Our Gemara on Amud Aleph discusses a dispute between Rav Yochanan and Reish Lakish regarding one who mixed the oil of a mincha offering outside of the walls of the Temple. Reish Lakish says it is valid because the mixing can be performed by a non-Cohen; therefore, at this point it is not subject to the regular rules of sacrificial service and can be performed outside the Temple. Rav Yochanan holds that notwithstanding that it is permitted to be performed by a non-Cohen, the service is still in a kli shares (Temple service vessel) and must therefore be done inside the walls of the Temple.

One way to understand this dispute is whether the requirement of being in a kli shares triggers the requirement for being performed inside the walls of the Temple, or whether it must be a service performed by a Cohen. Or, is the obligation of being inside the Temple walls triggered by the performer, or even by the object of the performance? In a conceptual sense, Reish Lakish holds that we must look at every aspect, and if even one aspect is missing—the vessel or the priest—there is no obligation for the mixing to take place inside the walls of the Temple.

There is another dispute between Rav Yochanan and Reish Lakish involving a vessel, found in Bava Metzia (84b):

“A vessel is only subject to ritual impurity when it is complete. Regarding a sword, knife, sickle, or spear, when is the utensil considered complete? Rabbi Yoḥanan says: It is from when one fires these items in the furnace. Reish Lakish said: It is from when one scours them in water, after they have been fired in the furnace.”

Here too, Rav Yochanan holds one aspect is sufficient, and Reish Lakish requires all aspects for completion.

That same Gemara in Bava Metzia tells the origin story of Rav Yochanan and Reish Lakish’s relationship and its tragic ending:

One day, Rabbi Yoḥanan was bathing in the Jordan River. Reish Lakish saw him and jumped into the Jordan, pursuing him. At that time, Reish Lakish was the leader of a band of marauders. Rabbi Yoḥanan said to Reish Lakish: Your strength is fit for Torah study. Reish Lakish said to him: Your beauty is fit for women. Rabbi Yoḥanan said to him: If you return to the pursuit of Torah, I will give you my sister in marriage, who is more beautiful than I am. Reish Lakish accepted upon himself to study Torah.

Subsequently, Reish Lakish wanted to jump back out of the river to bring back his clothes, but he was unable to return, as he had lost his physical strength as soon as he accepted the responsibility to study Torah upon himself. Reish Lakish continued his studies and became a great scholar and student of Rabbi Yochanan. During this particular dispute over the status of the weaponry, Rabbi Yoḥanan said to Reish Lakish: A bandit knows about his banditry, i.e., you are an expert in weaponry because you were a bandit in the past! Reish Lakish said to Rabbi Yoḥanan: What benefit did you provide me by bringing me close to Torah? There, among the bandits, they called me: Leader of the bandits, and here, too, they call me: Leader of the bandits. Rabbi Yoḥanan said to him: I provided benefit to you, as I brought you close to God, under the wings of the Divine Presence.

As a result of the quarrel, Rabbi Yoḥanan was offended, which in turn affected Reish Lakish, who fell ill (apparently due to vexing someone with such great powers as Rav Yochanan) Ultimately, Reish Lakish died. Rabbi Yoḥanan was deeply pained over losing his prize student and (Talmudic) sparring partner. The Rabbis said: Who will go to calm Rabbi Yoḥanan’s mind and comfort him over his loss? They said: Let Rabbi Elazar ben Pedas go, as his statements are sharp, i.e., he is clever and will be able to serve as a substitute for Reish Lakish.

Rabbi Elazar ben Pedas went and sat before Rabbi Yoḥanan. With regard to every matter that Rabbi Yoḥanan would say, Rabbi Elazar ben Pedas would say to him: There is a ruling which is taught in a baraita that supports your opinion. Rabbi Yoḥanan said to him: Are you comparable to the son of Lakish? In my discussions with the son of Lakish, when I would state a matter, he would raise twenty-four difficulties against me in an attempt to disprove my claim, and I would answer him with twenty-four answers, and the halakha by itself would become broadened and clarified. And yet you say to me: There is a ruling which is taught in a baraita that supports your opinion. Do I not know that what I say is good? Being rebutted by Reish Lakish served a purpose; your bringing proof to my statements does not.

The Gemara concludes the story by telling us that Rav Yochanan lost his mind from grief, and the Rabbis prayed for his demise.

It occurs to me a possible connection between these two disputes and the biographical points of Rav Yochanan and Reish Lakish. Let’s review the points:

Reish Lakish was a fighter.

Therefore, Reish Lakish had a unique quality that Rav Yochanan valued, in that instead of agreeing with him, he would strongly debate him.

Reish Lakish was aggrieved when Rav Yochanan made a comment which he interpreted as suggesting all his studies and repentance did not change his character. (Perhaps he died not from Rav Yochanan’s vexation but from his own grief, just as Rav Yochanan was greatly affected by his grief.)

Reish Lakish perhaps had a perfectionistic side which led him to argue fine points, but also led him to despair when he felt his Rebbe did not see him as a fundamentally changed man. This also may account for his sudden utter weakness and loss of physical strength. Reish Lakish does not do things half way. Furthermore, the attention to fine points may be part of Reish Lakish’s reasoning regarding the completion of weaponry and the necessity of both a kli shares and a priest to trigger the obligation.

(If it seems inappropriate to the reader to attribute personality and life experience as part of what contributed to the Amora’s halachic reasoning, see Ben Yehoyada Shabbos 64b.)