Our Gemara on Amud Beis relates that Rabbi Eliezer taught, forgot, and was reminded by Rabbi Akiva of a rabbinic ban against using the red heifer purification ritual on Shabbos, even if it prevents timely purification for the Paschal offering.
Rav Dovid Kochav asks how Rabbi Eliezer could forget, given Pirke Avos (2:8), where Rabbi Yochanan Ben Zakai praises him as “a plastered cistern that does not lose a drop,” indicating a powerful memory (see commentaries).
Rav Kochav suggests the Mishna means Rabbi Eliezer’s Torah was not lost, not that he never forgot. His interaction with Rabbi Akiva, recovering the law, was part of “not losing a drop.” The text in Avos does not say, “he does not forget”, rather it says, “he does not lose”.
But to me, this doesn’t sit well, as the simple reading of the text indeed implies Rabbi Eliezer forgot nothing. The cistern metaphor uses “lose” because cisterns lose water, not forget it.
Yeyn Levavon (Avos 2:8, 3:8) argues the Mishna doesn’t praise a flawless memory—a physical gift, not a character trait Pirke Avos would emphasize. Instead, Rabbi Eliezer’s joy in his Rabbi’s teachings ensured deep retention via internalization, like a cistern. Thus, rare forgetfulness is possible. But if one time he forgot something, it’s not a refutation of this praise regarding Rabbi Eliezer. The Mishna was not claiming that he had a photographic memory.
Alternatively, perhaps we can say that since the issue was a rabbinic injunction overriding the Paschal sacrifice, it may have been less relevant to Rabbi Eliezer than oral traditions from the Masorah, and then he could be susceptible to forgetfulness.
Notably, Rabbi Akiva, who reminded him of the rabbinic enactment, had a strong stance on rabbinic enactments. In jail, given scarce water, he chose to wash his hands—required rabbinically—over drinking, saying (Eiruvin 21b):
What can I do? Transgressing the Sages’ words by eating without washing merits death. Better I die of thirst than transgress my colleagues’ opinion.
The student surpassed the master. Rabbi Eliezer internalized the foundational laws of the tradition but was possibly not relating in the exact same way toward rabbinic enactments. Rabbi Akiva, who reminded him, later lived this credo, even sacrificing his life for rabbinic decrees.
Translations Courtesy of Sefaria, except when, sometimes, I disagree with the translation
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Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, LCSW-R, LMFT, DHL is a psychotherapist who works with high conflict couples and families. He can be reached via email at simchafeuerman@gmail.com