JUDAICA - Wisdom In Torah

fuerst”) by his fellow Jews – a fact which seems to have been
of some comfort to them in those dark days.
Bibliography: S. Hock, Die Familien Prags (1892), 61–63,
367; Bondy-Dvorsky, 2 (1906), nos. 734, 818, 824, 948, 1044, 1045;
Spiegel in: Die Juden in Prag (1927), 138–45; L.S. Porta, in: Juedische
Familien-Forschung, 1 (1925–27), 12–15; H. Schnee, Die Hoffinanz und
der moderne Staat, 3 (1955), 234–6; NDB, 1 (1953), 625; Hofmann, in:
Zeitschrift fuer die Geschichte der Juden in der Tschechoslowakei, 4
(1934), 1–5; Polák-Rokycana, ibid., 1 (1930–31), 253–6; Baron, Social2,
14 (1969), 231–33.
[Ruth Kestenberg-Gladstein]
BASSIN, MOSES (Moyshe; 1889–1963), Yiddish poet. Bassin,
who was born in Nivki, Belorussia, deserted the Russian army
in 1907 and immigrated to New York. From 1909 he contributed
lyrics, essays, folk ballads, and children’s songs to American
Yiddish journals. His reputation rests on two works: a
two-volume, 600-page anthology, Finf Hundert Yohr Yidishe
Poezye (1917, 19222), with notes on the earlier selections by Ber
*Borochov, which became a standard work; and an anthology
of American Yiddish poetry Amerikaner Yidishe Poezye
(1940), encompassing 31 poets. Bassin’s own lyrics appeared in
his anthologies but were never collected in book form.
Bibliography: Inzikh (1940), 164–76; LNYL, 1 (1956), 228;
J. Leftwich, Golden Peacock (1939), 411. Add. Bibliography: K.
Hellerstein, in: Shofar 9/4 (1991), 9–23.
[Moshe Rosetti]
°BASSUS, LUCILIUS (d. 72 C.E.), Roman governor of Judea
after the fall of Jerusalem in 70 C.E. Bassus was instructed to
subdue the fortresses of *Herodium, *Machaerus, and *Masada,
which still remained in Jewish hands. He first attacked
Herodium, which fell without a battle. Then he marched on
Machaerus, which was so strongly fortified as to “inspire its
occupants with high hopes of security.” The defenders fought
bravely until one of their leaders, Eleazar, was captured and
the Romans threatened to crucify him opposite the walls. The
defenders then agreed to surrender the fortress if Eleazar’s life
were spared. Bassus kept his promise and allowed the occupants
to escape, but followed some *Sicarii who had escaped
to a forest called Jardes, where they were all killed. Bassus died
as he was preparing to begin operations against Masada. It was
during his administration of Judea that Jewish-held lands were
confiscated to become imperial domain, and that the poll-tax
of the *Fiscus Judaicus was put into operation.
Bibliography: Jos., Wars, 7:163–5, 190–216, 252; Klausner,
Bayit Sheni, 5 (19512), 285ff.; Pauly-Wissowa, 26 (1927), 1640–42
(22).
[Edna Elazary]
BAS TOVIM, SARAH (18th century), author of highly popular
tkhines, women’s supplicatory prayers. Bas Tovim was
born in Satanov in Podolia (present-day Ukraine), the great
granddaughter of Rabbi Mordecai of Brisk. Her works con-
tain a strong autobiographical voice: She refers to herself as
“I, the renowned woman Sarah bas Tovim, of distinguished
ancestry,” and tells the story of her fall from a wealthy youth
to an old age of poverty and wandering. Sarah composed two
works published in the 18th century, Tkhine shaar ha-yikhed
al oylemes (The Tkhine of the Gate of Unification concerning
the Aeons) and Tkhine shloyshe sheorim (The Tkhine of Three
Gates). Like other tkhine authors, Sarah often includes portions
of earlier works; these excerpts from other sources date
her tkhines to the middle of the 18th century. Because 18th-century
tkhines published in Eastern Europe only rarely contain
a notice of place or date of publication, it is very difficult to
establish the bibliographic history of her works.
Tkhine shaar ha-yikhed al oylemes (a title with kabbalistic
overtones) contains one long tkhine to be recited *Mondays
and Thursdays (considered minor penitential days) and on
fast days. The work concludes with a tkhine to be said before
making memorial candles for Yom Kippur, a theme which recurs
in Tkhine shloyshe sheorim, her better-known work. This
composition contains tkhines for the three women’s mitzvot
(the first “gate”), the Days of Awe (the second “gate”), and the
New Moon (the third “gate”). The most distinctive material is
found in the second and third “gates.” Sarah’s powerful tkhine
calls on the forefathers and foremothers of the Jewish people
to aid their descendents with a healthy and prosperous New
Year, and also to bring the Messiah, the end of death, and the
resurrection of the dead. The tkhine for the Sabbath before
the New Moon contains a great variety of material to be recited
at the Blessing of the New Moon, much of it drawn from
kabbalistic sources.
The figure of Sarah bas Tovim lived on in popular legend
and in the literary imagination of Yiddish authors. Because
her works were so popular, 19th-century maskilim who wrote
tkhines to sell often attached her name to their own creations.
In addition, Sholem Yankev *Abramovitsh (Mendele Moykher
Sforim) mentions Sarah’s tkhines in his fictional autobiography,
Shloyme, Reb Khayims (Ba-Yamim ha-Hem, “In Those
Days”), which includes a description of women making memorial
candles before Yom Kippur, reciting a version of Sarah’s
tkhine for kneytlakh legn. Sarah also became the subject of a
short story, “Der ziveg; oder, Sore bas Tovim,” (“The Match;
or, Sarah bas Tovim”) by I.L. *Peretz, in which she appears as
a sort of fairy godmother, helping those who faithfully recite
her tkhines.
Bibliography: Sarah bas Tovim, “Tkhine of Three Gates,”
in: T.G. Klirs et. al. (eds.), The Merit of Our Mothers: A Bilingual Anthology
of Jewish Women’s Prayers (1992), 12–45; Ch. Weissler, Voices
of the Matriarchs (1998), 31–33, 76–85, 126–46.
[Chava Weissler (2nd ed.)]
BAT (Heb. ףֵ ּלַטַ ע; atallef ). About 20 species of insect-eating
bats are found in Israel and one, the Rousettus aegyptiacus,
which feeds on fruit. The bat is actually a mammal, but because
of its wings which enable it to fly, the ancients were in
ENCYCLOPAEDIA JUDAICA, Second Edition, Volume 3 209
bat