Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah was a prominent Tanna of the Yavneh period, listed among the second generation of Tannaim. He was known for his wisdom and authority, teaching alongside other great sages like Rabbi Akiva and Rabbi Ishmael.
A spice box, meaning one that contains many varieties, is similar to a peddler's box, except that the peddler has more varieties, each arranged to be ready when requested.
Rabbi Eliezer ben Yaakov [Rabbi Akiva's student]:
“A kav and clean,” he did not teach as much as his colleagues, but when he did state a halakha in the Beit Midrash, he stated it clearly [ברורה], and Rashi explained that the halakha is always according to him.
Rabbi Yose ben Chalafta [Rabbi Akiva's student]: “His reasoning is with him,” the halakha is always according to him, in the Mishna and in the Baraita, even against his colleagues, because his reasoning was with him; meaning: he would settle and provide explanation and rationale for all his words.
Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai [Rabbi Akiva's student]: “Grinds much and brings forth little,” meaning: he studies much and forgets a little, and even what he forgot was only the bran [the waste, meaning things that did not seem to him to be halakha].
Tannaim
The Sages of Israel who lived in the period from the time of the Zugot until the sealing of the Mishna.
The appellation Tanna refers to a sage mentioned in the Mishna or who lived during the period of the Mishna.
Tanna means “repeater,” to teach and to learn, to transmit the Oral Torah which Moses received orally from the Almighty, which includes the explanation of the Written Torah with all its commandments through the method of Pardes: Pshat, Remez, Drash, and Sod. Rabbi Yehudah HaNasi, in the last generation of the Tannaim, collected all the halakhot and the words of the Sages, the disputes from the days of Moses our Teacher until his own days, and established the most precise tradition, sealing it in the six orders of the Mishna. The Tannaim and Amoraim who operated in the Land of Israel were called by the title Rabbi – the Amoraim who operated in Babylonia were called by the title Rav.
After the destruction of the Second Temple, in the year 3828 from creation, there were four generations of Tannaim, and they are:
Generation of the Nasi, Sages of the Generation
First: Rabban Yochanan ben Zakai
[Yavneh]
Rabbi Eliezer ben Hurkanos, Rabbi Yehoshua ben Chananya, Rabbi Elazar ben Arach, Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa, Rabbi Nechunya ben HaKanah, Nachum Ish Gamzu, Rabbi Yehudah ben Beteira.
Second: [3840] Rabban Gamliel
[Yavneh]
Rabbi Tarfon, Rabbi Akiva, Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah, Rabbi Yose HaGalili, Rabbi Yochanan ben Nuri, Rabbi Ishmael ben Elisha.
Third: [3881] Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel. [Usha]
Students of Rabbi Akiva, Rabbi Natan HaBavli, Rabbi Elazar [son of Rabbi Yose HaGalili]
Fourth: [3910] Rabbi Yehudah HaNasi
[Tzipori]
Rabbi Ishmael b. Rabbi Yose, Rabbi Pinchas ben Yair, Rabbi Shimon ben Chalafta, Bar Kappara, Rabbi Elazar b. Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai.
Amoraim
Translators and interpreters of the Mishna. The main activity of the Amoraim was to clarify and interpret the Tannaitic sources, and they could not dispute a Tannaitic source unless they brought proof from another Tannaitic source. They enacted ordinances and customs for the implementation of Halakha, Aggadah, and more. Their words are arranged in the Babylonian and Jerusalem Talmuds.
The completion of the Mishna's compilation, in the year 3978 from creation, 150 years after the destruction of the Second Temple, marked the transition to the period of the Amoraim.
Generation of Amoraim of the Land of Israel; Amoraim of Babylonia
First
[3980]
Rabbi Chiya Rabbah, Bar Kappara, Rabbi Afes, Rabbi Chanina bar Chama, Rabban Gamliel bar Rabbi, Rabbi Shimon bar Rabbi, Rabbi Yanai, Rabbi Hoshaya.
Rav, Shmuel, Rabbi Shila, Avuh d'Shmuel, Levi, Mar Ukba.
Second
[4010]
Rabbi Yochanan, Resh Lakish, Rabbi Yose bar Chanina, Rabbi Simlai, Rabbi Yaakov bar Idi.
Rav Huna, Rabbi Yehudah bar Yechezkel, Rabbi Nachman bar Yaakov, Rabbi Kahana, Rabbah bar Avuha, Chiya bar Rav, Rabbi Yirmiya bar Abba.
Third
[4060]
Rabbi Elazar ben Pedat, Rabbi Abbahu, Rabbi Ammi, Rabbi Assi, Rabbi Zeira, Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachmani, Rabbi Avin, Rabbi Yoshiya.
Rabbi Chisda, Rabbi Hamnuna, Rabbah, Rabbi Yosef, Rabbi Nachman, Rabbi Sheshet, Ulla, Rabbah bar Rav Chana, Rabbi Huna bar Chiya, Rabbah bar Rav Huna, Rabbi Mari bar Rav Huna, Rabbi Huna bar Chinana, Rabbi Safra.
Fourth
[4099]
Rabbi Yirmiya, Rabbi Yonah, Rabbi Yose, Rabbi Acha, Rabbi Chaggai.
Abaye, Rava, Rami bar Chama, Rabbi Nachman b. Yitzchak, Rabbi Adda bar Ahava, Rabbi Dimi, Rabbah bar Matna, Rabbi Huna bar Yehudah.
Fifth
[4113]
Rabbi Mana, Rabbi Tanchuma, Rabbi Berechiah, Rabbi Chezkiah, Rabbi Yose bar Avin. [Ordinations ceased in the Land of Israel]
Rabbi Nachman bar Yitzchak, Rabbi Papa, Rabbi Chama, Rabbi Huna b. Rav Yehoshua, Ravina, Rabbi Zevid.
Sixth
[4128]
Rav Ashi, Rabbi Huna bar Rav Natan, Amimar, Mar Zutra, Rabbi Yeimar, Marimar.
Seventh
[4187]
Rabbi Idi bar Avin, Mar bar Rav Ashi, Rabbi Acha b. Rava, Ravina [the last], Rafram.
