Babylonian Talmud

Rodkinson 1918 — source 20, scan section 36

It is safe to classify the Jews as average human beings, who are neither better nor worse than the rest of mankind, and taking them as such, the proportion among them who encourage Jew- ish letters will not be found to fall below what can rightly be expected. This statement, however, does not include the Jews who have been blessed with superabundant riches, for the members of that class have not in this country given to Jewish literature the same support so common among the men of wealth who enable the literature of Christianity to be spread broadcast over the world." APPENDIX TO CHAPTER II., page 24 We have to repeat again that we do not see any reason why the more prominent sages should not be mentioned. To quote all of those omitted, both of Tanaim and Amoraim, with the sources where they are taken from would take a whole volume and we also would not like to devise an entirely new arrangement contrary to Strack, Mielziner and others whose authority we respect. However, we cannot refrain from calling the attention of students to the fact that after a good deal of deliberation and search we cannot find any reason why the most prominent sages should not be placed among the founders of the Talmud. Take, for instance, Abtulmus, who is mentioned in Tract Erubin, Chapter III., Mishna 4, who, according to R. Jose, testified in the name of five elders, etc., and who is also mentioned several times in the Gemara and is not identical with Abtalyon who was in an earlier time. Take also Baba b' Buta who, was in the time of Herod the Great, and who was a disciple of Shamai and cannot be counted of his school as he was of those who were troubling themselves to establish the Halakha in accordance with the school of Hillel and whom the Talmud put up as an example of morahty. (See Weiss "Geschichte der jiidichen Tradition," Vol. I., p. 168. We also do not find among them Elazai b. Arach, whom we have added, the distinguished one of the five disciples of R. Johanan b. Zakkai, and also no mention of b. Bag Bag, b. Haij Haij, b. Buchre, and Papus b. Jehudah. The contemporaries of these were Jo- hanan b. Zakkai, Jehudah b. Bathyra, etc., etc., all of whom are mentioned in the Mishnayoth as great authorities, who according to our opinion ought to be placed among the Tanaim, founders of the Mishna. There is mentioned by Strack and Perferkowitz (the latter counts Elasur b. Arach and Simon Shezur), Ben Patturo or Ben Pature, who is to be found only once in the whole Talmud, namely in Baba Metzia, p. 149. Let us quote his statement : "If two were on the road (in the desert) , and one of them has a pitcher of water which is sufficient for one only until he may reach an in- habited place, but if both would use it both would die before reaching a village, and Ben Patturo lectured that in such a case it io6 APPENDIX. is better that both should drink and die than that one should wit- ness the death of his comrade." This teaching seems to us to be of the Essenes as it is not in accordance with the Talmudical spirit, and as his own name is not known (there are many who were named after their fathers only as Ben Dama, b' Bathyra, b' Azai, but their own name however is known) we are inclined to say that he lived at a much earlier time and it should read Ben Pantira, who was in his youth a disciple of Jehoshua b' Prachyah * and it would not be sur- prising that his lecture was stated in his name as so it was done with Elisha b' Abbuyah in Tract Aboth, Chapter IV., notwithstanding that thereafter he separated himself from his colleagues and was named Acker. * i.e., Jesu b. Joseph Pantira, who is usually so mentioned in Tosephta (Chnlin, V. 32), jind in the Palestinian Talmud several times. In some places Jesu b. Pantira, and in other places Jesu Pantira and also Ben Pantira. Concerning Jehoshua b. Prachii< who was his teacher, according to the Talmud, we are inclined to say there were two Jehoshuas rather than to claim that there were two Jesuses. PART V. THE ARRANGEMENT OP THE SIX SECTIONS IN THEIR SIXTY TRACTS. Section Zeraim (Plants) contains eleven tractates, viz.: Berachoth (Benediction), supplied with Gemara, both Pales- tinian and Babylonian, Peah (Corner tithe) , Dmai (Uncertain), Khilayim (Mixtures), Shebiit (Sabbatical year), Therumoth (Heave offering), Maasheroth (Tithes), Maaser Sheni (Second tithes), Chala (Dough), Orla (Fruit trees during the first three years), and Biccurim (First fruit), all of which are not supplied with Babylonian Gemara. The laws of all of them concern Palestine at that time the Temple was in existence. Section Nashim (Women) contains seven tracts, viz. : Yeba- moth (Levirate marriage), Khethuboth (Marriage contracts), Nedarim (Vows), Nazir (Nazarite), Sota (Suspicious women), Gittin (Divorces), Kiddushin (Betrothals). Section Kodashim (Holiness), eleven tracts: Zebachim (Sacrifices), Menachoth (Meal-offering), Chulin (Profane things), Bechoroth (First born), Arachin (Estimations), The- mura (Exchange), Kherithoth (Excisions), Me-ila (Trespass), Thamid (Daily offerings), Middoth (Measurements) and Kin- nim (Birds' nests). All the above tracts, besides Chulin, treat about sacrifices, offerings used at the time of the Tem- ple. Chulin, however, speaks of the laws of slaughtering and of the meats that may be used. Section Teharoth (Purification), twelve tracts, viz. : Khe- lim (Vessels), Ohaloth (Tents), Nego-im (Leprosy), Parah (Heifer), Teharoth (Purification), Mikvaoth (Wells), Nidda (Menstruous) , Mach-shirim (Preparations), Zabim (Running issues), Tebul-Yom (Legal-day bath), Yadayim (Hands), and Uktzin (Stalks of fruit) ; to all of them, except Nidda, there is no Gemara, for the reason stated above (Vol. IL, p. 42). The tract Nidda, however, treats about women menstruous and all the laws of sexual intercourse. Section Moed (Festivals), twelve tracts (in our Edition 13), and Section Nezikin (Jurisprudence), ten tracts (in our Edi- tion 13), which are already published in the English language. We give, for the benefit of readers, the following synopsis: SECTION MOED (FESTIVALS). SYNOPSIS OF SUBJECTS OF VOLUME l.~TRACT SABBATH. SYNOPSIS OF SUBJECTS. Several requests have been received by the translator that an index should be made to the volumes of the Talmud, as is customary with alf 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, not even the portions which have been translated. After careful examination of the volumes, page by page, it has been de-