JUDAH BEN LAḲISH:

Tanna of the second century. His name occurs only in the Tosefta and the Mekilta. He is the author of the halakah to the effect that a corpse may be carried on the Sabbath to save it from a fire (Shab. 43b). Besides this halakah, which is transmitted by him alone, there is another (Tosef., Sanh. i. 7) which prescribes that after a judge has heard both sides, and has formed an opinion, he may not say: "I will not judge between you."

A few of Judah's haggadic utterances also have been preserved; e.g.: "The children of Israel had two Arks of the Covenant. In one were the broken tables of stone; in the other, the Book of the Torah" (Tosef., Soṭah, vii. 18). "The Ark of the Covenant was not carried to Babylon, but was hidden inthe Temple itself" (Yoma 53a). "When a scholar neglects learning, Prov. xxvii. 8 may be applied to him" (Ḥag. 9b).

Bibliography:
  • Brüll, Einleltung in die Mischna, p. 249, Frankfort-on-the-Main;
  • Bacher, Ag. Tan. ii. 494-495.
S. J. Z. L.
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