DOCSLIB.ORG

Adaptive Talmud Session #2: Identifying Technical Vs

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Adaptive Talmud Session #2: Identifying Technical Vs Adaptive Talmud Session #2: Identifying Technical vs. Adaptive Challenges The Day They Fired the Head of the Academy Rabba Yaffa Epstein April 1, 2020/ 7 Nissan 5780 Background on Rabban Gamliel and Rebbe Yehosha from Encylopaedia Judaica Gamaliel, Rabban, Encyclopedia Judaica, Second Edition, Volume 7, Pp. 365-366 Gamaliel, Rabban, the name and title of six sages, descendants of *Hillel, who filled the office of nasi in Ereẓ Israel. RABBAN GAMALIEL II, also called Rabban Gamaliel of Jabneh, grandson of (1), succeeded *Johanan b. Zakkai as nasi c. 80 C.E. He saw his life’s work as the strengthening of the new center at Jabneh and the concentration and consolidation of the people around the Torah, constituting an authority that would be capable of filling the place of the Temple and of the Sanhedrin which had met in the Chamber of Hewn Stones. To this end he worked energetically for the elevation of the dignity of the nasi’s office, and for the unification of halakhah. The Talmud reports a heavenly voice “that was heard in Jabneh” establishing the halakhah in accordance with Bet Hillel (Er. 13b; TJ, Ber. 1:7, 3b), corresponding to the aims of much of Gamaliel’s activity. It also describes his vigorous exertions as not directed to increasing his own honor or that of his household, but rather to preserving the unity of the nation and the Torah (BM 59b). In his private life and in his personal relationships he was modest and easygoing, showed love and respect toward his pupils and friends, and even to his slave, and was tolerant of gentiles (Tosef, BK 9:30; Ber. 2:7; Sanh. 104b; et al.; Sif. Deut. 38). In respect to laws and prohibitions he was at times lenient to others and strict with himself (Ber. 2:6; TJ, Ber. 1:2, 3a). In spite of this, his firmness as nasi and his endeavors to increase the power of the new center aroused the strong opposition of the elder scholars of his generation. According to later talmudic tradition this led to a severe struggle in which Gamaliel did not hesitate to excommunicate his own brotherin-law, *Eliezer b. Hyrcanus (BM 59b). Of greatest consequence was Gamaliel’s dispute with *Joshua b. Hananiah on the fixing of the new moon (see *Calendar). Gamaliel regarded the affair as a test of the authority of his bet din and ordered R. Joshua to demonstrate publicly that he accepted the discipline of the nasi: “I charge you to appear before me with your staff and your money on the day which according to your reckoning should be the Day of Atonement.” On the advice of his colleagues, Akiva and Dosa b. Harkinas, R. Joshua bowed to the command. When he came before Rabban Gamaliel, the nasi rose, kissed him on his head and said to him: “Come in peace my teacher and pupil – my teacher in wisdom and my pupil because you have accepted my decision” (RH 2:8–9). From this passage in the Mishnah it would seem that the tensions between Gamaliel and Joshua had been resolved. According to the Talmud, however, they did not cease with this affair. The firmness of Gamaliel was regarded by most of the scholars as an insult to the dignity of R. Joshua and led to a revolt against his authority which ended with his removal from the office of nasi and the appointment of *Eleazar b. Azariah in his place (Ber. 27b–28a). The nobility of Rabban Gamaliel’s character was vindicated, however, by his not absenting himself from bet ha-midrash and by his participation in the establishment of the halakhah under the direction of the new nasi. In the end Gamaliel appeased Joshua, and the scholars, meeting him halfway “out of respect for his father’s house,” reinstated him as nasi. According to the Jerusalem Talmud (Ber. 4:1) he alone was nasi, Eleazar b. Azariah only serving as his deputy, av bet din, but according to the Babylonian Talmud (ibid.) Eleazar b. Azariah continued to share the post of nasi with him. Rabban Gamaliel was recognized as one of the greatest scholars of his generation by his colleagues, by his many pupils, and even by his opponents. His halakhic pronouncements, among them traditions from his father and grandfather, are abundantly cited in the Mishnah and beraitot. His activity, together with that of his colleagues and pupils in Jabneh, laid the foundation of the Mishnah. Exceptionally important takkanot with respect to religion and worship are associated with the name of Rabban Gamaliel, their aim being to face up to the new reality created by the destruction of the Temple by the implementation of laws and customs designed to serve as a “reminder of the Temple.” Rabban Gamaliel played a large part in formulating Passover eve ceremonial after the destruction of the Temple (Pes. 10:5), in determining the final version of the 18 benedictions (*Amidah), in making it a duty for each individual to pray, and in deciding in favor of the custom of praying three times a day. It is clear that Rabban Gamaliel was close to the general culture and learning of his time, permitting among other things the study of Greek (Tosef., Sot. 15:8). His son Simeon’s testimony that many youngsters studied Greek wisdom in his father’s house (Sot. 49b) seemed incomprehensible to the scholars, who later explained the phenomenon in terms of the political activity of the nasi and in the light of the need to maintain good relations with the ruling powers. He did not refrain from bathing in the bathhouse of Aphrodite in Acre, regarding the image there as serving a decorative purpose only (Av. Zar. 3:4). Gamaliel’s son, Ḥanina, testified that it was customary in his father’s house to use seals which had figures in relief (TJ, Av. Zar. 3:1, 42c). He was apparently also acquainted with the principles of Greek science. He used astronomical diagrams to examine the witnesses of the new moon (RH 2:8), and he fashioned an instrument to measure distances (ER. 43b). Gamaliel was not only the chief religious authority but also the recognized national-political leader. It is probable that the Roman government also recognized him as the spokesman of the Jews. In any event he made journeys – either alone or in the company of other scholars – to the governor in Syria to receive “authority” (Eduy. 7:7; Sanh. 11a) and also to Rome in order to intercede for his people (TJ, Sanh. 7:19, 25d). In his contacts with non-Jews, he also appeared as the spokesman of Judaism in its battle against idolatry and heresy (Av. Zar. 3:4, 4:7, et al.). Associated with his name is the introduction of the *Birkat ha-Minim in the Amidah, aimed at excluding the Christians from the Jewish fold (Ber. 28b; Meg. 17b). The year of his death is not known, but in all probability he did not live to witness the revolt in the time of Trajan (c. 116 C.E.). The life and death of the great nasi are embellished in the aggadah. Tradition assigns to him the great takkanah – on behalf of the poor – of abrogating ornate and expensive funerals and introducing the practice of burying the dead in simple flaxen raiment. Joshua Ben Hananiah, Encyclopaedia Judaica, Second Edition, Volume 11, 450 – 452 Joshua Ben Hananiah (first and second centuries C.E.), tanna. One of the five disciples of Johanan b. Zakkai's inner circle, he was as noted for the logical acumen of his halakhic formulations as he was for his worldly wisdom. His career in the academy and public life offers illuminating insights into both his times and his personal temper. Dosa b. Harkinas stated that when Joshua was still an infant his mother used to bring him to the synagogue so that "his ears might become accustomed to the words of Torah" (TJ, Yev. 1:6, 3a). Possibly it was in reference to this pious act that Johanan b. Zakkai said "happy is she who bore him" (Avot 2:8). As a levite (Ma'as. Sh. 5:9), he served as a chorister in the Temple (Ar. 11b). Since Levites commenced their service in the Temple at the age of 30 (Num. 4:3; Hul. 24a), it may be assumed that he was at least 30 years of age at the time of the destruction of the Temple. Drawing on his experience in the Temple, he gives a vivid eye-witness description of the rejoicing at the water-drawing ceremony (Suk. 53a). His ordination by Johanan b. Zakkai took place before the destruction of the Temple (TJ, Sanh. 1:2, 19a) since there is a ruling by him on a ritual question arising from an incident that occurred in Temple times (TJ, Sanh. 1:2, 19a and Zev. 113a). He with Eliezer b. Hyrcanus carried Johanan b. Zakkai out of besieged Jerusalem in a coffin so that the latter might meet Vespasian (Git. 56a). Subsequently, he returned to the city to help bring out R. Zadok (Lam. R. 1:5, 31). On the basis of this and other episodes in his life, it may be safely assumed that he completely supported Johanan b. Zakkai in his peace policy toward the Romans. After the destruction of the Temple, Joshua settled in Peki'in, a small town between Jabneh and Lydda, establishing there a bet din (Sanh. 32a) which he headed (BK 74b). Despite his preeminence in academic circles, he lived a life of poverty and earned his living as a blacksmith (Bet.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Regulating Communal Space: Mikvaot in Seventeenth-Century Altona
    EMW - Workshops EMW 2010 EARLY MODERN WORKSHOP: Jewish History Resources Volume 7: Jewish Community and Identity in the Early Modern Period, 2010, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT Regulating Communal Space: Mikvaot in Seventeenth-Century Altona Debra Kaplan, Yeshiva University, USA ABSTRACT: Over the course of a few years in the latter half of the seventeenth century, the community of Altona made several changes in the administration of local ritual baths. A series of entries in the communal pinkas, or logbook, elucidates how the community raised funds from mikvaot, how lay and rabbinic leaders worked together, and how communal leaders regulated ritual space both in homes and in communal space. This presentation is for the following text(s): Communal Logbook of Altona (CAHJP AHW 14 [50]) Communal Logbook of Altona (CAHJP AHW 14 [90]) Communal Logbook of Altona (CAHJP AHW 14 [91]) Copyright © 2012 Early Modern Workshop 44 EMW - Workshops EMW 2010 EARLY MODERN WORKSHOP: Jewish History Resources Volume 7: Jewish Community and Identity in the Early Modern Period, 2010, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT Introduction Debra Kaplan, Yeshiva University, USA Introduction The texts presented here are all excerpts from the pinkas of Altona, held at the Central Archives for the History of the Jewish People, AHW 14. The communal pinkas, or record book, contains notes of some of the decisions issues by the parnassim, the lay leaders of the Jewish community. Altona, subject to the Danish king, was part of the triple Jewish community together with neighboring Hamburg and Wandsbeck. These three texts concern the policies of the parnassim towards local ritual baths, mikvaot.
    [Show full text]
  • Zeraim Tractates Terumot and Ma'serot
    THE JERUSALEM TALMUD FIRST ORDER: ZERAIM TRACTATES TERUMOT AND MA'SEROT w DE G STUDIA JUDAICA FORSCHUNGEN ZUR WISSENSCHAFT DES JUDENTUMS HERAUSGEGEBEN VON E. L. EHRLICH BAND XXI WALTER DE GRUYTER · BERLIN · NEW YORK 2002 THE JERUSALEM TALMUD Ή^ίτ τΐίΛη FIRST ORDER: ZERAIM Π',ΙΓΙΪ Π0 TRACTATES TERUMOT AND MA'SEROT ΓτηελΡΏΐ niQnn rnooü EDITION, TRANSLATION, AND COMMENTARY BY HEINRICH W. GUGGENHEIMER WALTER DE GRUYTER · BERLIN · NEW YORK 2002 Die freie Verfügbarkeit der E-Book-Ausgabe dieser Publikation wurde ermöglicht durch den Fachinformationsdienst Jüdische Studien an der Universitätsbibliothek J. C. Senckenberg Frankfurt am Main und 18 wissenschaftliche Bibliotheken, die die Open-Access-Transformation in den Jüdischen Studien unterstützen. ISBN 978-3-11-017436-6 ISBN Paperback 978-3-11-068128-4 ISBN 978-3-11-067718-8 e-ISBN (PDF) 978-3-11-090846-6 e-ISBN (PDF) 978-3-11-067726-3 e-ISBN (EPUB) 978-3-11-067730-0 This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence. For This work is licensed under the Creativedetails go Commons to http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. Attribution 4.0 International Licence. For details go to http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. Das E-Book ist als Open-Access-Publikation verfügbar über www.degruyter.com, Library of Congresshttps://www.doabooks.org Control Number: 2020942816und https://www.oapen.org 2020909307 Bibliographic informationLibrary published of Congress by the Control Deutsche Number: Nationalbibliothek The Deutsche Nationalbibliothek lists this publication in the Bibliographic information published by the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek DeutscheThe Deutsche Nationalbibliografie; Nationalbibliothek lists this publication in the Deutsche Nationalbibliografie; detailed bibliographic data detailedare available bibliographic on the data Internet are available at http://dnb.dnb.de.
    [Show full text]
  • Stolen Talmud
    History of Jewish Publishing, Week 3: Modern Forgeries R' Mordechai Torczyner – [email protected] Pseudepigraphy 1. Avot 6:6 One who makes a statement in the name of its original source brings redemption to the world, as Esther 2:22 says, "And Esther told the king, in the name of Mordechai." 2. Jerusalem Talmud, Shabbat 6:1 Rabbi Avahu cited Rabbi Yochanan: One may teach his daughter Greek; this is ornamental for her. Shimon bar Abba heard this and said, "Because Rabbi Avahu wants to teach his daughter Greek, he hung this upon Rabbi Yochanan." Rabbi Avahu heard this and said, "May terrible things happen to me, if I did not hear this from Rabbi Yochanan!" 3. Talmud, Pesachim 112a If you wish to be strangled, hang yourself by a tall tree. Besamim Rosh 4. Responsa of Rabbeinu Asher ("Rosh") 55:9 The wisdom of philosophy and the wisdom of Torah and its laws do not follow the same path. The wisdom of Torah is a tradition received by Moses from Sinai, and the scholar will analyze it via the methods assigned for its analysis, comparing one matter and another. Even where this does not match natural wisdom, we follow the tradition. Philosophical wisdom is natural, with great scholars who established natural arguments, and in their great wisdom they dug deeper and corrupted (Hosea 9:9) and needed to deny the Torah of Moses, for the Torah is entirely unnatural and revelatory. Regarding this it is stated, 'You shall be pure with HaShem your Gd,' meaning that even if something is outside of natural logic, you should not doubt the received tradition, but walk before Him in purity.
    [Show full text]
  • Occupy Sanhedrin Brochure
    Sarah Zell Young is the 4th annual Hadassah-Brandeis Institute (HBI) Artist-in Residence. The 2012 HBI Artist-in-Residence Program is made possible thanks to the generous support of Carol Spinner at Sarah Zell Young Avoda Arts and Arnee and Walter Winshall. About the Hadassah-Brandeis Institute Occupy Sanhedrin The Hadassah-Brandeis Institute develops fresh ways of thinking about Jews and gender worldwide by producing and promoting scholarly research and artistic projects. March 29 - May 18, 2012 About the Women’s Studies Research Center The Women’s Studies Research Center (WSRC) is a place where research, art and activism converge. The Kniznick Gallery is committed to feminist exhibitions of artistic excellence that reflect the activities of the Women's Studies Research Center Scholars and engage communities within and beyond Brandeis University. About Occupy Sanhedrin & As Old as the World The term Sanhedrin refers to the Great Court of ancient Israel during the Second Temple Period. It was composed of 71 men, one chief justice referred to as the Nasi (prince), one assistant chief justice, the Av Beit Din (Patriarch of the rabbinic court) and 69 general members. This judicial body made binding decisions about all aspects of Jewish life in and beyond Jerusalem. The Great Sanhedrin is a prime example of an exclusively male space—not only in its physical gathering of 71 men, but in the scope of influence these men had in making decisions that ruled over all bodies. We learn about the Sanhedrin in the Talmud, an elaborate six-volume documentation of laws derived from interpretations of the Bible.
    [Show full text]
  • It Is Fitting That We Come Together Today, on the Day the Members Of
    I would like to begin by thanking David Berger and the other Keshet organizers for allowing me to submit a paper to be read to you in my absence. I am, regrettably, unable to be in New York today, but am grateful for the honor of having been asked to participate in this way, nevertheless. My talk is entitled: Svara, Queers, and the Future of Rabbinic Judaism According to Masechet Sanhedrin [5a], there are two requirements for one who wants to exercise rabbinic authority—one must be both gamirna and savirna. Now, what do these Aramaic terms mean? Gamirna implies that one has to have amassed sufficient knowledge or learning. Basically, they gotta know their stuff. And savirna implies they have to have the ability to exercise svara. But what is this svara that is so crucial to functioning as a rabbi and to interpreting God’s will? It seems pretty straightforward: svara, the ability to be “savir,” “reasonable.” The capacity to reason. But, actually, svara is much more complicated, and, it turns out, is not only a prerequisite for those aspiring to rabbinic authority, but is probably the most significant source of Jewish law we have. After the destruction of the Second Temple, our founding Rabbis increased the number of places to which they could turn to discover God’s will—that is, the sources of Jewish Law—from one to five. In addition to our old standby—a verse in the Torah, which they called kra (and which legal scholars call midrash)—they added ma’aseh (precedent), minhag (custom), takkanah (legislation) and last but not least, svara.
    [Show full text]
  • Daf Ditty Pesachim 78: Korban Pesach Today (?)
    Daf Ditty Pesachim 78: Korban Pesach today (?) Three girls in Israel were detained by the Israeli Police (2018). The girls are activists of the “Return to the Mount” (Chozrim Lahar) movement. Why were they detained? They had posted Arabic signs in the Muslim Quarter calling upon Muslims to leave the Temple Mount area until Friday night, in order to allow Jews to bring the Korban Pesach. This is the fourth time that activists of the movement will come to the Old City on Erev Pesach with goats that they plan to bring as the Korban Pesach. There is also an organization called the Temple Institute that actively is trying to bring back the Korban Pesach. It is, of course, very controversial and the issues lie at the heart of one of the most fascinating halachic debates in the past two centuries. 1 The previous mishnah was concerned with the offering of the paschal lamb when the people who were to slaughter it and/or eat it were in a state of ritual impurity. Our present mishnah is concerned with a paschal lamb which itself becomes ritually impure. Such a lamb may not be eaten. (However, we learned incidentally in our study of 5:3 that the blood that gushed from the lamb's throat at the moment of slaughter was collected in a bowl by an attendant priest and passed down the line so that it could be sprinkled on the altar). Our mishnah states that if the carcass became ritually defiled, even if the internal organs that were to be burned on the altar were intact and usable the animal was an invalid sacrifice, it could not be served at the Seder and the blood should not be sprinkled.
    [Show full text]
  • Melilah Agunah Sptib W Heads
    Agunah and the Problem of Authority: Directions for Future Research Bernard S. Jackson Agunah Research Unit Centre for Jewish Studies, University of Manchester [email protected] 1.0 History and Authority 1 2.0 Conditions 7 2.1 Conditions in Practice Documents and Halakhic Restrictions 7 2.2 The Palestinian Tradition on Conditions 8 2.3 The French Proposals of 1907 10 2.4 Modern Proposals for Conditions 12 3.0 Coercion 19 3.1 The Mishnah 19 3.2 The Issues 19 3.3 The talmudic sources 21 3.4 The Gaonim 24 3.5 The Rishonim 28 3.6 Conclusions on coercion of the moredet 34 4.0 Annulment 36 4.1 The talmudic cases 36 4.2 Post-talmudic developments 39 4.3 Annulment in takkanot hakahal 41 4.4 Kiddushe Ta’ut 48 4.5 Takkanot in Israel 56 5.0 Conclusions 57 5.1 Consensus 57 5.2 Other issues regarding sources of law 61 5.3 Interaction of Remedies 65 5.4 Towards a Solution 68 Appendix A: Divorce Procedures in Biblical Times 71 Appendix B: Secular Laws Inhibiting Civil Divorce in the Absence of a Get 72 References (Secondary Literature) 73 1.0 History and Authority 1.1 Not infrequently, the problem of agunah1 (I refer throughout to the victim of a recalcitrant, not a 1 The verb from which the noun agunah derives occurs once in the Hebrew Bible, of the situations of Ruth and Orpah. In Ruth 1:12-13, Naomi tells her widowed daughters-in-law to go home.
    [Show full text]
  • Tanya Sources.Pdf
    The Way to the Tree of Life Jewish practice entails fulfilling many laws. Our diet is limited, our days to work are defined, and every aspect of life has governing directives. Is observance of all the laws easy? Is a perfectly righteous life close to our heart and near to our limbs? A righteous life seems to be an impossible goal! However, in the Torah, our great teacher Moshe, Moses, declared that perfect fulfillment of all religious law is very near and easy for each of us. Every word of the Torah rings true in every generation. Lesson one explores how the Tanya resolved these questions. It will shine a light on the infinite strength that is latent in each Jewish soul. When that unending holy desire emerges, observance becomes easy. Lesson One: The Infinite Strength of the Jewish Soul The title page of the Tanya states: A Collection of Teachings ספר PART ONE לקוטי אמרים חלק ראשון Titled הנקרא בשם The Book of the Beinonim ספר של בינונים Compiled from sacred books and Heavenly מלוקט מפי ספרים ומפי סופרים קדושי עליון נ״ע teachers, whose souls are in paradise; based מיוסד על פסוק כי קרוב אליך הדבר מאד בפיך ובלבבך לעשותו upon the verse, “For this matter is very near to לבאר היטב איך הוא קרוב מאד בדרך ארוכה וקצרה ”;you, it is in your mouth and heart to fulfill it בעזה״י and explaining clearly how, in both a long and short way, it is exceedingly near, with the aid of the Holy One, blessed be He. "1 of "393 The Way to the Tree of Life From the outset of his work therefore Rav Shneur Zalman made plain that the Tanya is a guide for those he called “beinonim.” Beinonim, derived from the Hebrew bein, which means “between,” are individuals who are in the middle, neither paragons of virtue, tzadikim, nor sinners, rishoim.
    [Show full text]
  • Preservation of Life Pushes Away1,2 (Docheh) Shabbos Clarifications Within the General Discussion, and in the Opinion of Rambam
    Preservation of Life Pushes Away1,2 (Docheh) Shabbos Clarifications within the General Discussion, and in the Opinion of Rambam Yaakov Neuburger I. A. Yoma 85a R. Yishmael, R. Akiba, and R. Elazar b. Azaryah were once traveling on the road. this question arose in front of them: From where do we know that preservation of life trumps the Shabbos? R. Yishmael responded and said, [From the follow- ing verse:] “if the thief shall be found in concealment”—and if this person [is one] about whom it is uncertain as to whether he came for monetary reasons or for homicidal purposes. R. Shimon b. Menasya said, [From the verse] “And the children of Israel shall keep the Shabbos” (Shemos 31); the Torah said “desecrate one Shabbos for him in order that he be capable of observing many Shabbosos.” R. Yehudah said in the name of 1 Translated by Yehuda Salamon. Translator’s note: This article was translated with the permission of Rabbi Neuburger from Beit Yitzchak. The translation was not reviewed by the author prior to publication. 2 The Hebrew word docheh, used throughout the text, has different connotations and nuances. Depending on context, it has been rendered as “trumps,“ “casts aside,” “pushes away,” “suppresses,” or “supersedes.” Rabbi Neuberger is a rosh yeshiva at the Yeshiva Program/Mazer School of Talmudic Studies at Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary, and is also the spiritual leader of Congregation Beit Avraham in Bergenfield, NJ. From 1986-1990, he was the Rav at the Yeshiva University’s Albert Einstein College of Medicine and the Jack D.
    [Show full text]
  • The Right of Appeal in Talmudic Law Arthur Jay Silverstein
    Case Western Reserve Journal of International Law Volume 6 | Issue 1 1973 The Right of Appeal in Talmudic Law Arthur Jay Silverstein Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarlycommons.law.case.edu/jil Part of the International Law Commons Recommended Citation Arthur Jay Silverstein, The Right of Appeal in Talmudic Law, 6 Case W. Res. J. Int'l L. 33 (1974) Available at: https://scholarlycommons.law.case.edu/jil/vol6/iss1/3 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Journals at Case Western Reserve University School of Law Scholarly Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Case Western Reserve Journal of International Law by an authorized administrator of Case Western Reserve University School of Law Scholarly Commons. 19731 The Right of Appeal in Talmudic Law Arthur Jay Silverstein The law is what it is today because of what the law was yesterday; it cannot escape its ancestry, Alison Reppy, Common Law Pleading, 2 N.Y. LAW FORUM 1, 5 (1956). ZHE SYSTEM of appellate review' in the United States has been ' criticized for its form and limited scope. 2 These concerns are reflected in the various appellate procedures developed by Talmudic law. Since jurisprudential systems typically establish methods of review, the Talmudic choices are important as they reveal THE AUTHOR: ARTHUR JAY SILVER- some basic precepts of that sys- STEIN (B.A., Rutgers University; J.D., Yale Law School) is currently pursuing tern and by comparison allow post-doctoral studies in Jewish law at insights into our own. A com- Mirrer Yeshivah in New York City.
    [Show full text]
  • Judah Ha-Nasi Judaism
    JUDAH HA-NASI JUDAH HA-NASI al. Since the publication of his Mishnah at the end of the second or beginning of the third century, the primary pur- Head of Palestinian Jewry and codifier of the MISH- suit of Jewish sages has been commenting on its contents. NAH; b. probably in Galilee, c. 135; d. Galilee, c. 220. Judah was the son of Simeon II ben Gamaliel II, who was See Also: TALMUD. the grandson of GAMALIEL (mentioned in Acts 5.34; Bibliography: W. BACHER, The Jewish Encyclopedia. ed. J. 22.3), who was in turn the grandson of Hillel. As the pa- SINGER (New York 1901–06) 7:333–33. D. J. BORNSTEIN, Encyclo- triarch or head of Palestinian Jewry, Judah received as a paedia Judaica: Das Judentum in Geschichte und Gegenwart. permanent epithet the title ha-Nasi (the Prince), original- (Berlin 1928–34) 8:1023–35. L. LAZARUS, Universal Jewish Ency- clopedia (New York 1939–44) 6: 229–230. K. SCHUBERT, Lexikon ly given to the president of the Great Sanhedrin in Jerusa- für Theologie und Kirche, ed. J. HOFER and K. RAHNER (Freiberg lem. In the Mishnah he is referred to simply as Rabbi (the 1957–65) 5:889. A. GUTTMANN, ‘‘The Patriarch Judah I: His Birth teacher par excellence), and in the GEMARAH he is often and Death,’’ Hebrew Union College Annual 25 (1954) 239–261. called Rabbenu (our teacher) or Rabbenu ha-kadosh (our [M. J. STIASSNY] saintly teacher). He was instructed in the HALAKAH of the Oral Law by the most famous rabbis of his time, but he summed up his experience as a student, and later as a teacher, in the words: ‘‘Much of the Law have I learned JUDAISM from my teachers, more from my colleagues, but most of The term Judaism admits of various meanings.
    [Show full text]
  • 56. Expulsion from the Synagogues
    157 56. Expulsion from the Synagogues Babylonian Talmud: Berakhot 28b-29a The increasing insistence of some Jesus followers on the divinity of Jesus, their replacement of God by Jesus at many points, and their reading of the Scriptures as prophecies of Jesus, were increasingly distasteful to those Jews who were not followers of Jesus, and most of all to the Temple leadership. This tension reached a crisis when the Romans destroyed the Temple, depriving Judaism of its sacrificial center. This presented Judaism with an ultimatum: to follow its own universalist trend, or to stay centered on sacrifice. The choice was for sacrifice. In the urgent process of preserving the Temple cult and its associated Sanhedrin court in a diffused form, masterminded by Yoh!anan, other matters were put on hold. Some of those “other matters” were taken up when the new arrangement became more stable, and Gamaliel II became the leader at Yabneh, around 80. This passage, from the late but seemingly credible Babylonian Talmud, tells how the daily prayers were expanded by a new addition, intended to deal with the problem of the Jesus sect.1 Rabban Gamaliel said to the sages, Is there no one who knows how to compose a Benediction against the minim?2 Samuel the Less stood up and composed it: “For the apostates let there be no hope. And let the arrogant government be speedily uprooted in our days. Let the Nozrim3 and the minim be destroyed in a moment, and let them be blotted out of the Book of Life and not be inscribed together with the righteous.
    [Show full text]