JUDAICA - Wisdom In Torah

ekhor shor, joseph ben isaac
a hideout,” evidently reflecting the grim realities of the Hadrianic
persecutions.
[Noam Zohar (2nd ed.)]
The role played by the mother in defining the firstborn
for most matters leads the Babylonian Talmud to discuss the
determination of a child’s birth affiliation (to tribe or nation)
by its father or mother (47a). A related discussion effectively
recognizes a status of Levitess – the “daughter of a Levite” –
whose son (even from a father who is an Israelite) is exempted,
like the son of a Levite, from the toll of the firstborn (4a).
The Book of Numbers (Chs. 3 & 8) describes the Levites’
dedicational ceremony, to serve in the firstborns’ stead;
B. explains the absence of the priests from this description
by affirming that they are included in the collective group
of the Levites (4a). B. concludes that prior to this replacement,
the firstborn were appointed in charge of sacrificial
worship (4b).
In the context of halakhic discussions of animal births,
B. reports a battle of wits between R. Yehoshua b. Hanania
and the “Elders of Athens,” stemming from a disagreement
regarding the duration of the pregnancy of the snake
(8b–9a). The battle ends with the physical downfall of the
Elders of Athens.
In the conclusion of its discussion of blemishes, the
Mishnah (6:12) reports a debate as to whether or not androgynous
and epicene (tumtum) animals are considered blemished.
This leads B. into a lengthy discussion regarding the various
possibilities to view the status of androgynous and epicene
humans (41b–42b).
In the ninth chapter, the Mishnah defines the grouping
of animals into a herd that should be counted and tithed together,
both in terms of birthing cycles and in terms of physical
spacing; R. Meir adds (9:2) that the Jordan River constitutes
a boundary in this regard. B. discusses the status of the Jordan
River as a border – whether it is considered part of the land
of Israel, or a separate territory. B. then enters an extended
discussion of rivers, focusing on the four rivers of Eden mentioned
in the Creation account in Genesis (1:10–14): Pishon,
Gihon and Tigris are said to be elevated above all other bodies
of water; the Euphrates is the highest of all, and the source
of all the world’s water (55a–55b).
[Yedidah Koren (2nd ed.)]
Bibliography: H.L. Strack, Introduction to the Talmud
and Midrash (1945), 56, 263; P. Blackman (ed. and tr.), Mishnayoth, 5
(Eng., 1954), 241–2; J. Neusner. A History of the Mishnaic Law of Holy
Things. (1978–80).
BEKHOR SHOR, JOSEPH BEN ISAAC (12th century),
northern French exegete, tosafist, and poet. Referred to as Joseph
Bekhor Shor, he has been identified with Joseph b. Isaac
of Orleans, an identification which has been proved despite
the doubts of various scholars. The designation Bekhor Shor
(“Firstling Bullock”) derives from the expression applied to Joseph
(Deut. 33:17). He was the pupil of R. *Tam, who esteemed
him greatly and referred to him in terms of high praise. Abraham
b. Joseph of Orleans, mentioned several times in tosafot,
was apparently his son. Joseph’s commentary on the Pentateuch,
parts of which previously appeared in various publications,
was issued in its entirety by Joseph Gad (1956–60),
while excerpts from his commentary on Psalms have been
published in Revue des Études Juives (vol. 58 (1909), 309–11).
In his exegesis, he adopted his French predecessors’ method
of literal interpretation – that of Rashi, Joseph *Kara, and particularly
Samuel b. Meir upon whom he largely based himself.
Nevertheless, in many respects he pursued a new and original
course, although in his efforts to produce novel interpretations
his comments are sometimes rather strange and pilpulistic,
particularly in the manner in which he relates passages to one
another. He dwells at length on the biblical figures and investigates
the motives for their actions but at times interprets these
somewhat in terms of contemporary social conditions (Gen.
27:40). In many respects his exegesis is similar to that of the
Spanish commentators, this being apparent in his efforts to
explain away anthropomorphic expressions (Gen. 1:2; Num.
23:19); in defending the actions of the Patriarchs and rejecting
any calumnies against them (Gen. 30:33); in interpreting miracles
as almost natural phenomena (Gen. 19:26; Ex. 9:8); and
in giving, to a greater extent than his French predecessors, a
rational basis for the Commandments (Ex. 30:1; Lev. 19:27).
He pays little regard to grammar, nor is he as extreme as
Samuel b. Meir in his homiletical comments, adding these occasionally
alongside the literal interpretation (Gen. 3:24; Ex.
25:29). He makes use of gematria (Ex. 22:16), and at times incorporates
in his comment a lengthy halakhic discussion of
a passage, in these two respects being close to the exegetical
method of the tosafists. He sharply opposes the allegorization
of the Commandments, any neglect of which he vehemently
assails (Lev. 17:13), adopting a similar attitude as regards the
precepts of the tefillin and mezuzah (Deut. 6:9). This did not
however prevent him from giving a literal interpretation of
some passages contrary to the accepted halakhah (Ex. 23:19),
which he naturally neither repudiates nor controverts. Joseph
knew Latin, and both in speech and in writing refuted
the christological interpretation of biblical passages, attacking
in his comments both apostates and Christians, against
whom he argued a great deal rejecting all attempts to find
in the Bible allusions to Christian dogmas. He similarly repudiated
their allegorical explanations that deny the validity
of the Commandments. “Although they have translated the
Bible from the holy tongue into the vernacular, the Lord has
given them neither a heart to understand, nor eyes to see, nor
ears to hear” (Num. 12:18). In his commentary on Genesis
and Exodus he adds at the end of each weekly portion a brief
poem in which he expresses his hopes and those of the Jewish
people. He also wrote piyyutim in the style of the German
and northern French paytanim, describing in them the sorrows
that afflicted his generation. Several of these were published
by Habermann in Tarbiz (vol. 9, 1937–38); others have
not yet appeared in print.
276 ENCYCLOPAEDIA JUDAICA, Second Edition, Volume 3