Lecture 50. Morais, Sabato. Philadelphia, PA. Undated · Sabato Morais Digital Repository · Legacy Projects from Judaica DH at Penn Libraries

Title

Lecture 50. Morais, Sabato. Philadelphia, PA. Undated

Author

Morais, Sabato

Location(s)

United States -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia

United States -- Pennsylvania

Format

10 pages on 4 sheets

Rights

http://rightsstatements.org/page/NoC-US/1.0/?

Language(s)

English

Source

Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies

Sabato Morais Collection, Box 12, Folder 5

Has Format

https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/items/ark:/81431/p3x63bq5j/manifest.json

Link to Colenda

https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/catalog/81431-p3x63bq5j

Provenance

Transfer of Custody from the Hebrew Education Society, 10 March 1913.

Is Format Of

https://raw.githubusercontent.com/judaicadh/morais/main/TEI/SMBx12FF5_7.xml

content

Post Biblical
Babylonian Schools
50

The Gaonic period is yet to come

The Jewish people have been unavoidably affected by the social and political affairs of centuries in which they have severally lived dwelt lived. From the days that Babylon, which had conquered Assyria, was in turn subjugated by Persia, till, after having experienced many changes, it came again under the rule of a bold soldier, who claimed descent from Cyrus, and established in Neo-Persian empire, up-wards of six centuries had glided away. We have seen how our religion was kept alive in those Eastern regions, during all such vicissitudes, principally through the means of our schools of learning. We have also seen that the degree of tolerance shown to practised towards our belief and its adherents, was proportionate to the liberality or illiberality of the existing governments. But aside from external & internal wars that hurt us much, a most decided opposition to our faith and its followers was met in the part of the Magi, or priests of the Neo-Persians, called in history "Ghebers," and in the Talmud Chelorin. So greatly was that hostility felt, that a proverb ran this: "Better be under any of the gentiles, than under the Ghebers". Still, the two immortal pupils of Judah the Prince had infused the power to stand antagonism. They tried that

that to kindle a love for the traditions of the fathers, and make render a diligent study thereof a the source of Israel's inextinguishable existence. Thus, if unfavor--able circumstances caused the closing of a college in one place, another soon arose elsewhere. During the two centuries which succeeded the age of Rab and Samuel, Presidents of various Academies made their seats of learning notable. It would not accord with my plan to speak of even some of the most illustrious, such as Abbayé and Raba, whose pre--cocious minds drew from their teacher this significant remark: "from their first budding, one can tell how plants will grow". My lectures of the series are merely short sketches of the most striking events in the history of our people and our literature. I am compelled therefore to suppress check a strong inclination to refer to what was accomplished by a large number of Babylonian expounders of the Mishna, or Emoraim, and I pass on to dwell awhile on the life-work of one, who is entitled, above all others, to our consideration. Ashi or Ashé was his name. Providence raised him in time to save

a vast deal of learning which was threatened with might have to fallen into is oblivion. The same reason which had induced Judah the Prince in Palestine to formulate and arrange the text of the Mishnah, led Ashé to compile in Babylon the discussions of the Ghemara. He fore--saw two things, namely, the effect upon our people of bloody wars disputes among Eastern and Western nations, and the result of a probable closing of colleges after centuries of existence. Already the difficulty of keeping in mind Rabbinical teachings and scholastic debates had become apparent, even admitting that extensive memoranda were taken down and privately preserved. Persons justly said: "As a generation goes, it leaves to the next the legacy of a decline of memory." This inconvenience which could scarcely be avoided, since the accumulation of learning made its retention very hard if not impossible, would certainly have increased with the sufferings attending a further dispersion and persecution. Ashé concluded to remedy the evil by putting to writing all that could be collected gathered of the debates discussions and talks which had taken place among the Sages, even their legendary tales and their suggestive talks, from the time of Rab and Samuel to his own days.

Fortunately, he was the fittest man to accomplish that most difficult arduous task. He had wealth and therefore leisure; he had a well cultured and clear understanding and therefore method. He had a burning zeal and therefore determination. Through his powerful connections, he could also command the cooperation of many. Besides his own high parent--age and riches which went very far to gain win adherents, he enjoyed the acquaintance of Yezdegerd, one of the late kings of the Neo-Persians who reigned during the fifth century and who favored Hebrew knowledge. Ashé found that the two main centres of learning--Sura and Nahardea--had fallen into decay, after the death of their illustrious chiefs--Rab and Samuel. Very possibly Sura was possibly his native city, and therefore he resolved that it should regain the literary elevation which it had once reached. The Talmud relates that to carry out his object, he himself superintended the rebuilding of the college. By day and night he watched, sleeping close by, till the edifice tower--ed o above all others. The glory which Ashé cast upon Sura was unprecedented. Its Academy was sought after by the most distinguished Israelites.

There they congregated whenever a meeting of na--tional importance was called for, and to honor him who had spent his large means; bestowed his best had devoted his and most earnest thoughts, and had devoted his best energies on the revival of the place, immortalized by Rab, all the chiefs of other schools gathered there once a year on the occasion of the Exilarch-festivities. These were held with great splendor in the month of Heshvan, after all the Fall Holidays, out of respect for the appointed Hebrew-Governor of all Jews living in We Eastern Asia. I have, once before alluded to the office of Exilarch or Rosh Galutha, and I may have occasion hereafter to explain at some length the history connected with that important responsible office. Now I simply wish to illustrate the influence which a very eminent Rabbi deservedly rightly exercised. My purpose is not to glorify extoll Ashé to the sky, the detriment of any of our Sages but to show the unremitting exertions of that one man on behalf of our people and our literature. The Babylonian Talmud, so termed to distinguish it from the Palestinian, or Jerusalem Talmud, as it is this has been inappropriately called, is the result of that one mans scholar's firm resolution.

His decided will to prevent the loss of a learning vast and unique, gave us the colossal work which has played a most important part in the destiny of the outcasts of Judea. Ashé took the text of the sixty treatises of the Mishnah, as formulated by Judah the Prince, and, aided no doubt, by very many associates and disciples, collected with religious scrupulousness every thing remark, that each section and each paragraph of those treatises drew from the lips of different sages at different times. The task seems almost an impossible one. It surpassed beyond comparison that of Judah the Prince, for the Mishnah is represents merely the dry law; seldom relieved by does it chronicle keen remarks observations, sharp questioning, lively answers; [?] those mental gymans--tics, we so to say, that which characterizes the Ghemara. Besides, the Mishnah, well written as it is, invaluable as it is, was left incomplete by the exclusion of a number of traditional rules, embodied in what is known as Baraittia, or esoteric learning. Ashe's under--taking was indeed herculean, but then we must

consider that he gave to it nearly sixty years of his life. He had moreover furthermore at his dis--posal all the private records of former scholars; he went over his compilation a number of times; during two months in each year he submitted the extent of his labors to an assembly of the learned, and notwithstanding all that, he did not finish what he had assumed. It was concluded by his pupils and successors in the course of seventy years after his the master's death. In order to form an idea of the Babylonian Talmud, the book must be studied in the original, whose general language is the populace Eastern Ara-language -maic or Chaldaic, mixed with a large number quantity of Greek, Latin and Persian words Hebraized Chaldaized in a manner too provoking quite perplexing and often baffling recognition. No translation can convey an adequate notion of that peculiar production of thousands of minds. To attempt a version is to fail, nor is that all its [?] preservation in a modern tongue, desirable; for candor compels the confession that matters not at all at all to our taste have been naïvely introduced, and others unsuitable and repulsive have also crept in. The poet-philosopher

Judah Ha-Levi, acknowledges nearly as much about this regrettable fact, and writes that what is objectctionable in the Talmud was introduced [?] added in later times by pu--pils who, perhaps did not weigh well what too zealous (surely not too considerate) they admitted into the work and that what might should have been left out omitted but after all, it that does not affect the authority of the traditional teachings it [?] imparts. To this opinion of the immortal Spanish Jew, we may agree, and I add say with justice, that whosoever can enter into the laboratory, as it were, of the Gemara, will discover gems of the highest value, and will, as he proceeds, find that his intel--lect gains in keenness and in depth. Whether to all the 60 treatises of the Mishna, a Gemara, or commentary, was originally appended, we do not know. While the Jerusalem Talmud has 40 treatises so ex--pounded, the Babylonian has only 36; nevertheless the latter forms a voluminous work four times, at least, larger than the former. It is more--over richer in legendary, more readable and more diversified, even if, at times, its stalemates are more startling. But I shall not venture

upon any definition, and I will content myself with quoting one among the various anecdotes pointing a moral, as related of Rabbi Ashe's life. It was the day of his son's marriage. A company of friends and well wishers had come called to offer con--gratulations. Merriment prevailed, and it looked, at a one stage of the celebration, as if the assembled scholars were about to forget the dignity of their characters. At that Ashè took a valuable cup and broke it. Laughter and jollity soon changed into seriousness. The host had put a check on that high glee, which not infrequently degenerates into debasing intoxication. Thus the illustrious Sage of Sura meant to tell emphatically told his disciples that moderation in pleasures becomes all, but that it is a virtue most needed to be cherished most by such as are looked upon as spiritual guides of Congregations in Israel, in what country soever they may live.

Identifier

p3x63bq5j

identifier

SMBx12FF5_7