Babylonian Talmud

Rodkinson 1918 — source 19, scan section 3

last century, containing only the dates and publishers ' names of the various editions of the Talmud, in seventeen large vol- umes,with a comparison of all words and letters of the different editions and manuscripts, and this only of two-thirds of the Talmud — the fate of the Talmud, the charges brought against it, the repeated persecutions, the burning at the stake, have not been recorded in a separate work, as though unworthy of notice. It has been thus left for us to supply the deficiency. For we, who have taken upon ourselves the difficult task of editing the old Talmud, to punctuate it in conformity with works in other languages, to systematize and arrange it for a new edition, and to translate it into a modern language, deem it our duty to collect into one book all the records of the vicis- situdes of the Talmud in a systematic manner, at the same time stating the causes of many occurrences. It is quite true, that in many places we have been constrained to be brief where a more ample account would not have been out of place, but it must be borne in mind that to expatiate on every incident would lead to the writing of a volume equal in bulk to the Talmud itself, perhaps even larger, and time would not permit such an undertaking. In one respect, however, we will do our duty ; we will arrange all the events chronologically, and we have taken pains to denote the time and place of differ- ent events and likewise to name the persecutors of the Talmud. We trust this volume will meet with a favorable reception from the readers, for our work was done conscientiously, and to the utmost of our talents. To save space, we have not on every 4 INTRODUCTION. occasion mentioned the authorities from whom we derived our facts, but only when we had to refer the reader for details to other books we gave the name and page of the book. We may state, however, that the sources on which we have drawn are all the books which speak of this subject, viz. : the Talmud itself, the books of the Gaonim, and those written on this topic in the Middle Ages, as well as the extensive literature relating to it of the last century, from Zunz, Jost, Herzfeld, Graetz, etc., to the pamphlet we have mentioned. At the conclusion of the book the reader will find an explanation of the method employed in the new edition and translation of the Talmud, and at the same time a full introduction. We made it as lucid as possible, and also endeavored to reply to some criticisms that have appeared in various periodicals since the new publication had first appeared. Michael L. Rodkinson. New York, August, 1903. THE HISTORY OF THE TALMUD. CHAPTER I. THE ORIGIN OF THE NAME TALMUD — THE SAMARITANS — ANTIOCHUS EPIPHANES — THE SADDUCEES. The name "written law" was given to the Pentateuch, Prophets and Hagiographa, and that of "oral law" to all the teachings of the " sages " consisting of comments on the text of the Bible, The word Torah alone was applied to the entire Bible, the term "Talmud" was reserved for the oral law, though the meaning of these two words is identical ; namely, " teaching " or " study. " Still, because it is written Velimdo (Deut. xxxi, 19), and teach it the children of Israel (put it in their mouths ; that is to say that the teacher's duty was to ex- plain and comment on the laws and ordinances until the chil- dren imderstood them thoroughly and were conversant with them by heart) — the name " Talmud " was applied to what was styled by a long phrase " Oral Law" (Torah-she b'al-Peh). This word designated all the commentaries of the sages on the Script- ures which the Pharisees had begun to interpret figuratively. Figurative interpretation was inaugurated in the days of the Great Assembly when its members resolved to keep themselves distinct from the Samaritans, their inveterate enemies, who ad- hered to the literal interpretation of the text, which, in the opinion of the Pharisees, was falsified by them. This study, however, commenced to make progress at the time of the San- hedrin, or from that of the Macedonian conquest of Judea, when the term " Great Assembly " was changed to the Greek " Sanhe- drin . " It spread into every college where were assembled sages entrusted with the guidance of congregations, with instruction of the Law, of ordinances relating to clean and unclean, to prop- 6 THE HISTORY OF THE TALMUD. erty, to crimes. All sages who interpreted the biblical passages figuratively, unlike the Samaritans, were called "Pharisees." The Samaritans of course persecuted those Pharisees (see App. No. i), objected to their interpretation, and did them great in- jury whenever they had the power. At last, Janai, Hyrcanus the First, overcame them, burned their temple, devastated their city, and compelled them by force of arms to conduct themselves according to the doctrines of the Pharisees, though he himself in his latter years became a Sadducee. Until the time of Antiochus Epiphanes, before which period all the high priests since the erection of the second temple had been of the family of Zadok, King David's high priest (see App, 2), and the priests had been also among the sages of the Phari- sees and no disputes arose between them as to the interpreta- tion of the law. From the time of Antiochus, however, when the high priesthood passed from the descendants of Zadok to other families, finally coming into the possession of the Macca- bees, who were not descendants of the house of Zadok, began to differ from the Pharisees in the interpretation of the Torah, and to explain the texts on the basis of oral tradition. They founded a distinct sect, styled " Sadducees " (after Zadok), and the dispute with the Pharisees and their teaching, i.e. with the Talmud, was begun. They persecuted the Pharisees to the utmost ; being mostly men of wealth and rank, and in their hearts leaning toward the Hellenes, who then held sway in Pal- estine, they joined the Samaritans, the foes of the Jews, whose aim was to eradicate the study of Judaism. Thus united, they gave their aid to Antiochus Epiphanes, who was anyhow the enemy of the Jews, and who decreed on the pain of capital pun- ishment that the Pharisees should discontinue their studies, that circumcision should be performed in a manner other than that prescribed by the Pharisees (see App. No. 3) ; that the Sab- bath should not be observed according to the interpretation of the Sabbath law by the Pharisees, etc. The obvious intention was to destroy the Talmud together with Pharisees who adhered to it. These persecutions against the Talmud ended usually in favor of the Sadducees until the time of Simon ben Shetah, and the above mentioned Janai, Hyrcanus I. (Johanan the High Priest). Then the Pharisees triumphed over their foes, and the oral law was the absorbing subject of the Sanhedrin, under the