Berachot 28: White Hair, Age and Other Qualifications for the Role of Nasi

Continuing from Berachot: 27,  Rabbi Elazar ben Azaria consulted with his wife about becoming the new Nasi.  She was nervous that they would remove him just like they removed Rabban Gamliel.  She noted that he was only eighteen with no white hair.  A miracle happened - Eighteen rows of his hair turned white.  Rabbi Elazar ben Azarya said I am as one who is seventy years old rather than I am seventy years old - he seemed older than he was.

At that time the guard at the door was dismissed.  The students were permitted to enter without being screened.  Many benches - perhaps four or seven hundred - were added to the study hall that day.  Rabban Gamliel felt badly for barring Jews from studying Torah, but he was shown a dream of white jugs filled with ashes, showing that those new students were worthless, to make him feel better.

A new teaching from Eduyyot was taught that day: there was no halacha whose ruling was pending in the study hall that they did not explain and find a practical halalchac conclusions.  Rabban Gamliel continued to participate in the halachic discourse.  

On that same day, Yehuda (an Ammonite convert) asked the students about his status entering into the congregation of Israel, meaning marrying a Jewish woman.  Rabban Gamliel forbid this.  Rabbi Yehoshua permitted it.  Each provided their proofs.    

Eventually, Rabbi Gamliel realized that his opinions were flawed at times.  We are told several stories about his interactions with Rabbi Yehoshua where Rabbi Gamliel comes to understand how his privilege had influenced his interpretations for the worse.  He apologized and wished to retake his seat as the Nasi.  In the end he and Rabbi Elazar ben Azaria shared the post, with Rabban Gamliel lecturing for three weeks and the younger rabbi lecturing for one week.

More stories about our Sages and their relationships are shared in today's daf.