Teshuvot HaGeonim (Harkavy) תשובות הגאונים (הרכבי) Sefaria Community Translation https://www.sefaria.org Teshuvot HaGeonim (Harkavy) Siman 1 Siman 2 Siman 3 Siman 4 Siman 5 Siman 6 Siman 7 Siman 8 Siman 9 Siman 10 Siman 11 Siman 12 Siman 13 Siman 14 Siman 15 Siman 16 Siman 17 Siman 18 Siman 19 Siman 20 Siman 21 Siman 22 Siman 23 Siman 24 Siman 25 Siman 26 Siman 27 Siman 28 Siman 29 Siman 30 Siman 31 Siman 32 Siman 33 Siman 34 Siman 35 Siman 36 Siman 37 Siman 38 Siman 39 Siman 40 Siman 41 Siman 42 Siman 43 Siman 44 Siman 45 Siman 46 Siman 47 Siman 48 Siman 49 Siman 50 Siman 51 Siman 52 Siman 53 Siman 54 Siman 55 Siman 56 Siman 57 Siman 58 Siman 59 Siman 60 Siman 61 Siman 62 Siman 63 Siman 64 Siman 65 Siman 66 Siman 67 Siman 68 Siman 69 Siman 70 Siman 71 Siman 72 Siman 73 Siman 74 Siman 75 Siman 76 Siman 77 Siman 78 Siman 79 Siman 80 Siman 81 Siman 82 Siman 83 Siman 84 Siman 85 Siman 86 Siman 87 Siman 88 Siman 89 Siman 90 Siman 91 Siman 92 Siman 93 Siman 94 Siman 95 Siman 96 Siman 97 Siman 98 Siman 99 Siman 100 Siman 101 Siman 102 Siman 103 Siman 104 Siman 105 Siman 106 Siman 107 Siman 108 Siman 109 Siman 110 Siman 111 Siman 112 Siman 113 Siman 114 Siman 115 Siman 116 Siman 117 Siman 118 Siman 119 Siman 120 Siman 121 Siman 122 Siman 123 Siman 124 Siman 125 Siman 126 Siman 127 Siman 128 Siman 129 Siman 130 Siman 131 Siman 132 Siman 133 Siman 134 Siman 135 Siman 136 Siman 137 Siman 138 Siman 139 Siman 140 Siman 141 Siman 142 Siman 143 Siman 144 Siman 145 Siman 146 Siman 147 Siman 148 Siman 149 Siman 150 Siman 151 Siman 152 Siman 153 Siman 154 Siman 155 Siman 156 Siman 157 Siman 158 Siman 159 Siman 160 Siman 161 Siman 162 Siman 163 Siman 164 Siman 165 Siman 166 Siman 167 Siman 168 Siman 169 Siman 170 Siman 171 Siman 172 Siman 173 Siman 174 Siman 175 Siman 176 Siman 177 Siman 178 Siman 179 Siman 180 Siman 181 Siman 182 Siman 183 Siman 184 Siman 185 Siman 186 Siman 187 Siman 188 Siman 189 Siman 190 Siman 191 Siman 192 Siman 193 Siman 194 Siman 195 Siman 196 Siman 197 Siman 198 Siman 199 Siman 200 Siman 201 Siman 202 Siman 203 Siman 204 Siman 205 Siman 206 Siman 207 Siman 208 Siman 209 Siman 210 Siman 211 Siman 212 Siman 213 Siman 214 Siman 215 Siman 216 Siman 217 Siman 218 Siman 219 Siman 220 Siman 221 Siman 222 Siman 223 Siman 224 Siman 225 Siman 226 Siman 227 Siman 228 Siman 229 Siman 230 Siman 231 Siman 232 Siman 233 Siman 234 Siman 235 Siman 236 Siman 237 Siman 238 Siman 239 Siman 240 Siman 241 Siman 242 Siman 243 Siman 244 Siman 245 Siman 246 Siman 247 Siman 248 Siman 249 Siman 250 Siman 251 Siman 252 Siman 253 Siman 254 Siman 255 Siman 256 Siman 257 Siman 258 Siman 259 Siman 260 Siman 261 Siman 262 Siman 263 Siman 264 Siman 265 Siman 266 Siman 267 Siman 268 Siman 269 Siman 270 Siman 271 Siman 272 Siman 273 Siman 274 Siman 275 Siman 276 Siman 277 Siman 278 Siman 279 Siman 280 Siman 281 Siman 282 Siman 283 Siman 284 Siman 285 Siman 286 Siman 287 Siman 288 Siman 289 Siman 290 Siman 291 Siman 292 Siman 293 Siman 294 Siman 295 Siman 296 Siman 297 Siman 298 Siman 299 Siman 300 Siman 301 Siman 302 Siman 303 Siman 304 Siman 305 Siman 306 Siman 307 Siman 308 Siman 309 Siman 310 Siman 311 Siman 312 Siman 313 Siman 314 Siman 315 Siman 316 Siman 317 Siman 318 Siman 319 Siman 320 Siman 321 Siman 322 Siman 323 Siman 324 Siman 325 Siman 326 Siman 327 Siman 328 Siman 329 Siman 330 Siman 331 Siman 332 Siman 333 Siman 334 Siman 335 Siman 336 Siman 337 Siman 338 Siman 339 Siman 340 Siman 341 Siman 342 Siman 343 Siman 344 Siman 345 Siman 346 Siman 347 Siman 348 Siman 349 Siman 350 Siman 351 Siman 352 Siman 353 Siman 354 Siman 355 Siman 356 Siman 357 Siman 358 Siman 359 Siman 360 Siman 361 Siman 362 Siman 363 Siman 364 Siman 365 Siman 366 Siman 367 Siman 368 Siman 369 Siman 370 Siman 371 Siman 372 Siman 373 Siman 374 Siman 375 Siman 376 Siman 377 Siman 378 Siman 379 Siman 380 Siman 381 Siman 382 Siman 383 Siman 384 Siman 385 Siman 386 Siman 387 Siman 388 Siman 389 Siman 390 And the questioner asks it is written in the notebook of Yehoshua ben Levi that a one born on Sunday will be...etc., and Hanina retorted: Say to him, to ben Levi, it is not the mazal of the day that is effective, rather it is the mazal of the hour that effects everything and Hanina said that mazal makes wise and mazal makes rich, and there is a mazal over Israel, because of that they are wise and rich. Furthermore, Raba said longevity, livelihood, and progeny do not depend on merit or good works; they depend on mazal. It is not a problem for us, albeit it is for the ben Levi and Hanina since most rabbinical authorities hold that there is no mazal over Israel. And according to Rabbi Judah, Rav said that we hold this way because it is supported by [the Midrashic dictum]: '...And He took him outside' meaning that 'go out from the space mandated to the astral powers'. All in all, the rule is that there is no mazal over Israel - for the nations of the world there is a mazal over them. However, indeed they [the nations of the world] are commanded regarding theft, adultery, and bloodshed. And whether it is the mazal of the day or the mazal of the hour that effects his being a theif or an adulterer or a bloodshedder, nonetheless, he is responsible and that the mazal effected it, is a problem for us. And like when Elazar ben Porat had to decide a difficult problem, so it is for us: he prayed the God enlighten him and God suggested to him that it is possible to set aside a free-will offering at the moment one sits to down to eat, and so the problem depends on the possiblity. Thus, the astrologers to see the stellar world are of two types: One type attributes every occurence to mazal and says that even a man's movements and his emotions depend on mazal and from there [the stellar world] distress comes to here because what is there is here. And every earthly occupation is like a kind of coin, that the hours that move around to be stamped and the stellar mazalot are like a kind of stamp that that contains them and stamps them in its likeness, neither more or less. And these [astrologers], do not acknowledge God and they differ from us. And there is another group of them that say that man employs his wisdom to do things that are not effected by mazal and is able to undo what mazal has effected. And there are also two sorts of this type. One holds that everything depends on man's soul and say that a man's spirit and soul is most splendid and elevated in him and is essentially above the stellar world and the mazalot and it is able and he also with its power to change whatever mazal effects. And the other sort holds that everything depends on God, the Master of the Universe, and say that He created in man the ability to undo what his mazal effected in him. And between the two of these, there is a final say that holds that whereas mazal brings hot weather for a tree to grow in its time, a man is able to to carry it from its place and cool it and this is not about life [of the tree] itself, for the tree is from God, and here we have an explanation for both its growth and suppression of its growth. And this too solves the problem of theft and adultery for both groups of astrologers: one holds that mazal does not effect anything other than lust and ordinary appetite; it is as when a man's desire becomes the yearning of his heart and he gains control of himself and quiets himself regarding that which he wishes to possess by theft or by adultery and is able to control his lust and to overcome it, as is the case with ordinary evil inclinations, which at times overwhelms a man and he must struggle against it and he is able to conquer it.