One of the phrases most famous attributed to Rabbi Nejunyá ben HaKaná comes from the Pirkei Avot (Ethics of the Fathers 3:6), and summarizes their ethical and spiritual vision of the study:

"Anyone who accepts upon himself the yoke of the Torah, he removed the yoke of the government and the worldly concerns; but whoever rejects the yoke of the Torah, it is imposed the yoke of the government and the concerns."

Full study: life, work and teachings of Rabbi Nehunyá ben HaKaná

1) historical Context and biographical profile

Rabbi Neḥunyá ben HaKaná was a sage of the first generation tannaíta, contemporary —but not a disciple— of Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai and teacher of Rabbi Yishmael ben Elishá. The sources describe it wealthy, with bondagebut that is famous for its humility and gentleness, to which he attributed his longevity (Meguilá 28a). He cited failures halájicos and sentences ethical Mishnah/Tosefta, and appears disputing with R. Eliezer b. Hyrcanus and R. r. joshua b. Jananiá in a legal matter.

2) Where it appears in the sources of the canonical

• Mishnah Berachot 4:2 / Talmud Berachot 28b: preserved their two short sentences when you enter and exit the house of study (beit midrash). When you enter, he asked that he would not have tripped over halájicos for his sake; out, he was grateful for their portion among those who sit in the house of study, and not in a theatre or circus. Full-text editions babylon and of the State of Israel.
• Avot 3:6 (or 3:5 as number): its maximum ethics most often cited: “Anyone who accepts upon himself the yoke of the Torah, he removed the yoke of the government and the worldly concerns; those who reject him, it is imposed the yoke of the government and the concerns”.
• Tosefta (Ketubot 3:5; BK 7:18): transmitted halachot in your name (resonating with the positions of the school of R. Meir).

3) hermeneutical Method and input halájicos

The talmudic tradition —in the name of R. Yochanan— holds that he interpreted the whole of the Torah with the rule “klal u-prat” (general-particular), then Rabbi Yishmael listed as the eighth of their 13 rules hermeneutics. This is shaping up to Neḥunyá as a link doctrinal between Hillel (7 rules), Ishmael (13 rules) and the literature of midrash halachic.

4) spiritual Traits and personal discipline

Their prayers input/output the study show:

• prudence halachic (“not arising out of a stumbling block for my sake”),
• ethics thanks for the vocation of study,
• awareness of the power performative of the legal decisions.
  The preserved versions made explicit request not to confuse pure and impure or embarrass neighbour; and grateful not to have his portion “in theaters and circuses” but in synagogues and houses of study.

5) ethical Teachings major

• Yoke of the Torah vs. yokes worldly (Avot 3:6): asceticism and intellectual/spiritual release of political pressures and materials —a thesis that became the motto of yeshivot medieval.
• Humility and forgiveness: in Meguilá 28a asks why they deserved to long life: never honored at the expense of another, forgive one who had offended and was generous with his money. It is a model of meekness tannaítica.

6) Links with the mystical (Ma roasted Merkavá) and texts attributed

Kabbalistic tradition (medieval and later):

• Ana BeKoaj (תפילת אָנָּא בְּכֹחַ): prayer of seven verses whose initials form the Name of 42 letters; the tradition of the attributes to Rabbi Neḥunyá. Today it is recited in the Kabalat Shabbat and other contexts devotionals. Important: attribution is traditionalnot demonstrable filológicamente to time tannaítica.
• Sefer ha-Bahir (“Book of Illumination”): the most of the scholars dating first edition in Provence (ca. 1176); the kabbalist medieval attributed to Rabbi Neḥunyá (pseudepigrafía honorable). The academic research modern maintains the dating medieval, although it recognizes the self-presentation the Bahir in the mouth of Neḥunyá.

Critical stock: Neḥunyá historic is a tanna, master of Ishmael and figure ethics/halachic; the Neḥunyá “mystic-author” it is a building medieval that seeks to pin the cabal in the authorities early. This distinction is accepted by the academy; the devotional tradition, however, maintains the authorship spiritual.

7) Is it the same as “Nejunyá the ditch digger of wells”?

The Talmud tells of Neḥunyá ḥofer shihin (“the ditch digger of wells”), whose daughter fell to a tanker and was saved; it is revered for providing water to the pilgrims. Most of the presentations separates this character of the tanna ben HaKaná, and the sources treat it as a figure different. It should be not to identify them in the absence of proof explicit.

8) doctrinal Issues deep in their sentences

1. Halachah responsible: its tefillah of income explicit the ethics of the legal errors and careful not to turn the pure in an impure (or vice versa). That self-monitoring anticipated notions medieval kavaná professional opinion.
2. Sociology of the study: when contrasted with the “house of study” vs. “theaters and circuses”, set up a community identity opposite the leisure hellenistic-roman.
3. Asceticism of the “yoke”: its maximum of Avot proposes that the delivery to the Torah reconfigures the other yokes (political/economic). Theologically, the providence modulates the external load when the subject assumes the interior of the Torah.
4. Hermeneutic “klal u-prat”: its systematic emphasis on general-particular structure a read disciplined that prevents extrapolations lax, influencing in the school of Rabbi Yishmael and the midrash halachic.

9) Legacy and reception

• In the liturgy: the Ana BeKoaj joined devotional practices (especially Kabalat Shabbat), with readings kabbalistic combinations of letters and structures of seven.
• In the cabal medieval: its name works as authority foundation (Bahir, Shem 42 letters), although the dating textual actual medieval.
• In the ethics rabbinical: its humility and forgiveness everyday (not to hold a grudge when sleeping) remained as a model of conduct of the wise.

10) Chronology of guidance (with due caution)

• Siglo I d. C.Activity : tannaítica; contemporary of Yochanan b. Zakkai; the teacher of R. Ishmael; statements in the Mishnah/Tosefta.
• XII–XIII centuries: In Provence is published by the Bahir (1176 approx.); the schemers attribute the work to Neḥunyá ben HaKaná; it consolidates the association with the Ana BeKoaj.