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TALMUDIC STUDIES Ephraim Kanarfogel
chapter 22 TALMUDIC STUDIES ephraim kanarfogel TRANSITIONS FROM THE EAST, AND THE NASCENT CENTERS IN NORTH AFRICA, SPAIN, AND ITALY The history and development of the study of the Oral Law following the completion of the Babylonian Talmud remain shrouded in mystery. Although significant Geonim from Babylonia and Palestine during the eighth and ninth centuries have been identified, the extent to which their writings reached Europe, and the channels through which they passed, remain somewhat unclear. A fragile consensus suggests that, at least initi- ally, rabbinic teachings and rulings from Eretz Israel traveled most directly to centers in Italy and later to Germany (Ashkenaz), while those of Babylonia emerged predominantly in the western Sephardic milieu of Spain and North Africa.1 To be sure, leading Sephardic talmudists prior to, and even during, the eleventh century were not yet to be found primarily within Europe. Hai ben Sherira Gaon (d. 1038), who penned an array of talmudic commen- taries in addition to his protean output of responsa and halakhic mono- graphs, was the last of the Geonim who flourished in Baghdad.2 The family 1 See Avraham Grossman, “Zik˙atah shel Yahadut Ashkenaz ‘el Erets Yisra’el,” Shalem 3 (1981), 57–92; Grossman, “When Did the Hegemony of Eretz Yisra’el Cease in Italy?” in E. Fleischer, M. A. Friedman, and Joel Kraemer, eds., Mas’at Mosheh: Studies in Jewish and Moslem Culture Presented to Moshe Gil [Hebrew] (Jerusalem, 1998), 143–57; Israel Ta- Shma’s review essays in K˙ ryat Sefer 56 (1981), 344–52, and Zion 61 (1996), 231–7; Ta-Shma, Kneset Mehkarim, vol. -
Moses Hayim Luzzatto's Quest for Providence
City University of New York (CUNY) CUNY Academic Works All Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects 10-2014 'Like Iron to a Magnet': Moses Hayim Luzzatto's Quest for Providence David Sclar Graduate Center, City University of New York How does access to this work benefit ou?y Let us know! More information about this work at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/380 Discover additional works at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu This work is made publicly available by the City University of New York (CUNY). Contact: [email protected] “Like Iron to a Magnet”: Moses Hayim Luzzatto’s Quest for Providence By David Sclar A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty in History in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy The City University of New York 2014 © 2014 David Sclar All Rights Reserved This Manuscript has been read and accepted by the Graduate Faculty in History in satisfaction of the Dissertation requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Prof. Jane S. Gerber _______________ ____________________________________ Date Chair of the Examining Committee Prof. Helena Rosenblatt _______________ ____________________________________ Date Executive Officer Prof. Francesca Bregoli _______________________________________ Prof. Elisheva Carlebach ________________________________________ Prof. Robert Seltzer ________________________________________ Prof. David Sorkin ________________________________________ Supervisory Committee iii Abstract “Like Iron to a Magnet”: Moses Hayim Luzzatto’s Quest for Providence by David Sclar Advisor: Prof. Jane S. Gerber This dissertation is a biographical study of Moses Hayim Luzzatto (1707–1746 or 1747). It presents the social and religious context in which Luzzatto was variously celebrated as the leader of a kabbalistic-messianic confraternity in Padua, condemned as a deviant threat by rabbis in Venice and central and eastern Europe, and accepted by the Portuguese Jewish community after relocating to Amsterdam. -
2 the Assyrian Empire, the Conquest of Israel, and the Colonization of Judah 37 I
ISRAEL AND EMPIRE ii ISRAEL AND EMPIRE A Postcolonial History of Israel and Early Judaism Leo G. Perdue and Warren Carter Edited by Coleman A. Baker LONDON • NEW DELHI • NEW YORK • SYDNEY 1 Bloomsbury T&T Clark An imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc Imprint previously known as T&T Clark 50 Bedford Square 1385 Broadway London New York WC1B 3DP NY 10018 UK USA www.bloomsbury.com Bloomsbury, T&T Clark and the Diana logo are trademarks of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc First published 2015 © Leo G. Perdue, Warren Carter and Coleman A. Baker, 2015 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publishers. Leo G. Perdue, Warren Carter and Coleman A. Baker have asserted their rights under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as Authors of this work. No responsibility for loss caused to any individual or organization acting on or refraining from action as a result of the material in this publication can be accepted by Bloomsbury or the authors. British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. ISBN: HB: 978-0-56705-409-8 PB: 978-0-56724-328-7 ePDF: 978-0-56728-051-0 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. Typeset by Forthcoming Publications (www.forthpub.com) 1 Contents Abbreviations vii Preface ix Introduction: Empires, Colonies, and Postcolonial Interpretation 1 I. -
The Genealogy of Christ
The Genealogy Of Christ “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham…” (Matthew 1:1) © 2020 David Padfield www.padfield.com Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright ©1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The Genealogy Of Christ Introduction I. The opening words of the New Testament give us the “genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham” (Matt 1:1). A. These words do not stand in isolation—they are the culmination of the entire Old Testament story. B. Matthew claims that Jesus is the descendant of two of the most significant characters in Bible history: Abraham and David. C. While most Bible readers today skip over the genealogy of Christ, Jewish readers in the first century A.D. would find this list to be of great importance. D. The Bible places great emphasis upon the ancestry and genealogy of Jesus Christ (Rom 1:3–4; Heb 7:14). II. The genealogy of Jesus Christ of Nazareth is often neglected, and yet it is of vital importance to those concerned about salvation. A. “Most contemporary Americans cannot give the maiden names of their great grandmothers or the vocations of their great grandfathers. They seemingly pay little interest to their family ancestry. However, it was not so with the Jew. To him, genealogies were most important. Among other things, the birthright, given to the firstborn son, involved a double inheritance, family leadership, vocational opportunities, and land ownership. That is why genealogies were found throughout the Old Testament. -
A Christian Physicist Examines Noah's Flood and Plate Tectonics
A Christian Physicist Examines Noah’s Flood and Plate Tectonics by Steven Ball, Ph.D. September 2003 Dedication I dedicate this work to my friend and colleague Rodric White-Stevens, who delighted in discussing with me the geologic wonders of the Earth and their relevance to Biblical faith. Cover picture courtesy of the U.S. Geological Survey, copyright free 1 Introduction It seems that no subject stirs the passions of those intending to defend biblical truth more than Noah’s Flood. It is perhaps the one biblical account that appears to conflict with modern science more than any other. Many aspiring Christian apologists have chosen to use this account as a litmus test of whether one accepts the Bible or modern science as true. Before we examine this together, let me clarify that I accept the account of Noah’s Flood as completely true, just as I do the entirety of the Bible. The Bible demonstrates itself to be reliable and remarkably consistent, having numerous interesting participants in various stories through which is interwoven a continuous theme of God’s plan for man’s redemption. Noah’s Flood is one of those stories, revealing to us both God’s judgment of sin and God’s over-riding grace and mercy. It remains a timeless account, for it has much to teach us about a God who never changes. It is one of the most popular Bible stories for children, and the truth be known, for us adults as well. It is rather unfortunate that many dismiss the account as mythical, simply because it seems to be at odds with a scientific view of the earth. -
The Biography of Isaac Leeser
Biographical Sketch of Isaac Leeser University of Pennsylvania Libraries Biographical Sketch of Isaac Leeser by Arthur Kiron, Schottenstein-Jesselson Curator of Judaica Collections Isaac Leeser was born in the village of Neuenkirchen, which at that time was part of the Prussian province of Westphalia, on December 12, 1806. Leeser's father, Uri Lippman (Uri ben Eliezer) was a merchant of limited financial means and educational background. The name "Leeser" is reputed to have been selected for Isaac by his paternal grandfather, Eliezer (i.e., Liezer). Little is known of Leeser's mother, Sara Isaac Cohen, who died when Leeser was eight. Her name only recently came to light when a Dutch descendant, Ms. Helga Becker Leeser, discovered it while doing genealogical research in the Dulmen Stadtarchiv name-taking act of September 22, 1813. Isaac was the second of three children; his one older sister was named Leah Lippman and his younger brother was named Jacob Lippman. Leah married a butcher named Hirsch Elkus who moved the family to the small town of Denekamp, Holland located near the Dutch-German border. Leeser's younger brother Jacob died of smallpox at the age of twenty-five in 1834, one year after emigrating to America. Jacob contracted the disease from his brother Isaac after coming to Philadelphia to care for him. While surviving the disease and the trauma of his brother's death, Leeser' face remained deeply pock-marked, a disfigurement that would cause him great embarrassment throughout his life. Both Jacob and Isaac died bachelors. Leeser received his early education in Dulmen (in Germany), where his family had moved no later than 1812. -
The Book of Genesis in the Qur'an
Word & World 14/2 (1994) Copyright © 1994 by Word & World, Luther Seminary, St. Paul, MN. All rights reserved. page 195 The Book of Genesis in the Qur’an MARK HILLMER Luther Northwestern Theological Seminary, St. Paul, Minnesota The intent of this article is to show the impact of the book of Genesis on the Qur’an and how it used the Genesis material. I write as an outsider to the Islamic religion, as one not committed to the Islamic theologoumenon that the Qur’an is the uncreated speech of God. I share the conclusion that Muhammad heard the biblical material appearing in the Qur’an from Jews and Christians. This is the view of non-Islamic scholars, who differ only as to whether Muhammad is indebted more to Jews or to Christians or to a Jewish-Christian-gnostic pastiche. I find the last view likely.1 Muhammad imbibed, as prophets do, the cultural and religious ideas of his day; he had no direct access to the literary traditions behind these ideas. Three of the suras (chapters) of the Qur’an are named after persons from Genesis: Joseph, Noah, and Abraham. These are representative of how the Genesis material is handled in the Qur’an. The Joseph sura2 presents the Qur’an’s most direct use of the Old Testament, exhibiting by qur’anic standards a remarkable fidelity to the biblical text. The 1Abraham Geiger, Judaism and Islam (1898; reprint, New York, KTAV, 1970); Heinrich Speyer, Die biblischen Erzählungen im Qoran (1930; reprint, Hildesheim: Ohms, 1961); Jacques Jomier, The Bible and the Koran (New York: Desclee, 1964). -
Chart of the Kings of Israel and Judah
The Kings of Israel & Judah Why Study the Kings? Chart of the Kings Questions for Discussion The Heritage of Jesus Host: Alan's Gleanings Alphabetical List of the Kings A Comment about Names God's Message of Salvation Kings of the United Kingdom (c 1025-925 BC) Relationship to God's King Previous King Judgment Saul none did evil Ishbosheth* son (unknown) David none did right Solomon did right in youth, son (AKA Jedidiah) evil in old age * The kingdom was divided during Ishbosheth's reign; David was king over the tribe of Judah. Kings of Judah (c 925-586 BC) Kings of Israel (c 925-721 BC) Relationship to God's Relationship to God's King King Previous King Judgment Previous King Judgment Rehoboam son did evil Abijam Jeroboam servant did evil son did evil (AKA Abijah) Nadab son did evil Baasha none did evil Asa son did right Elah son did evil Zimri captain did evil Omri captain did evil Ahab son did evil Jehoshaphat son did right Ahaziah son did evil Jehoram son did evil (AKA Joram) Jehoram son of Ahab did evil Ahaziah (AKA Joram) (AKA Azariah son did evil or Jehoahaz) Athaliah mother did evil Jehu captain mixed Joash did right in youth, son of Ahaziah Jehoahaz son did evil (AKA Jehoash) evil in old age Joash did right in youth, son did evil Amaziah son (AKA Jehoash) evil in old age Jeroboam II son did evil Zachariah son did evil did evil Uzziah Shallum none son did right (surmised) (AKA Azariah) Menahem none did evil Pekahiah son did evil Jotham son did right Pekah captain did evil Ahaz son did evil Hoshea none did evil Hezekiah son did right Manasseh son did evil Amon son did evil Josiah son did right Jehoahaz son did evil (AKA Shallum) Jehoiakim Assyrian captivity son of Josiah did evil (AKA Eliakim) Jehoiachin (AKA Coniah son did evil or Jeconiah) Zedekiah son of Josiah did evil (AKA Mattaniah) Babylonian captivity Color Code Legend: King did right King did evil Other. -
Defining Purity and Impurity Parshat Sh’Mini, Leviticus 6:1- 11:47| by Mark Greenspan “The Dietary Laws” by Rabbi Paul S
Defining Purity and Impurity Parshat Sh’mini, Leviticus 6:1- 11:47| by Mark Greenspan “The Dietary Laws” by Rabbi Paul S. Drazen, (pp.305-338) in The Observant Life Introduction A few weeks before Passover reports came in from the Middle East that a cloud of locust had descended upon Egypt mimicking the eighth plague of the Bible. When the wind shifted direction the plague of locust crossed over the border into Israel. There was great excitement in Israel when some rabbis announced that the species of locust that had invaded Israel were actually kosher! Offering various recipes Rabbi Natan Slifkin announced that there was no reason that Jews could not adopt the North African custom of eating the locust. Slifkin wrote: “I have eaten locusts on several occasions. They do not require a special form of slaughter and one usually kills them by dropping them into boiling water. They can be cooked in a variety of ways – lacking any particular culinary skills I usually just fry them with oil and some spices. It’s not the taste that is distinctive so much as the tactile experience of eating a bug – crunchy on the outside with a chewy center!” Our first reaction to the rabbi’s announcement is “Yuck!” Yet his point is well taken. While we might have a cultural aversion to locusts there is nothing specifically un-Jewish about eating them. The Torah speaks of purity and impurity with regard to food. Kashrut has little to do with hygiene, health, or culinary tastes. We are left to wonder what makes certain foods tamei and others tahor? What do we mean when we speak about purity with regard to kashrut? The Torah Connection These are the instructions (torah) concerning animals, birds, all living creatures that move in water and all creatures that swarm on earth, for distinguishing between the impure (tamei) and the pure (tahor), between living things that may be eaten and the living things that may not be eaten. -
Community Shiurim/Learning
בס"ד ותלמוד תורה כנגד כולם ..And the study of TORAH is greater than all (Shabbat 127A) SHIUR HERE Listing of SHIURIM for TORAH enrichment in Highland Park / Edison, NJ community (Updated 11-5-2019) WHEN? WHAT? WHO? WHERE? Shabbat (after early Minyan) Parsha of the week Rabbi Weiss Cong. Ohav Emeth Shabbat (after early Minyan) Minchas Chinuch Rabbi Hoffman Cong. Ohr Torah Shabbat (after early Minyan) Megilas Esther Rabbi Silber Cong. Ahavas Achim Shabbat 8:00 AM Parsha/Halacha of the week Rabbi Hakakian Cong. Etz Ahaim Shabbat 8:05 AM Torah Fundamentals Rabbi Feldman Cong. Agudath Israel Shabbat 8:30 AM Mishnah Danny Ravitz memorial Cong. Ohav Emeth Shabbat 8:35 AM Tanya Shiur Rabbi Feldman Cong. Agudath Israel Shabbat 8:35 AM Chumash Rabbi Yehuda Eichenstein Ateres Shlomo Shabbat 2:30 (1 hour later in summer) Mussar Shaar Habitachon Dr. Presby 467 Lincoln Avenue, HP Shabbat 3:00 (1 hour later in summer) Prophets Trei Asar Dr. Presby 467 Lincoln Avenue, HP Shabbat 60 mins before Mincha Nach Rabbi Bassous Cong. Etz Ahaim Shabbat 60 mins before Mincha Talmud Daf Yomi Rabbi Ziegler Crossways @ 5 Price Dr, Ed Shabbat 50 mins before Mincha Talmud Chaggigah Rabbi Luban Cong. Ohr Torah Shabbat 50 mins before Mincha Talmud Daf Yomi Judah Abraham Cong. Ahavas Achim Shabbat 45 mins before Mincha Daf Hashavua Rabbi Jaffe Cong. Ahavas Yisrael Saturday 7:30 Navi Shiur Rabbi Reisman - Simulcast Cong. Ahavas Achim Sunday 7:30 AM Chaburah Shabbat Rabbi Komet Cong. Agudath Israel Sunday 7:50 AM Daf Yomi B’Iyun Topic Rabbi Sauer Cong. -
Family of Abraham
Family of Abraham Terah ? Haran Nahor Sarai - - - - - ABRAM - - - - - Hagar Lot Milcah Bethuel Ishmael (1) ISAAC (2) Daughter 1 Daughter 2 Ishmaelites (12 tribes / Arabs) Laban Rebekah Moabites Ammonites JACOB (2) Esau (1) Leah Rachel Edomites (+Zilpah) (+Bilhah) ISRAELITES Key: blue = men; red = women; (12 tribes / Jews) dashes = spouses; arrows = children Terah: from Ur of the Chaldeans; has 3 sons; wife not named (Gen 11:26-32; cf. Luke 3:34). Haran: dies in Ur before his father dies; wife not named; son Lot, daughters Milcah & Iscah (11:27-28). Nahor: marries Milcah, daughter of his brother Haran (11:29); have 8 sons, incl. Bethuel (22:20-24). Abram: main character of Gen 12–25; recipient of God’s promises; name changed to ABRAHAM (17:5); sons Ishmael (by Hagar) and Isaac (by Sarah); after Sarah’s death, takes another wife, Keturah, who has 6 sons (25:1-4), including Midian, ancestor of the Midianites (37:28-36). Lot: son of Haran, thus nephew of Abram, who takes care of him (11:27–14:16; 18:17–19:29); wife and two daughters never named; widowed daughters sleep with their father and bear sons, who become ancestors of the Moabites and Ammonites (19:30-38). Sarai: Abram’s wife, thus Terah’s daughter-in-law (11:29-31); Abram also calls her his “sister,” which seems deceptive in one story (12:10-20); but in another story Abram insists she really is his half- sister (his father’s daughter by another wife; 20:1-18); originally childless, but in old age has a son, Isaac (16:1–21:7); name changed to SARAH (17:15); dies and is buried in Hebron (23:1-20). -
REVISED FM Comm Bible
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS What does “Miqra’ot Gedolot” mean? “Miqra’ot Gedolot” is a Hebrew expression meaning something like “Large- Format Bible” or, more colloquially,“The Big Book of Bible.”The famous “Second Rab- binic Bible” of R. Jacob b. Hayyim (1525) was a Miqra’ot Gedolot. What do you mean “a” Miqra’ot Gedolot? Are there more than one? Absolutely. There are “Miqra’ot Gedolot”to the Torah or Pentateuch,to the Megillot (the Five Scrolls), and to the other biblical books as well. Moreover, the same biblical book can appear in different versions:“Miqra’ot Gedolot” refers to the format, not the contents. So what is the Miqra’ot Gedolot format? It consists of the Hebrew biblical text in large print; a “Targum”or translation of the text (in rare cases more than one); and commentaries on the text, often accompanied by explana- tory notes.That’s why we have titled this English version The Commentators’ Bible. Which translation is included in this Miqra’ot Gedolot? We have included two translations:the old Jewish Publication Society translation of 1917 and the new JPS translation of 1985. Why include both? Both were translated by the preeminent Jewish biblical scholars of their day, but the OJPS is more literal and the NJPS freer and more readable. More importantly, the purpose of the Miqra’ot Gedolot is to help explain difficulties in the biblical text. Because translators are often forced to pick a single one of several possible explanations of what the Hebrew text means, comparing two different translations is the best way for someone who doesn’t know Hebrew to judge whether there is a difficulty in the original text.