Commentary for Avodah Zarah 34:9
אתיוהו לרבי אלעזר בן פרטא אמרו מ"ט תנית ומ"ט גנבת אמר להו אי סייפא לא ספרא ואי ספרא לא סייפא ומדהא ליתא הא נמי ליתא ומ"ט קרו לך רבי רבן של תרסיים אני
When they brought up R. Elazar b. Perata [for his trial] they asked him, “Why have you been studying [the Torah] and why have you been stealing?” He answered, “If one is a scribe, one is not a robber, if a robber, one cannot be a scribe, and as I am not the one I am neither the other.” “Why then are you titled Master”? “I am a Master of Weavers.”
Daf Shevui to Avodah Zarah
Elazar is accused of being a robber and of being a rabbi. He points out that this is a contradiction in terms. One cannot be both. But they insist—you are called “Master.” He explains that he is not a “rabbi”—a teacher of Torah. He is only a master of weavers. As we shall see, he is not telling the truth. Again we see a rabbi try to “trick” his way out of martyrdom.
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