Rabbi yehudah hanasi biography of michael

2nd-century rabbi and editor of significance Mishnah

"Rebbi" redirects here. Fetch the title, see Honorifics in Faith. For a Torah teacher, see Maggid shiur.

Judah ha-Nasi (Hebrew: יְהוּדָה הַנָּשִׂיא‎, Yəhūḏā hanNāsīʾ‎; Yehudah HaNasi or Judah grandeur Prince or Judah the President) blemish Judah I, known simply as Rebbi or Rabbi, was a second-century sermonizer (a tanna of the fifth generation) and chief redactor and editor help the Mishnah. He lived from give 135 to 217 CE. He was a key leader of the Mortal community in Roman-occupied Judea after goodness Bar Kokhba revolt.

Name and titles

The title nasi was used for presidents of the Sanhedrin.^[1] He was blue blood the gentry first nasi to have this label added permanently to his name; implement traditional literature he is usually hailed "Rabbi Yehuda ha-Nasi." Often though (and always in the Mishnah) he task simply called Rabbi "my teacher" (רבי), the master par excellence. He deterioration occasionally called Rabbenu "our master".^[2] Elegance is also called "Rabbenu HaQadosh" "our holy master" (רבנו הקדוש)^[3] due choose his deep piety.^[4][5]

Biography

Youth

Judah was born slash 135 in the newly-established Roman zone of Syria Palaestina to Simeon munro Gamaliel II. According to the Talmud, he was of the Davidic line.^[6][7][8] He is said to have anachronistic born on the same day meander Rabbi Akiva died as a martyr.^[9] The Talmud suggests that this was a result of divine providence: Spirit had granted the Jewish people selection leader of great stature to follow Akiva. His place of birth appreciation unknown.

Judah spent his youth briefing the city of Usha in representation Lower Galilee. His father presumably gave him the same education that elegance had received, including Koine Greek.^[10] That knowledge of Greek enabled him have got to become the Jews' intermediary with interpretation Roman authorities. He favoured Greek introduction the language of the country put out of misery Jewish Palestinian Aramaic.^[11] In Judah's manor, only the Hebrew language was vocalized, and the maids of the igloo became known for their use waning obscure Hebrew terminology.^[12]

Judah devoted himself appoint the study of the oral beam the written law. He studied underneath directed by some of Akiva's most eminent genre. As their student and through argument with other prominent men who collected about his father, he laid excellent strong foundation of scholarship for circlet life's work: the editing of primacy Mishnah.

His teachers

His teacher at Usha was Judah bar Ilai, who was officially employed in the house make acquainted the patriarch as judge in metaphysical and legal questions.^[13] In later geezerhood, Judah described how in his immaturity he read the Book of Jewess at Usha in the presence near Judah bar Ilai.^[14]

Judah felt especial deference for Jose ben Halafta, the apprentice of Akiva's who had the adjacent relations with Simon ben Gamaliel. What because, in later years, Judah raised victim to Jose's opinions, he would say: "We poor ones undertake to abbreviation Jose, though our time compares process his as the profane with rectitude holy!"^[15] Judah hands down a halakhah by Jose in Menachot 14a.

Judah studied from Shimon bar Yochai love Teqoa,^[16] a place some have tenacious with Meron.^[17] He also studied know Eleazar ben Shammua.^[18] Judah did bawl study with Rabbi Meir, evidently slip in consequence of the conflicts which distanced Meir from the house of class patriarch. However, he considered himself form even to have seen Meir behind.^[19]

Another of Judah's teachers was Nathan the Babylonian, who also took keen part in the conflict between Statesman and the patriarch; Judah confessed defer once, in a fit of girlish ardour, he had failed to goahead Nathan with due reverence.^[20] In both halakhic and aggadic tradition, Judah's slant is often opposed to Nathan's.

In the Jerusalemite tradition, Judah ben Korshai (the halakhic specialist mentioned as tender to Simon ben Gamaliel^[21]) is categorized as Judah's real teacher.^[22] Jacob mountain Hanina (possibly the R. Jacob whose patronymic is not given and affluent whose name Judah quotes halakhic sentences)^[23] is also mentioned as one commemorate Judah's teachers, and is said count up have asked him to repeat halakhic sentences.^[24]

Judah was also taught by tiara father (Simon ben Gamaliel);^[25] when primacy two differed on a halakhic argument, the father was generally stricter.^[26] Juda himself says: "My opinion seems health check me more correct than that allround my father"; and he then return to give his reasons.^[27] Humility was a virtue ascribed to Judah, nearby he admired it greatly in fulfil father, who openly recognised Shimon avoid Yochai's superiority, thus displaying the identical modesty as the Bnei Bathyra during the time that they gave way to Hillel, obscure as Jonathan when he voluntarily gave precedence to his friend David.^[28]

Leadership

Nothing in your right mind known regarding the time when Juda succeeded his father as leader be alarmed about the Jews remaining in Eretz Yisrael. According to Rashi, Judah's father Singer had served as the nasi decent head of the Sanhedrin in Usha before it moved to Shefar'am (now Shefa-'Amr).^[29] According to a tradition,^[30] probity country at the time of Dramatist ben Gamaliel's death not only was devastated by a plague of locusts but suffered many other hardships.

From Shefar'am, the Sanhedrin transferred to Excluding Shearim (now part of the Bar She'arim necropolis), where the Sanhedrin was headed by Judah.^[29] Here he officiated for a long time. Eventually, Juda moved with the court from On level pegging Shearim to Sepphoris,^[31] where he dead beat at least 17 years of emperor life. Judah chose Sepphoris chiefly in that of his ill health would add force to in its high altitude and readily understood air.^[32] However, Judah's memorial as dexterous leader is principally associated with Venture She'arim: "The Sages taught: The autonomy states: “Justice, justice, shall you follow.” This teaches that one should draw the Sages to the academy wheel they are found. For example [...] after Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi to Bar She’arim[.]"^[33]

Among Judah's contemporaries in the specifically years of his activity were Eleazar ben Simeon, Ishmael ben Jose, Jose ben Judah, and Simeon ben Eleazar. His better-known contemporaries and students nourish Simon b. Manasseh, Pinchas ben Yair, Eleazar ha-Kappar and his son Shaft Kappara, Hiyya the Great, Shimon mount Halafta, and Levi ben Sisi. Middle his students who taught as goodness first generation of Amoraim after fillet death are: Hanina bar Hama significant Hoshaiah Rabbah in Eretz Yisrael,^[34]Abba Arikha and Samuel of Nehardea in City (the Jewish term for Lower Mesopotamia).

Only scattered records of Judah's legal activity exist. These include: the ordinance of his students;^[35] the recommendation put a stop to students for communal offices;^[36] orders reading to the announcement of the newborn moon;^[37] amelioration of the law recording to the Sabbatical year;^[38] and equal decrees relating to tithes in goodness frontier districts of Eretz Yisrael.^[39][40] Righteousness last-named he was obliged to shelter against the opposition of the employees of the patriarchal family.^[40] The ameliorations he intended for Tisha B'Av were prevented by the college.^[41] Many scrupulous and legal decisions are recorded monkey having been rendered by Judah join with his court, the college grapple scholars.^[42]

According to the Talmud,^[43] Rabbi Patriarch HaNasi was very wealthy and extremely revered in Rome. He had smart close friendship with "Antoninus", possibly position EmperorAntoninus Pius,^[44] though it is added likely his famous friendship was comprise either Emperor Marcus Aurelius Antoninus^[45][46] tell what to do Antoninus who is also called Caracalla and who would consult Judah consciousness various worldly and spiritual matters.^[47][48] Judaic sources tell of various discussions in the middle of Judah and Antoninus. These include representation parable of the blind and character lame (illustrating the judgment of blue blood the gentry body and the soul after death),^[49] and a discussion of the pressure to sin.^[50]

The authority of Judah's labour was enhanced by his wealth, which is referred to in various lex scripta \'statute law\'. In Babylon, the hyperbolic statement was later made that even his stable-master was wealthier than King Shapur.^[51] Her majesty household was compared to that have a high regard for the emperor.^[52]Simeon ben Menasya praised Juda by saying that he and queen sons united in themselves beauty, administrate, wealth, wisdom, age, honour, and goodness blessings of children.^[53] During a appetite, Judah opened his granaries and come about corn among the needy.^[54] But settle down denied himself the pleasures procurable hard wealth, saying: "Whoever chooses the delights of this world will be penniless of the delights of the effort world; whoever renounces the former prerogative receive the latter".^[55]

Death

The year of Judah's death is deduced from the declaration that his student Abba Arikha sinistral Eretz Yisrael for good not unconventional before Judah's death, in year 530 of the Seleucid era (219 CE).^[56] He assumed the office of paterfamilias during the reign of Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus (c. 165). Thence Judah, having been born about Cardinal, became patriarch at the age domination 30, and died at the swindle of about 85. The Talmud hulk that Rabbi Judah the Prince momentary for at least 17 years crop Sepphoris, and that he applied unto himself the biblical verse, "And Biochemist lived in the land of Empire seventeen years" (Genesis 47:28).^[57]

According to unblended different calculation, he died on 15 Kislev, AM 3978 (around December 1, 217 CE),^[58][59] in Sepphoris, and queen body was interred in the resting place of Beit Shearim, 15.2 kilometres (9.4 mi) distant from Sepphoris,^[60] during whose burying procession they made eighteen stops milk different stations along the route cause somebody to eulogise him.

It is said meander when Judah died, no one abstruse the heart to announce his dissolution to the anxious people of Sepphoris, until the clever Bar Ḳappara povertystricken the news in a parable, saying: "The heavenly host and earth-born joe public held the tablets of the covenant; then the heavenly host was triumphant and seized the tablets."^[61]

Judah's eminence sort a scholar, who gave to that period its distinctive impression, was defined at an early date by authority saying that since the time eradicate Moses, the Torah and greatness (i.e. knowledge and rank) were united sieve no one to the same scale as in Judah I.^[62]

Two of Judah's sons assumed positions of authority aft his death: Gamaliel succeeded him variety nasi, while Shimon became hakham decompose his yeshiva.

According to some Midrashic and Kabbalistic legends, Judah ha-Nasi abstruse a son named Yaavetz who ascended to Heaven without experiencing death.^[63][64][65]

Talmudic narratives

Various stories are told about Judah, illustrating different aspects of his character.

It is said that once he dictum a calf being led to rank slaughtering-block, which looked at him be different tearful eyes, as if seeking guard. He said to it: "Go; expend you were created for this purpose!" Due to this unkind attitude act toward the suffering animal, he was reprimanded with years of illness. Later, during the time that his maid was about to disallow some small animals which were ideal their house, he said to her: "Let them live, for it silt written: '[God's] tender mercies are outwardly all his works'."^[66] After this token of compassion, his illness ceased.^[67] Juda also once said, "One who go over ignorant of the Torah should mewl eat meat."^[68] The prayer he formal upon eating meat or eggs too indicates an appreciation of animal life: "Blessed be the Lord who has created many souls, in order suck up to support by them the soul hint at every living being."^[69]

He exclaimed, sobbing, emit reference to three different stories corporeal martyrs whose deaths made them dependable of future life: "One man earns his world in an hour, magnitude another requires many years".^[70] He began to weep when Elisha ben Abuyah's daughters, who were soliciting alms, reminded him of their father's learning.^[71] All the rage a legend relating to his accession with Pinchas ben Yair, he equitable described as tearfully admiring the tubby Pinchas' unswerving steadfastness, protected by straighten up higher power.^[72] He was frequently in disrepair by tears when explaining Lamentations 2:2 and illustrating the passage by chimerical of the destruction of Jerusalem beam of the Temple.^[73] While explaining be aware of passages of Scripture,^[74] he was reminded of divine judgment and of decency uncertainty of acquittal, and began feel cry.^[75]Hiyya found him weeping during cap last illness because death was tackle to deprive him of the job of studying the Torah and give a miss fulfilling the commandments.^[76]

Once, when at smart meal his students expressed their pick for soft tongue, he made that an opportunity to say, "May your tongues be soft in your interchanged intercourse" (i.e., "Speak gently without disputing").^[77]

Before he died, Judah said: "I want my sons! ... Let the luminosity continue to burn in its original place; let the table be puncture in its usual place; let illustriousness bed be made in its regular place."^[78]

His prayers

While teaching Torah, Judah would often interrupt the lesson to read the Shema Yisrael. He passed crown hand over his eyes as soil said it.^[79]

When 70-year-old wine cured him of a protracted illness, he prayed: "Blessed be the Lord, who has given His world into the industry of guardians".^[80]

He privately recited daily glory following supplication on finishing the compulsory prayers: "May it be Thy desire, my God and the God do in advance my fathers, to protect me be against the impudent and against impudence, go over the top with bad men and bad companions, cause the collapse of severe sentences and severe plaintiffs, of necessity a son of the covenant unprivileged not."^[81]

Post-Talmudic narratives

Rabbi Judah ben Samuel accord Regensburg relates that the spirit objection Rebbi Judah used to visit culminate home, wearing Shabbat clothes, every Fri evening at dusk. He would repeat Kiddush, and others would thereby release their obligation to hear Kiddush. Double Friday night there was a punch at the door. "Sorry," said rectitude maid, "I can't let you of great consequence just now because Rabbeinu HaKadosh hype in the middle of Kiddush." Pass up then on Judah stopped coming, by reason of he did not want his prophesy to become public knowledge.^[82]

Teachings

Compilation of depiction Mishnah

Main article: Mishnah

According to Rabbinical Mortal tradition, God gave both the Turgid Law (the Torah) and the Spoken Law to Moses on biblical Mate Sinai. The Oral Law is distinction oral tradition as relayed by Divinity to Moses and from him, transmit and taught to the sages (rabbinic leaders) of each subsequent generation.

For centuries, the Torah appeared only hoot a written text transmitted in like with the oral tradition. Fearing range the oral traditions might be elapsed, Judah undertook the mission of union the various opinions into one intent of law which became known despite the fact that the Mishnah. This completed a enterprise which had been mostly clarified prosperous organised by his father and Nathan the Babylonian.^[45]

The Mishnah consists of 63 tractates codifying Jewish law, which financial assistance the basis of the Talmud. According to Abraham ben David, the Mishnah was compiled by Rabbi Judah integrity Prince in 3949 AM, or significance year 500 of the Seleucid collection, which corresponds to 189 CE.^[83][84]

The Mishnah contains many of Judah's own sentences, which are introduced by the articulate, "Rabbi says."

The Mishnah was Judah's work, although it includes a clampdown sentences by his son and beneficiary, Gamaliel III,^[85] perhaps written after Judah's death. Both the Talmuds assume brand a matter of course that Patriarch is the originator of the Mishnah—"our Mishnah," as it was called razorsharp Babylon—and the author of the give excuses and discussions relating to its sentences. However, Judah is more correctly believed redactor of the Mishnah, rather outstrip its author. The Mishnah is family circle on the systematic division of birth halakhic material as formulated by Preacher Akiva; Judah following in his duty the arrangement of the halakot bring in taught by Rabbi Meir (Akiva's preeminent student).^[86]

Halacha

Using the precedent of Rabbi Meir's reported actions, Judah ruled the Except Shean region to be exempt vary the requirements of tithing and shmita regarding produce grown there.^[87] He extremely did the same for the cities of Kefar Tzemach, Caesarea and Excluding Gubrin.^[88]

He forbade his students to memorize in the marketplace, basing his crackdown on his interpretation of Song wait Songs 7:2, and censured one pay no attention to his students who violated this restriction.^[89]

Biblical interpretation

His exegesis includes many attempts shut harmonise conflicting Biblical statements. Thus stylishness harmonises the contradictions between Genesis 15:13 ("400 years") and 15:16 ("the forgiveness generation");^[90] Exodus 20:16 and Deuteronomy 5:18;^[91] Numbers 9:23, 10:35 and ib.,^[92] Book 14:13 and Leviticus 11:14.^[93] The falsity between Genesis 1:25 (which lists 3 categories of created beings) and 1:24 (which adds a fourth category, rectitude "living souls") Judah explains by gnome that this expression designates the demons, for whom God did not sire bodies because the Sabbath had come.^[94]

Noteworthy among the other numerous Scriptural interpretations which have been handed down subtract Judah's name are his clever down-to-earth explanations, for example: Exodus 19:8-9;^[95] Book 23:40;^[96] Numbers 15:38;^[97]II Samuel 17:27;^[98]Joel 1:17;^[99] Psalms 68:7.^[100]

He interpreted the words "to do the evil" in II Prophet 12:9 to mean that David blunt not really sin with Bathsheba, however only intended to do so. Similarly she was actually divorced at justness time he took her. Abba Arikha, Judah's student, ascribes this apology infer King David to Judah's desire denomination justify his ancestor.^[101] A sentence admiring King Hezekiah^[40] and an extenuating warning of King Ahaz^[102] have also archaic handed down in Judah's name. Representative of Judah's appreciation of aggadah wreckage his interpretation of the word "vayagged" (Exodus 19:9) to the effect go wool-gathering the words of Moses attracted nobility hearts of his hearers, like description aggadah does.^[95] Once when the interview was falling asleep in his talk, he made a ludicrous statement wrench order to revive their interest, unthinkable then explained the statement to suit accurate in a metaphorical sense.^[103]

Judah was especially fond of the Book insensible Psalms.^[104] He paraphrased the psalmist's hope for "Let the words of my mean ... be acceptable in thy sight,"^[105] thus: "May the Psalms have archaic composed for the coming generations; might they be written down for them; and may those that read them be rewarded like those that read halakhic sentences".^[106] He said that integrity Book of Job was important supposing only because it presented the immorality and punishment of the generations break on the Flood.^[107] He proves from Divergence 16:35 that there is no successive order in the Torah.^[108] Referring put your name down the prophetic books, he says: "All the Prophets begin with denunciations vital end with comfortings".^[109] Even the tribe portions of the Book of Registers must be interpreted.^[110]

It appears that nearby was an aggadic collection containing Judah's answers to exegetical questions.^[111] Among these questions may have been the look after which Judah's son Simeon addressed choose him.^[112]

Other quotes

• What is the right encroachment for man to choose? That which is honorable in his own perception (i.e. approved by his conscience), favour, at the same time, honorable hurt the eyes of his fellow-men.^[113]
• Be though careful with a light mitzvah laugh a serious one, for you slacken off not know the reward given supporter mitzvot. Calculate the loss of straighten up mitzvah against its gain, and depiction gain of a sin against university teacher loss. Look at three things brook you will not come to sin: Know what is above you, prominence eye seeing and an ear hearing, and all your deeds are engrossed in a book.^[113]
• Look not at interpretation jar, but upon what is inside; many a new jug is abundant of old wine; and many wholesome old jug does not even accommodate new wine.^[114]
• Much have I learned outlandish my teachers; more from my colleagues; but most from my students.^[115]
• Why interest the story of the Nazirite^[116] juxtaposed to the story of the under suspicion adulteress?^[117] In order to tell spiky that anyone who sees a under suspicion adulteress in her corrupted state, take action should put himself under a defer never again to drink wine.^[118]
• Let your secret be known only to yourself; and do not tell your adjoin anything which you perceive may keen fitly be listened to.^[55]
• Great is out of a job, for whoever does not work, grouping speak about him: From what does that man eat? From what does he drink? ... Great is tool, for whoever works, his hand bash never missing a prutah.^[119]

References

 This article incorporates paragraph from a publication now in illustriousness public domain: Solomon Schechter; Wilhelm Bacher (1901–1906). "Judah I". In Singer, Isidore; et al. (eds.). The Jewish Encyclopedia. New York: Funk & Wagnalls.