Babylonian Talmud

Rodkinson 1918 — source 9, scan section 2

compilers, who sifted every manuscript with the utmost care, undoubtedly rejected them as valueless. If, on the other hand, they were at that time not in existence, but were written at a later period, they certainly cannot be used as a medium for cor- recting the antedating manuscripts. As for Schechter's revised and corrected texts, we cannot accept them for the reason that he presumes to remark, anent Elias Wilner*s corrections, " I do not favor them," or, " They are unnecessary.** After careful investigation we have, however, found that almost all the corrections made by Elias Wilner, and adopted by us, are founded directly on Talmudical and Midrashic passages scattered throughout the Talmud, a fact the learned Dr. Schechter no doubt overlooked. On the other hand, we find that the commentaries published in the above-mentioned Wilna edition and credited to Joshua Falk, Chayim Joseph David Azulayi, and Baruch Frankel Theo- mim are referred directly to passages of the Talmud in the several treatises. Therefore we have used these well-known authorities in our translation, eliminating merely their lengthy discussions and adductions of proof. As to the origin of the sayings of the ** Fathers of Rabbi Nathan," the period during which they were compiled, and other historical events attending their conception, we refrain from rendering our opinion, even though it has become cus- tomary to do this in an introduction, leaving these matters to the philologists and historians in whose province such discussions properly fall. Our sole reason for the translation is that the said sayings have never before been rendered into any modern lan- guage and without them our work would not be complete. The " Fathers of Rabbi Nathan " contains in the original forty-one chapters. As we render them, however, in the form of a Gemara to the Mishna of ** Fathers," we have not numbered the chapters, but merely indicated at the foot of the page to which chapter each paragraph belongs. Regarding the translation of ** Fathers," i.e., the original Mishna in the first five chapters, we have found that the trans- lation of C. Taylor (Cambridge, 1877) is entirely too literal and almost incomprehensible without foot-notes and commentaries. viii INTRODUCTION TO SECTION JURISPRUDENCE. On the other hand, the partial translation contained in the Home Prayer Book, compiled in the main by Dr. G. Gottheil and Dr. F. De Sola Mendes, is lucid and in accord with the original text. We have therefore made use of the latter rendition, with slight changes. The part remaining untranslated in the Prayer Book we have adapted from C. Taylor's version, rendering it somewhat more comprehensively. In the rendition of the sixth chapter, which does not really form part of the Mishna but is added by the sages in Mishnaic language, we have fol- lowed Taylor, making numerous notes and corrections, in order to make it intelligible to the lay reader. We have not deemed it necessary to add a commentary to the " Fathers*' as we did to Tracts Shekalim and Ebel Rab- bathi, because the " Fathers " has been translated into all mod- ern languages and because there is already considerable literature concerning the ethics of Judaism, especially the recent publica- tion by Prof. Dr. M. Lazarus entitled " Ethik des Judenthums," an admirable work, issued at Leipzig (1899), and giving a mas- terly exposition of the philosophical tendencies of '* Fathers." We have also devoted a special chapter to this subject in our forthcoming " History of the Talmud." We have also thought it well to give in this volume, which treats exclusively of the ethics of Judaism, the two Tracts Derech Eretz (Rabba and Zuta), which contain the essential " rules of conduct of life," as construed by Dr. Mielziner, or Worldly Affairs, as named by us, which latter is the prevailing interpretation among Hebrew readers. As to the origin of these two tracts, elaborate discussions maybe found in Zunz, " Gottesdienstliche Vortraege, " pp. 1 10- 112, as well as in ** Der Talmud — Tract Derech Erez Sutta Kri- tisch bearbeitet, iibersetzt und erlautert " (Berlin, 1885), by Abr. Tawrogi. For Tawrogi's reasons for not translating Derech Eretz Rabba, see his work; nevertheless, inasmuch as Derech Eretz Rabba has never been translated into any language, and of Derech Eretz Zuta, while there is a critical translation into German, there is none in English, in order to make this volume, which treats of the ethics of Judaism, complete, we have con- sidered it expedient to translate into English both tracts almost literally, although they are not counted among the thirty-seven treatises proper of the Babylonian Talmud, but only among the minor treatises added to them. We do not, however, deem it necessary to add any commentary, for the reason that the say- INTRODUCTION TO SECTION JURISPRUDENCE. ix ings are very plain and lucid, and can easily be understood even by those who are not students of the Talmud. Because of the similarity in language and style of these two treatises and of the so-called Mishnayoth of the sixth chapter of Aboth, they appear in the same large type as the Mishnayoth. Following this treatise will be published the other tracts of this section in the regular sequence of the old edition. The Editor and Translator. New York, March, 1900. SECTION NEZIKIN (JURISPRUDENCE). SYNOPSIS OF SUBJECTS OF TRACT ABOTH (FATHERS OF THE SYNAGOGUE). [Several requests have been received by the translator that an index should be made to the volumes of the Talmud, as is customary with all modern works. It would be an utter impossibility to give a complete index of everything contained in the Talmud, Were it like other scientific works, which treat each subject separately, this could easily be done ; but with the Talmud it is different. On one page many different subjects may be discussed, and again a single subject may occupy several pages. The Talmud, therefore, has never had an index. After careful examination of the volumes, page by page, it has been decided to make a synopsis, i.e., to give briefly the heads of the discussions and conversations up)on each Mishna, indicating the page where the Mishna is to be found, and the Gemara of each one, which serves as a commentary. By this the reader should be able to refer to what he desires to know. A synopsis is therefore given of every Mishna which discusses a single subject, with its accompanying Gemara — in this volume, the Tosephtha ; but when several short Mishnas cover the same subject, a single synopsis is given of the whole, includ- ing the Gemara of each one ; and where a chapter is short, a synopsis of the whole chapter is made, without dividing it into Mishnas. This is the best that can be done, and it is hoped that readers will find it satis- factory.]