הרב סומכוס

Sumchus bar Yosef, known in English sources as Symmachus, was a tanna of the fourth and fifth generations and the foremost talmid of Rabbi Meir. Rabbi Abbahu said in the name of Rabbi Yochanan: Rabbi Meir had a talmid named Sumchus who could give, on every matter of tumah, forty-eight reasons for its tumah, and on every matter of taharah, forty-eight reasons for its taharah. After Rabbi Meir’s petirah, when Rabbi Yehuda was unwilling to admit Rabbi Meir’s talmidim to his shiur, Sumchus pressed his way in nonetheless and debated halachah with him.

He is cited five times in the Mishnah — three teachings of his own, and twice bringing the words of Rabbi Meir. His name in halachah rests above all on one klal: mamon hamutal besafek cholkin — money whose ownership is in doubt is divided between the parties — against the Chachamim, who ruled hamotzi mechavero alav haraayah, that the burden of proof lies on the claimant. Later authorities differ on how far Sumchus meant his rule to reach, and it is alive to this day: the Supreme Court in Israel has drawn on his opinion in dividing property where the evidence cannot decide between the parties. He holds as well that damage done by tzerorot — pebbles kicked up by an animal — is paid in full, against the accepted half-payment. From his aggadah a single line survives: whoever draws out the word echad of Shema, his days and years are drawn out for him.

His Greek name means an ally, a ben brit, and Josephus writes that the name Elazar is rendered in Greek as Symmachus. A tradition noted by travelers from the end of the nineteenth century places his kever within the compound of Kever Rabbi Meir Baal HaNes, beside Rabbi Natan — the talmid at rest by his rebbi.