רבי יוסי בן פטרוס

Rav Yosi ben Petros was an amora of Eretz Yisrael in the first generation. His Torah is brought chiefly in the aggadic midrashim, where he is mentioned together with Bar Kappara and Zavdi ben Levi. In the Yerushalmi he appears only twice, under the name Rav Yosi bar Pitras, and there he is the father-in-law of Rav Yehoshua ben Levi.

The Yerushalmi describes him as one who burned for Torah, and relates that for this reason he permitted himself to learn with the talmidim whom Bar Kappara sent to him during his days of mourning, even though a mourner may not occupy himself with Torah. Rav Yehudah ben Kalonymus of Speyer, author of Yichusei Tannaim v’Amoraim, describes him as a chasid and a great man who burned for words of Torah.

In Vayikra Rabbah several derashot are brought on the pasuk “zivchei Elokim ruach nishbarah” from Tehillim, and the one that speaks of the greatness of teshuvah is brought in the name of Rav Yosi ben Tartas, who is identified with Rav Yosi ben Petros. Another midrash, found in the Yerushalmi and in further places, tells what Zavdi ben Levi, Rav Yehoshua ben Levi and Rav Yosi ben Petros each said at the hour of their passing; the versions differ as to which pesukim were said and in what order. Rav Yehuda Edri wrote, following the Yerushalmi, that the pasuk Rav Yosi said before his passing was “yismechu kol chosei bach l’olam yeranenu.”