Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1878-05-18

.: well as many other subjects connects 4
with Jewish literature and theology. 1t con-
| tains, likewise valuable treaties on philoso-
| ply, ethics, mathematics, astronomy, chro-
| nogoly, medicine, and, In fact, nearly all the
| branches of the different sciences and arts
| known at present The Gemara was CON-
menced by the Rabbins Gamaliel and Simeon,
| the two sons of Rabbi Judah the Holy, and
was completed and compiled into one body
| 10y Raw ASH, president; Raviny, vice-presI-
dent, and their colleagues of the academy at
| Sora, in Babylon, about the year 500 A. ID.
| This is called the Talmud Badly, or Babylo-
man Talmud, in contradistinction to the Tai
| mud YerashalmI, or Jerusalem Talmud,
which was compiled about two hundred years
| prior to the other by Rabbi Jochanan, the
| chief of the Jews of Palestine. This Talmud
| does not contain the whole of the Mishna; 1t
comprises a much smaller number of deci-
sions than the latter Talmud of Babylon; ii
| is written in the peculiar dialect of Judea,
| and is exceedingly difficult to be understood.
| 1t is the less esteemed of the two, and conse-
| quently the less studied and quoted. When
| ever the term 'Talmud" is used without any
other distinction, the Babylonian Talmud is
understood. 1t is this which is the study par
ercellence-the standard authority. 1t will,
therefore, be evident that the Talmud consists
of two elements, VIZ the Mishna or oral
law, which is the text, and the Gemara,
or completion, which is the comment. The
Mishna is frequently printed separately. with
and without commentaries, and is usually found
in six volumes, folio; the Talmud is generally
in twelve volumes, folio. The best edition is
said to be that printed at Berlin and Frank
fort in IT'S. The second series of rabbinical
works are known under the name of the Tar
gums. This is a Chaldaic word, and means
translation or Interpretation, and is used to
designate the East-Aramdean or Chaldaic
captivity of the scriptures. After the Baby
lonish captivity it was the practice to render
the law from the pure Hebrew, in which it
was regularly read every Sabbath in the syn
agogues In the Chaldaic dialect, because the
majority of the people had but in imperfect
knowledge of the biblical Hebrew. Of these
Iargums there are ten extant. The first Is
The Targum of Onkelos, written about the
time of the birth of Christ. 1t is strictly
literal version of the original text of the
Hebrew Pentateuch. The second is the Tar
gum of Jonathan Ben Uzziel, On the books
of Joshua, Judges, Samuel and Kings, called
the former prophets, and Isaiah, jeremiah,
Ezekiel, and the twelve minor prophets, called
the latter prophets. This Targum IS not so
much version as a paraphrase, and con-
talns, besides the text, many stories
and legends which are not of much
credit to the work. The author
was nearly cotemporary with Onke-
los, and is said to have been educated in the
school of Hillel, the grandfather of Gamaliel,
at whose feet the Apostle Paul used to sit.
The third is the Targum of the pseudo Jona-
than, so called from its having been errone-
ously attributed to the former author. Its
style and dictlon, however, are quite different
from those of Jonathan Ben Uzziel, and be-
sides it introduces occurrences long subse-
quent to the time of that writer. 1t is un-
certain who was its real author. The fourth
is the Jerusalem Targum, written in the dia-
lect which was spoken by the Jews after the
return from the Babylonish captivity. AL
though the author and date of it are I'M
known, it is not likely that it was written
earlier than the seventh nor later than the
ninth century. 1t is paraphrase of the PEN
tateuch, but not complete, as whole verses
and sometimes chapters are omitted. 1t Is
probable that it was composed by several au-
thors, and compiled from various collections.
The fifth; is the Targum of Rabbi Joseph, the
Blind, who ruled an academy In Syria during
the fourth century. This is paraphraseson
the books of Chronicles in the Jerusalemean
dialect. The sixth Targum is on the Psalms,
Proverbs and Job, and is written in such
mixed style, being replete with
Syriac, Greek and Latin words that
it is almost unintelliglble except to
Rabbi Joseph, there are many who assert
that it il not his composition, and that the
true author is unknown. The seventh Tar
gum is on the five Megilloth, viz, Ecclesi-
astes. Song of Solomon, Ruth, Lamentations
and Esther, is in the Jerusalemean dialect,
and could not have been written earlier than
the sixth century. The author of this also is
unknown. The eighth, ninth and tenth
Targums are on the Book of Esther, all of
which are evidently of late date, and their
authors uncertain. Many of these Targums
have been published in Latin, and some of
them are to be found in Buxdorf's Hebrew
bible and in the London Polyglot. The third
oe I'LL,
Jurisprudence, or Arrangements of the
Mishna and Gemara." The chief of these,
highly esteemed by christians as we'll as
Jews, is the celebrated work of Maimonides,
entitled ''Yad Chazakab, or the Strong
Hand" The learned writer has in this work
systematically abbreviated and explained in
pure and elegant Hebrew the entire Talmud.
which form the fourth division of the rab-
binical writings, the most celebrated are
those of Rabbls Solomon Jarchi, Abram
Aben Ezra, David Kimchi, Moses Bar Mach
man, Levi Ben Gersom, Saadias and Isaac
Abarbanel. Separate editions have been
published of these commentaries, but most
of them will be found in the bibles published
by Bomberg and Buxdorf. The fifth division
is the Masora, which is simply system of
criticism invented by Jewish theologians to
preserve the true reading of the text. Of all
the comments ever written on the bible,
there is none more particular and extensive
than this. Not only are the chapters and
sections numbered by this system, but also
the verses, words and letters of the text. All
the irregularities which may have accident
ally occurred in the very formation of the let
tiers are carefully noted, and reasons assigned
for them. The compilation of these criti-
clsms IS said to have commenced about the
time of the Maccabees, and to have continued
to about the year 1890 A. D. The Cabala is
the sixth and last division of the works of
the rabblns. This is mystical method of
explaining the law, and Is also reputed to
have been delivered Dy God himself to Moses,
and by him handed down to posterity tradi-
tionally In the same way as the Mlshna. By
this peculiar mystical science, it is claimed
that the law is sufficient to instruct the
adept in every art and science. The prin-
cipal cabalistical work is the book of Zohar,
said to have been the composition of Rabbi
Simeon Ben Jochai, who died about the year
12G A. D. Many believe, however, that 1t is
of much later date. Of all the Talmudical
and rabbinical writings which have been
enumerated, the reformers of the Jewish
fold entertain but one opinion. They hold
that these works are not of divine origin, nor
have their enactments any binding force, ex-
cept in so far as all good doctrines, recon-
mendations and views should be accepted
when harmonizing with reason and truth,
They reject entirely the claim of the plenary
Inspiration of the Talmud, or any of the
other writings, and maintain that they are
simply the production of men of very inge-
NOUS and often highly cultivated minds. As
such they deal with them as they would with
any ancient or modern work, judging them
by their intrinsic worth, valuing them for
whatever merit they may contain, and pay
ing them that proper respect and attention to
which their antiquity and the subjects upon
which they treat entities them.