The Judaic tradition : texts by Glatzer, Nahum
The content of this source book is designed to reflect a variety of views, opinions, and moods, with the student and general reader invited to participate in the discourse. The intent of the work is, therefore, to impart information and to stimulate thought, rather than to suggest a definite stand.
Judiac tradition, a product of many centuries. has had room for many different minds and souls.
Napoleon and the Jews - Wikipedia
History of the Jews in the Netherlands - Wikipedia
The year 1795 brought the results of the French Revolution to the Netherlands, including Jewish emancipation, making them full citizens.[37][38] The National Convention, on 2 September 1796, proclaimed this resolution: "No Jew shall be excluded from rights or advantages which are associated with citizenship in the Batavian Republic, and which he may desire to enjoy."
Modern Jewish history Chazan & Raphael source book in archive
Beginning of table of contents:
A. The Onset of Change
NEW VIEWS IN WESTERN EUROPE
Chrisuan Wilhelm Dohrn. Concerning the Amelioration of the
Status of the Jews
EMANCIPATION OF FRENCH JEWRY
The acts of Israelitish Deputies Of France
B. Disequilibrium and the Jewish Response
TORTURED DRIFTING
REFORM JUDAISM
Israei Jacobson. " A Dedication Address"
The Assciation for the Reform of Judaism
Abraham Geiger, "Preface to the Frankfurt prayer book"
WISSENSCHAFT DES JUDENTHUMS
Abraham Geiger. A General Introduction to the science of Judaism
Graetz, Heinrich. The History of the Jews
PREFACE. Table of Contents It is a matter of especial satisfaction to me that my work, "The History of the Jews, from the Earliest Times to the Present Day," should be rendered accessible to the English-reading public in a compact form and by means of an adequate translation; for in countries where English is spoken, books are not only bought, bound, and placed in libraries, but are also read, taken to heart, and acted upon. It is therefore to be expected that the English-speaking people, which has never disregarded but has at all times recognised and appreciated the peculiar character of the Jewish race, will feel an increased sympathy for it, on reading the alternations of its sublime and tragical history. English readers, to whom the forefathers of the Jews of to-day—the patriarchs, heroes, and men of God—are familiar characters, will the better understand the miracle which is exhibited in the history of the Jews during three thousand years. The continuance of the Jewish race until the present day is a marvel not to be overlooked even by those who deny the existence of miracles, and who only see in the most astounding events, both natural and preternatural, the logical results of cause and effect. Here we observe a phenomenon, which has developed and asserted itself in spite of all laws of nature, and we behold a culture which, notwithstanding unspeakable hostility against its exponents, has nevertheless profoundly modified the organism of nations. It is the heartfelt aspiration of the author that this historical work, in its English garb, may attain its object by putting an end to the hostile bearing against the Jewish race, so that it may no longer be begrudged the peculiar sphere whereto it has been predestined through the events and sorrows of thousands of years, and that it may be permitted to fulfil its appointed mission without molestation. This translation, in five volumes, is not a mere excerpt of my "Geschichte der Juden" (like my "Volksthümliche Geschichte der Juden"), but a condensed reproduction of the entire eleven volumes. But the foot-notes have been omitted, so as to render the present work less voluminous for the general reader. Historical students are usually acquainted with the German language, and can read the notes in the original. In this English edition the "History of the Present Day" is brought down to 1870, whilst the original only goes as far as the memorable events of 1848. The last volume will contain a survey of the entire history of the Jewish nation, together with a comprehensive index of names and events. In conclusion, I cannot refrain from expressing my gratitude to one whose life-task it is to further with rare generosity all humane and intellectual interests, and who has caused this translation to be made and published Mr. Frederick D. Mocatta. H. GRAETZ. Breslau, January, 1891. To the foregoing words of the author I merely wish to add, that while the first volume, as far as the period of the Hasmoneans, has been translated by me, the other volumes have for the greater part "been done into English by various hands," and have afterwards been revised and edited by me.
Graetz, Heinrich. The History of the Jews (All Six Volumes): From the Earliest Period to the Modern Times and Emancipation in Central Europe (pp. 16-18). Musaicum Books. Kindle Edition.
Sources of Ben Sira
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ben%20Sira%2025&version=NABRE
https://he.wikisource.org/wiki/בן_סירא
Ben Sira: A Second Book of Proverbs… But Even More Pious
Ben Sira reads much like the Book of Proverbs. It offers various nuggets of advice, mostly in proverb form. Like Proverbs, it is, by and large, loosely organized. Unlike Kohelet, Ben Sira’s proverbs acknowledge God and exhort its readers to follow the mitzvot and Torah. Also recording Israel’s sacred history (entirely missing in Kohelet) and celebrating the sacrificial system, it is like the anti-Kohelet. Thus, one typical passage reads:
בן סירא ה:א אל תשען על חילך
ואל תאמר יש לאל ידי.
אל תשען על כוחך
ללכת אחר תאות נפשך. Ben Sira 5:1 Do not rely on your wealth,
or say, “I have enough.”
Do not rely on your strength,
To follow the desire of your soul.
ה:ב אל תלך אחרי לבך ועיניך ללכת בחמודות רעה. 5:2 Do not follow your inclination and strength in pursuing the desires of your heart. ה:ג אל תאמר
מי יוכל כחו
כי ייי מבקש נרדפים. 5:3 Do not say,
“Who can have power over me?”
for the Lord will surely punish you. ה:ד אל תאמר חטאתי
ומה יעשה לי מאומה
כי אל ארך אפים הוא.
אל תאמר רחום ייי
וכל עונותי ימחה. 5:4 Do not say, “I sinned, yet what has happened to me?”
for the Lord is slow to anger.
Do not say "the Lord is merciful,
and he will erase all my sins."
ה:ה אל סליחה אל תבטח
להוסיף עון על עון. 5:5 Do not be so confident of forgiveness
that you add sin to sin. ה:ו ואמרת רחמיו רבים
לרוב עונותי יסלח.
כי רחמים ואף ע[מ]ו
ואל רשעים ינוח רגזו. 5:6 Do not say, “His mercy is great,
he will forgive the multitude of my sins,”
for both mercy and wrath are with him,
and his anger will rest on sinners. ה:ז אל תאחר לשוב אליו
ואל תתעבר מיום אל יום,
כי פתאום יצא זעמו
וביום נקם תספה. 5:7 Do not delay to turn back to the Lord,
and do not postpone it from day to day;
for suddenly the Lord’s wrath will come upon you, and at the time of punishment you will perish. ה:ח אל תבטח על נכסי שקר
כי לא יועילו ביום עברה. 5:8 Do not depend on dishonest wealth,
for it will not benefit you on the day of calamity.
Note: Ben Sira, unlike Kohelet, affirms that God will indeed punish individuals for their sins. Also, the Hebrew and (traditional) Greek version, from which the English is taken, are not always in full agreement.
Now unlike Kohelet, this is pious! So how does Kohelet make it into the canon when Ben Sira does not?
The Wisdom of Ben Sira: How Jewish? - TheTorah.com
The Persistence of Ben Sira’s Influence
Unlike other originally Jewish books now found in the Apocrypha, though, Ben Sira did not exactly fade away. The book continued to circulate and to be read among Palestinian Jews, even though some tannaim explicitly put it in the category of non-holy, even heretical, books.[6] Yet in practice, Palestinian rabbinic literature shows no discomfort with reading and citing the book.
Talmudic Quotations
The Palestinian Talmud mentions the book once, in a story in which Shimon ben Shetach quotes from it in order to justify his actions to King Yanai. While the Palestinian Talmud never cites verses from Ben Sira using the traditional terms used to introduce biblical prooftexts (e.g., kaktuv; dikhtiv), in several places it introduces verses from Ben Sira using a formula like, “Ben Sira said,” as if he himself was a sage like any other.
Sanhedrin 100b
רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא אוֹמֵר אַף הַקּוֹרֵא בַּסְּפָרִים הַחִיצוֹנִים וְכוּ' תָּנָא בְּסִפְרֵי מִינִים רַב יוֹסֵף אָמַר בְּסֵפֶר בֶּן סִירָא נָמֵי אָסוּר לְמִיקְרֵי אֲמַר לֵיהּ אַבָּיֵי מַאי טַעְמָא אִילֵּימָא מִשּׁוּם דִּכְתִב [בֵּיהּ] לָא תִּינְטוֹשׁ גִּילְדָּנָא מֵאוּדְנֵיהּ דְּלָא לֵיזִיל מַשְׁכֵיהּ לַחֲבָלָא אֶלָּא צְלִי יָתֵיהּ בְּנוּרָא וְאֵיכוֹל בֵּיהּ תַּרְתֵּין גְּרִיצִים
The mishna teaches that Rabbi Akiva says: Also one who reads external literature has no share in the World-to-Come. The Sages taught in a baraita: This is a reference to reading books of heretics. Rav Yosef says: It is also prohibited to read the book of ben Sira, due to its problematic content. Abaye said to Rav Yosef: What is the reason that it is prohibited to read the book of ben Sira? If we say that it is prohibited due to the fact that ben Sira wrote in it: Do not flay the skin of the fish from its ear, so that its skin does not go to ruin, but roast it on the fire and eat with it two loaves of bread, and you believe it to be nonsense, that is not a sufficient reason.
אִי מִפְּשָׁטֵיהּ בְּאוֹרָיְיתָא נָמֵי כְּתִב לֹא תַשְׁחִית אֶת עֵצָהּ אִי מִדְּרָשָׁא אוֹרַח אַרְעָא קָא מַשְׁמַע לַן דְּלָא לִיבְעוֹל שֶׁלֹּא כְּדַרְכָּהּ
If your difficulty is from its literal meaning, that does not pose a difficulty, as in the Torah, God also wrote: “You shall not destroy its trees” (Deuteronomy 20:19). It is prohibited to destroy both trees and fish skin arbitrarily. If your difficulty is from its homiletic interpretation as a euphemism, ben Sira is teaching us proper conduct: A man should not engage in sexual intercourse in an atypical manner, i.e., anal intercourse, with his wife, as it causes her discomfort.
וְאֶלָּא מִשּׁוּם דִּכְתִיב בַּת לְאָבִיהָ מַטְמוֹנֶת שָׁוְא מִפַּחְדָּהּ לֹא יִישַׁן בַּלַּיְלָה בְּקַטְנוּתָהּ שֶׁמָּא תִּתְפַּתֶּה בְּנַעֲרוּתָהּ שֶׁמָּא תִּזְנֶה בָּגְרָה שֶׁמָּא לֹא תִּינָּשֵׂא נִישֵּׂאת שֶׁמָּא לֹא יִהְיוּ לָהּ בָּנִים הִזְקִינָה שֶׁמָּא תַּעֲשֶׂה כְּשָׁפִים הָא רַבָּנַן נָמֵי אַמְרוּהָ אִי אֶפְשָׁר לְעוֹלָם בְּלֹא זְכָרִים וּבְלֹא נְקֵבוֹת אַשְׁרֵי מִי שֶׁבָּנָיו זְכָרִים אוֹי לוֹ לְמִי שֶׁבָּנָיו נְקֵבוֹת
Rather, perhaps the book poses a difficulty because it is written there: A daughter is for her father false treasure; due to fear for her he will not sleep at night: During her minority, lest she be seduced; during her young womanhood lest she engage in licentiousness; once she has reached her majority, lest she not marry; once she marries, lest she have no children; once she grows old, lest she engage in witchcraft (Ben Sira 42:11–14). Perhaps you believe that one should not say this to the father of daughters. Didn’t the Sages also say it with regard to women? They said: It is impossible for the world to exist without males and without females; nevertheless, happy is one whose children are males and woe unto him whose children are females.
אֶלָּא מִשּׁוּם דִּכְתִיב לָא תַּעֵיל דְּוָיָא בְּלִבָּךְ דְּגַבְרֵי גִּיבָּרִין קְטַל דְּוָיָא הָא שְׁלֹמֹה אַמְרַהּ דְּאָגָה בְלֶב אִישׁ יַשְׁחֶנָּה רַבִּי אַמֵּי וְרַבִּי אַסִּי חַד אָמַר יַשִּׂיחֶנָּה מִדַּעְתּוֹ וְחַד אָמַר יְשִׂיחֶנָּה לַאֲחֵרִים
Rather, perhaps the book poses a difficulty because it is written there: Do not introduce anxiety into your heart, as anxiety has killed mighty men (Ben Sira 14:1; 30:29). Didn’t Solomon already say it in the verse: “Anxiety in a man’s heart dejects him [yashḥena]” (Proverbs 12:25)? Rabbi Ami and Rabbi Asi interpret the term homiletically and read it as yesiḥenna. One says that it means: He shall remove it [yesiḥenna] from his mind, and that will ease his anxiety. And one says: He shall tell it [yesiḥenna] to others, and that will ease his anxiety. Both agree with the statement of ben Sira.
וְאֶלָּא מִשּׁוּם דִּכְתִיב מְנַע רַבִּים מִתּוֹךְ בֵּיתֶךָ וְלֹא הַכֹּל תָּבִיא אֶל בֵּיתֶךָ וְהָא רַבִּי נָמֵי אַמְרַהּ דְּתַנְיָא רַבִּי אוֹמֵר לְעוֹלָם לֹא יַרְבֶּה אָדָם רֵעִים בְּתוֹךְ בֵּיתוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר 'אִישׁ רֵעִים לְהִתְרוֹעֵעַ'
Rather, perhaps the book poses a difficulty because it is written there: Prevent the multitudes from inside your house, and do not bring everyone into your house (Ben Sira 11:37). But didn’t Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi also say it, as it is taught in a baraita that Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi says: A person should never have many friends inside his house, as it is stated: “There are friends that one has to his own detriment” (Proverbs 18:24), as through his association with them he will become weak and be ruined.
אֶלָּא מִשּׁוּם דִּכְתִיב זַלְדְּקַן קוּרְטְמָן עַבְדְּקַן סִכְסָן דְּנָפַח בְּכָסֵיהּ לָא צָחֵי אָמַר 'בְּמַאי אֵיכוֹל לַחְמָא' לַחְמָא סַב מִינֵּיהּ מַאן דְּאִית לֵיהּ מַעְבַּרְתָּא בְּדִיקְנֵיהּ כּוּלֵּי עָלְמָא לָא יָכְלִי לֵיהּ
Rather, perhaps the book poses a difficulty because it is written there: A sparse-bearded man is clever; a thick-bearded man is a fool. One who blows on his cup is not thirsty. One who said: With what will I eat bread, take the bread from him. One who has a passage in his beard, the entire world is unable to overcome him. Abaye suggests: Due to all this nonsense, it is not appropriate to read this book.
אָמַר רַב יוֹסֵף מִילֵּי מְעַלַּיְיתָא דְּאִית בֵּיהּ דָּרְשִׁינַן לְהוּ אִשָּׁה טוֹבָה מַתָּנָה טוֹבָה בְּחֵיק יְרֵא אֱלֹהִים תִּנָּתֵן אִשָּׁה רָעָה צָרַעַת לְבַעְלָהּ מַאי תַּקַּנְתֵּיהּ יְגָרְשֶׁנָּה מִבֵּיתוֹ וְיִתְרַפֵּא מִצָּרַעְתּוֹ אִשָּׁה יָפָה אַשְׁרֵי בַּעְלָהּ מִסְפַּר יָמָיו כִּפְלַיִם
Rav Yosef says: Even though there are passages in the book that are inappropriate, we teach the superior matters that are in it even in public. A good wife is a good gift; she will be given into the bosom of a God-fearing man (Ben Sira 26:3). A bad wife is leprosy for her husband. What is his remedy? He shall chase her from his house and will be healed from his leprosy (Ben Sira 25:30). A beautiful wife, happy is her husband; the number of his days is doubled (Ben Sira 26:1). Due to his happiness, it is as though his life is twice as long.
הַעְלֵם עֵינֶיךָ מֵאֵשֶׁת חֵן פֶּן תִּלָּכֵד בִּמְצוּדָתָהּ אַל תֵּט אֵצֶל בַּעְלָהּ לִמְסוֹךְ עִמּוֹ יַיִן וְשֵׁכָר כִּי בְּתוֹאַר אִשָּׁה יָפָה רַבִּים הוּשְׁחָתוּ וַעֲצוּמִים כׇּל הֲרוּגֶיהָ רַבִּים הָיוּ פִּצְעֵי רוֹכֵל הַמַּרְגִּילִים לִדְבַר עֶרְוָה כְּנִיצוֹץ מַבְעִיר גַּחֶלֶת כִּכְלוּב מָלֵא עוֹף כֵּן בָּתֵּיהֶם מְלֵאִים מִרְמָה מְנַע רַבִּים מִתּוֹךְ בֵּיתֶךָ וְלֹא הַכֹּל תָּבִיא בֵּיתֶךָ רַבִּים יִהְיוּ דּוֹרְשֵׁי שְׁלוֹמֶךָ גַּלֵּה סוֹדְךָ לְאֶחָד מֵאָלֶף מִשּׁוֹכֶבֶת חֵיקֶךָ שְׁמוֹר פִּתְחֵי פִיךָ אַל תֵּצַר צָרַת מָחָר כִּי לֹא תֵדַע מַה יֵּלֶד יוֹם שֶׁמָּא לְמָחָר אֵינֶנּוּ וְנִמְצָא מִצְטַעֵר עַל עוֹלָם שֶׁאֵינוֹ שֶׁלּוֹ
We also teach what it states there: Avert your eyes from a woman of grace, lest you be trapped in her snare. Turn not to her husband to mix wine and strong drink with him, as many have been corrupted by the beauty of the beautiful woman, and mighty are all her fatalities (Ben Sira 9:9–11). Many are the wounds of a peddler (Ben Sira 11:36), which in this context is referring to those who accustom others to matters of forbidden sexual relations. Like a spark ignites a coal (Ben Sira 11:43), like a cage full of birds, so too, their houses are filled with deceit (Ben Sira 11:36–37). Prevent the multitudes from inside your house, and do not bring everyone into your house (Ben Sira 11:37). Let many be those who greet you; reveal your secrets to one in a thousand. From she who lies in your bosom guard the openings of your mouth, i.e., do not tell her everything. Grieve not about tomorrow’s trouble, because you know not what a day may bring; perhaps tomorrow you will no longer be, and one will have worried about a world that is not his.
כׇּל יְמֵי עָנִי רָעִים בֶּן סִירָא אוֹמֵר אַף לֵילוֹת בִּשְׁפַל גַּגִּים גַּגּוֹ וּבִמְרוֹם הָרִים כַּרְמוֹ מִמְּטַר גַּגִּים לְגַגּוֹ וּמֵעֲפַר כַּרְמוֹ לִכְרָמִים
The verse states: “All the days of the poor are terrible” (Proverbs 15:15). The book of ben Sira says: Also the nights are terrible, as then the poor person worries. The poor person’s roof is among the lowest roofs in the city, and in the elevation of the hills is his vineyard, at the highest point, as those are of the lowest quality and consequently the least expensive places for each. From the rain on the roofs of the entire city, water will flow down to his roof and dampen it, and the soil of his vineyard is eroded by the rain and swept down to other vineyards.
[סִימָן זֵירָא רָבָא מְשַׁרְשְׁיָא חֲנִינָא טוֹבִיָּה יַנַּאי יָפֶה יוֹחָנָן מְרַחֵם יְהוֹשֻׁעַ מְקַצֵּר]
§ The Gemara provides a mnemonic for the statements that follow, based primarily on those who authored those statements. Zeira; Rava; Mesharshiyya; Ḥanina toviyya, referring to Rabbi Ḥanina, who spoke of a good [tova] wife; Yannai yafe, referring to Rabbi Yannai, who spoke of one who is broad-minded [da’ato yafe]; Yoḥanan meraḥem, referring to Rabbi Yoḥanan, who spoke of one who is compassionate [meraḥem]; Yehoshua mekatzer, referring to Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi, who spoke of one who is intolerant [da’ato ketzara].
יַנַּאי מַלְכָּא וּמַלְכְּתָא כְּרִיכוּ רִיפְתָּא בַּהֲדֵי הֲדָדֵי, וּמִדִּקְטַל לְהוּ לְרַבָּנַן לָא הֲוָה לֵיהּ אִינִישׁ לְבָרוֹכֵי לְהוּ. אֲמַר לַהּ לִדְבֵיתְהוּ: מַאן יָהֵיב לַן גַּבְרָא דִּמְבָרֵךְ לַן? אֲמַרָה לֵיהּ: אִשְׁתְּבַע לִי דְּאִי מַיְיתֵינָא לָךְ גַּבְרָא דְּלָא מְצַעֲרַתְּ לֵיהּ. אִשְׁתְּבַע לַהּ. אַיְיתִיתֵיהּ לְשִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן שָׁטַח אֲחוּהָ. אוֹתְבֵיהּ בֵּין דִּידֵיהּ לְדִידַהּ. אֲמַר לֵיהּ: חָזֵית כַּמָּה יְקָרָא עָבֵידְנָא לָךְ. אָמַר לֵיהּ: לָאו אַתְּ קָא מוֹקְרַתְּ לִי אֶלָּא אוֹרָיְיתָא הִיא דְּמוֹקְרָא לִי, דִּכְתִיב: ״סַלְסְלֶהָ וּתְרוֹמְמֶךָּ תְּכַבֵּדְךָ כִּי תְחַבְּקֶנָּה״. אֲמַר לַהּ: קָא חָזֵית דְּלָא מְקַבֵּל מָרוּת.
The Gemara relates: King Yannai and the queen ate bread together. And since Yannai executed the Sages, there was no one to recite the Grace after Meals blessing on their behalf. He said to his wife: Who will provide us with a man to recite the blessing on our behalf? She said to him: Swear to me that if I bring you such a man, you will not harass him. He swore, and she brought her brother, Shimon ben Shataḥ. She sat him between the King’s throne and hers. The King said to him: Do you see how much honor I am according you? He responded: It is not you who honors me; rather, the Torah honors me, as it is written: “Extol her and she will exalt you; she will bring you to honor when you embrace her” (Proverbs 4:8). Yannai said to his wife: You see that he does not accept authority.
יְהַבוּ לֵיהּ כָּסָא לְבָרוֹכֵי. אֲמַר: הֵיכִי אֲבָרֵיךְ — ״בָּרוּךְ שֶׁאָכַל יַנַּאי וַחֲבֵירָיו מִשֶּׁלּוֹ״? שַׁתְיֵיהּ לְהָהוּא כָּסָא, יְהַבוּ לֵיהּ כָּסָא אַחֲרִינָא וּבָרֵיךְ.
They gave Shimon ben Shataḥ a cup of wine over which to recite Grace after Meals. He said: How shall I recite the blessing? Shall I say: Blessed is He from Whom Yannai and his companions have eaten? I have not eaten anything. He drank that cup of wine. They gave him another cup, and he recited the Grace after Meals blessing. By drinking the first cup he joined the other diners and was therefore eligible to recite Grace after Meals on their behalf.
אָמַר רַבִּי אַבָּא בְּרֵיהּ דְּרַבִּי חִיָּיא בַּר אַבָּא אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן שָׁטַח דַּעֲבַד — לְגַרְמֵיהּ הוּא דַּעֲבַד, דְּהָכִי אָמַר רַבִּי חִיָּיא בַּר אַבָּא אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: לְעוֹלָם אֵינוֹ מוֹצִיא אֶת הָרַבִּים יְדֵי חוֹבָתָן עַד שֶׁיֹּאכַל כְּזַיִת דָּגָן.
With regard to this story, Rabbi Abba, son of Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba, said (that Rabbi Yoḥanan said): That which Shimon ben Shataḥ did, reciting Grace after Meals on their behalf, he did on his own, and not in accordance with the accepted halakha, as Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba said that Rabbi Yoḥanan said as follows: One who recites Grace after Meals cannot fulfill the obligation of others to recite it until he eats an olive-bulk of grain.
מֵיתִיבִי, רַבָּן שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן גַּמְלִיאֵל אוֹמֵר: עָלָה וְהֵסֵיב עִמָּהֶם אֲפִילּוּ לֹא טִבֵּל עִמָּהֶם אֶלָּא בְּצִיר, וְלֹא אָכַל עִמָּהֶם אֶלָּא גְּרוֹגֶרֶת אַחַת — מִצְטָרֵף.
The Gemara raises an objection based on what was taught in a baraita: Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel says: One who entered and reclined together with those who were dining, even if he only dipped with them a small bit of food in spicy brine that was before them and ate with them only a single dry fig, he joins them. This baraita demonstrates that one need not necessarily eat grain to recite Grace after Meals on their behalf.
אִיצְטְרוֹפֵי מִצְטָרֵף אֲבָל לְהוֹצִיא אֶת הָרַבִּים יְדֵי חוֹבָתָן — עַד שֶׁיֹּאכַל כְּזַיִת דָּגָן.
The Gemara responds: Indeed, he joins them, but he cannot satisfy the obligation of the many unless he has eaten an olive-bulk of grain.
אִיתְּמַר נָמֵי, אָמַר רַב חָנָא בַּר יְהוּדָה מִשְּׁמֵיהּ דְּרָבָא: אֲפִילּוּ לֹא
Similarly, this halakha was also stated: Rav Ḥana bar Yehuda said in the name of Rava: Even if he only
48b
טִבֵּל עִמָּהֶם אֶלָּא בְּצִיר, וְלֹא אָכַל עִמָּהֶם אֶלָּא גְּרוֹגֶרֶת אַחַת — מִצְטָרֵף. וּלְהוֹצִיא אֶת הָרַבִּים יְדֵי חוֹבָתָם — אֵינוֹ מוֹצִיא עַד שֶׁיֹּאכַל כְּזַיִת דָּגָן. אָמַר רַב חָנָא בַּר יְהוּדָה מִשְּׁמֵיהּ דְּרָבָא: הִלְכְתָא, אָכַל עֲלֵה יָרָק וְשָׁתָה כּוֹס שֶׁל יַיִן — מִצְטָרֵף. לְהוֹצִיא — אֵינוֹ מוֹצִיא עַד שֶׁיֹּאכַל כְּזַיִת דָּגָן.
dipped with them a small bit of food in brine and ate with them only a single dry fig, he joins them. And to satisfy the obligation of the many, he does not satisfy their obligation until he eats an olive-bulk of grain. Rabbi Ḥana bar Yehuda said in the name of Rava that the halakha is: If one ate a vegetable leaf and drank a cup of wine, he joins the diners. However, to satisfy the obligation of others, he does not satisfy their obligation until he eats an olive-bulk of grain.
Liturgical Usage
Ben Sira also had a significant liturgical role. The beginning and end of the ancient Yom Kippur Avodah service were modeled on Ben Sira’s panegyric to the high priest of his time, Simon (Sirach 44, 50). The earliest extant piyyut in which we see this is attributed to the Palestinian poet Yose ben Yose, who probably lived in the fifth century CE. It became, however, the subsequent basis for the Avodah service.[9]
In the Geniza
Indeed, the fact that Ben Sira continued to play an important role in the lives of Palestinian Jews can be attested by the very survival of the Hebrew text in the Cairo Genizah. Portions of five manuscripts were found, all carefully written. We do not know how this community (which had close ties to the Palestinian Jewish community) used these books, although since they were not written on parchment, they likely did not use them liturgically.[10]
Quoted as Scripture in the Bavli
Babylonian Jews too continued to read and ascribe some kind of limited authority to Ben Sira. The Bavli cites Ben Sira often, sometimes more accurately, sometimes less so.[11] In at least one case, the Babylonian Talmud cites Ben Sira in a halakhic discussion using the formula kedikhtiv, implying that it has the authority of Scripture.[12]
In another case (b. Baba Kama 92b), the rabbis simply quoted the verse as Scripture (כתובים), without saying where it was from.[13] Unfamiliar quotes from Ben Sira caused such consternation among a certain group of readers in the Geonic period that they wrote a letter to one of the Geonic yeshivot asking about this verse, and received the reply that it is from Ben Sira, but still legitimate to darshen.[14]
The Talmudic Scrutiny of Ben Sira
Ben Sira’s place in Israel’s religious life, however, was also contested. The most extensive collection of verses from Ben Sira found in the Babylonian Talmud (Sanhedrin 100b) in fact occurs in the context of contestation. The Talmud begins a discussion of Rabbi Akiva’s statement that those who read “external books” are excluded from the world to come. The Talmud first seeks to define what such books are, saying that they refer to the “books of the tzidokim” (Sadducees?). Rav Yosef then says: “It is also forbidden to recite from the book of Ben Sira”[15]
This sparks a long discussion about Rav Yosef’s reasoning in which different verses of Ben Sira are cited in order to test whether they are problematic; in the end, none are found to be definitively “out of bounds.” Rav Yosef’s comment remains somewhat obscure, but it has been plausibly suggested that he is only forbidding liturgical recitation of Ben Sira, not ordinary reading and study.[16] While the versions of Ben Sira that circulated in rabbinic circles in Babylonia might not have been identical to those in Palestine, they were clearly seen by many rabbis as containing ancient Jewish wisdom worth studying.[17]
Ben Sira in the Geonic Period
By the Geonic period and the Middle Ages, Ben Sira floated on the margins of the rabbinic world. Sa’adiah Gaon (ninth century) knew of a copy that had cantillation marks, perhaps indicating that some Jews recited it in the synagogue. Through the Middle Ages rabbis appear to know of Ben Sira primarily through its citation in rabbinic texts. The halakhic tendency appears to have been to lessen its status, permitting one, for example, to read it in the bathroom.[18]
A prior topic was the Haskalah and post Haskalah period.
Topics included
Emancipation of the Jews in modern times
The Haskalah, or Jewish Enlightenment
Wissenschaft des Judentums i.e. Science of Judaism in Hebrew Ḥokhmat Yisrael
Religious change went in many directions.
Orthodoxy, as represented by A. Hildesheimer
The Breslau Rabbinical seminary, under Zecharia Frankel taking a middle position
Geigers reforming Lehranstalt (Hochschule) fuer die Wissenschaft des Judentums
Chavura files/links
This page resides at
https://sites.google.com/site/rishonmeir/chavura#