How the shepherd Akiva became the famous Rabbi Akiva TB Ketubot 63

Beginning on the bottom of daf TB Ketubot 62b and continuing on today’s daf TB Ketubot 63, we learn the origin story how Akiva the shepherd became the famous Rabbi Akiva. To understand but not condone Ben Kalba Savua’s reaction to Rachel’s, his daughter, marriage to Akiva the shepherd, let me explain. Back at that time shepherds had the reputation of being poor, ignorant, and low class. This was not a match for a daughter of Ben Kalba Savua’s standing in society. Because his daughter went through with the marriage, he disowned her.

This is a story as old as time itself. Perhaps you’re familiar with the comic strip Blondie, but unfamiliar with this origin story. “Blondie focused on the adventures of Blondie Boopadoop—a carefree flapper girl who spent her days in dance halls along with her boyfriend Dagwood Bumstead, heir to an industrial fortune. The name "Boopadoop" derives from the scat singing lyric that was popularized by Helen Kane's 1928 song ‘I Wanna Be Loved by You.’ …On February 17, 1933, after much fanfare and build-up, Blondie and Dagwood were married. After a month-and-a-half-long hunger strike by Dagwood to get his parents' blessing, as they strongly disapproved of his marrying beneath his class, they disinherited him” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blondie_(comic_strip))

“Rabbi Akiva was the shepherd of ben Kalba Savua, one of the wealthy residents of Jerusalem. The daughter of Ben Kalba Savua saw that he was humble and refined. She said to him: If I betroth myself to you, will you go to the study hall to learn Torah? He said to her: Yes. She became betrothed to him privately and sent him off to study. Her father heard this and became angry. He removed her from his house and took a vow prohibiting her from benefiting from his property. Rabbi Akiva went and sat for twelve years in the study hall. When he came back to his house he brought twelve thousand students with him, and as he approached he heard an old man saying to his wife: For how long will you lead the life of a widow of a living man, living alone while your husband is in another place? She said to him: If he would listen to me, he would sit and study for another twelve years. When Rabbi Akiva heard this he said: I have permission to do this. He went back and sat for another twelve years in the study hall. When he came back he brought twenty-four thousand students with him. His wife heard and went out toward him to greet him. Her neighbors said: Borrow some clothes and wear them, as your current apparel is not appropriate to meet an important person. She said to them: “A righteous man understands the life of his beast” (Proverbs 12:10). When she came to him she fell on her face and kissed his feet. His attendants pushed her away as they did not know who she was, and he said to them: Leave her alone, as my Torah knowledge and yours is actually hers.

“In the meantime her father heard that a great man came to the town. He said: I will go to him. Maybe he will nullify my vow and I will be able to support my daughter. He came to him to ask about nullifying his vow, and Rabbi Akiva said to him: Did you vow thinking that this Akiva would become a great man? He said to him: If I had believed he would know even one chapter or even one halakha I would not have been so harsh. He said to him: I am he. Ben Kalba Savua fell on his face and kissed his feet and gave him half of his money.” (Sefaria.org translation)

I think Karen Miller Jackson sums up the story when she wrote: “The story of Rabbi Akiva who is in fact praised for leaving home for a total of 24 years in order to study. In this case, he had full permission and support from his wife, returned to her triumphant and was welcomed with open arms. This story is perhaps an expression of a rabbinic fantasy that a sage can be fully devoted to Torah study without any other obligation or distraction — and still possess the love of a devoted spouse.” (https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/ketubot-62/) A fantasy.