#Yehuda HaNasi

[dadyomi]

Wednesday 2/22, Nazir 30: Splitting hairs

So much about adult responsibilities depends on the production of public hair, and yet I can't even remember growing mine. I feel like surely some kind of measure of maturity, like some achievement in learning Torah, would be more helpful.

[seborn9000]

The final line of the mishna states that from the time when Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi died, humility and fear of sin ceased. Rav Yosef said to the tanna who reviewed the mishna: Do not teach that humility ceased, for there is still one who is humble, namely me. (Sotah 49b)

our wisdom might be diminished, but wise guys have not ceased

[hyperpotamianarch]

That might be derailing stuff a bit, but what's up with fruit related stuff? If you'll look in the comments, another recommendation was the Pomegranate Gate. Which also occurs in a world with cities that are (so far inexplicably) named after Hebrew words for various fruits. And now I find that this Second Mango book exists - Judaism isn't centered around fruits any more than anything else.

(I know that's only the second time a book of the sort was recommended and that mostly amounts to coincidence, but for the moment I'm going to go according to Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi's opinion that twice is already indicative.)

So, Jewish Fantasy! A very nebulous idea that tries to catch form in many different ways. I don't know much about how it works outside of Israel - I saved the recommendation list that circulated around here but didn't try anything from it yet (outside of Spinning Silver, which I read before I ever saw the list). So, if anything of what I say seems ludicrous to you because you've seen a book that does it well - don't hesitate to recommend it to me! Though I'm not sure how applicable it will be for what I'm about to say.

There are a couple of angles from which one can try to get at Jewish Fantasy: through using Jewish folklore and myth as a basis for your story, through using Jewish characters or by writing out of a Jewish cultural context. In certain stories, different angles tend to be more pronounced - Charashta is based on Midrashim and Jewish folklore, Spinning Silver has Jewish characters, and Agam HaTzlalim is written out of some degree of Jewish culture. Yeah, two of those are Israeli books that weren't translated, feel free to give alternative examples but those are the only one I can safely talk about since I've actually read them.

I could elaborate more on that, but what actually made me want to write a post on the topic was a post about how so much of Fantasy is Greek (in a way) and Sci-Fi is Roman. And that made me think, what about Jewish Fantasy? And while this is a topic I've thought of and been somewhat involved in conversations on for some time now, this is looking at it from a particular angle. An angle which could be examplified by the simple question: why is there no Jewish Disney Princess?

All right, all right, settle down. I know about the Vanollope von Schweetz thing. Quite frankly, considering the source for it is the word of the actress and that it has no effect on the story whatsoever, I think I'm fine with ignoring it. Feel free to shout at me in the comments, hopefully the rest of the post will explain this better.

You see, the problem is that Disney Princesses mostly come from stories about Medieval Europe, and in that particular time and place "Jewish" and "royalty" were inherently contradictory. A Jewish girl couldn't have been a princess, because Jewish communities were never a part of the ruling class. At least not in medieval Europe.

Now the reason what I'm saying is rubbish is because of other contradictory examples, like Mulan or Tiana, and maybe Pocahontas or Esmeralda. And based off of those examples I could probably whip up a couple of ideas on how to do an interesting Jewish Princess story - base it on the Book of Judith, for example, or offer a Jewish twist on some European folktales (which might be hard considering some of them actually have straight up Jewish characters playing as the villains), or... have a movie about Jews assimilating into European culture... Yeah, I can see why Pocahontas or the Hunchback of Notre-Dame might feel a little uncomfortable. But the point is: Fantasy is based on Medieval times, and Jews' role during that time wasn't one of royalty.

You can't really write a medieval Jewish kingdom, because there wasn't really any. And yes, many people try using the Khazarians for that. However, their kingdom was only Jewish for a century, maybe, before it was completely destroyed. Plus, we barely have any data on what it looked like, and its culture was likely very different from Jewish culture. So the medieval presentation of Jews would have to be of a persecuted minority. That, essentially, is what we see in Spinning Silver: a Jewish family in medieval times, a member of which serves as our protagonist. And Maryem is pretty much constantly angry about the antisemitism flourishing all around her. So I suppose that could be an example to follow - along with the stories about Maharal of Prague and the Golem, fighting blood libels.

So, you can portray Jews as an oppressed minority, constantly fighting their persecution. An alternative could probably be following the example of Ḥassidic stories, talking about the Rebbe, the Renter, the Trader and the Widow (regular character archetypes in such tales). You could have the antagonist be the local Pariz, nobleman, or perhaps the gentile that decided to be a robber, or occasionally a fellow Jew who out-leassed your protagonist from their home. All regular tropes in the day-to-day life of an... (checks notes) early modern Eastern Europen Jew? Huh. I suppose it's not exactly the same period.

Either way, if you want your story to be more fuly Jewish, to not always play against the backdrop of a non-Jewish kingdom, you have some interesting options. The first question would be: are you taking from the past or the present? If you choose present, well, you can choose between Diasporan or Israeli culture. In addition, this will more or less constrain you to some type of Urban Fantasy or other Hidden World stories, with not much of an option to delve into Epic Fantasy. If that's what you want to do - great! Go ahead and do that. Personally, I have some degree of a problem with how I've seen Israeli culture portrayed in stories so far, but that's a story unto itself.

If you choose past... well... Jewish history is nothing if not long. And if we're really trying to make a more Jewish backdrop, we'll probably need to pull from Jewish independant states or kingdoms. Of which there are a couple that can be used - Ancient Israel throughout the time of the Tanach, from the Judges through the first kings and the divided kingdoms of Judea and Israel; Yehud Medinta, which while it existed under the Persians had a Jewish governor for certain periods; the Hasmonean Dynasty, with all its ups and downs; the Kingdom of Adiabene, which converted to Judaism for a time; some short-lived Jewish independant states in defiance of the Romans; and of course, the infamous Kingdom of Khazar. There are also legendary kingdoms of the lost 10 tribes, which could possibly work as interesting additions. It is also important to note that in the Tanachic period I included a pretty vast array of periods, including the Judges (periodical local saviors and heroes), the House of Sha'ul (which isn't too easy to characterize), the Davidic Dynasty (Temple! Prophets! A bloodline promised to last! Evrything you might want from a kingdom), and the Kingdom of Israel (a couple of dynasties have their own characteristics, but most didn't survive for long).

Maybe I'll try my hand in suggesting what a kingdom based on the Hasmonean Dynasty could look like later. For now, let us start with: there is no medieval Jewish kingdom, so we'll take one from the Hellenistic period or from the Bronze Age to cover it up! Either that, or we'll try figuring out the structure of the early medieval kingdom that converted to Judaism that one time.

I'm not sure how much of a point I made, really. Thank you for reading, and have a good day!

[jewishbookworld]

The Prince and the Emperors: The Life and Times of Rabbi Judah the Prince by Dov Zakheim

The Prince and the Emperors: The Life and Times of Rabbi Judah the Prince by Dov Zakheim

A biographical account of Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi (Rabbi Judah the Prince), also known as Rebbe, and the human and historical context that shaped the Mishna and Gemara. Drawing upon both Jewish and Roman sources, it provides a portrait of this important rabbinic sage, as well as insight into the Jewish encounter with Rome.

[danieleneandermancini]

ZIPPORI E LE MERAVIGLIE ARCHEOLOGICHE DELLA GALILEA, ISRAELE

ZIPPORI E LE MERAVIGLIE ARCHEOLOGICHE DELLA GALILEA, ISRAELE

[blueiscoool]

1,850-Year-Old Bronze Roman Coin Discovered on Israeli Beach

The coin was minted in Alexandria, Egypt, in the reign of Emperor Antoninus Pius and contains the image of the Cancer zodiac sign and the moon goddess Luna.

A bronze Roman coin dating back 1,850 years with the symbol of the Cancer zodiac sign and a moon goddess was just discovered in the Carmel Beach in Haifa by archaeologists from the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA).

The coin was specifically discovered as part of a survey of the area in an effort to find antiques and save them from degradation.

This isn't the oldest Roman-era coin discovered - in fact, coins from the earlier Bar Kokhba revolt were found in Jerusalem two years ago. However, this coin was found in the water, is in remarkably good condition and its engravings shed considerable light on its origins and what it is meant to depict.

Israel in the Roman era

The coins used as money by the Romans were minted from gold, silver, bronze, copper and orichalcum - though historians are unclear as to what exactly the latter one is.

Over time, especially in the closing days of the Roman Republic and throughout the Roman Empire, these coins also contained a number of icons and writings.

This coin in particular is no exception, and the writing on it tells us exactly when the coin was minted, in year eight of the reign of Antoninus Pius, and where it was minted, Alexandria in Egypt.

Antoninus Pius was Roman emperor from 138 CE to 161 CE, so this would have been minted in either 144 CE or 145 CE. 

Pius's reign was well remembered and historians note him as one of the Five Good Emperors - alongside Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian and Marcus Aurelius - that presided over Rome's great golden age of Pax Romana. This is despite the fact that Pius wasn't a military man like many other notable Roman emperors and in fact his long reign was largely peaceful. Rather, his great strengths were in his skilled administration of the large empire, a profitable economy with a massive surplus in the empire's coffers and for his work as a progressive legal reformer. In fact, the administrative role Pius held was of such paramount importance to his reign that many historians believe he never actually left the city of Rome.

Pius's reign also saw him rule over what is now the State of Israel, with the Bar Kokhba revolt having ended just two years prior to his reign. This was important as it was now up to him to improve relations between the empire and the Jews, following the revolt and the many decrees of his predecessor, Hadrian, that had been extremely unpopular among the Jews, such as the ban on circumcision.

Pius was able to do this, however, and ties between Rome and the Jews improved. In fact, the Talmud even notes the close friendship between Antoninus Pius and the leader of the Jews in the Levant, Rabbi Yehuda Hanasi. Having said that, this is something some historians debate, as the Talmud just refers to an emperor known as Antoninus which could refer to either Pius's successor Marcus Aurelius, whose full name was Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, or Caracalla, whose full name was also Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, though his birth name was Luciuus Septimius Bassianus.

His image has been found on coins in Israel before, too. One such coin from this era was found in 2021. It, too, contains the image of Antoninus Pius, with the other side containing the image of the Syrian moon god Men and the inscription "of the people of Geva Phillipi" and the date of the civic year 217, which would be 158 CE or 159 CE.

What was on the coin?

In addition to explaining when and where it was minted, the coin also included symbols.

On one side was the image of Antoninus Pius himself along with the inscription.

The other side contained two symbols. One of them was a crab, the zodiac sign of Cancer. The other side was the moon goddess, Luna.

The inclusion of Cancer seemed to have been due to the coin being part of a series of coins with zodiac symbols. 

Luna, however, is another story - but far from unprecedented.

Iconography in Roman coins tended to depict emperors and images of gods. This served to both spread the image and name of the emperor to the wider empire and associate him with a divine figure.

Luna was also important to the Roman Empire for another reason, as it was this goddess, along with the sun god Sol, that was used by the empire to represent Roman rule over the world as well as a guarantee of peace.

Its presence in the Carmel Beach

As Israel has been a pillar of the ancient world and has been ruled by numerous kingdoms and empires throughout history, it is no surprise that it is host to a wide range of archaeological finds, some of which are incredibly ancient.

However, as noted by IAA maritime archaeology unit director Yaakov Shavit, this is the first time something like this was found in Israeli waters.

"Along the shores of the Mediterranean Sea in the State of Israel and its maritime area, there are many archaeological sites and finds that tell of connections that exited here in ancient times between the ports of the Mediterranean and the many countries along its shores," Shavit said in a statement.

"These findings, which sunk into the abyss and disappeared from sight for hundreds and thousands of years, were preserved in an amazing way... and their discovery completes pieces of the historical puzzle of Israel's history." Indeed, the discovery of this coin also reflects ever-changing perception of the sea in Israel and the vast importance it serves.

"In the last decade, Israel has been changing its perception of the sea," IAA director Eli Escozido explained. "Now, it is already clear that the sea is not the border of Israel, but is a significant part of it, in security, strategy and economics - and also in is heritage. It's home to natural treasures and cultural assets that must be explored and protected."

The finding of this coin, Escozido explained, is a "spectacular reminder" of the maritime archaeological survey.

Indeed, as the sea and its many aspects and resources, from security to natural gas and trade, become more important to Israel, it is worth remembering the host of ancient treasures and historic relics that could be lurking within its watery depths.

By Aaron Reich.

[keshetchai]

Wait I found...something. Maybe not the thing I remembered. Or I misremembered. But this talks about the shared uh...entity/judgement of body & soul:

Sanhedrin 91a/b

§ Apropos exchanges with prominent gentile leaders, the Gemara cites an exchange where Antoninos, the Roman emperor, said to Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi:

"The body and the soul are able to exempt themselves from judgment for their sins. How so? The body says: The soul sinned, as from the day of my death when it departed from me, I am cast like a silent stone in the grave, and do not sin. And the soul says: The body sinned, as from the day that I departed from it, I am flying in the air like a bird, incapable of sin."

Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi said to him: I will tell you a parable. To what is this matter comparable? It is comparable to a king of flesh and blood who had a fine orchard, and in it there were the fine first fruits of a fig tree, and he stationed two guards in the orchard, one lame, who was unable to walk, and one blind. Neither was capable of reaching the fruit on the trees in the orchard without the assistance of the other.

The lame person said to the blind person: I see fine first fruits of a fig tree in the orchard; come and place me upon your shoulders. I will guide you to the tree, and we will bring the figs to eat them.

The lame person rode upon the shoulders of the blind person and they brought the figs and ate them. Sometime later the owner of the orchard came to the orchard.

He said to the guards: The fine first fruits of a fig tree that were in the orchard, where are they?

The lame person said: Do I have any legs with which I would be able to walk and take the figs?

The blind person said: Do I have any eyes with which I would be able to see the way to the figs? What did the owner of the orchard do?

What did the owner of the orchard do? He placed the lame person upon the shoulders of the blind person just as they did when they stole the figs, and he judged them as one.

So too, the Holy One, Blessed be He, brings the soul on the day of judgment and casts it back into the body, as they were when they sinned, and He judges them as one, as it is stated:

“He calls to the heavens above and to the earth that He may judge His people” (Psalms 50:4). “He calls to the heavens above”; this is the soul, which is heavenly.

And to the earth that He may judge His people”; this is the body, which is earthly.

However I did find this somewhat related discussion on the "shoteh" and psychosis/psychotic states that suggests maybe this isn't totally clear cut in regards to like, mitzvot obligations. So maybe again, I'm totally wrong about the body/mind responsibility thing, or at least, in terms of a psychotic episode, which would be very different from awareness of an alter fronting or co-piloting.

[...] they are lav benei da'at (lacking understanding).8 Thus, the shoteh is deemed lacking the critical judgment necessary for basic tasks of daily living and social adaptation, and the ability to assess a situation correctly and to act appropriately. As such, a shoteh is exempt from mitsvot.9 This includes positive commandments as well as negative ones, any transgression of which would be adjudged ones (performed under duress).10

[...]

Interestingly, it should be noted that while a shoteh is exempt from mitsvot when he is psychotic, once he remits from this state he again becomes obligated. For example, as stated by Rambam and more recently by Rabbi Moshe Feinstein, a shoteh in remission is obligated to eat matsa for a second time had he eaten the first amount in a psychotic condition, a state in which he is patur (exempt) from the mitsva. Once he is no longer in a psychotic state and is able to understand, he is hayyav be-mitsvot (obligated) and he must repeat the act even if he had performed it while psychotic.16

While it may be argued that the shoteh's exemption from the obligation of mitsvot contains an element of discrimination, one can also view this halakhic paradigm as demonstrating acute sensitivity. The functionally impaired shoteh is not unnecessarily burdened by obligations that in essence either add a further stress to an already challenged psychological state of mind, potentially exacerbating the clinical picture, or impede recovery from a current disabling psychotic illness.

https://www.daat.ac.il/daat/kitveyet/assia_english/strous-1.htm

So in the above example the person with alters who is aware of their system uh ...existing and can interact with themselves like that, I think is arguably not "lacking understanding" of themselves/reality around them, whereas a person experiencing a psychotic episode might be.

Which suggests the system is probably still obligated to perform mitzvot in the specific scenario here, but it doesn't suggest the body is separate from the mind in any meaningful way wrt to communal response.

hypothetical Jumblr question for anyone who might know of an answer to this or at least like, an argument that someone had about this or a time it was brought up

so you know how you're supposed to say brachot and certain prayers out loud so that someone can say amen and be sort of like a witness to it

would it count if someone with DID said the bracha in their head in a way where an alter could say amen, like while co-fronting or something

[torahtot]

watching a video and it calls rabbi yehuda hanasi "rabbi judah the prince." this is inexplicably so funny to me and im peeing myself laughing

[rabbiaharon]

From Scripture to Talmud - a brief recapitulation of the history of the Oral Tradition

This post is a modest start for anyone who wants to understand the process by which Jewish law is handed down. Furthermore I am leaving this here to dispel the unfortunate misconception that we were given scripture, then a huge break from Torah, then Mishnah/Talmud (and then another huge break until today). The Mesorah - handing down of the tradition - is an unbroken chain from Sinai until today. Let’s begin with Pirkei Avos, a simple, up-front source for this stuff: 

משֶׁה קִבֵּל תּוֹרָה מִסִּינַי, וּמְסָרָהּ לִיהוֹשֻׁעַ, וִיהוֹשֻׁעַ לִזְקֵנִים, וּזְקֵנִים לִנְבִיאִים, וּנְבִיאִים מְסָרוּהָ לְאַנְשֵׁי כְנֶסֶת הַגְּדוֹלָה. הֵם אָמְרוּ שְׁלשָׁה דְבָרִים, הֱווּ מְתוּנִים בַּדִּין, וְהַעֲמִידוּ תַלְמִידִים הַרְבֵּה, וַעֲשׂוּ סְיָג לַתּוֹרָה:

אבות א:א

Moshe received the torah at Sinai and transmitted it to Joshua, Joshua to the elders, and the elders to the prophets, and the prophets to the Men of the Great Assembly. They said three things: Be patient in [the administration of] justice, raise many disciples and make a fence round the Torah.

Pirkei Avos Chapter 1, Mishnah 1.

The time which passed from the giving of the Torah (the year 2448AM) until the building of the second temple (3410AM) was 962 years, during which there was a halachically undisputed leader of the Jewish people who was responsible for guiding them and teaching the oral Torah, the Rambam (Maimonides) lists the order of transmission in much more detail in his preface to his magnum opus, the Mishnah Torah.

רבי יהודה בר נחמני מתורגמניה דרבי שמעון בן לקיש כתיב (שמות לד, כז) כתוב לך את הדברים האלה וכתיב (שמות לד, כז) כי ע"פ הדברים האלה הא כיצד דברים שבכתב אי אתה רשאי לאומרן על פה דברים שבעל פה אי אתה רשאי לאומרן בכתב

גיטין ד’’ס ע’’ב

Rabbi Yehuda bar Naḥmani, the translator for Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish, expounded as follows: It is written: “Write you these matters” (Exodus 34:27), and it is written later in that same verse: “For on the basis of [al pi] these matters.” How can these texts be reconciled? They mean to teach: Matters that were written you may not express them orally [al peh], and matters that were taught orally you may not express them in writing. The school of Rabbi Yishmael taught: The word “these” in the mitzva recorded in the verse “Write you these matters” is used here in an emphatic sense: These matters, i.e., those recorded in the Written Law, you may write, but you may not write halakhot, i.e., the mishnayot and the rest of the Oral Law. 

--Gittin 60b

So... if there is an injunction not to write down the Oral Tradition. How did we get to the mishnah, the talmud... and for that matter all the incredible breadth (read: literally millions of volumes of explanations, expounding, or written law of any sort) that we have now. Warning: The english translation will be imprecise, because in comparison to mishnaic hebrew, english is un-elegant, inefficient, un-contextual, and a lot of other in-’s and -un’s. For those who can understand the mishnaic hebrew text, you’ll understand why.

זמן בית שני היה נחלק לשתי תקופות בכלל. הא' היא זמן אנשי כנסת הגדולה, והשני’, זמן הזוגות. האנשי כנסת הגדולה (ובתוכם מרדכי היהודי, עזרא הסופר, ירמיהו הנביא, נחמיה וכמה עד שניזכרו במקרא) הם סוף זמן המקרא, ותחילת זמן המשנה, והם גזרו כמה וכמה גזירות לחזק את ישראל בעבודת אלקים חיים ב'’ה. ושמעון הצדיק היה משירי אנשי כנסת הגדולה כמ'’ש במס' אבות. בתקופה השני’ היה ��מסורה נמס��ה בעיקר ע'’י שני גדולי הדור – נשיא ואב בית דין, ובית דינם. ושירי הזוגות הם הלל ושמאי. ואחר הלל, שמעון בנו היה הנשיא, ורבן יוחנן בן זכאי האב בית דין… ותלמידיו ,ותלמידי תלמידיו נחשבו גוף התנאים שבמשנה. בתחילת גלות רומי (בשנת 3829 ליצירה) החריבה את בתינו ושרפה את היכלינו והגליתנו מארצנו, ומכאן ואילך נעשו הצרות כפולות ומכופלות ונתחדשו גזירות קשות בכל שנה ושנה עד נשיאיות רבינו הקדוש, הוא רבי יהודא הנשיא ונתן לו הקב'’ה חן בעיני אנטונינוס מלך רומי ונחו מצרות וימצא חן וחסד וכבוד בעיניו והרביץ התורה לרבים (זה לשון ספר הליכות עולם). וראה רבינו בחכמתו שהגיע זמן לחבר ספר בתורה שבעל פה פן ישכח המסורה מתוך עם ישראל מפני הירידה לגלות ח’’ו. וקבץ בעלי שמועה ובעלי משנה מכל קצוות הארץ ואמר כל אחד ואחד שמועתו כמו שנשמעה תלמיד מפי רבו עד משה רבינו עליו השלום. ובחר רבינו המובחר משש מאות סדרי משנה שהיה בזמן ההוא וחבר ששה סדרי המשנה בס'’ג מסכתות בקיצור נמרץ, מעט בכמות, ומרובה באיכות וסמכו הוא ובית דינו על המקרא שכתוב עת לעשות לה’ הפרו תורתיך. ועכ'’ז נגנזו בו כל התורה וסודותיה. וכתוב בסדר הדורות שזה היה בערך לשנת 3948 

The time of the second temple was divided into 2 eras. The first was the era of the Men of the Great Assembly, and the second was referred to as the era of the Pairs. The Men of the Great Assembly (and among them Mordechai, Ezra, Yirmiyahu, Nechemiah, and many more who are mentioned in Scripture) represented the end of scripture, and the beginning of the time of the Mishnah, and they made many decrees to strengthen the Jewish people in their service of the Living G-d. Shimon the Righteous was among the last of the Men of the Great Assembly, as is written in Pirkei Avos. 

In the second era the tradition was guarded and disseminated mainly by 2 great leaders working in tandem - the first one the Nasi (leader typically descended from King David) and the second the Av Beis Din (head of the court) aided by their court. The last of the Pairs was Hillel and Shammai, and after them, Hillel’s son Shimon served as the Nasi, and Rabban Yochanan Ben Zakkai as the Av Beis Din. Rabban Yochanan Ben Zakkai, his students, and his students’ students became the main sages of the Mishnah. In the year 3830, the Romans destroyed our Holy House, burned our Palace, and sent us into exile from our land. From then on, the suffering was doubled and quadrupled, with new, harsher decrees against the jewish people every year until the generation of Rebbi Yehudah HaNasi. G-d granted him grace and respect in the eyes of Antoninus, the emperor of Rome, and the decrees were relaxed. Students came back to the study houses to learn, and the Oral Torah spread out to the masses.

Rebbi Yehuda saw with his wisdom that it had come time to assemble a book of the Oral Tradition, lest it be forgotten from the Jewish people in the midst of the descent into Exile. Thus he gathered sages from as far north as Germany, as far West as Spain, as Far South as Ethiopia, and as far East as India, and each one repeated their learning tradition as they had received it, teacher to student, going back to Moshe, our teacher, peace be upon him. Rebbi Yehuda HaNasi picked the choicest of the mishnayot from the 600 orders of mishnah that were at that time, and assembled them into the 6 orders of mishnah, comprised of 63 tractates in brief - words few in quantity, but great in quality - in the 6 orders of mishnah, he concealed the entire oral tradition and all of its secrets. It’s written in Seder Hadoros (historical text) that the assembly of the mishnah was around the year 3948AM, 1500 years after the exodus from Egypt.

ואלו הן הס'’ג מסכתות של משנה לפי סדרם

A list of the 63 tractates of Mishnah divided into 6 “orders”: 

Zeraim, dealing with agricultural laws and blessings.

Berachos, Peah, Demai, Kilayim, Shvi’is, Terumos, Ma’asros, Ma’aser Sheni, Orlah, Challah, Bikkurim

Mo’ed, dealing with the holidays and their customs

Shabbos, Eiruvin, Pesachim, Shekalim, Yoma, Sukkah, Beitzah Rosh Hashanah, Ta’anis, Megillah, Moeh Katan, and Chagigah

Nashim, dealing with the laws of marriage, vows, and divorce

Yevamos, Kiddushin, Kesubos, Nedarim, Nazir, Sotah, and Gittin

Nezikin, dealing with civil law, criminal law, and damages

Baba Kamma, Baba Metziah, Baba Basra, Sanhedrin, Makkos,  Shevuos, Eidius, Horius, Avodah Zarah, and Avos

Kodashim, dealing with the temple and sacrifices

Zevachim, Menachos, Chullin, Bechoros, Erchin, Temurah, Kerisos, Me’ilah, Kinnim, Tamid, and Middos

Taharos, dealing with the laws of ritual purity and impurity

Keilim, Ohelos, Negayim, Para, Taharos, Mikvaos, Niddah, Makshirin, Zavim, T’vul Yom, Yaddayim, and Uktzin

לפי דעת בעל ספר הליכות עולם: מרבי יוחנן בן זכאי לרבינו הקודש חמש דורות ואלו הם: הדור הראשון רבי יוחנן בן זכאי בעצמו וחבריו,  הדור השני, רבי אליעזר בן הורקנוס, רבי אלעזר בן ערך, רבי יהושע בן חנניה, רבי יוסי הכהן והרבה זולתם  הדור השלישי, רבי עקיבא, רבי טרפון, רבן גמליאל, רבי אלעזר בן עזריה, רבי אלעזר בן שמוע וחבריהם, הדור הרביעי, רבי שעמון בן יוחי (מחבר הזהר הקדש), רבי יהודא , רבי מאיר, רבי יוסי בן חלפתא, רבי נחמיה, וחבריהם. הדור החמישי רבינו הקדוש, רבי נתן, רבי ישמעאל בנו של רבי יוסי, וחבריהם, והם סוף התנאים שבמשנה ע''כ.

According to Sefer Halichos Olam: The time between Rabban Yochanan Ben Zakkai until Rebbi Yehuda HaNasi spanned 5 generations. In the first generation, Rabban Yochanan Ben Zakkai and his colleagues. The Second Generation: Rebbi Eliezer ben Horkenus, Rebbi Elazar ben Arach, Rebbi Yehoshuah Ben Chananya, Rebbi Yossi HaKohen, and many others like them. The Third generation included Rebbe Akiva, Rebbi Tarfon, Rabban Gamliel, Rebbi Elazar ben Azarya, Rebbi Elazar ben Shamuah and their colleagues. The fourth generation included Rebbi Shimon Bar Yochai (who assembled the Holy Zohar), Rebbi Yehuda bar Ilai, Rebbi Meir, Rebbi Yossi ben Chalafta, Rebbi Nechemiah, and their colleagues. The fifth generation included Rebbi Yehudah HaNasi, Rebbi Nasan, Rebbi Yishmael the son of Rebbi Yossi, and their colleagues - and they were the last generation of the sages of the Mishnah. 

ואחר חיבור המשנה נתבלבלה דעת הלומדים, ולא נמצא אלא מעט התלמידים היכולים לדייק כל התורה ממשנה בלבד, ונצטרכו להכניס ברייתות, מלשון כלפי בר, שנקרא כן מפני שנשתיירו חוץ למשנה. וחברו תלמידי רבינו – רבי הושעיא ורבי חייא – ספר התוספתא שהם ברייתות חזקות ואלמות כמשנה. וחברו רבי הושעיא ותלמידיו המדרש רבה להאיר המסורה וסודותיה בקו הנסתר באגדת התורה, ביין ובשמן כמ'’ש ואספת דגנך ותירושך ויצהרך. וחבר רב (י'’א שהוא רבי אבא דירושלמי, והוא תלמידו של רבי) ותלמידיו את הספרא כנגד ספ' ויקרא, וספרי כנגד במדבר ודברים ,שהם מדרשי הלכות. וחבר רבי יוחנן האמורא ותלמידיו את התלמוד ירושלמי, להאיר המשא ומתן שבמשנה ולבון הילכתא.

In the years after the assembly of the Mishnah, as a result of the descent into exile, the torah students began to lose the ability to learn the oral tradition properly - there were only a select few who knew how to divine all the secrets of the Torah from the few words of the Mishnah. Therefore they required the additional detail of Mishnaic statements left out of the 6 Orders of Mishnah, called Baraisos (Which means “outside”) because they were left out of the Mishnah. The students of Rebbi Yehudah HaNasi-  Rebbi Hoshiya and Rebbi Chiya - assembled the Tosefta from those Baraisos: The Tosefta, edited and published so soon after the mishnah, is considered highly accurate, and when compared in talmud has strength similar to Mishnah. Rebbi Hoshiya and his students then assembled the Midrash Rabbah to illuminate the traditions and their secrets within the stories of the torah, with “wine and oil”, as it is written “And you will gather your grain, your wine and your oil”. Rav (many say he was also known as Rebbi Aba in the Jerusalem Talmud - also a students of Rebbi Yehuda HaNasi) and his students assembled the baraisos of Sifra on Sefer Vayikra and the Sifri on Bamidbar and Devarim - Sifra and Sifri are midrashei halacha (sections of law derived directly from verses in Torah). Rebbi Yochanan the Amora and his students assembled the Jerusalem Talmud to illuminate and elucidate the discussions behind the Mishnah.

 וכתוב בספר הליכות עולם: אלו הם חכמי הגמרא לדרותם. הדור הראשון, רבי חייא, ורבי הושעיא, ולוי, ובר קפרא, רבים זולתם (והם נקראים בכמה מקומות 'דור המעבר' שהם ממעצים בין תנאים לאמוראים), הדור השני רבי יוחנן, ריש לקיש, [רב, וי'’א שהוא רבי אבא דירושלמי, ושמואל], וחכמי דורם. הדור השלישי רב הונא ורב יהודא, ורב נחמן, ורב אסי, ועולא ואנשי דורם, הדור הרביעי רב חסדא ורבה בר נחמני ורב יוסף,  ורב ששת וזולתם. הדור החמישי אביי ורבא וזולתם הרבה. הדור הששי רב פפא ורב פפי ורב הונא בריה דרב יהושע ורב יימר ורב זביד ואנשי דורם, הדור השביעי רב כהנא ורפרם בר פפא ואמימר ומר זוטרא ורב אשי . ורבינא, והם סוף הוראה עד כאן לשון הליכות עולם. חיבור הגמרא היה בערך לשנת 4250, ומכאן  ועד 4300 היה זמן הרבנן סבראי כגון רב אחאי ורב יהודאי.

It’s written in Sefer Halichos Olam: These are the leaders of the generations of the Gemara. The first generation, Rebbi Chiya, Rebbi Hoshiya, Levi, Bar Kappara, and many like them (as they are called in many places, the “transition generation”, as they represent the transition between Tannayim of the Mishnah and Amorayim of the Gemara). The second generation Rebbi Yochanan, Reish Lakish, Rav, and Shmuel, and the others of their generation. The third generation, Rav Huna, Rebbi Yehuda Nesiah, Rebbi Nachman, Rav Assi, Ullah, and the others of their generation. The fourth generation, Rev Chisda, Rabbah bar Nachmeini, Rav Yosef, Rav Sheishes, and their peers. The fifth generation, Abaye, Rava and many others. The Sixth generation, Rav Pappi, Rav Pappa, Ameimar, Mar Zutra, Rav Ashi, and Ravina. They represented the end of the time of the gemara, which was written down around the year 4250 on the hebrew calendar to preserve the discussions and elucidations on the mishnah lest they be forgotten. From then until around the year 4300 was the time of the Rabbanan Savrai, like Rav Achai and Rav Yehudai - who added a few final sections to the Gemara before sealing it.

ועמדו אחריהם הגאונים, כגון רב סעדיא גאון, רב שרירא,  ורב האי גאון והרבה זולתם, שהם נשיאים  התמימים עד עמוד הראשונים בשנת 4800, דמשמת רב האי גאון, נולד רש'’י, הראשון שבראשונים. והם הם עמודי הלכה. ובתוכם – רש'’י, הרמב'’ם, הרמב'’ן, הר'’ף, הר'’ן, הר'’י, רבינו תם, המהר'’ם, מרדכי, והרבה זולתם והרא'’ש הוא האחרון שבהם, וחיבור בנו את הטור, שקבץ סברות הראשונים במקום אחד וסדר אותם לעין כל. 

After them arose the Geonium, like Rav Sa’adya Gaon and Rav Sherira, Rav Hai Gaon, and many others. They were the the pure and holy leaders of the jewish people until the beginning of the era of the Rishonim (firsts) in the year 4800 - as the last of the Geonim (Rav Hai Gaon) passed away, Rashi (known as the first of the Rishonim) was born - and they represented pillars of halacha, and among them: Rashi, the Rambam, the Ramban, The Rif, The Ran, the Ri, Rabbeinu Tam, the Maharam, the Mordechai, and many like them. The Rosh as the last of them, and his son, the Tur, gathered the rulings of the Rishonim into one place and arranged them for all to see.

ואחריו עמדו שני מאירי עולם, רב יוסף קארו (הבית יוסף) ואת רב משה איסרליש (רמ'’א) . ונתן הקב'’ה  בליבם לבאר דברי הטור בבאר היטב, ואחר כך לסדר ההלכה למעשה לעם ישראל, הוא השולחן ערוך שהוא עומד וקיים לעד אפילו לאחרי ביאת המשיח ותחיית המתים. 

And after them arose 2 illuminators of the world, Rav Yosef Karo (the Beis Yosef) and Rav Moshe Isserles (the Ramah). The Holy One Blessed be He placed upon their hearts to explain the words of the Tur in great breadth, and afterwards to arrange and publish the practical laws for the Jewish People. This is the Shulchan Aruch, which will stand and sustain until even after the Moshiach comes and the dead are resurrected.

והטור ושולחן ערוך נחלק לארבע חלקים, ובתוכם הלכות לאין קץ מסודרים בסימנים ופרקים שונים, ואלו הם

The Tur and Shulchan Aruch are divided into 4 sections, and within them many laws with no end, arranged according to their sections and different chapters.

[girlactionfigure]

Rabbi-Shlomo Litvin 

Flyers like this one have been left in mailboxes at homes across Lexington. Blood and soil. It's amazing how a "people" with a 0-2 record in world wars still cling to the hateful slogans of their failed idols. What makes them think that I want to replace them? My blood is the blood of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob, who were preaching monotheism while Aryans were sacrificing their children to the stars. My blood is the blood of Moses, Joshua, and Samuel, who led a people from slavery, reconquered their homeland and established an ongoing royal line while Aryans were living in hovels in Iran. My blood is the blood of Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi, Maimonides, and Don Yitzchok Abarbanel, who were authoring great works and innovating science while Aryans were still illiterate. My blood is the blood of Einstein and of Freud, of Lazarus and Weisel, of Spielberg and Mayer, of Dylan and Simmons, of Montefiore and Disraeli, and of Zuckerberg and Ellison. My blood is the blood of the authors of the world's greatest religions' texts, the greatest innovators of science and art, and most importantly of a covenant going back 3,333 years. As far as land, this is my land. I was born in the bluegrass, and have dedicated my life to the Commonwealth. I am the second rabbi in Kentucky's history to be born here and to serve here. (My brother was the first.) My children are sixth-generation American. They recognize the flag, have pride in their country, participate in voting, and have even conversed with the Governor of Kentucky. My grandfather served this country. So did my wife's grandfather. I volunteer as a chaplain for servicemen and first responders. I am not First Nation. I am a Jew, and my ancestral and indigenous homeland is Judea, or the Land of Israel. Having said this, this country, forged in religious freedom, inspired by beliefs and values taken from my faith, is as much my land as it is anyone's. I have no interest in replacing anyone. I am a Jew, an emissary of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, a Kentuckian, and an American. I couldn't possibly be replacing anyone. The thought that I would want to is as sad as the hateful minds that express it. Hate like this is nothing new. It's been shared by Babylonians and Persians, by Romans and Egyptians. It's been weaponized by Catholics and Muslims, by Fascists and Communists. It's been preached by three Caliphates and three Reichs, and by a thousand other dead or dying cultures, who have disappeared into history. It's spewed today by the likes David Duke and Louis Farrakhan, and by Abu Mazen and Maduro and Sarsour. Much like all those who came before them, they are destined for failure. Personally, I have been accused of trying to replace professors of music, phycology, and writing, and of trying to replace mechanics, clerks, and handymen. I have been slandered and ostracized, and my home and work have been attacked and vandalized. None of it has had any effect. I am still here, and I am not going anywhere. Bigotry is not limited to any one background or life experience but is always rooted in, and always leads to further ignorance. Blood and Soil was the desperate cry of a dying and backward ideology. Hate can never truly unite anyone. Books and Study are the keys to both unity, and to the growth and continuation of our nation. #BooksAndStudy #RejectHate 

[dadyomi]

Tuesday 1/17, Nedarim 84: Cliffhanger

This is the last passage in today's daf and rarely have I been so engaged in the anticipation of tomorrow's reading. I smell a fight brewing and I can't wait to see how they battle it out over whether the thief has to repay the tithe portion. I hope at least one rabbi gets told to go teach in the street.

[judaic-myth-n-mysticism]

Rituals and Segula of the Talmud, Part 5:

Today’s verse actually may be one of the most helpful incantations and rituals mentioned in the Talmud, that being one to sober up! This ritual appears in Shabbat 66b:14 where Rav Huns tells of his method to sober up his fellow rabbis when they were getting ready to leave. The verse offers two options to accomplish this effect, each with its own symbolic incantation.

• NOTE: This trick is not a substitute for responsible drinking, and even less one for sobering up so you can drive. Don’t be dumb!

"As in this case of Rav Huna, who departed from the house of Rav, and Rav, who departed from the house of Rabbi Ḥiyya, and Rabbi Ḥiyya, who departed from the house of Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi, when they were drunk, the rabbi would bring oil and salt and rub them on the palms of their hands and the soles of their feet and say: Just as this oil is clear, so let the wine of so-and-so, son of so-and-so, his mother, become clear. In other words, let them become sober. And if he could not bring oil and salt, or if they did not work, he would bring the sealing clay of a barrel and soak it in water and say: Just as this sealing clay is clear, so let the wine of so-and-so, son of so-and-so, become clear." (Shabbat 66b:14)

[problem-slooth]

the only valid part of the silm imo

Now that it’s the summer, I should start updating more often. NO promises.

Now as has been told, one Lenwë of the host of Olwë forsook the march of the Eldar at that time when the Teleri were halted by the shores of the Great River upon the borders of the westlands of Middle-earth.

...new story?

Little is known of the wanderings of the Nandor, whom he led away down Anduin: some, it is said, dwelt age-long in the woods of the Vale of the Great River, some came at last to its mouths and there dwelt by the Sea, and yet others passing by Ered Nimrais, the White Mountains, came north again and entered the wilderness of Eriador between Ered Luin and the far Mountains of Mist.

Hey, I know where that is. That’s around the first leg of the journey from The Hobbit. I got a little map of Middle Earth in my head, but it only really encompasses the places from The Hobbit and maybe a bit from LoTR.

Now these were a woodland people and had no weapons of steel, and the coming of the fell beasts of the North filled them with great fear, as the Naugrim declared to King Thingol in Menegroth. Therefore Denethor, the son of Lenwë, hearing rumour of the might of Thingol and his majesty, and of the peace of his realm, gathered such host of his scattered people as he could, and led them over the mountains into Beleriand.

Denethor?? Was that Denethor named after him? Or one of his ancestors maybe?

Of the long years of peace that followed after the coming of Denethor there is little tale. In those days, it is said, Daeron the Minstrel, chief loremaster of the kingdom of Thingol, devised his Runes; and the Naugrim that came to Thingol learned them, and were well-pleased with the device, esteeming Daeron's skill higher than did the Sindar, his own people.

Writing system, very cool. I find JRRT’s linguistic stuff much more interesting than the rest of the worldbuilding, tbh.

By the Naugrim the Cirth were taken east over the mountains and passed into the knowledge of many peoples; but they were little used by the Sindar for the keeping of records, until the days of the War, and much that was held in memory perished in the ruins of Doriath.

Even more parallels with Israel/Bavel here. Someone must have been the R Yehuda HaNasi equivalent and written down the most important records so they wouldn’t get lost.

But of bliss and glad life there is little to be said, before it ends; as works fair and wonderful, while still they endure for eyes to see, are their own record, and only when they are in peril or broken for ever do they pass into song.

I’m glad someone at least had a nice life. It’s true, that most stories are tragedies, and few that aren’t last long.

[archaeologicalnews]

Unique Byzantine-era wine presses unearthed

Two subterranean Byzantine period wine presses were discovered in recent excavations at Tzippori National Park. Unearthed inside a massive five-arched water cistern about 200 meters outside of town, they are the only wine presses that have been documented to date that were built inside a covered water reservoir.

Tzippori was home to a flourishing mixed pagan, Christian and Jewish community during the 4th-7th centuries CE. In the third century CE, it was the seat of Rabbi Yehuda Hanasi, aka Judah the Prince, where he began compiling the Mishnah. There is no iconography on the wine presses and, according to National Parks Authority archaeologist Dr. Zvika Tzuk, in such a heterogeneous society, it would be impossible to know who made the wine at these two presses. Read more.

[bathroom-pass]

About Us

Jean, they/them/theirs [ personal blog ]

Jean is a transmasculine adult who began testosterone on 4-23-18. They are an autistic person of colour who loves dogs. They are going to be attending uni in the fall [of 2018] with an undeclared major. 

If Jean were to time travel they would probably go to Ancient Rome to watch Julius Caesar get rekt’d.

Jake, he/him/his [ personal blog ]

Jake is a 14-year-old gay trans guy. He loves the colour yellow, golden possums, and drawing. He spends most of his time on the internet and hanging out with his friends that he loves.

If Jake was to time travel he would go to the 80s to be able to dress like an idiot and have a mullet without being judged.

EJ, they/them/theirs [ personal blog ]

EJ is a nonbinary adult.  They have been on testosterone for a year and a half, had top surgery nine months ago, and they have navigated the legal system to change their name with frustration but success.  They are a university senior in biochemistry, with double minors in biology and gender, women, and sexuality studies.  They really like bears.

If EJ were to time travel, they would go to the Permian era because they would love to see a living Cotylorhynchus.

Azer, they/them/theirs [ personal blog ]

Azer is an agender adult, and although they are pre-hormones they will hopefully begin the gender-altering-juice within the next couple months. After taking a gap year they will begin college in the fall [2019] to study Mechanical Engineering and multiple languages. 

If Azer were to time travel, they would return to the Post-Second Temple destruction and ask Rav Yehuda Hanasi to finally answer all those unresolved disputes in the Gemara. 

Dan, he/him/his [ personal blog ]

Dan is an 18-year-old pansexual trans guy who came out at 15. He has been on testosterone for a year and had top surgery 6 months ago. He will be attending college in the fall of 2019, and plans to study gender and sexuality with a minor in psychology. He also loves everything fantasy and sci-fi.

If Dan were to time travel, he would go to medieval Italy to observe the Holy Roman Empire and wear some cool knight armor.

[virtual-beit-midrash]

Hashavat Aveida Study Session #3

We will start with the Mishna in order to learn the basic ideas in an orderly manner, but keep on eye on other sources for more explanations/ideas/opinions.

Mishna Intro

The Mishna is a compilation of oral traditions, which was compiled at the beginning of the 3rd century by Rabbi Yehuda Hanasi (Rabbi Judah the Prince).

It is the first work of its kind that organized Halacha based on topic, and not according to Torah verses.   However, since it was an oral work, in some cases it segues into non-related-but-similar issues.  For example, if it lists 5 things that need to be done on day X, it might continue with more "lists of 5″.

The Mishna is organized into six “orders”.  Our topic is under the order of “Nezikim” (damages), which deals with civil and criminal law, as well as court proceedings.

Every order is divided into tractates.  The ‘civil law’ tractate was so large it was divided into three tractates “First Gate” (Bava Kama), “Middle Gate” (Bava Metzia) and “Last Gate” (Bava Batra).

The laws of Hashavat Aveida are in the first two chapters of the tractate of Bava Metzia.

Chapter 1, Mishna 1

Two are holding a garment. One says, "I found it," and the other says, "I found it." [If] one says, "all of it is mine" and the other says, "all of it is mine." This one shall swear that he owns no less than half of it, and this one shall swear that he owns no less than half of it, and they shall divide it [between them.] [If] one says, "all of it is mine" and the other says "half of it is mine." The one who says "all of it is mine" shall swear that he owns no less than three quarters of it; and the one who says "half of it is mine" shall swear that he owns no less than one quarter of it. He [the former] takes three quarters and he [the latter] takes one quarter.

Note that the Mishna jumps into a case of two people arguing over ownership of a find.  In Halacha, one gets ownership over an object by picking it up.

“Two are holding a garment.  One says, "I found it," and the other says, "I found it." ”.

Surprisingly, this precedes the orderly discussion of what constitutes a find and who is obligated to return it.   Why?

The Talmud and later commentators understand this mishna to relate to any case of argument over ownership, such as two people who think they both bought something.  

The mishna discusses two cases.

In the first case, both finders claim full ownership and so they split it equally:

[If] one says, "all of it is mine" and the other says, "all of it is mine." This one shall swear that he owns no less than half of it, and this one shall swear that he owns no less than half of it, and they shall divide it [between them.] 

In the second case, one finder claims full ownership while the other claims partial ownership, and so they split it unequally:

[If] one says, "all of it is mine" and the other says "half of it is mine." The one who says "all of it is mine" shall swear that he owns no less than three quarters of it; and the one who says "half of it is mine" shall swear that he owns no less than one quarter of it. He [the former] takes three quarters and he [the latter] takes one quarter.

What do you think?