JUDAICA - Wisdom In Torah

Yom Kippur War and also after the Marxist Mengistru regime
replaced Haile Selassie in 1974. From the 1980s such assistance
was linked to Ethiopia’s agreement to allow Ethiopian
Jews, the so-called Falashas (see *Beta Israel), to immigrate
to Israel, a condition that was fulfilled in two dramatic airlifts
in 1984 and 1991. Diplomatic relations were renewed in 1989
at embassy level.
Bibliography: I. Ben-Zvi, The Exiled and the Redeemed
(1967); index, also S.V. Falashas; A.Z. Aescoly, in: Tarbiz, 5 (1934),
341–9; E.W. Budge (tr.), Kebra Negast, Queen of Sheba and Her Only
Son… (1932); idem, A History of Ethiopia, Nubia and Abyssinia (1938);
E. Littmann, Legend of the Queen of Sheba in the Tradition of Axum
(Bibliotheca Abbisinica no. 1, 1904); R. Pankhurst, An Introduction
to the Ethiopian Economic History (1961); J. Harden, An Introduction
to Ethiopic Christian Literature (1926); Colbi, Christianity in the Holy
Land (1969), 107–108, 139, 156–57.
ETHNARCH (Gr. ὲθνάρχος), title given to John *Hyrcanus II
and his sons by official decree of Julius Caesar in 47 B.C.E. in
addition to the office of high priest (Jos., Ant., 14:192ff.). The
meaning of ethnarch – head of the people – excluded the title
or the rights of a king, and Josephus comments that whereas
“Pompey restored the high priesthood to Hyrcanus and permitted
him to have the leadership of the nation,” he nevertheless
“forbade him to wear a diadem” (ibid., 20:244). This distinction
is apparent again in the description by Josephus of the
appointment of Herod’s son Archelaus. Augustus “appointed
Archelaus not king indeed, but ethnarch of half of the territory
that had been subject to Herod, and promised to reward
him with the title of king if he really proved able to act in that
capacity” (ibid., 17:317).
The title ethnarch was also used to designate the head
of the Jewish community at Alexandria. Strabo, quoted by
Josephus (ibid., 14:117), describes the Alexandrian ethnarch
as one “who governs the people and adjudicates suits and supervises
contracts and ordinances, just as if he were the head
of a sovereign state.” Philo, however, relates that Augustus replaced
that ethnarch with a gerousia or Council of Elders (In
Flaccum, 74ff.). Certain scholars have attempted to identify the
term Σαραμέλ in I Maccabees 14:28 with ethnarch (see *Asaramel).
The term ethnarch was not confined to Jewish rulers.
Thus there is mention of an ethnarch at Damascus under the
king Aretas (II Cor. 11:32).
Bibliography: Schuerer, Hist, 107ff.; Schuerer, Gesch, 3
(19094), 76–78; A. Schalit, Koenig Herodes (1969), 224ff.; Baron,
Community, index.
[Isaiah Gafni]
ETIQUETTE (Heb. ץרֶ ֶא־ְ
ךֶ רֶ ּד, derekh ereẓ), the proper conduct
of man at home and in society. The sages demanded of
the Jew, particularly the scholar, good manners in all his activities.
The rules of *derekh ereẓ are assembled in the tractates
Avot, Derekh Ereẓ Rabbah, and Derekh Ereẓ Zuta, and are
scattered throughout the Talmud and the Midrashim. A substantial
number of them are set forth in Maimonides’ Mishneh
Torah, Hilkhot De’ot.
etiquette
The rules of etiquette covered every aspect of man’s conduct,
including the most seemingly insignificant. Only a few
of the most important rules are given here.
Speech
A man should speak pleasantly with everyone (Yoma 86a) and,
Maimonides adds: “When speaking he should neither shout
nor scream nor raise his voice excessively.” When he meets his
fellow he should be the first to extend greetings. As an example
the Talmud cites the instance of Johanan b. Zakkai, whom no
one ever preceded in extending greeting (Ber. 17a). Since, in
the heat of argument, a man is liable to interrupt his fellow and
stubbornly assert his own opinion, even after being convinced
that the other is right, the sages laid down rules for the conduct
of an argument: not to speak before one who is greater
in wisdom, nor to interrupt the speech of another, not to be
hasty in answering, to ask only relevant questions and to answer
appropriately, to speak on the first point first and on the
last point last, to say “I have not heard” when he has no tradition
to that effect, to acknowledge the truth (Avot 5:7).
Walking
A scholar should not carry himself stiffly, with his neck outstretched…
nor walk mincingly as do women and haughty
people… nor run in a public place like a madman, nor bend
his body as if he is a hunchback, but he should look downward,
as when standing in prayer, and walk in the street like a man
going about his business (Maim., Yad, De’ot 5:8).
Clothing
The Talmud regularizes expenditure on food and clothing by
the principle: A man should always spend on food less than
his means allow, and clothe himself in accordance with his
means (Ḥul. 84b). The sages were most particular that their
clothing should be becoming and clean, even to the extent
of declaring that any scholar upon whose garment a stain is
found is worthy of death (Shab. 114a). Maimonides applies
the doctrine of the Golden Mean to clothing: “He should not
wear clothes, of gold and purple, for instance, fit for a king,
and at which everyone stares, nor clothes worn by the poor
that put to shame those wearing them, but he should wear
modest dress” (De’ot 5:9).
Eating and Drinking
In eating and drinking, too, he should not indulge in extremes,
but content himself with the minimum necessary for health.
He should eat only in his own home, at his table, but not in
the market place, for “he who eats in the market place is like
a dog” (Kid. 40b). A scholar should not eat standing, nor lick
his fingers, for this is the way of gluttons (DEZ 5). Gulping one’s
drink in a single draught is a sign of greediness (Beẓah 25b).
One should not drink out of a cup and then give it to his fellow,
for not all people are alike, and sensitive people are particular
about this (Tosef., Ber. 5:9).
Treatment of Wife and Children
The rabbis were extremely particular about conduct in the
family circle. The responsibility for this was placed primarily
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