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The gemara in Chulin 6b mentions Rabi Yehoshua ben Zeruz, the son of the father-in-law of Rabi Meir as having given testimony about a certain practice of Rabi Meir.

The way the relationship is described I'm left wondering if A) Zeruz is the son of the father-in-law, or B) Yehoshua is the son of the Father-in-law making Zeruz the father-in-law.

We know from maseches Avoda Zara 18a that Chanina ben Tradyon was Brurya's father and Rabi Meir's father-in-law.

So according to option A, Zeruz's father would be Chanina been Tradyon, which makes me wonder why we wouldn't say his name?

And according to option B, we find Rabi Meir, remarried to an unknown woman, and his otherwise unknown father-in-law mentioned by name. Which is problematic in light of the fact that we should have just called Yehoshua his brother-in-law. The only reason to call him the son of Zeruz would be if Zeruz was famous, which he is not.

Anyone have any insights?

1 Answer 1

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Otzar Chaim - Rabbi Chaim Yehuda Ehrenreich ponders this question and offers a few possible solutions.

1 - Seder Hadoros - page 262 top left writes that he married another wife who was the daughter of Zariz.

2 - Since it says Ben Chamav - perhaps there are three generations here, Rabbi Yehoshua, his father Zariz, Zariz's father - whom was the father-in-law of Rabbi Meir. Thus Zariz was the son of Rabbi Chanina ben Tradyon who was the father-in-law of Rabbi Meir.

3 - The Girsa should be corrected to Rabbi Yehoshua ben Zivsai - זיותאי who was a son-in-law of Rabbi Meir.

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