(ט) רַבִּי חֲנִינָא בֶן דּוֹסָא אוֹמֵר, כָּל שֶׁיִּרְאַת חֶטְאוֹ קוֹדֶמֶת לְחָכְמָתוֹ, חָכְמָתוֹ מִתְקַיֶּמֶת. וְכָל שֶׁחָכְמָתוֹ קוֹדֶמֶת לְיִרְאַת חֶטְאוֹ, אֵין חָכְמָתוֹ מִתְקַיֶּמֶת.
הוּא הָיָה אוֹמֵר, כָּל שֶׁמַּעֲשָׂיו מְרֻבִּין מֵחָכְמָתוֹ, חָכְמָתוֹ מִתְקַיֶּמֶת. וְכָל שֶׁחָכְמָתוֹ מְרֻבָּה מִמַּעֲשָׂיו, אֵין חָכְמָתוֹ מִתְקַיֶּמֶת:
(י) הוּא הָיָה אוֹמֵר, כָּל שֶׁרוּחַ הַבְּרִיּוֹת נוֹחָה הֵימֶנּוּ, רוּחַ הַמָּקוֹם נוֹחָה הֵימֶנּוּ. וְכָל שֶׁאֵין רוּחַ הַבְּרִיּוֹת נוֹחָה הֵימֶנּוּ, אֵין רוּחַ הַמָּקוֹם נוֹחָה הֵימֶנּוּ.
(9) Rabbi Hanina ben Dosa said: anyone whose fear of sin precedes his wisdom, his wisdom is enduring, but anyone whose wisdom precedes his fear of sin, his wisdom is not enduring.
He [also] used to say: anyone whose deeds exceed his wisdom, his wisdom is enduring, but anyone whose wisdom exceeds his deeds, his wisdom is not enduring.
(10) He used to say: one with whom men are pleased, God is pleased. But anyone from whom men are displeased, God is displeased.
...שִׁגֵּר שְׁנֵי תַּלְמִידֵי חֲכָמִים אֵצֶל רַבִּי חֲנִינָא בֶּן דּוֹסָא לְבַקֵּשׁ עָלָיו רַחֲמִים. כֵּיוָן שֶׁרָאָה אוֹתָם, עָלָה לָעֲלִיָּיה, וּבִקֵּשׁ עָלָיו רַחֲמִים. בִּירִידָתוֹ אָמַר לָהֶם: לְכוּ, שֶׁחֲלָצַתּוּ חַמָּה. אָמְרוּ לוֹ: וְכִי נָבִיא אַתָּה?! אָמַר לָהֶן: לֹא נָבִיא אָנֹכִי וְלֹא בֶן נָבִיא אָנֹכִי, אֶלָּא כָּךְ מְקּוּבְּלַנִי: אִם שְׁגוּרָה תְּפִלָּתִי בְּפִי — יוֹדֵעַ אֲנִי שֶׁהוּא מְקוּבָּל, וְאִם לָאו — יוֹדֵעַ אֲנִי שֶׁהוּא מְטוֹרָף. יָשְׁבוּ וְכָתְבוּ וְכִוְּונוּ אוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה. וּכְשֶׁבָּאוּ אֵצֶל רַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל, אָמַר לָהֶן: הָעֲבוֹדָה, לֹא חִסַּרְתֶּם וְלֹא הוֹתַרְתֶּם, אֶלָּא כָּךְ הָיָה מַעֲשֶׂה בְּאוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה חֲלָצַתּוּ חַמָּה וְשָׁאַל לָנוּ מַיִם לִשְׁתּוֹת.
וְשׁוּב מַעֲשֶׂה בְּרַבִּי חֲנִינָא בֶּן דּוֹסָא שֶׁהָלַךְ לִלְמוֹד תּוֹרָה אֵצֶל רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן בֶּן זַכַּאי, וְחָלָה בְּנוֹ שֶׁל רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן בֶּן זַכַּאי. אָמַר לוֹ: חֲנִינָא בְּנִי, בַּקֵּשׁ עָלָיו רַחֲמִים וְיִחְיֶה. הִנִּיחַ רֹאשׁוֹ בֵּין בִּרְכָּיו וּבִקֵּשׁ עָלָיו רַחֲמִים, וְחָיָה.
אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן בֶּן זַכַּאי: אִלְמָלֵי הֵטִיחַ בֶּן זַכַּאי אֶת רֹאשׁוֹ בֵּין בִּרְכָּיו כׇּל הַיּוֹם כּוּלּוֹ — לֹא הָיוּ מַשְׁגִּיחִים עָלָיו. אָמְרָה לוֹ אִשְׁתּוֹ: וְכִי חֲנִינָא גָּדוֹל מִמְּךָ? אָמַר לָהּ: לָאו, אֶלָּא הוּא דּוֹמֶה כְּעֶבֶד לִפְנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ, וַאֲנִי דּוֹמֶה כְּשַׂר לִפְנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ.
The Sages taught: There was an incident where Rabban Gamliel’s son fell ill. Rabban Gamliel dispatched two scholars to Rabbi Ḥanina ben Dosa to pray for mercy and healing on his behalf. When Rabbi Ḥanina ben Dosa saw them approaching, he went up to the attic on the roof of his house and prayed for mercy on his behalf. Upon his descent, he said to the messengers: You may go and return to Rabban Gamliel, as the fever has already left his son and he has been healed. The messengers asked him: How do you know? Are you a prophet? He replied to them: I am neither a prophet nor son of a prophet (see Amos 7:14), but I have received a tradition with regard to this indication: If my prayer is fluent in my mouth as I recite it and there are no errors, I know that my prayer is accepted. And if not, I know that my prayer is rejected. The Gemara relates that these messengers sat and wrote and approximated that precise moment when Rabbi Ḥanina ben Dosa told them this. When they came before Rabban Gamliel and related all that had happened and showed him what they had written, Rabban Gamliel said to them: I swear by the Temple service that in the time you wrote you were neither earlier or later; rather, this is how the event transpired: Precisely at that moment his fever broke and he asked us for water to drink.
And there was another incident involving Rabbi Ḥanina ben Dosa, who went to study Torah before Rabbi Yoḥanan ben Zakkai, and Rabbi Yoḥanan’s son fell ill. He said to him: Ḥanina, my son, pray for mercy on behalf of my son so that he will live. Rabbi Ḥanina ben Dosa placed his head between his knees in order to meditate and prayed for mercy upon his behalf, and Rabbi Yoḥanan ben Zakkai’s son lived. Rabbi Yoḥanan ben Zakkai said about himself: Had ben Zakkai stuck his head between his knees throughout the entire day, they would have paid him no attention. His wife said to him: And is Ḥanina greater than you? He replied to her: No, but his prayer is better received than my own because he is like a servant before the King, and as such he is able to enter before the King and make various requests at all times. I, on the other hand, am like a minister before the King, and I can enter only when invited and can make requests only with regard to especially significant matters.
תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: מַעֲשֶׂה בְּמָקוֹם אֶחָד שֶׁהָיָה עַרְוָד, וְהָיָה מַזִּיק אֶת הַבְּרִיּוֹת. בָּאוּ וְהוֹדִיעוּ לוֹ לְרַבִּי חֲנִינָא בֶּן דּוֹסָא. אָמַר לָהֶם: הַרְאוּ לִי אֶת חוֹרוֹ! הֶרְאוּהוּ אֶת חוֹרוֹ. נָתַן עֲקֵבוֹ עַל פִּי הַחוֹר, יָצָא וּנְשָׁכוֹ — וּמֵת אוֹתוֹ עַרְוָד. נְטָלוֹ עַל כְּתֵפוֹ וֶהֱבִיאוֹ לְבֵית הַמִּדְרָשׁ. אָמַר לָהֶם: רְאוּ בָּנַי, אֵין עַרְוָד מֵמִית, אֶלָּא הַחֵטְא מֵמִית. בְּאוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה אָמְרוּ: אוֹי לוֹ לָאָדָם שֶׁפָּגַע בּוֹ עַרְוָד, וְאוֹי לוֹ לָעַרְוָד שֶׁפָּגַע בּוֹ רַבִּי חֲנִינָא בֶּן דּוֹסָא.
...the Sages taught: There was an incident in one place where an arvad was harming the people. They came and told Rabbi Ḥanina ben Dosa and asked for his help. He told them: Show me the hole of the arvad. They showed him its hole. He placed his heel over the mouth of the hole and the arvad came out and bit him, and died. Rabbi Ḥanina ben Dosa placed the arvad over his shoulder and brought it to the study hall. He said to those assembled there: See, my sons, it is not the arvad that kills a person, rather transgression kills a person. The arvad has no power over one who is free of transgression. At that moment the Sages said: Woe unto the person who was attacked by an arvad and woe unto the arvad that was attacked by Rabbi Ḥanina ben Dosa.
רַבִּי חֲנִינָא בֶּן דּוֹסָא הֲוָה קָא אָזֵיל בְּאוֹרְחָא, אֲתָא מִיטְרָא. אָמַר לְפָנָיו: רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, כׇּל הָעוֹלָם כּוּלּוֹ בְּנַחַת, וַחֲנִינָא בְּצַעַר! פְּסַק מִיטְרָא. כִּי מְטָא לְבֵיתֵיהּ, אָמַר לְפָנָיו: רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, כׇּל הָעוֹלָם כּוּלּוֹ בְּצַעַר וַחֲנִינָא בְּנַחַת? אֲתָא מִיטְרָא....
אָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה אָמַר רַב: בְּכׇל יוֹם וְיוֹם בַּת קוֹל יוֹצֵאת וְאוֹמֶרֶת: כָּל הָעוֹלָם כּוּלּוֹ נִיזּוֹן בִּשְׁבִיל חֲנִינָא בְּנִי, וַחֲנִינָא בְּנִי דַּיּוֹ בְּקַב חָרוּבִים מֵעֶרֶב שַׁבָּת לְעֶרֶב שַׁבָּת.
הֲוָה רְגִילָא דְּבֵיתְהוּ לְמֵיחֲמָא תַּנּוּרָא כׇּל מַעֲלֵי דְשַׁבְּתָא וְשָׁדְיָיא אַקְטַרְתָּא
Rabbi Ḥanina ben Dosa was traveling along a road when it began to rain. He said before God: Master of the Universe, the entire world is comfortable, because they needed rain, but Ḥanina is suffering, as he is getting wet. The rain ceased. When he arrived at his home, he said before God: Master of the Universe, the entire world is suffering that the rain stopped, and Ḥanina is comfortable? The rain began to come again.
Rav Yehuda said that Rav said: Each and every day a Divine Voice emerges from Mount Horeb and says: The entire world is sustained by the merit of My son Ḥanina ben Dosa, and yet for Ḥanina, My son, a kav of carobs, a very small amount of inferior food, is sufficient to sustain him for an entire week, from one Shabbat eve to the next Shabbat eve.
From such "aggadot" as these, Hanina ben Dosa is presented as a miracle worker, a devout, pious and prayerful person with great power over the Almighty.
How does Avot present him? What kind of individual formulates teachings such as those in Avot?
אַבָּיֵי אָמַר, כִּדְתַנְיָא: ״וְאָהַבְתָּ אֵת ה׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ״, שֶׁיְּהֵא שֵׁם שָׁמַיִם מִתְאַהֵב עַל יָדְךָ. שֶׁיְּהֵא קוֹרֵא וְשׁוֹנֶה וּמְשַׁמֵּשׁ תַּלְמִידֵי חֲכָמִים, וִיהֵא מַשָּׂאוֹ וּמַתָּנוֹ בְּנַחַת עִם הַבְּרִיּוֹת, מָה הַבְּרִיּוֹת אוֹמְרוֹת עָלָיו — אַשְׁרֵי אָבִיו שֶׁלִּמְּדוֹ תּוֹרָה, אַשְׁרֵי רַבּוֹ שֶׁלִּמְּדוֹ תּוֹרָה. אוֹי לָהֶם לַבְּרִיּוֹת שֶׁלֹּא לָמְדוּ תּוֹרָה, פְּלוֹנִי שֶׁלִּמְּדוֹ תּוֹרָה — רְאוּ כַּמָּה נָאִים דְּרָכָיו, כַּמָּה מְתוּקָּנִים מַעֲשָׂיו. עָלָיו הַכָּתוּב אוֹמֵר: ״וַיֹּאמֶר לִי עַבְדִּי אָתָּה יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר בְּךָ אֶתְפָּאָר״. אֲבָל מִי שֶׁקּוֹרֵא וְשׁוֹנֶה וּמְשַׁמֵּשׁ תַּלְמִידֵי חֲכָמִים, וְאֵין מַשָּׂאוֹ וּמַתָּנוֹ בֶּאֱמוּנָה, וְאֵין דִּבּוּרוֹ בְּנַחַת עִם הַבְּרִיּוֹת, מָה הַבְּרִיּוֹת אוֹמְרוֹת עָלָיו — אוֹי לוֹ לִפְלוֹנִי שֶׁלָּמַד תּוֹרָה. אוֹי לוֹ לְאָבִיו שֶׁלִּמְּדוֹ תּוֹרָה, אוֹי לוֹ לְרַבּוֹ שֶׁלִּמְּדוֹ תּוֹרָה. פְּלוֹנִי שֶׁלָּמַד תּוֹרָה — רְאוּ כַּמָּה מְקוּלְקָלִין מַעֲשָׂיו וְכַמָּה מְכוֹעָרִין דְּרָכָיו....
Abaye said: As it was taught in a baraita that it is stated: “And you shall love the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy 6:5), which means that you shall make the name of Heaven beloved. How should one do so? One should do so in that he should read Torah, and learn Mishna, and serve Torah scholars, and he should be pleasant with people in his business transactions. What do people say about such a person? Fortunate is his father who taught him Torah, fortunate is his teacher who taught him Torah, woe to the people who have not studied Torah. So-and-so, who taught him Torah, see how pleasant are his ways, how proper are his deeds. The verse states about him and others like him: “You are My servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified” (Isaiah 49:3). But one who reads Torah, and learns Mishna, and serves Torah scholars, but his business practices are not done faithfully, and he does not speak pleasantly with other people, what do people say about him? Woe to so-and-so who studied Torah, woe to his father who taught him Torah, woe to his teacher who taught him Torah. So-and-so who studied Torah, see how destructive are his deeds, and how ugly are his ways.....
From "The Ethics of the Talmud: Sayings of the Fathers," by R. Travers Herford (pub.1925; British Unitarian minister and scholar of rabbinic literature; d. 1950). The following are from his commentary on R. Hanina ben Dosa's teachings.
"Fear of sin is the attitude of the sensitive conscience towards God; sin is feared, not because of any penalty attaching to it but from pure love to God. Wisdom is good in so far as it helps a man to attain this ideal of sinless love to God, by making him better able to discern what is sinful. But if it is made an end in itself, then it fails, because it lacks its moral foundation, and has not moral purpose."
"wisdom is not essential. A man who has not much learning can still do good deeds; he may not understand the theory of them, but he can do them with the general intention of serving God. If such learning as he has confirms and helps him in this intention, then it endures, is of permanent worth to him.... If on the other hand, a man have more theoretical knowledge than good deeds to show for it, then his learning does not endure; because his whole life and character are vitiated by his failure to act up to what he knew."
"A human being stands in relations of duty and love towards his fellowmen and also in relations of duty and love towards God. If, in either of those relations, he leaves nothing unfulfilled, than there is no cause for strain or discord between him and the other.... ...if a man in his relation with his fellowmen succeeds in establishing that peace and harmony, so that...his fellowmen derives rest from him, the spirit of God also will derive rest from him, because there is in him nothing to grieve or displease God."