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Creation and Composition
Texts and Studies in Ancient Judaism Texte und Studien zum Antiken Judentum Edited by Martin Hengel und Peter Schäfer 114 ARTIBUS ,5*2 Creation and Composition The Contribution of the Bavli Redactors (Stammaim) to the Aggada Edited by Jeffrey L. Rubenstein Mohr Siebeck Jeffrey L. Rubenstein, born 1964. 1985 B.A. at Oberlin College (OH); 1987 M.A. at The Jewish Theological Seminary of America (NY); 1992 Ph.D. at Columbia University (NY). Professor in the Skirball Department of Hebrew and Judaic Studies, New York University. ISBN 3-16-148692-7 ISSN 0721-8753 (Texts and Studies in Ancient Judaism) Die Deutsche Bibliothek lists this publication in the Deutsche Nationalbibliographie; detailed bibliographic data is available in the Internet at http://dnb.ddb.de. © 2005 by Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen, Germany. This book may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, in any form (beyond that permitted by copyright law) without the publisher's written permission. This applies particularly to repro- ductions, translations, microfilms and storage and processing in electronic systems. The book was typeset by Martin Fischer in Tübingen, printed by Guide-Druck in Tübingen on non-aging paper and bound by Buchbinderei Spinner in Ottersweier. Printed in Germany. Preface The papers collected in this volume were presented at a conference sponsored by the Skirball Department of Hebrew and Judaic Studies of New York University, February 9-10, 2003.1 am grateful to Lawrence Schiffman, chairman of the de- partment, for his support, and to Shayne Figueroa and Diane Leon-Ferdico, the departmental administrators, for all their efforts in logistics and organization. -
The Decline of the Generations (Haazinu)
21 Sep 2020 – 3 Tishri 5781 B”H Dr Maurice M. Mizrahi Congregation Adat Reyim Torah discussion on Haazinu The Decline of the Generations Introduction In this week’s Torah portion, Haazinu, Moses tells the Israelites to remember their people’s past: זְכֹר֙יְמֹ֣ות םעֹולָָ֔ ב ִּ֖ ינּו נ֣ שְ ֹותּדֹור־וָד֑ ֹור שְאַַ֤ ל אָב ֙יך֙ וְ יַגֵָ֔דְ ךזְקֵנ ִּ֖יך וְ יֹֹ֥אמְ רּו לְָָֽך Remember the days of old. Consider the years of generation after generation. Ask your father and he will inform you; your elders, and they will tell you. [Deut. 32:7] He then warns them that prosperity (growing “fat, thick and rotund”) and contact with idolaters will cause them to fall away from their faith, so they should keep alive their connection with their past. Yeridat HaDorot Strong rabbinic doctrine: Yeridat HaDorot – the decline of the generations. Successive generations are further and further away from the revelation at Sinai, and so their spirituality and ability to understand the Torah weakens steadily. Also, errors of transmission may have been introduced, especially considering a lot of the Law was oral: מש הק בֵלּתֹורָ ה מ סינַי, ּומְ סָרָ ּהל יהֹושֻׁעַ , ו יהֹושֻׁעַ ל זְקֵנים, ּוזְקֵנים ל נְב יאים, ּונְב יא ים מְ סָ רּוהָ ילְאַנְשֵ נכְ ס ת הַגְדֹולָה Moses received the Torah from Sinai and transmitted it to Joshua, Joshua to the elders, and the elders to the prophets, and the prophets to the Men of the Great Assembly. [Avot 1:1] The Mishnah mourns the Sages of ages past and the fact that they will never be replaced: When Rabbi Meir died, the composers of parables ceased. -
Molad Zaqen and Islamic Scientific Innovation1
181 Molad Zaqen and Islamic Scientific Innovation1 By: ARI STORCH1 Introduction The contemporary Hebrew calendar is a lunar one that sets the first day of the year based on the molad, the time of a lunar conjunction.2 A lunar conjunction describes a distinct position of the moon, relative to the earth and the sun. The date of the molad of Tishrei, the seventh Hebrew month, is declared the first day of the year, Rosh Hashanah; however, should this occur on a Sunday, Wednesday, or Friday then the next day is chosen. One exception, however, is at the occurrence of a molad zaqen, when the molad occurs after midday; in this case, the following day is declared Rosh Hashanah. Historical evidence strongly suggests that this exception was not implemented until the ninth century, leaving the question of why it was instated in the post-Talmudic era. Scientific advancements of that time period in Islamic lands may answer this question. The Molad As mentioned above, the molad is a lunar conjunction. As the moon orbits earth it reflects the light of the sun. The apparent shape of the moon de- pends on its position relative to the sun. A lunar conjunction is defined as when the moon is aligned with the earth and sun in such a way that all its light is reflected toward the sun rendering it invisible to those on earth. It is from this point that its orbit will begin to allow it to reflect light earthwards slowly causing it to be seen as a crescent, half moon, gibbous, and then full moon. -
The Babylonian Talmud
The Babylonian Talmud translated by MICHAEL L. RODKINSON Book 10 (Vols. I and II) [1918] The History of the Talmud Volume I. Volume II. Volume I: History of the Talmud Title Page Preface Contents of Volume I. Introduction Chapter I: Origin of the Talmud Chapter II: Development of the Talmud in the First Century Chapter III: Persecution of the Talmud from the destruction of the Temple to the Third Century Chapter IV: Development of the Talmud in the Third Century Chapter V: The Two Talmuds Chapter IV: The Sixth Century: Persian and Byzantine Persecution of the Talmud Chapter VII: The Eight Century: the Persecution of the Talmud by the Karaites Chapter VIII: Islam and Its Influence on the Talmud Chapter IX: The Period of Greatest Diffusion of Talmudic Study Chapter X: The Spanish Writers on the Talmud Chapter XI: Talmudic Scholars of Germany and Northern France Chapter XII: The Doctors of France; Authors of the Tosphoth Chapter XIII: Religious Disputes of All Periods Chapter XIV: The Talmud in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries Chapter XV. Polemics with Muslims and Frankists Chapter XVI: Persecution during the Seventeenth Century Chapter XVII: Attacks on the Talmud in the Nineteenth Century Chapter XVIII. The Affair of Rohling-Bloch Chapter XIX: Exilarchs, Talmud at the Stake and Its Development at the Present Time Appendix A. Appendix B Volume II: Historical and Literary Introduction to the New Edition of the Talmud Contents of Volume II Part I: Chapter I: The Combination of the Gemara, The Sophrim and the Eshcalath Chapter II: The Generations of the Tanaim Chapter III: The Amoraim or Expounders of the Mishna Chapter IV: The Classification of Halakha and Hagada in the Contents of the Gemara. -
Parshat Mishpatim 5773
Written by: David Prins Editor: David Michaels Parshat Emor 5777 as much as from what their Rabbi said. They too did not speak respectfully to each other, especially when they had differing political views among themselves. We see from here the Rabbi Akiva’s students- We are in the period of the Omer between Pesach and Shavuot, and awesome responsibility of a Rebbe. We also see what eventuates when people supposedly on the command to count the Omer is in this week’s Parasha. Rabbi Akiva had 12,000 pairs of the same side deflect their energy away from the enemy and towards their own internal students. They all died in the Omer period because they did not treat each other with respect dissensions. This is the causeless hatred which has always caused Israel to miss its chance for (Yevamot 62b). Rabbi Nachman adds that the physical cause of their death was askera, which redemption. Rashi defines as a plague of diphtheria. In his Peninei Halakha, Rav Eliezer Melamed, Rosh Yeshivat Har Bracha, suggests an alternative Rav Sherira Gaon wrote in his Iggeret that they died as a result of shemada, which would suggest explanation that aligns with Rashi’s explanation of askera. Some of Rabbi Akiva’s students joined that their deaths had to do with the use of force and Roman persecution. Etz Yosef comments the Bar Kochba rebellion while others continued in their studies. The two camps behaved on Bereishit Rabba 61:3 that they died in the battle of Betar. The Etz Yosef comments similarly on contemptuously toward each other. -
Understanding the Hebrew Calendar
B.Sc., Computer Software Engineering Jerusalem College of Technology Sponsored by Jill & David Mogil in memory of Jill’s father, Saul Mirowitz, ob”m III. Setting the Calendar Summary Tekufat Shmuel 365d 6h Tekufat Rav Ada 365d 5h 997p 48m כ"ט י"ב תשצ"ג Length of Molad 29d 12h 793p אי"ב תשצ"ג Molad Shift 1d 12h 793p ד"ח תתע"ו Annual Molad Shift – Simple 4d 8h 867p * הכ"א תקפ"ט Annual Molad Shift – Gravid 5d 21h 589p * ** Annual Tekufah Shift – Simple 10d 21h 204p ** Annual Tekufah Shift – Gravid -18d 15h 589p גו"ח אדז"ט Leap Years – “Machzor Hakatan” 3,6,8,11,14,17,19 * Length of Year MOD 7 ** In relation to the Lunar Year Modular Division (MOD 7) Modular arithmetic (a.k.a “clock arithmetic”) system of arithmetic for integers where numbers "wrap around" after reaching a certain value, the modulus. E.g. CLOCK - 12-hour time: 7:00 o‟clock + 8 hours = 3:00 o‟clock. clock time "wraps around" every 12 hours - arithmetic modulo 12 Calculating Molad Tishrei Example 1 Given the Molad of Tishrei 5769 Calculate the Molad of 5770 Molad 5769: 3d 7h 1057p 304th cycle, 12th year – Simple year. EXAMPLE 1: MOLAD 5770 Molad 5769 3d 7h 1057p + Molad Shift 4d 8h 876p Molad 5770 0d 16h 853p Calculating Molad Tsihrei Example 2 Given the Molad of Tishrei 5771 Calculate the Molad of 5772 Molad 5771: 5d 1h 649p 304th cycle, 14th year – Gravid year. EXAMPLE 1: MOLAD 5772 Molad 5771 5d 1h 649p + Gravid Molad Shift 5d 21h 589p Molad 5772 3d 23h 158p Molad / Calendar Starting Point אמר רבי יוחנן בר חנינא: שתים R. -
A Short History of the Jewish Fixed Calendar: the Origin of the Molad
133 A Short History of the Jewish Fixed Calendar: The Origin of the Molad By: J. JEAN AJDLER I. Introduction. It was always believed that the transition from the observation to the fixed calendar was clear-cut, with the fixed calendar immediately adopting its definitive form in 358/359, at the date of the inception. Indeed according to a tradition1 quoted in the name of R’ Hai Gaon,2 the present Jewish calendar was introduced by the patriarch Hillel II in the Jewish Year 4119 AM (anno mundi, from creation), 358/359 CE. The only discordant element with regard to this theory that the calen- dar adopted immediately its definitive form, was the fact that we find al- ready in the Talmud that the postponement of Rosh Hashanah from Sun- day was a later enactment.3 Only some rare rabbinic authorities already recognized the later character of this postponement. Indeed a passage of the epistle of R’ Sherira Gaon implying that Rosh Hashanah of the year 505 C.E. was still on Sunday was generally consid- ered as the result of a copyist mistake.4 It is only in the first decade of the twentieth century that new evidence appeared after the discovery of new documents in the Cairo Geniza. 1 Sefer ha-Ibbur by R’ Abraham bar Hiyyạ edited by Filipowski, London 1851, p. 97 quotes a responsum of R. Hai Gaon dated from 4752 AM = 992 C.E. report- ing this tradition. 2 R. Hai Gaon (939-1038) was the last and the most prolific Gaon. He belonged to the Yeshiva of Pumbedita. -
Understanding the Hebrew Calendar
B.Sc., Computer Software Engineering Jerusalem College of Technology חשון / כסלו – ”Variable Months“ Days of Month Days in Month Rosh Chodesh 1 30 תשרי – Tishrei 2 29/30 חשון – Cheshvan 1/2 29/30 כסלו – Kislev 1/2 29 טבת – Tevet 1 30 שבט – Shevat Adar – 30 2 אדר א' – Adar I 29 2 2 29 אדר אדר ב' – Adar II 1 30 ניסן – Nisan 2 29 אייר – Iyar 1 30 סיון – Sivan 2 29 תמוז – Tamuz 1 30 אב – Av 2 29 אלול - Ellul Year כסלו חשון ח, כ, ש “Types” חסרה Note: there is no Year Chaseirah 29 29 *and Incomplete 30=חשון with because it ,29=כסלו כסדרה would achieve the same total number of days Kesidrah 29 30 annually, and would be Regular redundant. שלימה Shleimah 30 30 A.K.A. * Defective Complete** ** Excessive Relationship between Molad & Rosh Chodesh ROSH HASHANAH is determined by MOLAD TISHREI (with 4 exceptions - Dechiyot) ROSH CHODESH is determined by the alternating 29-30 day month cycle irrespective of the molad of that month. V. Setting the Holidays: The Four Dechiyot Dechiyot - Postponements To ensure that certain holidays do not fall on certain days of the week. By shortening / lengthening the year by 1 day. Pushing (Docheh) RH OFF of MOLAD TISHREI. 1. לא אד"ו ראש LO AD”U ROSH Molad Tishrei = RH 1, 4, 6 postponed until the next (Sun, Wed, Fri) possible day. (אד"ו) ?"לא אד"ו ראש" RH = Friday YK on Sunday Avoid 2 consecutive days without cooking Avoid 2 consecutive days (כבוד המת) RH = Wed without burial YK on Friday RH = Sun Never cancel the mitzvah of Hoshana Rabba Hakafot with the Aravah. -
Guarding Oral Transmission: Within and Between Cultures
Oral Tradition, 25/1 (2010): 41-56 Guarding Oral Transmission: Within and Between Cultures Talya Fishman Like their rabbinic Jewish predecessors and contemporaries, early Muslims distinguished between teachings made known through revelation and those articulated by human tradents. Efforts were made throughout the seventh century—and, in some locations, well into the ninth— to insure that the epistemological distinctness of these two culturally authoritative corpora would be reflected and affirmed in discrete modes of transmission. Thus, while the revealed Qur’an was transmitted in written compilations from the time of Uthman, the third caliph (d. 656), the inscription of ḥadīth, reports of the sayings and activities of the Prophet Muhammad and his companions, was vehemently opposed—even after writing had become commonplace. The zeal with which Muslim scholars guarded oral transmission, and the ingenious strategies they deployed in order to preserve this practice, attracted the attention of several contemporary researchers, and prompted one of them, Michael Cook, to search for the origins of this cultural impulse. After reviewing an array of possible causes that might explain early Muslim zeal to insure that aḥadīth were relayed solely through oral transmission,1 Cook argued for “the Jewish origin of the Muslim hostility to the writing of tradition” (1997:442).2 The Arabic evidence he cites consists of warnings to Muslims that ḥadīth inscription would lead them to commit the theological error of which contemporaneous Jews were guilty (501-03): once they inscribed their Mathnā, that is, Mishna, Jews came to regard this repository of human teachings as a source of authority equal to that of revealed Scripture (Ibn Sacd 1904-40:v, 140; iii, 1).3 As Jewish evidence for his claim, Cook cites sayings by Palestinian rabbis of late antiquity and by writers of the geonic era, which asserted that extra-revelationary teachings are only to be relayed through oral transmission (1997:498-518). -
Texts and Traditions
Texts and Traditions A Source Reader for the Study of Second Temple and Rabbinic Judaism COMPILED, EDITED, AND INTRODUCED BY Lawrence H. Schiffinan KTAV PUBLISHING HOUSE, INC. 1998 518 Texts and Traditions Chapter 10: Mishnah: The New Scripture 519 tory only those observances which are in the written word, but need not ancient customs. For customs are unwritten laws, the decisions approved observe those which are derived from the tradition of our forefathers. by ~en of old, not inscribed on monuments nor on leaves of paper which the moth destroys, but on the souls of those who are partners in 10.2.2 Philo, The Special Laws IV, 143-150: 40 the. same c~tizenship. For children ought to inherit from their parents, Written and Unwritten Law besides their property, ancestral customs which they were reared in and Philo discusses both the immortality of the written law} and the obligation have lived with even from the cradle, and not despise them because they of observing the customs, the unwritten law. Although the Greek world had a h~ve been handed down without written record. Praise cannot be duly concept of unwritten law, Philo's view is clearly informed by Jewish tradition given to one who obeys the written laws, since he acts under the admoni and by the Pharisaic concept of tradition. tion of restraint ~nd the fear of punishment. But he who faithfully observes the unwritten deserves commendation, since the virtue which he ~ displays is freely willed. Another most admirable injunction is that nothing should be added or 10.2.3 Mark 7: The Pharisees and Purity taken away,41 but all the laws originally ordained should be kept unaltered just as. -
Menorah Review VCU University Archives
Virginia Commonwealth University VCU Scholars Compass Menorah Review VCU University Archives 2000 Menorah Review (No. 50, Fall, 2000) Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/menorah Part of the History of Religion Commons, and the Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons © The Author(s) Recommended Citation https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/menorah/49 This Full Issue is brought to you for free and open access by the VCU University Archives at VCU Scholars Compass. It has been accepted for inclusion in Menorah Review by an authorized administrator of VCU Scholars Compass. For more information, please contact [email protected]. NUMBER 50 • CENTER FOR JUDAIC STUDIES OF VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY • FALL 2000 For the Enrichment of Jewish Thought firsttime with the most controversial play he tunity to celebrate their achievement with a The Merchant of Venice ever wrote. production of The Merchant of Venice. and Skylock's "Christian It is possible, although unverified, that WernerKrauss, a Nazi himself, plays Shylock Problem" the one Jew who we know was living in as something revoltingly alien, greasy, dirty, Williamsburg at the time also was in atten repulsive--<:rawling across the stage. dance that night. He was a Sephardic Jew Now it is June 1999 at the Shakespeare 2000 Brown Lecture whose family came from Portugal during the Theater in Washington. Hal Holbrook plays Inquisition. John de Sequeyra was born in Skylock as a tall, straight-backed, proud London in 1716, came to Williamsburg when man who speaks with authority and dignity. The following article is excerpted from the he was 29 and died there at the ripe age of 79. -
SAADIA GAON When We Interrupted This Series of "Jewish Pn>F11es" Last
,,, i ,, ,7? V g Q ‘ ' ’LJ‘ S j I 28/") /rr l ' ~ - SAADIA GAON ' @ LT! -_-----'_--_ 174.7 (KEV ) V When we interrupted this series of "Jewish Pn>f11es" last April we had dealt with some of the outstanding personalities of the Rabbinic .Age,'from Hilfel 1n the first century B.C.E. to Rgv Ashi, who flourished in Babylonia about the year 400 CrE- We are nowXKg going to mAce a Jump of half a millenium to concern ourselves with a very great Jewish leader who flourished in the early part of the 10th century. This is a long Jump; and yofi will want to know, to begin with, A~pA what haypened 1n the intervening 500.years. As you can imagine, many things did happen; but you will also gather, from the fact that we gre making fine Jump, that no really outstanding person appeared in Jewry}:Er 031 during that period. 510mg Throughout this period the centre of gravity of Jewish life remained in Babylonia, to which country it'had shifted from Palestin /‘kawgn ) about 300 C.E. At the beginning of our period there were, perhaps, 303?o two million Jews in Babylonia. I said something in my last talk about the way they lived. Most of them fiere farmers, though some were artisans,_merchants and sailors. They formed a collection of mofe .. \N‘x—V or less concentrated and autonomous communities, mainly in the region of the larger cities such as Bagdad and Mahhza. Politically they were ruled by an Exilérph, or Resh Galuta.