Transcript Development of Rabbinic Thought

Development of
Rabbinic Thought
Josephus, Antiquities XIII, 171-3
•At this time there were three schools of thought among the Jews,
each of which had different opinions concerning human actions. One
was called the Pharisees, another the Sadducees, and the other the
Essenes.
•Now for the Pharisees, they say that some actions, but not all, are the
work of fate (Josephus means providence, but he uses a term familiar
to his Greek readers), and some of them are in our own power and
that they are liable to fate but are not caused by fate.
•But the sect of the Essenes affirms that fate governs all things, and
that nothing befalls men except that which is according to its
determination.
•And as for the Sadducees, they exclude fate and say that there is no
such thing, and that the events of human affairs are not at its disposal.
But they suppose that all our actions are in our own power, so that we
are ourselves the cause of what is good, and we suffer what is evil as a
result of our own folly.
Comparing the Sects
Pharisees
Sadducees
Essenes
Freewill/Fate
Afterlife
Oral Law
Population
Some things
are fate
some
freewill
No
Providence
Yes,
resurrection
Yes
6000
No
No
Priestly/
aristocratic
Fate
Yes,
soul
No
4000
‫תלמוד בבלי נדה טז ע"ב‬
R. Hanina b. Papa made the following exposition: The
name of the angel who is in charge of conception is
‘Night’, and he takes up a drop and places it in the
presence of the Holy One, blessed be He, saying,
‘Sovereign of the universe, what shall be the fate of this
drop? Shall it produce a strong man or a weak man, a wise
man or a fool, a rich man or a poor man?’ Whereas
‘wicked man’ or ‘righteous one’ he does not mention, in
agreement with the view of R. Hanina. For R. Hanina
stated: Everything is in the hands of heaven except the
fear of God, as it is said, And now, Israel, what doth the
Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear etc.
:‫דדריש ר' חנינא בר פפא‬
‫אותו מלאך הממונה על‬
‫ ונוטל טפה‬,‫ההריון לילה שמו‬
,‫ומעמידה לפני הקב"ה‬
‫ טפה‬,‫ רבש"ע‬:‫ואומר לפניו‬
‫זו מה תהא עליה? גבור או‬
‫ עשיר‬,‫ חכם או טיפש‬,‫חלש‬
- ‫או עני? ואילו רשע או צדיק‬
‫ כדר' חנינא; דא"ר‬,‫לא קאמר‬
‫ חוץ‬- ‫ הכל בידי שמים‬:‫חנינא‬
‫שנאמר‬
,‫שמים‬
‫מיראת‬
‫(דברים י') ועתה ישראל מה‬
‫ה' אלהיך שואל מעמך כי אם‬
.'‫ליראה וגו‬
Life of Josephus, 10-12
• When I was about sixteen years old, I chose to gain expertise in the
philosophical schools among us. There are three of these: the first,
Pharisees; the second, Sadducees; and the third, Essenes, as we have often
said. In this way I intended to choose the best [school]—if I might examine
them all.
• So I toughened myself and, after considerable effort, passed through the
three of them. Yet I did not regard even the resulting expertise sufficient for
me. When I discovered that a certain man by the name of Bannus made his
life in the desert, I became his devotee: wearing clothes [made] from
trees, scavenging food that grew by itself, and washing frequently for
purification—with frigid water, day and night!
• When I had lived with him three years and so satisfied my longing, I
returned to the city. Being now in my nineteenth year I began to involve
myself in public life, deferring to the philosophical school of the
Pharisees, which is rather like the one called Stoic among the Greeks.
Josephus, Antiquities 15.371
The Essenes also, as we call a sect of ours, were
excused from this imposition [persecutions by
Herod]. These men live the same kind of life as
do those whom the Greeks call Pythagoreans,
concerning whom I shall discourse more fully
elsewhere.
Josephus, Antiquities 11.277-79
Epicureans are in an error, who cast Providence out of
human life, and do not believe that God takes care of the
affairs of the world, nor that the universe is governed and
continued in being by that blessed and immortal nature,
but say that the world is carried along of its own accord,
without a ruler and a curator; which, were it destitute of a
guide to conduct it, as they imagine, it would be like ships
without pilots, which we see drowned by the winds, or like
chariots without drivers, which are overturned; so would
the world be dashed to pieces by its being carried without
a Providence, and so perish, and come to nought.
Josephus’ Schools
Greek School of
Philosophy
Stoics
Epicureans
Pythagoreans
Jewish Sect
Pharisees
Sadducees
Essenes
‫משנה סנהדרין פרק י משנה א‬
‫•כל ישראל יש להם חלק לעולם הבא שנאמר (ישעיה ס') ועמך‬
‫כולם צדיקים לעולם יירשו ארץ נצר מטעי מעשי ידי להתפאר‬
‫•ואלו שאין להם חלק לעולם הבא האומר אין תחיית המתים מן‬
‫התורה ואין תורה מן השמים ואפיקורס‬
•All Israel have a portion in the world to come, for it is written, “Thy
people are all righteous; they shall inherit the land for ever, the branch
of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified.”
•But the following have no portion therein: he who maintains that
resurrection is not a biblical doctrine, the Torah was not divinely
revealed, and an Epikoros.
Reward vs Fate
• Rava said: [Length of] life, children, and sustenance depend not
on merit but rather on mazzal. For take Rabbah and R. Hisda as
examples. Both were absolutely righteous rabbis, for each master
prayed for rain and rain came.
• Yet, R. Hisda lived to the age of 92; Rabbah only lived to age 40.
In R. Hisda’s house there were 60 marriage feasts, in Rabbah’s
there were 60 bereavements. At R. Hista’s house there were
purest what bread for dogs and ti went to waste. At Rabbah’s
house there was barely bread for humans and even that could
not be found.
(Bavli Moed Katan 28b)
• The sages have said that there are some things through
allotment and some things through deeds. They have judged as
follows: being born, wife, child ,authority and property are
through allotment. Priesthood, warriorhood, husbandry,
righteousness, and wickedness are through deeds.
(Dedastan I Denig, passox 70)
‫‪Ben Zoma, Pirke Avot 4:1‬‬
‫•‬
‫•‬
‫•‬
‫•‬
‫בן זומא אומר איזהו חכם הלומד מכל אדם שנאמר‬
‫(תהלים קי"ט) מכל מלמדי השכלתי‬
‫איזהו גבור הכובש את יצרו שנאמר (משלי טו‪:‬טז)‬
‫טוב ארך אפים מגבור ומושל ברוחו מלוכד עיר‬
‫איזהו עשיר השמח בחלקו שנאמר (תהלים קכח)‬
‫יגיע כפיך כי תאכל אשריך וטוב לך אשריך בעולם‬
‫הזה וטוב לך לעולם הבא‬
‫איזהו מכובד המכבד את הבריות שנאמר (שמואל‬
‫א' ב') כי מכבדי אכבד ובוזי יקלו ‪:‬‬
Quotes from Roman Writers
• Who then is free? The Sage who masters
himself. (Horace, Satires II.vii.83)
• To be content with one’s things are riches.
(Cicero, Paradoxa Stiocorum, 51)
• A noble thing is joyful poverty. (Seneca, Epistle
II.5)
• Honoring the Sage is a great bonus to the
honorers. (Gnomologium Vaticanum, 32)
• Only the Sage is sane. Only the Sage is free.
Only the Sage is rich. (Cicero, pro Murena 6066)
Aesop’s Fables
A hungry fox spied some bread and meat left in a
hollow tree by some shepherds. He crawled in and
ate it, but his belly swelled so that he could not get
out again. As he moaned and groaned, another fox
passing by came up and asked what was the matter.
When he heard what had happened, he said to the
first fox: “I guess you’ll just have to wait until you get
back to the size you were when you went in, and
then you won’t have any trouble getting out.”
The story shows that time overcomes difficulties.
Kohelet Rabbah 5:14
AS HE CAME FORTH OF HIS MOTHER’ S WOMB [naked shall he
go back as he came, and shall take nothing for his labor]
(5:14).
Genibah said: It is like a fox who found a vineyard which was
fenced in on all sides. There was one hole through which he
wanted to enter, but he was unable to do so. What did he do?
He fasted for three days until he became lean and frail, and so
got through the hole. Then he ate [of the grapes] and became
fat again, so that when he wished to go out he could not pass
through at all. He again fasted another three days until he
became lean and frail, returning to his former condition, and
went out.
When he was outside, he turned his face and gazing at the
vineyard, said, ' O vineyard, O vineyard, how good are you and
the fruits inside! All that is inside is beautiful and
commendable, but what enjoyment has one from you? As
one enters you so he comes out.’ Such is this world.
Evil Inclination
Beresheet Rabbah, 9
,‫נחמן בשם ר' שמואל הנה טוב מאד זה יצר טוב‬
,‫ וכי יצר הרע טוב מאד הוא אתמהא‬,‫והנה טוב מאד זה יצר הרע‬
‫אלא שאלולי יצר הרע לא בנה אדם בית ולא נשא אשה ולא הוליד‬
.‫בנים‬
Nahman in the name of Shmuel [said]: Behold it was good
(Gen 1:31). This is the Good Desire.
Behold it was very good (Gen 1:31). This is the Evil Desire.
Is the Evil Desire indeed good? Incredible!
Rather, without the Evil Desire a man would not build a house
or marry a woman or beget children.
Mishnah Shabbat 6:4
• A man must not go out [of the house on Shabbat]
bearing a sword, nor a bow, nor a shield, nor a lance
nor a spear. And if he did go out [with one of these] he
is liable for a sin offering [because he has violated the
final Shabbat labor, carrying].
• Rabbi Eliezer says, “these are his ornaments” [like
clothing or jewelry, and therefore he should be allowed
to wear them].
• But the Sages say [he is liable, because these are not
ornaments. Rather,] these [weapons] are shameful; as
it says, (Isaiah 2:4), “they shall beat their swords into
plough shares and their spears into pruning-hooks, and
nation shall not lift up sword against nation, and they
will not learn war any more.”
Rhetoric and Truth
Pesikta de-Rav Kahana, Parah ‘adumah, pis. 4:2, to Numbers 19:2
R. Yose from Mamleh, R. Yehoshua of Sikhnin in the name of R. Levi: Children
during the time of David, even before they tasted sin, knew how to
interpret the Torah [by adducing] forty-nine [arguments that something is]
impure and forty-nine [arguments that the same thing is] pure.
Cicero, Orator, (trans. H. M. Hubbell) xiv.46
Aristotle trained young men…that they might be able to uphold either side of
the question in copious and elegant language. He also taught the Topics…a
kind of sign or indication of the arguments from which a whole speech can
be formed on either side of the question.
Yerushalmi Sanhedrin 4,1 (22a)
Said R. Yoḥanan: One who does not know how to derive that a reptile is pure
and impure in one hundred ways, may not offer arguments in merit [of the
defendant].
‫‪Marriage vs. Torah‬‬
‫בבלי מסכת כתובות דף סא עמוד ב‬
‫חכמים אומרים‪ :‬התלמידיםיוצאין לת"ת ב' וג' שנים שלא‬
‫ברשות‪ .‬אמר רבא (אמורא בבל ‪ :)4‬סמכו רבנן אדרב‬
‫אדא בר אהבה ועבדי עובדא בנפשייהו‪.‬‬
‫כי הא דרב רחומי הוה שכיח קמיה דרבא במחוזא‪ ,‬הוה‬
‫רגיל דהוה אתי לביתיה כל מעלי יומא דכיפורי‪ .‬יומא‬
‫חד משכתיה שמעתא‪ ,‬הוה מסכיא דביתהו השתא‬
‫אתי השתא אתי‪ ,‬לא אתא‪ ,‬חלש דעתה אחית‬
‫דמעתא מעינה‪ ,‬הוה יתיב באיגרא‪ ,‬אפחית איגרא‬
‫מתותיה ונח נפשיה‪.‬‬
Tanakh and
Oral Traditions
Greco-Roman
Philosophy/
Persian Religions
Jewish Sectarians
Rabbinic
Thought
Strengthen Faith, Commitment and Continuity