Understanding of the 12 wives of Bar Kapara
Berachos 62b: Bar Kapara was a very wise man who sold words (of wisdom) for dinar each. The Iyan Yaacov explains that even though it is prohibited to take a fee for “teaching Torah”, Bar Kapara was able to take a fee, since he was only giving people wise, worldly advice.
The Medrash tells us that Bar Kapara had 12 wives who each accepted upon themselves to support Bar Kapara and his family for one month each.
Many commentators have searched for a source for 12 wives to Bar Kapara and why they accepted to each support Bar Kapara for a month each and why a Chachum and community leader would undertake the responsibility for 12 wives and children.
HaRav Reuven Margolis suggested an understanding based on a Yerushalmi (Yevamos Chapter 4):
Once there happened that there existed 13 brothers. Twelve brothers married and the thirteenth remained single. Unfortunately, the twelve brothers all died without children. The twelve windows came to Rebbe and requested that the remaining brother to perform Yibum. The brother objected that he wished to perform Chalitzah instead since he was unable to support a single family let alone 12 families. The widows then stated that they wish to perform Yibum and each one accepted upon herself to support the families for one month each. However, the brother objected again that how would the families be supported during the thirteenth month of leap years? So Rebbe declared that he would support the families if the brother would perform Yibum with the 12 widows. And the brother agreed.
The third year was a leap year. The brother returned to Rebbe with his 12 wives each with their three children (a total of 36 children). He went to Rebbe’s home with all his families. Rebbe looked out the window and saw all the children and their mother, and asked what is requested. He requested that Rebbe fulfill his promise and support his families for the extra month of this leap year. Rebbe agreed and supported all the families for one month every leap year.
Who is the person that performed Yibum to 12 widows? The Yerushalmi does not mention the name.
The Gemara (Yevamos 109a) mentions that Bar Kapara says that a person should distance himself from Yibum and select Chalizah. Further, it is known that Bar Kapara was a frequent guest in the house of Rebbe.
Therefore, Rabbi Margolis suggest that the two stories (Bar Kapara had 12 wives and the story about the brother that performed Yibum on 12 widows) are connected with one another.
Bar Kapara was the remaining brother of 13 and performed Yibum on the 12 widows. Due to his total dedication to Torah, he was unable to support these families. Therefore, as a condition of the Yibum the 12 wives each took one month to earn the living for the families.
Now, we can understand the Gemara (Berchos 56b) where Bar Kapara recounts a dream that he saw two hands clapping and was said to him that you do not need to earn a living. Rebbe then interpreted the dream that Bar Kapara did not need to earn a living since his wives supported him.
Bar Kapara in the Talmud
- Set of Analyses of Verses: Kesuvos 5a-b
- Told R' Shimon bar Rebbe that his father Rebbe couldn't answer a question he was working on, and Rebbe ex-communicated him: Moed Katan 16a
- Bar Kapara, or perhaps R' Shemuel B"R Yosi, not standing before R' Shimon bar Rebbe, upsetting him; he complained to his father, Rebbe: Kiddushin 33a
- R' Chanina said of Bar Kapara, "How courageous is one who will rule practically in accordance with his own learning!" Niddah 20a
- How Bar Kapara stored his phylacteries [tefillin] when he was sleeping: Berachos 24a
- Rav Hoshia learned before Bar Kapara, and then went to learn before R' Chiyya. When he subsequently asked Bar Kapara a question, Bar Kapara asked what R' Chiyya, "the Babylonian," would say. When Rav Hoshia couldn't answer, Bar Kapara mocked R' Chiyya, calling him 'Iyya.': Kerisos 8a
