The Denver Jewish news., 1923-01-17


l decisions find nc
place in the AIishna. The reason for
this we do not know. 1t may be that
in his eyes they were not of sufficient
authority. or that they were simply
repctitions of those published by him
Under the name of Baraithoth ZEN
ternaD We're collected a little later
in the same order as the Mishna and
with the same divisions and sub-di-
visions. these decisions in n new book
called Tasifta, literally addition" The
lTasifta is the work of .Babylonian
tacademies. was compiled by II. Hyya
and Il. Oshaya, and presents the same
characteristics as the Mishna.
GemOra
The Gcmoras, the perpetual cOmmen-
tary following the Mishna in all its
divisions and subdivisions, came to us
in different forms and different styles.
One Gemora is the work of the Pal
estinian schools and was drawn up in
liberia in the fourth century, and it is
called Talmud Jerushalmi (Jerusalem
Talmud). The other emanates from
the Babylonian academies at Sora,
Nardoy, Michuza, and Pumbedisa, and
it was written by II. .Ashy and his dis
ciple Rabina, receiving its final shape
from r. Jose in about the iive-hun-
dredth century. The Babylonian Ge-
mora (Talmud Bavly) is clearer and
more complete than the Palestinian
Gcmora (Talmud Jerushalmi).
Talmud Jeruslialmi
The compiling of the Jerusalem Tai
mud was interrupted by the terrible
times that the Jews lived through in
that period of developing the Talmud.
Study was carried ON Systematically
rs follows: The Rabbis kept schools
(Bota Medroshim) and students gath
cred Points We're assigned TO students
for elaboration. On the day of discus
sions they came with arguments pre-
pared on the point to he discussed. Then
the Rabbis with their pupils met in
tribunal (Sanhedrin). After a. public
discussion the point was decided by
plurality of votes of the Rabbis. The
session was presided over by the Nossi
or prince and by the president OF the
tribunal CAV Bes DIM.
To become entitled to Nossi or Av
Bes Din required n great deal of study
and ability, but no dignity. Every
student. no matter what his rank.
could asiprc to the highest dignity of
Nossi. Rabbi Akiba, from the state
of simple shepherd, rose to the dig
nifty of being one of the greatest au-
thorities of the Mishna; IA second
Moses" When n student was Judged
worthy of the title of Rabbi. the Rab-
binical authority WIS conferred upon
| him by ceremonial called (Smicho,
literally ''imposition'o. This ordina-
tion was absolutely necessary to give
linn the right to decide and forbid
questions concerning the law. But in
the time of Bar Cochva's revolt, Had
giving, and every student taking.
Smicha.
\ story told in Talmud will make
clearer to the reader the troubles that
the compilcrs of the Talmud Jerush-
aImi underwent in that period: "One
day IL government decree condemned
to the rock both him that gave and
him that received the Snicha. The
| city in which this ceremony took, place
was to he destroyed. What did Judah
ben Baba do? He placed himself in
II valley between two large towns, Usha
and Shepharan, and ordained five dis
cples: X. Mevi, X. Judah, II. Simon,
Il. Jose, and r. Nehemia. Scarcel'
was the ceremony completed when the
enemy perceived them. r. Judah ben
Baba had time only to say to the
Rabbis. Flee, my Sons. and then Q
Master, i am like Il stone that lies
! immovable.' The Roman soldiers did
not abandon his body until they had
riddled it like n sieve with three hun
dred lance thrusts.'
The Fights of Semicha were abso
lutely taken away. The growing pow
er of the Romans led to the closing
of the Palestine academies, and in
about $40 the critical conditions came
and the great school of liberia closet
up and the Rabbis were unable tt
complete the writing of the Palestiniat
Gemora (Talmud JerushalmD.
t1,., r,It