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Ci.Bc University of Cbicajjo Ktibraries Ci.bc University of Cbicajjo KTibraries GIFT OF O iH V PUBLICATION No, T The Doctrine of Merits in Old Rabbinical Literature BY' A. MARMOKSTEIN, Ph.D. LONDON 1920 A PUBLICATION No. 7 The Doctrine of Merits in Old Rabbinical Literature BY A. MARMORSTEIN, Ph.D. LONDON 1920 THE COST OF THE PRODUCTION OF THIS PUBLICATION HAS BEEN BORNE BY MESSRS. I. S. AND A. S. HYMAN IN MEMORY OF THEIR BROTHER AUSTIN A. S. HYMAN 600449 INTRODUCTION (1) THE doctrine, the history and meaning, the develop- ment and influence of the subject to be discussed and explained in the following pages, is based on two great ideas and ideals of Judaism, which dominate the sayings and thoughts of the sages of Israel in the first four centuries of the Common Era. These sages taught, with few exceptions, that one is able to acquire merits before God. There are two ways of accumulating merits : negative and positive. The Church Fathers speak of the former, the Rabbis of the latter. Since a man is justified by faith alone, without the works of the law (Bom. 3. 28), he can obtain merits only by avoiding the indulgentia dei, i. e. that 1 which is not forbidden. The Jews, however, were taught 4la how one can obtain positive merits (Tert. Apol. 21, ). Men and women can rise by positive deeds to such a height of moral beauty, virtue, and accomplishment, in spite of their natural shortcomings and innate faults, that they are regarded as meritorious before God. What else does this imply but the idea that each individual human life, every soul, is of immeasurable value ? The inestimable value of every person imposes upon him high duties and responsibilities on the one hand, and allows him to partici- pate in privileges and merits on the other. The former requires him to establish his life on the ethical sentiments laid down in the to walk the ' of life and Torah, on path ', to contribute to the happiness and prosperity of the world. 1 For instance, second marriage, to escape persecution, keeping away from wine and meat, from luxuries, v. Tertullian, ad Uxvrem, 1,2 de Uxore, 18; C. Wirth, Der Verdienst-Begriff' in der christlichen Kirche nach seiner geschichtlichen Entioickelung, Leipzig, 1892-1901. la v. H. Schrors, Zur Textgeschichte und Erklanmg ron Tertullians Apo- logetikum, Leipzig, 1914, p. 43, 3. A 2 4 THE DOCTRINE OP MEEITS IN The latter assures him of reward and saves him from punish- ment. Yet the theological speculations and philosophical teachings of the rabbis strove after something higher than reward, and sought for more than escape from punishment in the ordinary sense of the word. Our chief concern will be to describe how men or women can obtain merits, according to the teachings of the scribes, which shall benefit not merely themselves, but also their posterity, their fellow- creatures, their ancestry, their whole generation, not merely during their life, but even after their departure from the land of the living. Even in the hereafter their merits protect and heal others. Judaism further teaches, as a supplement to the doctrine of imputed merits, the law of imputed sin. The sin and evil-doing of the wicked react upon the life and fortunes of their children, their contem- poraries, and others who ought to be spared and saved. This is nothing else but the law of the solidarity of mankind, of brotherhood of peoples and nations. Trans- lated into the vernacular it means : One man, or one set of society, or even one people cannot do good or harm without influencing beneficently or adversely the fate of their nearest kith and kin as well as their whole environ- ment, yea, even the whole world. Our task will be to collect the Agadic material on this subject. The first chapter deals with the sayings and teachings of the Tannaim and the Amoraim as to the ' doctrine of imputed merits and sins. Since the ' anonymous Agadah must necessarily be taken into consideration, they have to be connected with the problems arising out of this doctrine. The second chapter describes the views about the merits which were believed to have caused the creation of the world, which secure the existence of the Universe, and wrought the miracles as well as safeguarded the life of Israel as a religious community during its historical course. There must be a merit for everything. Without work nothing can be achieved. A reason has to be found, why the world was created. It was made for some purpose OLD EABBINICAL LITERATUKE 5 or aim. For whose sake? There are different theories trying to give a more or less plausible answer. The same is the case with the second question : Who or what are the moral pillars of this world ? The scribes were even more deeply interested in the third problem. With pro- found feeling and truthful sentiment they endeavoured to give a philosophy of their ancient history by means of this doctrine. It was not an accident, it was not blind chance that God had chosen the fathers, had selected Israel 3 amongCj the nations, had redeemed the children of Abraham from Egypt, had divided the sea, given them manna and quails in the wilderness, made them cross the Jordan, inherit the Holy Land, and so on. They must have had merits : what 1 were they ? The third chapter deals with the various answers to these questions. They can be briefly grouped in two classes. The merits of the fathers, and those of the righteous. Hereto is added also a chapter on the merits of children which are available for the fathers, and the opposition which arose by some misrepresentations of the doctrine, to the idea of Zeehuth Aboth. The last of the different means which merits chapter speaks acquire ; they are based on : Faith, Work, and Love. In the Introduction we have to treat first of all philo- logically the different terms which denote the ideas under- lying this doctrine in their various forms. This leads to the description of the doctrine of God's grace as far as it is connected with our subject. Secondly, to the idea of treasuries upon heaven and the share in the future life. Thirdly, the theological, philosophical, ethical, and social aspects of this doctrine will be pointed out. A bibliography of works on and references to this doctrine in more recent literature will conclude this Introduction. (2) All writers on ethics agree that the philological investigation of the words signifying the ethical conception is necessary for the understanding of the doctrine or idea. The word reflects as in a mirror the successive development or aberration of the way of thinking. Whilst. D THE DOCTRINE OF MERITS IN however, the oral tradition does not appear always reliable, that of literary documents offers a true description of the feeling and notion. The words on which this doctrine we are discussing is based, by which its meaning is expressed, are many. The most familiar to all is the noun JTDT (Latin, meritum] and the verb nat (merere inereri). These are, it is doubtful whether originally or not, legal terms. However, in the conscience of the people, in ' ordinary talk, ^ ^T meant Do with me an act of charity in order that thou mayest acquire a merit.' rat meant to most people, who happened not to be lawyers and ' judges, He deserved, he got merits, he is worthy.' niaf signified a merit, pi. nV3J merits. The noun is contrasted rain. It by (a) sun, (b) H-ray, and (c) must be, therefore, antithetic to sin, transgression, or guilt. For (a) we find this contrast in the composition NDn Dia and JTnr DIJ. A punishment caused by some sin, or a blessing caused by some merit. A sin originates misfortune, a merit acquired caused happiness. The same is the case in other construc- 2 tions nbtn NJon and rpin niDT. The same contrast can be 3 discerned in mr^n and ftOtanon . The former causes others, his or conduct to merits the by example, teaching, acquire ; latter as the originator of erroneous views or perverted ambitions, to lead others astray. This merit to make others imbibe high sentiments and to do good works, guards a law-giver or teacher, a leader or worker, from sin, and all the merits are ascribed to him who was the spiritual father of those works (u ^n nmn mar v. D3"iii son). It is just the other way about with him who teaches sin and shows the way to apostasy. Moses on one side, Jeroboam ben Nebat on the other side, illustrate the case. A later commentary gives a somewhat naive explanation 4 for this fact, yet we can understand the teaching very well without it. Can there, namely, be a higher merit 2 v. Mid. Cant. Z., p. 21. 3 v. 5. 18 Abofch R. ed. 120. Aboth, ; Nathan, Schechter, p. 4 v. Eocles. r. 4. 1. , OLD RABBINICAL LITERATUEE 7 than to teach others virtue"? to strengthen those of little faith in faith? and to show a higher outlook and aim of life to those sunk in the depth of worldly pleasures, ambitions, and desires 1 The sin of achieving the reverse of this endeavour can have no pardon and atonement. The historian will have to recognize that this is not an arbitrary theory of what could and should have happened, but a statement supported by the records reported in the pages of history. Just as 'merit and sin', so are contrasted 'merit and v. transgression' (ni3T rrvny).
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