Rhetorical Features In Talmudic Literature

המאמר עוסק באחד הכלים הספרותיים שניתן להיעזר בהם לצורך ניתוח משנה - השילוב של נושאים נלווים, שלא קשורים לנושא הכללי של הפרק או של המסכת, בתוך המשנה. הטענה המרכזית היא ששילוב הנושאים הללו הוא מכוון להשגת מטרות רעיוניות בנוגע לנושא הכללי.
The article discusses the inclussion of tangents in the Mishnah as a literary tool intended to enrich the ideas underlying the topic presented.

בעולם של משחקים אינטראקטיבים קיימת אתגר.  כיצד לאפשר לשחקן חופש פעולה ובו זמנית לערוך חוויה רציפה ושלימה (קוהורנטי)?

אני רואה בגמרא מערך מדהים, שבו קיימת כוונה של המחבר ובכל זאת קיימת חופש פעולה של הלומד (ונראה לי שהתורה שבכתב היא האב טיפוס למבנה דומה של הגמרא).

This paper offers a critical analysis of Rabbinic sources concerning the the history of Loshon HaQodesh. The paper first attempts to define the language known as "Loshon HaQodesh" and then trace its origins through Midrashic and Talmudic sources. The paper also follows the rise and decline of this language.
A more complete version of this paper was printed in Nov. 2014 under the name Lashon HaKodesh: History, Holiness, & Hebrew (Mosaica Press, 2014).

En estas páginas el lector encontrará un carnaval de anécdotas, una
sucesión de pequeñas escenas históricas y textuales pertenecientes a los
archivos de la Inquisición y la Cábala; pero reconocerá además los
injertos del pensamiento contemporáneo en una lectura espejeante
donde se superponen dos series de textos. Este libro abre un diálogo
entre quienes no convivieron en un mismo presente, especialmente entre
el antiguo pensamiento sefardita y las especulaciones de Walter
Benjamin, Emmanuel Lévinas, Jacques Derrida y el mismo Jorge Luis
Borges, quienes han puesto en jaque a la ontología desde supuestos
bastante “cabalistas”. Las estrategias textuales y metáforas sefarditas,
figuras de una belleza paradojal, despliegan así su vigencia: aparecen
como radiografías por adelantado del desgarro contemporáneo.

abstr act This article presents an original reading of the Bavli account of Honi’s 70-year sleep. It argues that printed editions present a corrupt reading of Honi’s initial statement, which originally read ‘Seventy years like a dream!’, expressing Honi’s existential dread of his own mortality. The story must further be understood as a conscious inversion of the
Yerushalmi’s version of the tale, rejecting the Yerushalmi’s optimistic vision of the role of individual holy men in Jewish history in favour of a tragic account of individual loneliness.

Although the rabbis barred lawyers from their earthly courts, numerous
aggadot nevertheless imagine the divine court as packed with advocates.
This is especially curious considering that the Talmud is suspicious of
adversarial court procedure because it does not promote honesty or lead
to justice. This article argues that the rabbis nevertheless continue and
expand upon Second Temple traditions that describe angelic advocates,
because this system provides a mechanism for tempering the harshness of
divine justice. The rabbis appreciated the power of rhetorical persuasion
and adversarial advocacy and – although wary of them in human courts –
found an important role for them in engendering God’s mercy.
These findings will confirm the complex and nuanced approach of
Talmudic sources towards truth and rhetoric that we have developed in
previous papers. The rabbinic heavenly court contrasts sharply with that
of Plato, who describes a heavenly court without advocates or rhetorical
persuasion but based on absolute naked truth. The rabbis instead promote
a tradition that God wishes to have mercy and therefore permits and
encourages advocacy and rhetoric typical of Roman courts precisely
because of their ability to sway from strict justice toward leniency.

"In this note the author proposes a comparative analysis of two of the myths of destruction the mankind: the myth of Atrahasis, and the Egyptian Myth, extending the analysis also to the Old Testament. With regard to the Egyptian world of Egyptian the author suggests an analysis about the concept of ethno- extinction of Egyptian culture: the choice between anthropological and mythological response, starting from the study of myths and compare them with the social choice of the holders of Egyptian culture in the face of foreign domination of the country.

"

In "The Stories of Appointment Hillel as Nasi in the Talmudic Literature – A Formative Legend of the Jewish Scholar's World", Menachem Katz discusses the story of the appointment of Hillel as Nasi, as it appears in its three principal sources: the Tosefta, the Yerushalmi, and the Bavli. In this story, Hillel the Sage plays the role of the ideal leader of the sages and of the Jewish people. Thus, the heart of the story was a matter of great importance for the tanaim and amoraim of the Land of Israel and of Babylon, i.e.; the qualities of the ideal sage and leader.
While examining the different answers to this question, Katz describes the way the Sages perceived their own writings and the way their writings relate to the Torah.
It is not the actual historical facts that are of interest here, but rather the concepts of the narrator as they are expressed in the different versions of the story. Katz identifies this story as a formative legend. Through a story that deals with specific circumstances, we learn how the world of our sages evolved as a substitute for revelation and prophecy. The different versions of the story represent different concepts. Studying these concepts teaches us about the self-awareness and self-consciousness of the sages.
Katz also suggests that understanding the tools and methods that the sages used when merging diverse opinions and notions together into a single story is of great importance. The unique combination depicts a magnificent picture, which allows us a glimpse into the rabbis' spiritual world.

The story as it appears in its three principal sources:
• Tosefta Pesahim 4:13–14,
• Yerushalmi Pesahim 6:1. 33a,
• TB Pesahim 66a.

Once the fourteenth [day of Nisan] fell on the Sabbath, they asked Hillel the Elder, "Does the Passover [sacrifice] supersede the Sabbath?"...

Throughout Rabbinic literature—the Talmud and the Midrash—a mysterious creature known as the Salamandra is mentioned. This creature is also mentioned by various early philosophers and scientists. It is reported to have been created in fire and therefore have fire-resistant capabilities. Other sources attribute the origins of the Salamandra to witchcraft. This discrepancy is elaborated upon and several methods of resolution are presented. Nonetheless, all these mythological stories seem to contradict the reality where no such creature is found. This paper explores and reconciles the differences between various descriptions of the Salamandra’s origin and its role in rabbinic literature. Many Classic Rabbinic sources (from Medieval to contemporary) have been used throughout this work to illustrate the Salamandra’s significance in Jewish theology and laws of purity.

א. הקדמה
ב. הסיפור בתוספתא
1. בין השאלה ההלכתית לבין מעשה חכמים  2. טיעוניו של הלל – מדרש ומסורת
3. החלק השני של הסיפור – סגולותיו של הלל  4. 'רוח הקודש עליהם'
ג. הסיפור שבירושלמי
1. שמועה, מסורת  2. שכחת ההלכה כתוצאה מפגם מוסרי  3. מתח: בבל – ארץ-ישראל
ד. בין הירושלמי לתוספתא
ה. הסיפור בבבלי וזיקתו לתוספתא ולירושלמי
1. "מנין לך?"  2. מודל השחזור בבלי – "אעפ"כ החזירן עתניאל בן קנז מתוך פלפולו"  3. אשרור
ו. בחזרה אל התוספתא
1. השלמה ומתח  2. הסיפור על הלל ופועלו של ר' עקיבא  3. הסיפור בתוספתא ופרשת פסח שני
ז. אגדת ייסוד של עולם החכמים
סיום

A paper using information from the Jewish Proof Texts to expose the creation of Christianity by royal Roman, Arrius C. Piso and his family. Also see our paper, 'Pliny The Younger In The Talmud'. And the book 'Piso Christ' (By Roman Piso, with Jay Gallus). Also, see online interviews with Jay Gallus.

Women in Islam versus Women in the Judeo-Christianity: The Myth & The Reality By Dr. Sherif Abdel Azeem.

This essay by Sherif Abdel Azeem is a great work done by the author who realized through his research that Islam is free of all the fabrications that they claim to affect the position of women in Islam. He gave us a comparison of the position of women in Islam, Christianity & Judaism based on the Qur'an, Bible & Talmud respectively.

The author said ‘’ Islam is believed to be the symbol of the subordination of women par excellence…………………. Do Judaism, Christianity, and Islam have the same conception of women? Are they different in their conceptions? Do Judaism and Christianity, truly, offer women a better treatment than Islam does? What is the Truth?

It is not easy to search for and find answers to these difficult questions. The first difficulty is that one has to be fair and objective or, at least, do one's utmost to be so. This is what Islam teaches. The Quran has instructed Muslims to say the truth even if those who are very close to them do not like it: "Whenever you speak, speak justly, even if a near relative is concerned" (6:152) "O you who believe stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses to Allah, even as against yourselves, or your parents or your kin, and whether it be (against) rich or poor" (4:135).

The other great difficulty is the overwhelming breadth of the subject. Therefore, during the last few years, I have spent many hours reading the Bible, The Encyclopaedia of Religion, and the Encyclopaedia Judaica searching for answers. I have also read several books discussing the position of women in different religions written by scholars, apologists, and critics. The material presented in the following chapters represents the important findings of this humble research. .....

END QUOTE [Women In Islam versus Judeo-Christianity: The Myth & The Reality By Dr. Sherif Abdel Azeem, Introduction, page 1-4]

In Islam, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said: "The best believers are the best in conduct, and the best of you are those who are best to their wives."

When Muhammad (pbuh) first became the prophet of Islam, the Pagans of Arabia had inherited a similar disregard for woman as had been passed down among their Jewish and Christian neighbors. So disgraceful was it considered among them to be blessed with a female child that they would go so far as to bury this baby alive in order to avoid the disgrace associated with female children.

Through the teachings of Islam, Muhammad (pbuh) put a swift and resounding end to this evil practice. Not only did he severely discourage and condemn this act but he also used to teach them to respect and cherish their daughters and mothers as partners and sources of salvation for the men of their family:

AbuSa'id al-Khudri narrated: "The Prophet (pbuh) said: If anyone cares for three daughters, disciplines them, marries them, and does good by them, he will enter Paradise." (Narrated by Abu-Dawood)

Abdullah the son of Abbas narrated: "The Prophet (pbuh) said: If anyone has a female child, and does not bury her alive, or slight her, or prefer his male children over her, Allah will bring him into Paradise." (Narrated by Abu-Dawood)

Muhammad (pbuh) is also sited in "Sahih Muslim" as saying:
"Whoever maintains two girls till they attain maturity, he and I will come on the Day of Resurrection like this; and he joined his fingers".

Husbands are commanded to treat their wives with kindness and respect. In Quran 4:19 we read "..But consort with them in kindness, for if you hate them it may happen that you hate a thing wherein Allah has placed much good."

The prophet told us that man’s treatment of his wife is a measure of the perfection of his faith: Abu Hurayra narrated that the Prophet said: “The most perfect of the believers in their belief are those with the best manners, and the best of you are those who are best with their wives.” [Riyadh as-Salihin, Chapter 34, Nr. 278, and see also: Ibn-Hanbal, No. 7396]

Abu Huraira (Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah's Apostle (May peace be upon him) as saying: "He who believes in Allah and the Hereafter, if he witnesses any matter he should talk in good terms about it or keep quiet. Act kindly towards woman, for woman is created from a rib, and the most crooked part of the rib is its top. If you attempt to straighten it, you will break it, and if you leave it, its crookedness will remain there. So act kindly towards women.  (Translation of Sahih Muslim, The Book of Marriage (Kitab Al-Nikah), Book 008, Number 3468)"

Aisha reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “The best of you are the best to their families, and I am the best to my family. ….” (Sunan At-Tirmidhi 3895).

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) enjoined kind treatment and honouring of one’s wife, and he described the best of people as those who are best to their wives. He said: “The best of you are those who are the best to their wives, and I am the best of you to my wives.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 3895; Ibn Maajah, 1977; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi.

In fact the prophet described how Man should take care of his wife, the prophet used the phrase ''glass vessels'' in a hadith Narrated Anas bin Malik: ''The Prophet was on a journey and a slave named Anjasha was chanting (singing) for the camels to let them go fast (while driving). The Prophet said, "O Anjasha, drive slowly (the camels) with the ''glass vessels!" Abu Qilaba said, "By the glass vessels' he meant the women (riding the camels)."[Bukhari Volume 8, Book 73, Number 229].

See how kind and merciful our beloved prophet is towards women and humanity at large. He forbade the camel driver to slow down, so that it may not harm women. He described how we should treat them with care. He even used the phrase ''glass vessel''!!! You know how careful you will be when you are carrying glassy materials.

The prophet told us that it is charity to feed your wife with your hand!

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) spoke beautiful word concerning kind treatment of one’s wife, stating that when the husband feeds his wife and puts a morsel of food in her mouth, he earns the reward of doing an act of charity. He said, “You never spend anything but you will be rewarded for it, even the morsel of food that you lift to your wife’s mouth.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 6352; Muslim, 1628

On the other hand, In Christianity Women are considered as the Devil's gateway: Eve bit the apple and the world's been in trouble ever since. We read in the Bible : (1 Timothy 2:11-14) "Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression."

1 Corinthians 14:34 "Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience as also saith the law. And if they will learn anything, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church."

After reading this book you will realize the fact the Bible teaches us that:

1) Women should learn in silence and subjugation.
2) Women should not teach.
3) Women should not have authority over men but should remain silent.
4) Adam and Eve were not equal in sin. Adam was not deceived but Eve was.
5) Women are commanded to be under obedience to men. God ordained that men shall for all time rule over women.
6) Women must keep silent in Churches. It is shameful for them to open their mouths therein. If they have a question they should ask their husbands before going to church and then their husbands will ask for them in the church.
7) A woman should neither pray nor profess with her head uncovered.
8) If a woman prays with her head uncovered then she might as well shave her head.
9) Man was created in the image and glory of God, and Woman was created in the glory of Man, thus Man must have power over her.
10) Any woman who delivers a male baby shall be unclean for one week. But any woman who delivers a female baby shall be unclean for TWO weeks. Thus, females make their mothers DOUBLY unclean as compared to males.
11) While it is possible to find one upright man in every thousand, it is impossible to find even one single upright woman in every thousand
12) Woman is a snare, her heart is a trap, and her hands are chains. The man who pleases God will escape her, but she will ensnare the sinner.
13) If a woman had her period and touches a chair or a bed or anything else then that item immediately becomes unclean. Anyone who then touches those things shall also become unclean. They must then bathe themselves and wash their clothes because they have touched an item that a menstruous woman has touched.

Abstract. Tractate Suk. 52a/b features the earliest known references by name to Messiah ben Joseph, a figure who appears throughout rabbinic literature. An examination of these talmudic references suggest that this figure was established in all essentials in Temple times.

Bulgakov’s psychological and spiritual evolution can be reckoned as representative for his entire generation. Moving from Marxism to Idealism and finally conceiving his best known theory, namely Sophiology, he was considered by many one of the most influential and sometimes controversial Orthodox thinkers of the 20th century. The theory of Sophiology, his most disputed premise which lies at the center of his theological vision, is considered “a systematic attempt to work out the basis on which political action and policy could be seen as philosophically – and, eventual, theologically - legitimate” . If we reflect on our present cultural and political context we will find a renewed relevance in studying the evolution of Bulgakov’s theological and politic thought, due to the similarities of both periods. Just like in the last turn of the century, we also face issues of legitimacy of the political action, a new cultural paradigm and an economical crisis.

Info about the alpha-numeric qualities of ancient languages and their usage within the New Testament by the original authors. Also, info regarding the number system involved in '666' and the "checking number" that proves the true meaning of 666 in The Revelation. Extremely important information.

Another thing is that Abelard Reuchlin not only passed along Inner-Circle knowledge that he was told, but he expounded upon it so that it could be more clearly understood by those who otherwise would not. He put forth a viable means in which to examine the texts of the time which includes those who were the witnesses to the creation of Christianity, those Jews who were writing the Talmud. In addition, he caused others, like me, to examine this further and allowed us to realize just how valuable it is in our studies to look much closer at the involvement of the Jews in trying to prevent the rise of those who would go on to create and promote Christianity. For, the Jews of the time, saw it (Christianity) for what it was truly was, an effort or tactic used by their enemies, as a part of the war that they had been fighting. And therefore, a fraud which needed to be exposed as such. The cause of the Pharisees and Scribes was for basic human rights, the end of slavery, and the foundation of a new fair democratic government. And, instead of teaching irrational and superstitious religion, they were trying to wean people off of that and replace it with sound, rational, practical, ethical reasoning. While Christianity, by contrast, was created to do the opposite of that. And that is because some greedy Roman rulers whose lives of luxury would be drastically changed, if the Pharisees and Scribes accomplished their goals for the people. Of course, to get people to believe in Christianity, the creators of Christianity had to make it appear to be something 'good', in much the same way that trappers set traps for dumb animals. Which, is exactly how those ancient royal rulers (the less than 1% of the time) saw non-royals, as nothing more than their own chattel which was there for no other reason than their own use for whatever purposes that they saw fit. Thus, Christianity was created as a means for them to better secure, control and manipulate the people, that they saw as their own sheep or chattel. This paper highlights the course that Abelard Reuchlin had taken in order to reach the conclusions that he was able to in order to advance our understanding of what the world was really like during the time in which the New Testament was being written and just who had motive to do so. And, his work also reminds us that we must consider all of the evidence of the time (that means the Jewish texts, the Jews of the time, and the Jewish war that was involved in the creation of Christianity). Reuchlin's work underscores our need to better understand what we study in the correct context in order to find out just who was actually writing at the time, and why. It is because of Abelard Reuchlin's work (and that of others, or course), that my own work was made more complete. I urge everyone to read and learn from the work that Reuchlin had devoted his life to in order that future generations could have that extremely important information.

In this article it is argued that the Qiblah passages in the Qur’an, which are commonly understood as referring to the direction of the prayer, are directly engaging with and interpreting the Shema passages in Deuteronomy and their Talmudic commentaries. By defining and applying the method of intertextual polysemy, nine points of intertextuality are identified between the various Qur’anic, Biblical, and Talmudic passages. Against this background, the article implies that narrations from traditional Qur’anic commentaries are lacking in their interpretation of these passages, since they do not employ any extra-Quranic contexts to explain their meaning. Through the method of intertextual polysemy, the alternative thesis propounded here is that the historical reference for the Qiblah passages is the Shema.

mBets 5:2 lists a series of activities prohibited on the Sabbath under the category of shevut (rest) laws because they are not conducive to the restful Sabbath atmosphere. Second Temple sources already proscribe some of these activities, and tannaitic sources consider them prohibited by biblical mandate. The Bavli, however, reinterprets these laws as rabbinically-enacted safeguards (gezerot) lest one come to violate a biblical law. For example, bBets 36b teaches that one may not swim on the Sabbath lest one come to make a flotation device, and one may not clap lest one come to fix a musical instrument. As the strangeness of these seemingly far-fetched worries suggests, and as earlier sectarian and rabbinic sources confirm, the Bavli’s explanations are not the original reasons for these laws. This prompts us to wonder why the Bavli demoted them to the status of rabbinic laws and resorted to such circuitous reasoning to explain their prohibition. This analysis will help explain the Bavli’s curious explanations for the shevut laws, and also serve as a case study for understanding some of the motivations and mechanisms of rabbinic legislation and interpretation. This example will also shed light on how the rabbis succeeded in imbuing the rabbinic legal system in general with authoritative status.

This paper is about the Medieval Censorship of the Talmud which was imposed upon the Jews, what was censored and why. It also covers items related to the Crusades and the Inquisitions. The main thrust of this paper is that the Jews were witnesses to the creation of Christianity and were giving info about it in the Talmud.

הושם דגש רב במהדורה זו של בבלי קידושין על חלוקת הטקסט התלמודי. על בסיס החלוקה המקובלת לפרקים, נוספה חלוקת משנה לחטיבות, לסוגיות ולעיתים גם לסוגיות משנה. למרבית הסוגיות הוספתי מעין כותרת (עפ"י רוב תפקידה למקד את הקורא בנושא המרכזי בו עוסקת הסוגיה).

In: "It's better to hear the rebuke of the wise than the song of fools" (Qoh 7:5). Proceedings of the Midrash Sections, Society of bibical Literature, Volume 6. Edited by Rivka Ulmer and W. David Nelson. Piscataway, NJ: Gorgias Press, 2015.

This article will examine the development of Yavneh as a literary and cultural construct from tannaitic sources through the two versions of the story of the deposition of R. Gamliel, in Yerushalmi Berakhot 4:1 and Bavli Berakhot 27b–28a. It will explore the ways in which the talmudic storytellers present a more developed narrative world complete with a social and political culture. It will then analyze the complex relationships between the narrative worlds of the Yerush-almi and Bavli and their respective social and ideological contexts. Based on this analysis, I shall propose a model for understanding the way in which the Yavnehs of both the Bavli and the Yerushalmi functioned in amoraic and postamoraic society to create a nuanced and self-critical rabbinic cultural identity. Many of the best-known and most studied rabbinic sage stories belong to a grouping that has recently become known as the " Yavneh cycle. " 1 A series of interrelated rabbinic narrative traditions interspersed throughout the corpus of rab-binic literature, the Yavneh cycle stories depict the establishment of Yavneh and its " vineyard " as the center of rabbinic scholarship and authority following the destruction of Jerusalem and the subsequent intrarabbinic struggles that occurred there. The stories of the Yavneh cycle can be seen as collectively forming a foundation myth for its creators' civilization. They establish the norms on which the society of the beit midrash is founded and the ground rules by which rabbinic

In recent decades, talmudic studies, along with other disciplines devoted to the study of texts, have experienced numerous paradigm shifts regarding both methods and goals. The naive presupposition that a text provides reliable information about historically situated characters, whether those described in the text or those who authored the text, has been vigorously challenged on many counts and from many angles. Responses to the challenge have ranged from sophisticated attempts to recover hermeneutical stability, whether rooted in authorial intention, in textually grounded meaning, or in some form of dialogue between the reader and the author or text, to the panoply of deconstructive approaches and other forms of postmodern recontextualization.

This article presents a unified reading of m. Yadayim 3:5-4:4, arguing that this passage reflects the only extended foundational narrative for Rabbinic Judaism in the Mishnah proper. It presents a distinctive account of the birth of rabbinic Judaism, which is portrayed as having occurred on one auspicious day sometime in the Yavne period.