his colleagues
(י) קונם שאיני נושא את פלונית כעורה. והרי היא נאה. שחורה. והרי היא לבנה. קצרה. והרי היא ארוכה. מותר בה. לא מפני שהיא כעורה. ונעשית נאה. שחורה. ונעשית לבנה. קצרה ונעשית ארוכה. אלא שהנדר טעות. ומעשה באחד שנדר מבת אחותו הנייה. והכניסוה לבית רבי ישמעאל ריפוה. אמר לו רבי ישמעאל בני לזו נדרת. אמר לו לאו. והתירו רבי ישמעאל. באותה שעה בכה דבי ישמעאל ואמר בנות ישראל נאות הן אלא שהעניות מנוולתן. וכשמת רבי ישמעאל היו בנות ישראל נושאות קינה ואומרות בנות ישראל אל רבי ישמעאל בכינה.
If a person swears, " I will not marry that ugly woman,” and she turns out to be beautiful; “I will not marry that dark-skinned woman,” and she turns out to be light-skinned; “I will not marry that short woman,” and she turns out to be tall, he is permitted to marry her; not because she was ugly and became beautiful, or dark-skinned and became light-skinned, short and grew tall, but because the vow was made in error. And it happened with one who vowed not to marry his sister’s daughter, and she was taken into Rabbi Ishmael’s house and they made her beautiful. Rabbi Ishmael said to him, “My son! Did you vow not to marry his one?” He said, “No,” and Rabbi Ishmael permitted her [to him]. In that hour Rabbi Ishmael wept and said, “The daughters of Israel are beautiful, but poverty disfigures them.” And when Rabbi Ishmael died, the daughters of Israel raised a lament, saying, “Daughters of Israel weep for Rabbi Ishmael.”
(יב) רבי ישמעאל אומר, הוי קל לראש ונוח לתשחרת, והוי מקבל את כל האדם בשמחה.
Rabbi Yishmael says: Be yielding to an elder, pleasant to a youth and greet every person with joy.