JUDAICA - Wisdom In Torah

land, ein Wintermaerchen (1938), published posthumously. In
addition, Ben-Zion wrote monographs on the Biluim and the
colonies of Nes Ẓiyyonah and Gederah, edited an anthology
entitled Ha-Kotel ha-Ma’aravi (“The Western Wall,” 1929), and
published Zemirot li-Yladim (“Songs for Children”) with music
by Joel *Engel (1923). His collected writings were first published
in 1914 (in two volumes), and were later reissued in a
single large volume (1949), with a complete bibliography, and
illustrations by his son, Naḥum *Gutmann (1949).
Bibliography: I. Klausner, Yoẓerim u-Vonim, 2 (1929),
183–99; J. Rawnitzki, Dor ve-Soferav, 2 (1937), 106–14.
[Gedalyah Elkoshi]
BEN ẒIẒIT HA-KASAT (or ha-Kassaf; “silversmith”),
wealthy and prominent citizen of Jerusalem at the time of
the destruction of the Second Temple (Git. 56a; Gen. R. 42:1;
Lam. R. 1:5, no. 31). It is related that Ben Ẓiẓit and his associates
undertook to provide the needs of the inhabitants of Jerusalem
throughout the war with Rome, but the Zealots burned their
stores (see also *Ben Kalba Savu’a). Ben Ẓiẓit is possibly the
Hebrew equivalent of the Latin crispus (“curly-headed”).
Bibliography: Graetz, Gesch, 3 pt. 2 (19065), 528; Epstein,
in: MGWJ, 63 (1919), 262ff.; Klein, in: Leshonenu, 1 (1928/29), 343.
[Zvi Kaplan]
BEN ZOMA, SIMEON (second century), tanna. A contemporary
of *Akiva, he appears to have studied under *Joshua
b. Hananiah (Naz. 8:1, and cf. Tos. Ḥag. 2:6). The Mishnah
says that he was the last of the authoritative biblical expositors
(Sot. 9:15). According to Tosefta Ber. 6:2, when Ben Zoma
was convinced that the scholar was the “crown of creation,”
and when he would see the multitude of different kinds of
people and professions which populated the world, he would
declare: “Blessed be He who created all of them to serve me.”
In further explanation of his position he continued: “In what
labors was Adam involved before he obtained bread to eat? He
had to plow, sow, reap, bind the sheaves, thresh and winnow
and select the ears of corn; he had to grind them and sift the
flour, to knead and bake, and only then could he eat; whereas
I get up and find all these things prepared for me. And how
much Adam had to labor before he found a garment to wear.
He had to shear, wash the wool, comb it, spin and weave it, and
only then did he acquire a garment to wear; whereas I get up
and find all these things done for me. All kinds of craftsmen
come early to the door of my house, and I rise in the morning
and find all these things before me” (Ber. 58a, cf. Tos. Ber.
6:2). Many of his sayings became proverbs, such as “Who is
wise? – he who learns from every man. Who is mighty? – he
who subdues his evil inclination. Who is rich? – he who rejoices
in his lot. Who is honored? – he who honors his fellow
men” (Avot 4:1). He was one of the tannaim who occupied
themselves with cosmological speculation, the ma’aseh bereshit
(Tos. Ḥag. 2:6). According to Tos. Ḥag. 2:4 he was one of the
four sages who “entered paradise,” it is said (ibid.) that “he cast
ben-zvi, izhak
a look and went mad,” while his companion Ben Azzai died as
a result of this mystical experience. In the Jerusalem Talmud
(Hag. 2:1, 77b) their roles are reversed. According to the Bavli
he was regarded as “a disciple of the sages” (Kid. 49b and Rashi
ibid.), and as one of those “who discussed before the sages”
(Sanh. 17b and Rashi ibid.). Nevertheless, he was considered an
outstanding scholar, so that it was said that whoever sees Ben
Zoma in a dream “may hope for wisdom” (Ber. 57b).
Bibliography: Bacher, Tann; Hyman, Toledot, 1172–73; S.
Lieberman, Tosefta ki-Feshutah, 5 (1962), 1294.
[Zvi Kaplan]
BEN ZUTA (Ben Zita), ABU AL-SURRĪ (tenth century),
Karaite exegete. A number of his explanations of the Scripture
are sarcastically dismissed by Abraham *Ibn Ezra in his
commentary on the Pentateuch (e.g., on Ex. 20:23; 21:35; 22:28)
and his Sefer ha-Ibbur. In the absence of corroboration from
Karaite sources, Ibn Ezra’s citations remain a principal source
for particulars about Ben Zuta’s life. A passage in an anonymous
Arabic commentary on Samuel suggests, however, that
Ben Zuta lived in Jerusalem and at a somewhat later period
than had been conjectured. Judah *Ibn Bal’am also mentions
Ben Zuta and cites his objection to an interpretation of Anan
b. David, the founder of Karaism, to Ezra 18:6.
Bibliography: M. Friedlaender, Essays on the Writings of
Abraham Ibn Ezra, 4 (1877), 70 (Heb. appendix); J. Israelsohn, in:
REJ, 23 (1891), 132–3; S. Poznański, in: MGWJ, 41 (1897), 203–12; Mann,
Texts, index, S.V. Alī Surri Hakkohen b. Zuta.
BEN-ZVI (Shimshelevich), IZHAK (1884–1963). Labor
leader in the Yishuv, historian, Israeli politician, second president
of the State of Israel; member of the First and Second
Knessets. Ben-Zvi was born in Poltava, Ukraine, the eldest
son of Ẓevi Shimshelevich. His father, a member of *Benei
Moshe, visited Ereẓ Israel in 1891 to explore the possibility of
settling there. Ben-Zvi was educated in both a traditional and
a modern ḥeder, and in 1901–05 studied at a Russian gymnasium.
He visited Ereẓ Israel for the first time in 1904 for a period
of two months. He entered the University of Kiev in 1905,
but studies were interrupted due to a general strike. During
the November pogroms he was active in the Jewish self-defense
organization in Poltava. In 1906 he attended the founding
conference of *Po’alei Zion (Zionist Social Democrats) of
Russia, held in Poltava. Ben-Zvi served on the committee of
three that formulated the final version of the party’s program
drafted by Ber *Borochov and contributed the section dealing
with Palestine.
In June 1906 a search of Ben-Zvi’s parents’ home by the
Russian police revealed a cache of weapons belonging to the
self-defense organization that Ben-Zvi headed. His father was
sentenced to lifetime exile in Siberia, serving 16 years before
being allowed to leave the Soviet Union and settle in Ereẓ
Israel. His aunt, his sister, and his brother Aaron *Reuveni
were also imprisoned, but Ben-Zvi himself escaped to Vilna
ENCYCLOPAEDIA JUDAICA, Second Edition, Volume 3 393