the quotations from ecclesiasticus in rabbinic literature, (schechter, s.)

8/10/2019 The Quotations From Ecclesiasticus in Rabbinic Literature, (Schechter, s.)

1/24

THE QUOTATIONS FROM ECCLESIASTICUS IN RABBINIC LITERATURE.

The quotations from E!esiastius" or" as the #e$s usua!!%term it" the &Boo' of the Son of Sira"& $hih aresattere( o)er the Ra**ini !iterature" ha)e *een o!!ete(*% )arious sho!ars. The !ast o!!etion $as ma(e *%Reifmann" in the +erio(ia! Haasif III. ,-/0" +. 123 seq.

As far" ho$e)er" as I am a$are" these quotations ha)ene)er *een +ut to4ether $ith fu!! +ara!!e!s" an( the(ifferent rea(in4s $hih the MSS. an( the o!(er e(itionsoffer. 5un6" in his Oottes(ienstUhe 7ortra4e ,+. -81 seq.0"rare!% 4i)es the He*re$ te9t. :u'es" in his B!umen!ese"has on!% fe$ +ara!!e!s" an( e)en Reifmann refers no$hereto Ra**ino)i6;s 4reat $or'. 7aries Letiones" $hih is*etter 'no$n *% its He*re$ tit!e of (nsi: ;;+;-;


2/24

*oo' $hih ha( some Bi*!ia! harater. As the% are notto *e foun( in the Bi*!e" the% $ere un(ou*te(!% ta'enfrom E!esiastius. The t$o e9e+tions ma(e $ere $ithre4ar( to Nos. - an( 1 $hih" *esi(es the fat that one ofthem is (esri*e( *% the 4!ossaries as *e!on4in4 to BenSira" !ea)e *% tone an( st%!e har(!% a (ou*t that the Ra**i$as there s+ea'in4 in quotations from Sirah. The other

+ara!!e!s to Sirah" $hih are *% no means %et e9hauste(*% the )arious o!!etors" I ho+e to treat" at an ear!%o++ortunit%" in an arti!e *% itse!f.

The a4e in $hih the Ta!mu(s an( the Mi(rashim $ereom+i!e( is to *e foun( $ith more or !ess +reision ine)er% histor% of #e$ish !iterature. A fe$ $or(s" ho$e)er"seem neessar% on the harater of the t


3/24

For ?irehheim" see Hamma4i(" -/" +. -2G.

; This ommentar% is on!% e9tant in t$o MSS." the one in the Mer6=*aher Li*rar% ,:m3? +n9" +. --" No. -8/0" an( the other in the !i*rar%of the #e$ish Theo!o4ia! Seminar% at Bres!au" $hih the !i*rarian" :r.5u'ermann" 'in(!% !ent to me. But *efore I reei)e( it" :r. >er!es ha((ra$n m% attention to it" an( ha( a!so o+ie( for me from the Mer6*aher

o+% some im+ortant e9trats" of $hih the fo!!o$in4 $i!! not *e $ithoutinterest for the su*et =IN 7 nOI: +i: I?; :ninan ::IN 7;


4/24

; See 5un6" S%na4o4a!e >oesie" 2=8.

U U 1

// The #e$ish Quarter!% Re)ie$.

use( after the !osest e9amination. But sti!! I )enture tothin' that the *rin4in4 to4ether of a!! the +assa4es$ith their )arie !e(iones $i!! *e of some ser)ie to thestu(ent" as re)ea!in4 the fat that the )ersion ofE!esiastius 'no$n to the ?a**is $as most!% $ritten in+ure He*re$. An( $hen the Ra**is $ho (i( not quote!itera!!% ma(e some a!teration" it $as for suh terms as areto *e foun( in the Mishnah or the Baraithot" e.4." the A*oth(e Ra**i Nathan. But it seems to me that e)en the !an4ua4eof the !atter (iffers from that of suh +hrases as i:ri;J m;J&iTna Urofessor Mar4o!iouth;sInau4ura! Leture0" as the !an4ua4e of a +ra%er !i'e the

ei4hteen Bene(itions" for instane" (iffers from the >i%utimof ?a!ir an( his suessors. In fat" if I ha( foun( suh+hrases in the A*oth (e Ra**i Nathan I shou!( ha)emar'e( them $ithout the s!i4htest hesitation as !ater in=ter+o!ations. This +oint $i!! *e ma(e e)en !earer in theseon( arti!e" $here se)era! quotations $i!! *e 4i)en fromthe A*oth (e Ra**i Nathan an( the re!ate( !iterature.

In on!usion" I shou!( !i'e to (ra$ s+eia! attention tothe $or(s M=T


5/24

nasn ;( ;Mn


6/24

aents is +ermitte( to e)er% man $ho an (o so if he!i'es V ust as Simeon the son of #eshua" the son of E!ea6ar"the son of Sira" om+ose( a *oo' on ethis $hih is !i'ethe *oo's of >ro)er*s in its (i)isions ,ha+ters0" its )erses")o$e!s" an( aents V an( as E!ea6ar *en Irai om+ose( aBoo' of Chohmah" $hih is !i'e the *oo' of ?ohe!eth in itsor(er" )erses" )o$e!s" an( aents V an( the Hasmonseans"

#u(ah" Simeon" #ohanan" #onathan" an( E!ea6ar" the sons ofMattathias" ,om+ose( a *oo'0 on the thin4s $hih ha+=+ene( to them in the Cha!(ai !an4ua4e (i)i(e( into )erses,an( +ro)i(e(0 $ith )o$e!s an( aents" $ithout an% oneamon4 them ha)in4 *een a +ro+het.; & e !earn from thesestatements that the He*re$ )ersion of the Boo' of Sira"$hih the Daon sa$" en(ea)oure(" at !east as re4ar(s itsform" to *e a !ose imitation of the Boo' of >ro)er*s.This $ou!( in itse!f ma'e a metria! arran4ement im+ossi=*!e. An( the fat that R. Saa(%ah s+ea's on!% of (i)ision

The Quotations from E!esimtius in Bah*ini Literature. /G

into )erses an( the a((ition of )o$e!s an( aents" $ithoutmentionin4 an% other +eu!iar feature" $i!! a!so ten( to+ro)e that the He*re$ )ersion of Sira $hih he 'ne$ $asnot om+ose( in metre" other$ise he $ou!( ertain!% ha)ementione( it. The ontinuation of the +assa4e quote(a*o)e from Fir'o$it6 ontains some remar's of 4reatinterest for stu(ents of the Boo's of the Maa*ees" *ut Iomit them" as the% are forei4n to m% +resent su*et. Ima% a!so mention the fat that I ha( !ate!%" throu4hthe ourtes% of :r. Neu*auer" the o++ortunit% of seein4amon4 the ne$ MS. aquisitions of the Bo(!eianLi*rar%" a )er% o!( fra4ment" $hih I ha)e stron4reason to *e!ie)e re+resents a +iee from the a*o)e=mentione( Se+her Ha44a!ui. It is in(ee( (i)i(e( into)erses an( +ro)i(e( $ith )o$e!s an( aents" *ut it (i(not seem to me to ha)e an% metre. No$" if R. Saa(%ah;sSira ha( *een metria!" $e an har(!% un(erstan( $h% heshou!( ha)e ne4!ete( to imitate this feature a!so" $hi!stin a!! other res+ets it ser)e( him as a mo(e! for hisom+osition. Ho$e)er" $e must not onea! the fat thatFir'o$it6 is har(!% a safe authorit% on $hih to *ase anim+ortant theor%" an( $e must $ait for the forthomin4e(ition of the Se+her Ha44a!ui *% :r. Har'a)%" *efore $ean arri)e at a (efinite on!usion.

,For Notes see +. /G.0-.

N*i ;;*in * 1=- =iP Pm3 =in Msn i&P )orra =-1 sa=i iPi9o)n $


7/24

Ba*a *ar Mahassia sai(" in the name of R. Chamma *arDuria" in the name of Ba* & An% i!!ness *ut the i!!ness of thestomahV an% +an4 *ut the +an4 of the heart V an% ahe *ut not#tea(aehe V an% e)i! *ut not an e)i! i+ife.&

/G8 The #e$ish Quarter!% Me)ie$.


8/24

ratE;&; man -1T !a=;t%a


9/24

(ou*!e(. Hi(e thine e%es from a *eautifu! $oman" !est thou *eentan4!e( in her net. Turn not to her to min4!e $ith her$ine an( stron4 (rin'. For *% the form of a *eautifu! $omanman% $ere (estro%e(" an( a!! her s!ain are a mi4ht% host. Man%are the $oun(s of the +e(!ar"< $hih austom one to !e$(ness"!i'e the s+ar' $hih !i4hts the em*er.< !A'e a a4e fu!! of *ir(s"so their houses are fu!! of iniquit%. Restrain man% +eo+!e from

th% house" an( *rin4 not e)er%*o(%


10/24

a+othear% om+oun(eth the onfetion.


11/24

-.

C:


12/24

in the house of his +eo+!e.&

the quotations from ecclesiasticus in rabbinic literature, (schechter, s.)

Documents