Honi the Circle Drawer/Honina ben Dosa

[didymus]

Are you at all familiar with a man named Honi? According to some things I read he was a charismatic Hasidic Jewish man known for his powerful prayer and his ability to start and stop rain. Apparently many referred to his grandson Hanan as Abba who also had control over the elements.

Hanina ben Dosa, a first century Galilean who was a master healer and having dominion over demonic powers.

Any information would be helpful.

[dauer]

Honi! Honi the circle-drawer! That guy is fun. Hasidic usually refers to the hasidim but what confuses things is that there have been many historical pietist movements called hasidim. I'm not sure if he was one of the hasidim rishonim. This is the mishna on him taken from the blackman translation:

They sound the shofar on account of any calamity upon the public -- may such never befall! -- but not because of excessive rain. Once it happened that they said to Choni the Circle-drawer, 'Pray that rain may fall.' He replied, 'Go forth and bring in the Passover ovens so that they might not be softened. He prayed but no rain fell. What did he do? -- He drew a circle and stood within it, and said before Him, 'Master of the Universe, Thy children have set their faces to me, for that I am as a son of the household before thee. I swear by Thy great Name that I will not stir hence until Thou shalt have compassion upon Thy children.' Rain commenced to trickle. He said, 'Not for such rain did I pray, but for rain which will fill the cisterns, pits and caves.' The rain began to fall with violence. He said, 'Not for such rain have I prayer, but for rain of benevolence, blessing and graciousness.' The rain fell according to their wont until the Israelites had to go up from Jerusalem to the Temple Mount because of the rain. They came to him and said, 'Just as thou didst pray for the rain to fall so pray now that it may depart.' He answered them, 'Go and see if the Stone of Strayers has been washed away. Simon ben Shetach sent to him saying, 'Hadst thou not been Choni I would have pronounced a ban of excommunication against thee! But what could I do to thee, since thou art petulant before God and He performed thy will like a son who importuneth his father and he doeth his desire? And of thee it is written, Let thy father and they mother rejoice, and let her that bore thee be glad.

Taanit 3:8

According to his brief bio in the Blackman:

"Onias the Circle-maker: Fl: c. 70 B.C.E. Josephus relates that he was stoned to death by the party of Hyrcanus when they were besieging Aristobulus in Jerusalem in 65 B.C.E. He was asked to pray for the besiegers. Spreading his hands to heaven, he exclaimed: "They are both thy children. Listen not if they pray against one another for evil but only for good." He was the Jewish Rip Van winkle.

The only mishnaic source it gives is the one I gave you.

Chanina ben Dosa's bio says: A disciple of Rabban Jochanan b. Zakkai, famed for his piety and wonder-working abilities. His poverty was proverbial. I've got four hits for him and time right now to check them out. Gemara would probably have more, but mishna was recorded earlier. It's also much much smaller.

Berachot 5:5 discusses that if one makes a mistake during prayer it is a bad omen for him, and if he is the prayer leader, it is a bad omen for the congregation. Then they say of him... "R Chanina b Dosa that when he prayed on behalf of sick people he used to say 'This one will live,' or 'That one will die.' They said to him, "Where dost thou know?' He replied to them, 'If my prayer be uttered fluently I know it is granted, but if not, I know that it is rejected.

Berachot 5:5

The sotah reference just mentions that when he died men of great deeds ceased to exist. It mentions other such extraordinary things attached to other people in the same passage.

Avot I'm pulling from the internet.

9. Rabbi Chanina the son of Dosa would say: One whose fear of sin takes precedence to his wisdom, his wisdom endures. But one whose wisdom takes precedence to his fear of sin, his wisdom does not endure.


10. He would also say: One whose deeds exceed his wisdom, his wisdom endures. But one whose wisdom exceeds his deeds, his wisdom does not endure.


He would also say: One who is pleasing to his fellow men, is pleasing to G-d. But one who is not pleasing to his fellow men, is not pleasing to G-d.

from Avot 3. I think the numbering of the lines on that website is a little mixed up.

Dauer