One doesn’t have to be a Rabbi Akiva to be worthy of respect and dignity. TB Nazir 52

The letter vav (ו) connecting to nouns could either mean “and” or “or.” Today’s daf TB Nazir 52 brings sources to determine how we should understand the Mishna when this vav connects the spinal cord and the skull. “The mishna taught that a nazirite must shave (meaning that he has to go through the process of ritual purification the become ritually ready and start his nezirut all over again from the beginning-gg) for impurity imparted by a spine and skull. A dilemma was raised before the Sages: Did we learn a spine and [ve] skull together? Or perhaps the mishna means either a spine or a skull. Does the conjunctive vav signify: And, or: Or?” (Sefaria.org translation)

One proof that this vav means “or” comes from a baraita which cites that Rabbi Akiva disagreed with the sages initially six times, but ultimately retracted and agreed with them. “Come and hear from the tally in the above baraita: And what are those six items that Rabbi Akiva deems ritually impure and the Rabbis deem ritually pure? They consist of (1) a limb from a corpse that comes from, i.e., is combined with, two corpses; and (2) a severed limb from a living person that comes from two living people; and (3) half-kav of bones that come from two corpses; and  (4) a quarter-log of blood that comes from two corpses; and of a  (5) bone that is a barley-grain-bulk, even from one body, that was divided into two; and (6) the spine and the skull from two corpses.” (Sefaria.org translation, I added the numbers to help visualize the six items-gg) If we would translate the vav as “or,” i.e. the spine or the skull, we would have seven items that Rabbi Akiva deem ritually impure and the rabbis deem ritually pure before he retracted.

The Gemara pushes back several times saying that this proof is not conclusive, because we can massage the numbers that there will be only six items. The Gemara quotes Rabbi Shimon who was a student of Rabbi Akiva. “Similarly, Rabbi Shimon says: All his days, Rabbi Akiva would deem a quarter-log of blood from two corpses ritually impure. Whether he retracted his opinion after he died, this I do not know. A Sage taught: Rabbi Shimon’s teeth blackened due to his fasts, which he undertook for uttering this irreverent comment about Rabbi Akiva.” (Sefaria.org translation) Rabbi Shimon was responding sarcastically to those who claim that Rabbi Akiva retracted. If this was the case, he must have had to retract after he died. Probably almost immediately Rabbi Shimon realize that his response was too flippant. He should have made his point about his teacher Rabbi Akiva in a more respectful way. He fasted to do teshuva, repentance.

We’ve already learned “Gadol kavod habriyot (גָּדוֹל כְּבוֹד הַבְּרִיּוֹת) -Great is human dignity.” We should always choose our words wisely and speak respectfully when speaking to and about other people. One doesn’t need to be a Rabbi Akiva to be worthy of respect and dignity.