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Rabbi Yehuda said: This was the custom of Rabbi Akiva, when he would pray with the congregation he would shorten (his prayer) and go up, due to encumbrance on the congregation. But when he prayed by himself a person would leave (Rabbi Akiva alone) in one corner and find him in another corner. And why so much? Because of his bows and prostrations.
— Talmud Bavli, Berakhot
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "Rabbi Yehuda said: This was the custom of Rabbi Akiva, when he would pray with the congregation he would shorten (his prayer) and go up, due to encumbrance on the congregation. But when he prayed by himself a person would leave (Rabbi Akiva alone) in one corner and find him in another corner. And why so much? Because of his bows and prostrations." in the context of "Talmud Bavli, Berakhot" to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "Akiba ben Joseph" (Quotes about Rabbi Akiva)
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
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About Akiba ben Joseph
Akiva ben Yosef (Mishnaic Hebrew: עֲקִיבָא בֶּן יוֹסֵף, ʿĂqīḇāʾ ben Yōsēp̄; c. 50 – 28 September 135 CE), also known as Rabbi Akiva (רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא), was a leading Jewish scholar and sage, a tanna of the latter part of the first century and the beginning of the second century. Rabbi Akiva was a leading contributor to the
About Akiba ben Joseph
Akiva ben Yosef (Mishnaic Hebrew: עֲקִיבָא בֶּן יוֹסֵף, ʿĂqīḇāʾ ben Yōsēp̄; c. 50 – 28 September 135 CE), also known as Rabbi Akiva (רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא), was a leading Jewish scholar and sage, a tanna of the latter part of the first century and the beginning of the second century. Rabbi Akiva was a leading contributor to the
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