Reshimu_3_journal_no.. - Hashkafa Circle

More documents

Recommendations

Info

The Redaction of the Babylonian Talmud in Rabbi Y.I. Halevy’s Dorot HaRishonim II. The Question of Authorship It is widely believed that R’ Ashi, assisted by his colleague Ravina, compiled or redacted the Talmud 9 . This view is based on a statement of the Gemara: “R’ Ashi and Ravina conclude hora’ah” 10 . Rashi explains this to mean that R’ Ashi and Ravina, who lived at the end of the Amoraic period 11 , collected all the teachings of those preceding them, discussed the difficulties associated with these traditions and their possible resolutions, and formed a single corpus to encompass all this material. According to this understanding, “hora’ah” would be translated as “teaching” or “instruction”, and the author of such an encyclopedic work as the Talmud – R’ Ashi – is the final “teacher”. Based on this passage and Rashi’s comments, it has become widely accepted that R’ Ashi and Ravina compiled the Babylonian Talmud and are thus responsible for preserving the entirety of the Oral Tradition for posterity. Naturally, R’ Sherira Gaon also discusses this Gemara, albeit with a slightly different emphasis. While Rashi focused on R’ Ashi’s accomplishment as an author or teacher, R’ Sherira emphasizes the Gemara’s usage of the word “conclude hora’ah”, and the fact that R’ Ashi completed something which could no longer be changed thereafter. R’ Ashi’s generation was the last to engage in deciding between Tannaic opinions and other major aspects of Halachic lawmaking. Anything which was codified until that point was no longer called into question 12 . Thus, while R’ Sherira does repeatedly refer to 9 Authorship in this case is an inaccurate description of an encyclopedic work quoting so many different people. 10 Bava Metzia 86b 11 Beginning of 5 th century. 12 For an example of the binding character of Halacha codified at this time, see Chazon Ish, Orech Chaim §138 14
Rabbi Moshe Becker the “hora’ah” of R’ Ashi and his generation, he never explicitly states that R’ Ashi compiled or wrote the Talmud. 13 However, the idea that R’ Ashi created or compiled an entirely original work is problematic. The implication of many, many instances in the Gemara is that a canonized body of Talmudic knowledge was already in use during the generations preceding R’ Ashi. Halevy points out many of these instances, and I will reproduce several below. The important factor to be aware of in these passages is what is known as the “stama de-gemara”, the narrative or passive voice of the Gemara. Many passages in the Gemara contain anonymous statements of a narrator as well as quotes attributed to Amoraim by name. Halevy points out that the key is to carefully separate these two components. If we can establish that a part of the narrative preceded the Amora who is quoted by name, we must assume that some form of the Talmud had been compiled earlier, and the Amora in question is in fact commenting on this existing form. Examples of this can be seen in many Gemaras. In one example 14 , we find R’ Ashi and Ravina themselves discussing a seemingly preexisting passage: The Gemara 15 discusses the case of an individual who mistakenly ate two olive-sized pieces of forbidden fat. He then found out that one of the pieces was forbidden, and at a later point found out that the second was forbidden as well. The question in the Gemara is how many sin-offerings such an individual is required to bring 16 . R’ Yochanan says that the person must bring 13 ‘Hora’ah’ can be translated in several ways, and I believe that R’ Sherira Gaon understood it differently than Rashi and influenced Halevy in this respect. I will return to this point later. 14 Dorot HaRishonim II p. 55 15 Shabbat 71b 16 As a rule, the obligation to bring a korban chatat only occurs after one becomes aware of his transgression, and as such, an individual who mistakenly committed the same sin multiple times over a long period of time would only bring one korban 15
Page 1 and 2: Reshimu Studies in Jewish Thought a
Page 3 and 4: Table of Contents Reshimu Studies i
Page 5: Table of Contents Rambam’s Theory
Page 8 and 9: Introduction underlying cause of th
Page 10 and 11: Introduction A correction: In my ar
Page 12 and 13: The Redaction of the Babylonian Tal
Page 36 and 37: The Redaction of the Talmud stateme
Page 38 and 39: The Redaction of the Talmud Accordi
Page 40 and 41: The Redaction of the Talmud The Fre
Page 42 and 43: The Redaction of the Talmud this is
Page 44 and 45: The Redaction of the Talmud The sou
Page 46 and 47: The Redaction of the Talmud Come an
Page 48 and 49: The Redaction of the Talmud The opi
Page 50 and 51: The Redaction of the Talmud commenc
Page 52 and 53: The Redaction of the Talmud Rav Ach
Page 54 and 55: The Redaction of the Talmud take, t
Page 56 and 57: Aish Dat: A Brief History of the De
Page 64 and 65:
Aish Dat: A Brief History of the De
Page 66 and 67:
Page 68 and 69:
Page 70 and 71:
Page 73 and 74:
Rabbi Meir Triebitz Rambam’s Theo
Page 75 and 76:
Rabbi Meir Triebitz The bulk of thi
Page 77 and 78:
Rabbi Meir Triebitz consequence of
Page 79 and 80:
Rabbi Meir Triebitz Saadiah could o
Page 81 and 82:
Rabbi Meir Triebitz (Guide 64b/124)
Page 83 and 84:
Rabbi Meir Triebitz basic premises
Page 85 and 86:
Rabbi Meir Triebitz describe God an
Page 87 and 88:
Rabbi David Sedley Rav Moshe Taku:
Page 89 and 90:
In the words of Encyclopedia Judaic
Page 91 and 92:
91 Rabbi David Sedley centuries),
Page 93 and 94:
Rabbi David Sedley which Rambam asc
Page 95 and 96:
Rabbi David Sedley a body is a here
Page 97 and 98:
Rabbi David Sedley creations have m
Page 99 and 100:
Rabbi David Sedley Talmud of our Ra
Page 101 and 102:
101 Rabbi David Sedley Torah metap
Page 103 and 104:
Rabbi David Sedley statements when
Page 105 and 106:
Rabbi David Sedley make no statemen
Page 107 and 108:
Rabbi David Sedley Rabbis. When I h
Page 109 and 110:
Rabbi David Sedley wisdom of knowle
Page 111 and 112:
111 Rabbi David Sedley mind which
Page 113 and 114:
Rabbi David Sedley In a questions a
Page 115:
Rabbi David Sedley begin again from
Page 118 and 119:
From Moshe to Moshe write, or a boo
Page 120 and 121:
From Moshe to Moshe As for the prop
Page 122 and 123:
From Moshe to Moshe It no doubt com
Page 124 and 125:
From Moshe to Moshe The scriptural
Page 126 and 127:
From Moshe to Moshe We shall accord
Page 128 and 129:
From Moshe to Moshe were given only
Page 130 and 131:
From Moshe to Moshe rational view o
show all

Reshimu_3_journal_no.. - Hashkafa Circle

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?