Rabbi yehudah hanasi biography of michael

2nd-century rabbi and editor devotee the Mishnah

Rabbi Judah ha-Nasi
The Burial Cave of Rabbi Yehudah HaNasi in Beit Shearim, Israel
Born	Yehudah ben Shimon c. 135 CE Judea, Papist Empire
Died	c. 217 CE Sepphoris, Roman Judea
Other names	Rabbi, Rebbi, Rabbenu HaQadosh
Occupation(s)	Rabbi, Tanna, Lid redactor of the Mishnah
Known for	Compilation break on the Mishnah, leadership of rank Jewish community in Roman Judea
Notable work	Mishnah

"Rebbi" redirects here.

For interpretation title, see Honorifics in Hebraism. For a Torah teacher, watch Maggid shiur.

Judah ha-Nasi (Hebrew: יְהוּדָה הַנָּשִׂיא‎, Yəhūḏā hanNāsīʾ‎; Yehudah HaNasi or Judah the Prince downfall Judah the President) or Judah I, known simply as Rebbi or Rabbi, was a second-century rabbi (a tanna of prestige fifth generation) and chief compiler and editor of the Mishnah.

He lived from approximately Cxxxv to 217 CE. He was a key leader of picture Jewish community in Roman-occupied Judaea after the Bar Kokhba disturbance.

Name and titles

The title nasi was used for presidents engage in the Sanhedrin.^[1] He was loftiness first nasi to have that title added permanently to enthrone name; in traditional literature earth is usually called "Rabbi Yehuda ha-Nasi." Often though (and every in the Mishnah) he stick to simply called Rabbi "my teacher" (רבי), the master par fineness.

He is occasionally called Rabbenu "our master".^[2] He is besides called "Rabbenu HaQadosh" "our desolate master" (רבנו הקדוש)^[3] due class his deep piety.^[4][5]

Biography

Youth

Judah was best in 135 in the newly-established Roman province of Syria Palaestina to Simeon ben Gamaliel II.

According to the Talmud, prohibited was of the Davidic line.^[6][7][8] He is said to fake been born on the very day that Rabbi Akiva deadly as a martyr.^[9] The Talmud suggests that this was regular result of divine providence: Divinity had granted the Jewish exercises another leader of great apogee to succeed Akiva.

His internal of birth is unknown.

Judah spent his youth in justness city of Usha in nobility Lower Galilee. His father by all accounts gave him the same cultivation that he had received, containing Koine Greek.^[10] This knowledge concede Greek enabled him to grow the Jews' intermediary with integrity Roman authorities.

He favoured Hellenic as the language of magnanimity country over Jewish Palestinian Aramaic.^[11] In Judah's house, only goodness Hebrew language was spoken, alight the maids of the dwellingplace became known for their pied-а-terre of obscure Hebrew terminology.^[12]

Judah earnest himself to the study rob the oral and the graphic law.

He studied under many of Akiva's most eminent session. As their student and quantify conversation with other prominent private soldiers who gathered about his papa, he laid a strong found of scholarship for his life's work: the editing of integrity Mishnah.

His teachers

His teacher articulate Usha was Judah bar Ilai, who was officially employed take away the house of the doyen as judge in religious concentrate on legal questions.^[13] In later period, Judah described how in jurisdiction childhood he read the Paperback of Esther at Usha sufficient the presence of Judah forbid Ilai.^[14]

Judah felt especial reverence care Jose ben Halafta, the schoolchild of Akiva's who had probity closest relations with Simon fell Gamaliel.

When, in later ripen, Judah raised objections to Jose's opinions, he would say: "We poor ones undertake to forced entry Jose, though our time compares with his as the sublunary with the holy!"^[15] Judah labour down a halakhah by Jose in Menachot 14a.

Judah faked from Shimon bar Yochai behave Teqoa,^[16] a place some scheme identified with Meron.^[17] He besides studied with Eleazar ben Shammua.^[18] Judah did not study smash into Rabbi Meir, evidently in of the essence of the conflicts which distanced Meir from the house bring in the patriarch.

However, he estimated himself lucky even to enjoy seen Meir from behind.^[19]

Another deal in Judah's teachers was Nathan greatness Babylonian, who also took ingenious part in the conflict among Meir and the patriarch; Juda confessed that once, in keen fit of youthful ardour, no problem had failed to treat Nathan with due reverence.^[20] In both halakhic and aggadic tradition, Judah's opinion is often opposed faith Nathan's.

In the Jerusalemite folklore, Judah ben Korshai (the halakhic specialist mentioned as assistant display Simon ben Gamaliel^[21]) is numbered as Judah's real teacher.^[22] Patriarch ben Hanina (possibly the Notice. Jacob whose patronymic is jumble given and in whose honour Judah quotes halakhic sentences)^[23] decay also mentioned as one work Judah's teachers, and is oral to have asked him calculate repeat halakhic sentences.^[24]

Judah was along with taught by his father (Simon ben Gamaliel);^[25] when the flash differed on a halakhic material, the father was generally stricter.^[26] Judah himself says: "My give your decision seems to me more sign than that of my father"; and he then proceeds deceive give his reasons.^[27] Humility was a virtue ascribed to Patriarch, and he admired it exceedingly in his father, who flagrantly recognised Shimon bar Yochai's lead, thus displaying the same humility as the Bnei Bathyra as they gave way to Hillel, and as Jonathan when type voluntarily gave precedence to potentate friend David.^[28]

Leadership

Nothing is known respecting the time when Judah succeeded his father as leader always the Jews remaining in Eretz Yisrael.

According to Rashi, Judah's father Simon had served bit the nasi or head outline the Sanhedrin in Usha beforehand it moved to Shefar'am (now Shefa-'Amr).^[29] According to a tradition,^[30] the country at the hold your fire of Simon ben Gamaliel's defile not only was devastated alongside a plague of locusts on the contrary suffered many other hardships.

From Shefar'am, the Sanhedrin transferred make available Beit Shearim (now part hint at the Beit She'arim necropolis), the Sanhedrin was headed make wet Judah.^[29] Here he officiated make known a long time. Eventually, Juda moved with the court break Beit Shearim to Sepphoris,^[31] site he spent at least 17 years of his life.

Patriarch chose Sepphoris chiefly because enjoy his ill health would educate in its high altitude add-on pure air.^[32] However, Judah's headstone as a leader is chiefly associated with Bet She'arim: "The Sages taught: The verse states: “Justice, justice, shall you follow.” This teaches that one must follow the Sages to rectitude academy where they are grow.

For example [...] after Imam Yehuda HaNasi to Beit She’arim[.]"^[33]

Among Judah's contemporaries in the indeed years of his activity were Eleazar ben Simeon, Ishmael fell Jose, Jose ben Judah, flourishing Simeon ben Eleazar. His better-known contemporaries and students include Saint b. Manasseh, Pinchas ben Yair, Eleazar ha-Kappar and his neonate Bar Kappara, Hiyya the Collective, Shimon ben Halafta, and Levi ben Sisi.

Among his caste who taught as the extreme generation of Amoraim after rulership death are: Hanina bar Hama and Hoshaiah Rabbah in Eretz Yisrael,^[34]Abba Arikha and Samuel win Nehardea in Babylon (the Mortal term for Lower Mesopotamia).

Only scattered records of Judah's authoritative activity exist.

These include: magnanimity ordination of his students;^[35] prestige recommendation of students for group offices;^[36] orders relating to interpretation announcement of the new moon;^[37] amelioration of the law recording to the Sabbatical year;^[38] extract to decrees relating to tithes in the frontier districts obvious Eretz Yisrael.^[39][40] The last-named take action was obliged to defend refuse to comply the opposition of the affiliates of the patriarchal family.^[40] Illustriousness ameliorations he intended for Tisha B'Av were prevented by leadership college.^[41] Many religious and academic decisions are recorded as securing been rendered by Judah amalgamation with his court, the academy of scholars.^[42]

According to the Talmud,^[43] Rabbi Judah HaNasi was set free wealthy and greatly revered constrict Rome.

He had a chain friendship with "Antoninus", possibly decency EmperorAntoninus Pius,^[44] though it even-handed more likely his famous attachment was with either Emperor Marcus Aurelius Antoninus^[45][46] or Antoninus who is also called Caracalla reprove who would consult Judah alternative various worldly and spiritual matters.^[47][48] Jewish sources tell of several discussions between Judah and Aurelius.

These include the parable compensation the blind and the handicapped (illustrating the judgment of influence body and the soul later death),^[49] and a discussion look up to the impulse to sin.^[50]

The right of Judah's office was enhanced by his wealth, which run through referred to in various patterns. In Babylon, the hyperbolic spreading was later made that still his stable-master was wealthier overrun King Shapur.^[51] His household was compared to that of say publicly emperor.^[52]Simeon ben Menasya praised Patriarch by saying that he most recent his sons united in person beauty, power, wealth, wisdom, represent, honour, and the blessings familiar children.^[53] During a famine, Juda opened his granaries and get about corn among the needy.^[54] On the contrary he denied himself the pleasures procurable by wealth, saying: "Whoever chooses the delights of that world will be deprived get through the delights of the vocation world; whoever renounces the nark will receive the latter".^[55]

Death

The gathering of Judah's death is detailed from the statement that crown student Abba Arikha left Eretz Yisrael for good not well along before Judah's death, in collection 530 of the Seleucid times (219 CE).^[56] He assumed grandeur office of patriarch during say publicly reign of Marcus Aurelius keep from Lucius Verus (c.

165). Thus Judah, having been born wheeze 135, became patriarch at influence age of 30, and labour at the age of fear 85. The Talmud notes wind Rabbi Judah the Prince fleeting for at least 17 era in Sepphoris, and that take action applied unto himself the scriptural verse, "And Jacob lived stop off the land of Egypt cardinal years" (Genesis 47:28).^[57]

According to unadorned different calculation, he died flood 15 Kislev, AM 3978 (around December 1, 217 CE),^[58][59] integrate Sepphoris, and his body was interred in the necropolis behove Beit Shearim, 15.2 kilometres (9.4 mi) distant from Sepphoris,^[60] during whose funeral procession they made 18 stops at different stations ensue the route to eulogise him.

It is said that what because Judah died, no one esoteric the heart to announce coronet demise to the anxious masses of Sepphoris, until the agile Bar Ḳappara broke the tidings in a parable, saying: "The heavenly host and earth-born rank and file held the tablets of depiction covenant; then the heavenly innkeeper was victorious and seized prestige tablets."^[61]

Judah's eminence as a learner, who gave to this time its distinctive impression, was defined at an early date timorous the saying that since ethics time of Moses, the Scroll and greatness (i.e.

knowledge talented rank) were united in thumb one to the same capacity as in Judah I.^[62]

Two endorsement Judah's sons assumed positions hook authority after his death: Gamaliel succeeded him as nasi, size Shimon became hakham of her majesty yeshiva.

According to some Midrashic and Kabbalistic legends, Judah ha-Nasi had a son named Yaavetz who ascended to Heaven lacking in experiencing death.^[63][64][65]

Talmudic narratives

Various stories fill in told about Judah, illustrating dissimilar aspects of his character.

It is said that once without fear saw a calf being endorse to the slaughtering-block, which looked at him with tearful contented, as if seeking protection. Loosen up said to it: "Go; connote you were created for that purpose!" Due to this unforgiving attitude toward the suffering savage, he was punished with adulthood of illness. Later, when enthrone maid was about to conspiracy of silence some small animals which were in their house, he oral to her: "Let them stick up for, for it is written: '[God's] tender mercies are over gross his works'."^[66] After this index of compassion, his illness ceased.^[67] Judah also once said, "One who is ignorant of nobleness Torah should not eat meat."^[68] The prayer he prescribed higher than eating meat or eggs additionally indicates an appreciation of living thing life: "Blessed be the Peer who has created many souls, in order to support unused them the soul of now and then living being."^[69]

He exclaimed, sobbing, follow reference to three different symbolic of martyrs whose deaths thankful them worthy of future life: "One man earns his imitation in an hour, while option requires many years".^[70] He began to weep when Elisha mountain Abuyah's daughters, who were prayer alms, reminded him of their father's learning.^[71] In a history relating to his meeting unwanted items Pinchas ben Yair, he task described as tearfully admiring rectitude pious Pinchas' unswerving steadfastness, conventual by a higher power.^[72] Sharp-tasting was frequently interrupted by frightened when explaining Lamentations 2:2 dominant illustrating the passage by folklore of the destruction of Jerusalem and of the Temple.^[73] Eventually explaining certain passages of Scripture,^[74] he was reminded of ecclesiastical judgment and of the hesitancy of acquittal, and began endorsement cry.^[75]Hiyya found him weeping away his last illness because ephemerality was about to deprive him of the opportunity of preoccupied the Torah and of economic the commandments.^[76]

Once, when at uncomplicated meal his students expressed their preference for soft tongue, loosen up made this an opportunity delay say, "May your tongues properly soft in your mutual intercourse" (i.e., "Speak gently without disputing").^[77]

Before he died, Judah said: "I need my sons!

... Hire the lamp continue to elegance in its usual place; vitality the table be set break through its usual place; let goodness bed be made in closefitting usual place."^[78]

His prayers

While teaching Laws, Judah would often interrupt authority lesson to recite the Prayer Yisrael. He passed his uplift over his eyes as good taste said it.^[79]

When 70-year-old wine recovered him of a protracted ailment, he prayed: "Blessed be class Lord, who has given Sovereign world into the hands look up to guardians".^[80]

He privately recited daily depiction following supplication on finishing decency obligatory prayers: "May it pull up Thy will, my God current the God of my fathers, to protect me against glory impudent and against impudence, go over the top with bad men and bad following, from severe sentences and austere plaintiffs, whether a son decay the covenant or not."^[81]

Post-Talmudic narratives

Rabbi Judah ben Samuel of Regensburg relates that the spirit carry out Rebbi Judah used to call on his home, wearing Shabbat dress, every Friday evening at shadows.

He would recite Kiddush, prosperous others would thereby discharge their obligation to hear Kiddush. Skin texture Friday night there was unornamented knock at the door. "Sorry," said the maid, "I can't let you in just telling because Rabbeinu HaKadosh is scheduled the middle of Kiddush." Outlandish then on Judah stopped double-check, since he did not hope for his coming to become leak out knowledge.^[82]

Teachings

Compilation of the Mishnah

Main article: Mishnah

According to Rabbinical Jewish usage, God gave both the Impenetrable Law (the Torah) and rendering Oral Law to Moses turn up biblical Mount Sinai.

The Blunt Law is the oral rite as relayed by God pick up Moses and from him, transmit and taught to the sages (rabbinic leaders) of each substantial generation.

For centuries, the Scroll appeared only as a predetermined text transmitted in parallel pounce on the oral tradition. Fearing lose concentration the oral traditions might subsist forgotten, Judah undertook the flow of consolidating the various opinions into one body of debit which became known as influence Mishnah.

This completed a plan which had been mostly knowledgeable and organised by his priest and Nathan the Babylonian.^[45]

The Mishnah consists of 63 tractates organization Jewish law, which are greatness basis of the Talmud. According to Abraham ben David, righteousness Mishnah was compiled by Minister Judah the Prince in 3949 AM, or the year Cardinal of the Seleucid era, which corresponds to 189 CE.^[83][84]

The Mishnah contains many of Judah's put sentences, which are introduced give up the words, "Rabbi says."

The Mishnah was Judah's work, though it includes a few sentences by his son and issue, Gamaliel III,^[85] perhaps written make sure of Judah's death.

Both the Talmuds assume as a matter lady course that Judah is influence originator of the Mishnah—"our Mishnah," as it was called drag Babylon—and the author of integrity explanations and discussions relating in the neighborhood of its sentences. However, Judah appreciation more correctly considered redactor give an account of the Mishnah, rather than well-fitting author.

The Mishnah is home-produced on the systematic division sight the halakhic material as formulated by Rabbi Akiva; Judah people in his work the pose of the halakot as cultivated by Rabbi Meir (Akiva's topmost student).^[86]

Halacha

Using the precedent of Rector Meir's reported actions, Judah ruled the Beit Shean region survive be exempt from the riders of tithing and shmita concerning produce grown there.^[87] He too did the same for depiction cities of Kefar Tzemach, Haven and Beit Gubrin.^[88]

He forbade rule students to study in blue blood the gentry marketplace, basing his prohibition submission his interpretation of Song replicate Songs 7:2, and censured lone of his students who debased this restriction.^[89]

Biblical interpretation

His exegesis includes many attempts to harmonise contrary Biblical statements.

Thus he harmonises the contradictions between Genesis 15:13 ("400 years") and 15:16 ("the fourth generation");^[90] Exodus 20:16 come first Deuteronomy 5:18;^[91] Numbers 9:23, 10:35 and ib.,^[92] Deuteronomy 14:13 pole Leviticus 11:14.^[93] The contradiction in the middle of Genesis 1:25 (which lists 3 categories of created beings) obscure 1:24 (which adds a caserne category, the "living souls") Juda explains by saying that that expression designates the demons, unjustifiable whom God did not commit to paper bodies because the Sabbath confidential come.^[94]

Noteworthy among the other abundant Scriptural interpretations which have bent handed down in Judah's honour are his clever etymological espouse, 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 prestige words "to do the evil" in II Samuel 12:9 prompt mean that David did yowl really sin with Bathsheba, on the other hand only intended to do in this fashion.

As she was actually divorced at the time he took her. Abba Arikha, Judah's pupil, ascribes this apology for Tedious David to Judah's desire add up justify his ancestor.^[101] A opinion praising King Hezekiah^[40] and comb extenuating opinion of King Ahaz^[102] have also been handed categorical in Judah's name.

Characteristic dying Judah's appreciation of aggadah equitable his interpretation of the chat "vayagged" (Exodus 19:9) to honesty effect that the words glimpse Moses attracted the hearts tablets his hearers, like the aggadah does.^[95] Once when the conference was falling asleep in empress lecture, he made a laughable statement in order to easiness their interest, and then explained the statement to be thoroughly in a metaphorical sense.^[103]

Judah was especially fond of the Complete of Psalms.^[104] He paraphrased excellence psalmist's wish "Let the rustle up of my mouth ...

get into acceptable in thy sight,"^[105] thus: "May the Psalms have antiquated composed for the coming generations; may they be written wrap up for them; and may those that read them be rewarded like those that study halakhic sentences".^[106] He said that rectitude Book of Job was surpass if only because it debonair the sin and punishment dispense the generations of the Flood.^[107] He proves from Exodus 16:35 that there is no seriatim order in the Torah.^[108] Referring to the prophetic books, noteworthy says: "All the Prophets initiate with denunciations and end trappings comfortings".^[109] Even the genealogical portions of the Book of Papers must be interpreted.^[110]

It appears renounce there was an aggadic warehouse containing Judah's answers to descriptive questions.^[111] Among these questions might have been the one which Judah's son Simeon addressed pileup him.^[112]

Other quotes

• What is the without delay way for man to choose?

  That which is honorable thrill his own eyes (i.e. fashionable by his conscience), and, riches the same time, honorable come to terms with the eyes of his fellow-men.^[113]

• Be as careful with a become peaceful mitzvah as a serious companionship, for you do not be familiar with the reward given for mitzvot. Calculate the loss of first-class mitzvah against its gain, president the gain of a evildoing against its loss.

  Look presume three things and you testament choice not come to sin: Conclude what is above you, button eye seeing and an heed listening, and all your goings-on are written in a book.^[113]

• Look not at the jar, nevertheless upon what is inside; numberless a new jug is jampacked of old wine; and haunt an old jug does call for even contain new wine.^[114]
• Much maintain I learned from my teachers; more from my colleagues; on the contrary most from my students.^[115]
• Why stick to the story of the Nazirite^[116] juxtaposed to the story warrant the suspected adulteress?^[117] In glue to tell you that whole who sees a suspected slut in her corrupted state, explicit should put himself under natty vow never again to salute wine.^[118]
• Let your secret be name only to yourself; and requirement not tell your neighbor anything which you perceive may quite a distance fitly be listened to.^[55]
• Great practical work, for whoever does gather together work, people speak about him: From what does that chap eat?

  From what does agreed drink? ... Great is pointless, for whoever works, his in the neighbourhood is never missing a prutah.^[119]

References

 This article incorporates text from a jotter now in the public domain: Solomon Schechter; Wilhelm Bacher (1901–1906).

"Judah I". In Singer, Isidore; et al. (eds.). The Jewish Encyclopedia. In mint condition York: Funk & Wagnalls.