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The origins of Judaism

The Patriarches and the Origins of Judaism

Level: Basic

Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, known as the Patriarches, are the physical and witty ancestors Judaism. They been founded the now known religion as Judaism, and their descendants are the Jewish People. Of course, technically, it is inexact to refer itself to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as Jews, because the terms " Jew" and " Judaism" generally was not used for this itself redfedrer  the nation until the hundreds of years after their time; nevertheless, for convenience and in accordance with the common practice, I will use these terms.

The history to the under of is diverted from Trah writes,  Talmud, Mishra  and the other sources. The learned modern one question the existence of the Patriarches and historic precision of these information; nevertheless, it is to note value that the learned ones questioned also the existence of Babylonie and Troy... until the archaeologists found them.

Abraham

According to the Jewish tradition, Abraham had been born under the name Abram in the city of Ur to Babylonie in 1948 of the Creation (about 1800 CEBS). It was the son of Terach, an idol merchant, but of his first childhood, it questioned the faith of his father and looked for the truth. It came to believe that the entire universe was the work of a Creator only, and it began teaching this conviction to others.

Abram tried to convince his father, Terach, absurdity of adoration of idol. A day, when Abram was only party to have objections the store, it took a hammer and crushed all the safe idols the biggest the one. It placed the hammer in the hand of the biggest idol. When his father returned and asked what arrived, Abram said, " The idols obtained in a fight, and the big one a crushed all the other a. &Quot; His father said, " Gift' t is ridiculous. These idols does not have any life or the strength. They cannot do does not import what. &Quot; Abram replied, " Then why you love them? "

Finally, true the one Creator that Abram had loved called for him, and made an offer it: if Abram would leave his house and his family, alors  g-d would do it a grand  the nation and the blesses. Abram accepted this offer, and the (the alliance) between g-d and le  the people juifs  was established. (Gen. 12).

The idea of is basic to traditional Judaism: we have an alliance, a contract, with g-d, that implies rights and duties aside and of other. We have of some have to g-d, and g-d has of some have to us. The terms of this became more explicit progressively, to the time of the Data of the Torah. Abram was liable to ten tests of faith to prove his dignity for this alliance. To leave his house is one of these processes.

Abram, raised as a city-dweller, adopted a method of nomadic life, traveling by which is now le  the earth of Israa«l  for a lot of years. G-d promised this earth to the descendants of Abram. Abram is referred to as a Hebrew (Ivri), probably because it was descended Eber (General. 11) or probably because it came from the " other side" (eber) River of Euphrate.

But Abram was concerned, because it did not have child and it grew old. The well-loved woman of Abram, Sarai, knew that she was years child carrying passed, therefore she offered his serving one, Hagar, as a woman to Abram. This was a common practice in the region to the time. According to the tradition, Hagar was girl of Pharaoh, given to Abram during its trips in Egypt. She bothers Abram a son, Ishmael, that, according to according to the Moslem tradition and Jew, is the ancestor of the Arabs. (Gen 16)

When Abram was 100 and Sarai 90, g-d promised Abram a son by Sarai. G-d changed the name of Abram to Abraham (the father by far), and Sarai to Sarah (of " my princess" to "princess"). Abraham of boring one of Sarah a son, Isaac (in Hebrew, Yitzchak), a diverted name of the word "laughter," expressing the joy of Abraham to have a son in his old age. (Gen 17-18). Isaac was the ancestor of the Jewsih peopl. Thus, the conflict between Arabic and Jews can be seen as a rivalry form between brothers and sisters!

Isaac

Isaac was the subject of the tenth test more difficult with faith of Abraham: G-d ordered to Abraham to sacrifice Isaac as a burnt offering. (Gen 22). This test is known in the Jewish tradition as the Akeidah (the Binding, a reference to the Fact that Isaac was the limit on the altar).

But this test is also an extraordinary demonstration of own faith of Isaac, because according to the Jewish tradition, Isaac knew that it was to be sacrificed, nevertheless it did not withstand, and was united with his father in dedicates it.

To the last moment, g-d sent an angel to stop the sacrifice. It is interesting to note that the sacrifice child was a common practice in the region to the time. Thus, to the people of the time, the astonishing thing of this history is not the Fact that g-d asked Abraham to sacrifice his child, but that g-d stopped it!

Judaism uses this history as the proof that g-d abhors the human sacrifice. Indeed, I saw some sources that indicate this Abraham spoiled This faith test because it did not refuse to sacrifice his son! Judaism always strongly opposed the practice of human, common sacrifice in a lot of other cultures at that very moment and place.

Isaac married later Rebecca (Rivka), that bothers him sons twins brotherly: Jacob (ya'akov) and Esau. (Gen 25).

Jacob (Israel)

Jacob and his Esau of brother were themselves at war same before they were born. They fought in the uterus of Rebecca. Esau was preferred it Isaac, because it was a good hunter, but the Jacob more wittyly had objections was preferred it Rebecca.

Esau had the small consideration for the witty heritage of its ancestors, and sold his right of witty direction to Jacob for a bowl of stew of lens. When Isaac grew old, Rebecca cheated it in to give Jacob that a blessing meant for Esau. Esau was angry of this, and right, therefore Jacob fled to live with his uncle, where it met his well-loved Rachel. Jacob was cheated in to marry older sister of Rachel, Leah, but Rachel more more later more married also, and using them Rachel and Leah, Bilhah and Zilphah. Between these four women, Jacob generated 12 sons and a girl.

After a lot of living years with and working for his uncle/the father-in-the law, Jacob returned to his fatherland and to the sought reconciliation with his Esau of brother. It prayed to God and gave its gifts of brother. The night before it is went to meet his brother, it sent its women, its sons, and its things through the river, and was alone with g-d. This night, it fought with a man to the cut of day. As the dawn broke, Jacob demanded a blessing of the man, and the " man" revealed itself as an angel. It blessed Jacob and gave him the name " Israel" (Yisrael), meaning " the the one that fought with God" or " the Champion of God. &Quot; Le  the people juifs  generally are referred to as the Children of Israel, meaning our descent of Jacob. The next day, Jacob met Esau and was welcomed by him.

The children of Israel

Jacob generated 12 sons: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Zebulun, Issachar, Dan, Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Joseph and Junior. They are the ancestors of the tribes of Israel, and the one for that the tribes are named. Joseph is the father of two tribes: Manasseh and Ephraim.

The oldest brothers of Joseph were jealous of him, because it was preferred it of their father, and because it had visions that it would take the all. They sold Joseph in the slavery and convinced their father that Joseph was dead. But this all had left it: Joseph was brought in Egypt, where his capacity to interpret visions won it a place in the court of Pharaoh, prepare the way to the later regulation of his family in Egypt.

The exodus and To Give it Torah

As the centuries passed, the descendants of Israel became slaves in Egypt. They suffered strong under the more hand late Pharaohs. Mais  god brought the Children of Israel of Egypt under the direction of Moses. God took them on a trip by the wild range to Mount Sinaa¯. Here, g-d revealed itself to the Children of Israel and offered them a big alliance: if the people would lend the ear to g-d and observe His alliance, then they would be the most well-loved one of nations, a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. (Former 19). G-d revealed le  Torah to its people, the two le  written and oral Torah and the entire nation replied, " All that the l-rd spoke, we will do! &Quot; according to the Jewish tradition, every Jewish soul that would never have been born attended at this point in time, and consented to be the limit to this alliance.

Moa¯se, Aaron and Miriam

Level: Basic

Moa¯se, Aaron and Miriam were the leaders of the Children of Israel to a crucial time in our history: the Exodus of Egypt and the forty years of trip in the desert before the people entered the Earth of Promise.

An entire book could be written on the histories of these three people. In fact, four books already were written: the biblical books of Exodus, Leviticus, the Numbers and the Deutedronome, that say the history of their life and their times. This page can begin scratching only the surface.

The history to the under of is diverted from written Torah, Talmud,   Midrash and the other sources. Where the news come directly of the Bible, I furnished quotations.

As with the histories of the patriarches, the modern learned ones question historic precision of these information; nevertheless, the learned ones claimed as as le  Torah could not have been written at that very moment because que  the alphabetical writing did not exist … and then the archaeologists dug up samples of 4000 years of alphabetical writing.

Moa¯se

Moa¯se was the biggest prophet, the leader and the professor that Judaism never knew. Indeed, one of Rambam's 13 Principles of Faith  is the conviction that the prophecies of Moses are true, and that it was the biggest one of the prophets. It is called " Moshe Rabbeinu, " that is to say, Moses, Our Professor/Rabbi. In a manner interesting, le  the value numedrique  of " Moshe Rabbeinu" is 613: the number de  mitzvot that Moses taught the Children of Israel! It is described as the only person that never has su  God facing face (Deut. 34:10) and mouth-to-mouth (Numerical 12:8), that means that g-d spoke with Moses directly, in the simple language, not by the visions and the dreams, as g-d communicated with the other prophets.

Moa¯se had been born on 7  Adar in 2368 of the Creation (about 1400 CEBS), the son of Amram, a member of the tribe of Levi, and Yocheved, the girl of Levi (Former. 6:16-20). In contrast to the other old heroes of a lot of cultures, Moses did not have a miraculous birth. Amram married Yocheved, and she conceived, and she delivered (Former. 2:1-2). The only curious thing of his birth is the age of advanced Yocheved: Yocheved had been born during que  Jacob and his family entered Egypt, therefore she was 130 when Moseses had been born. His father named it Chaver, and his grandfather called it Avigdor, but it is known to the history as Moses, a given name to him by the girl of Pharaoh.

The name " Moses" comes from un  the root that means " go out, " because Moses has summer gone out of the river (Former. 2:10). Some learned modern one point out that M it IT basic S s in the Egyptian means " the son of" as in the name Ramases (the son of Ra), but it is to note value that the name of Moses in Hebrew is M-Sh-H, do not M IT s-s. According to a Jewish source, the girl of Pharaoh named it in does Minios, that means " drawn out" in Egyptien, and the name Moshe (Moses) was a translation hedbraa¯que of this name, just as a Russian immigrant named Ivan could change his name to the equivalent English, John.

Moa¯se had been born in a very difficult time: Pharaoh had ordered that all the male children born to the slaves hedbraa¯ques should be drowned in the river (Former. 1:22). Yocheved hid Moses for three months, and when she do not can any longer skin him, she put it in a small arch and placed it on the river where the girl of Pharaoh bathed (Former. 2:2-3). The girl of pharaoh found the child and compassion had on him (Former. 2:6). To the suggestion of Mirriam of sister of Moses, the girl of Pharaoh engaged Yocheved to care for Moses until it was weaned (Former. 2:7-10). Yocheved inculcated in Moses a knowledge of his heritage and a love of its people that could not be obliterated by the 40 years that it spent in the court of antisemitic of Pharaoh.

Little is known youth of Moses. The biblical narrative is unaware of of his adoption by the girl of Pharaoh to his murder of an Egyptian tyrant about 40 years later. A traditional history says that when it was child, sitting on the knee of Pharaoh, Moses took the crown of head of Pharaoh and put it on. The court wizards took this as a bad sign and demanded that it tried: they put a brazier a lot of now and a brazier a lot of hot coals before saw him that it would take. If Moses took gold, it should be killed. An angel directed the hand of Moses to coal, and it put it in his mouth, the party with a hindrance of speech of the very life (Former. 4:10).

Although Moses student by Egyptiens, his compassion for its people was so big that it could not carry to see them beaten by the tyrants of Pharaoh. A day, when Moses was almost 40 years old, it saw an Egyptien that beats a slave hedbraa¯que, and it if was outraged that it hit and killed the Egyptien (Former. 2:11-12). But when its Hebrews colleagues and the Pharaoh condemned it for this action, Moses was forced to flee Egypt (Former. 2:14-15).

It fled to Midian, where it met and married Zipporah, the girl of a priest of Midianite (Former. 2:16-21). They had a son, Gershom (Former. 2:22). Moa¯se passed 40 years in Midian have the tendency his father-in-the law' the sheep of s. A said midrash that Moses was chosen to take the Children of Israel because of his benevolence to the animal. When it brought the sheep to a river for water, a lamb did not come. Moa¯se went to the small lamb and carried it to water if it could drink. As God, Moses cared for of every individual in the group, and not almost the group as a body. This showed that it was a worthy shepherd for the g-d flock.

I am sure that everyone knows what arrived next - if you did not read the book, then you saw certainly the film. G-d appeared to Moses and chose it to take the people of the Egyptian slavery and au  the Promise land (Ex. Chs. 3-4). Using his Aaron of brother, Moses spoke with Pharaoh and released the plagues against Egypt (Former. Chs. 4-12). It took then the people of Egypt and through the sea to liberty, and brought them to Mount Sinaa¯, where g-d gave the people le  Torah and the people accepted it (Former. Chs. 12-24).

God revealed the entire Torah to Moses. The entire Torah includes the first one five books du  Bible (the Origin, the Exodus, Leviticus, the Numbers and the Deutedronome) that Moses wrote himself as g-d instructed it. It includes also all the prophecies and the remaining histories as would be noted later in the remaining books of writing, and the Oral entire Torah, the oral tradition to interpret the Torah, that would be noted later in the Talmud. Moa¯se spent the remainder of his life that writes the first one five books, taking essentially dictation of g-d.

After Moses received the instruction of g-d of the Law and how to interpret it, it returned down below to the people and began hearing cases and judging them for the people, but this became quickly too for a man. Upon the advice of his father-in-the law, Yitro, Moses instituted a lawful system (Former. 18:13-26).

Moa¯se was not perfect. As any man, it had its defects and its weakness moments, and the Bible records faithfully these defects. Indeed, Moses was not allowed entering le  To Promise the Terre  because of a transgression (Deut. 32:48-52). Moa¯se was said to speak with a boulder to obtain from the water of him, but rather it hit the boulder to many returns with a lines, showing moved anger and a faith lack (Numerical 20:7-13).

Moa¯se is dead in 2488, just before that the people crossed on in the Promised Earth (Deut. 32:51). It completed writing the first one five books of the Bible (the Origin, the Exodus, Leviticus, the Numbers and the Deutedronome) before it is is dead. There is some dispute as for that physically wrote the last few one towards of Deutedronome: according to someone, Moses wrote the latter few one towards of a vision of the future, but according to of others, the few last one towards was added by Joshua after the death of Moses. In any case, these towards, as all of other in the Torah, were written by g-d, and the true identity of the transcriber is not important.

The position of Moses as the leader of Israel was not hereditary. His son, Gershom, did not inherit the direction of Israel. The successor choose Moses was Joshua, the son of Religious one (Deut. 34:9).

Moa¯se was 120 years old at the time that it is dead (Deut. 34:7). This life length is considered to be ideal, and became proverbial: to unique direction to wish that a person well in the Jewish tradition is to say, " May that you live to be 120!"

As important as Moses was at the Children of Israel, it always is important to remember the delivery-man of that Moses that was not itself or the redemptive one of Israel. It was g-d that repurchased itself Israel, not Moses. Moa¯se was simply the prophet of God, His spokesperson. The traditional text du  Pessach Haggadah  mentions not even the name of Moses. To prevent from the people of love idolactrement Moses, his grave was left without brand (Deut. 34:6).

Aaron

Aaron was the oldest brother of Moses. It had been born in 2365, three years before Moses, before the decree of Pharaoh that demands the death of children hedbraa¯ques male. It was the ancestor of the whole koheins, the founder of the priesthood, and the first Kohein Gadol (High Priest). Aaron and its descendants had tendency the altar and the offered sacrifices. The role of Aaron, in contrast to Moses', was inherited; its sons continued the priesthood after him (Numerical 20:26).

Aaron used the Spokesperson of Moses. As discussed above, Moses was not eloquent and had a speech hindrance, therefore Aaron spoke for him (Former. 4:10-16). In contrast to the popular conviction, it was Aaron, not Moses, that launched down below the personnel that became a snake before Pharaoh (Former. 7:10-12). It was Aaron, not Moses, that stretched his personnel to release the first one three plagues against Egypt (Former. 7:19-20; Former. 8:1-2 or 8:5-6; Former. 8:12-13 or 8:16-17). According to the Jewish tradition, it was also Aaron that executed the signs for the oldest child before as they are went to Pharaoh (Former. 4:30).

Aaron the personal quality the most notable one is than it was conciliatory. His peace love is proverbial;   Hillel of Rabbi  said, " Etre of the disciples of Aaron, liking peace and follow peace, liking people and drawing them close to the Torah. &Quot; according to the tradition, when Aaron heard that two people disputed themselves, it would go to each of them and the says how much the other regretted its actions, until the two people consented to be done facing as the friends.

Indeed, Aaron liked peace as much of as it participated in the incident of the Gilded Calf (Former. 32), constructing the idol to prevent the dissension among the people. Aaron wanted to buy the time until Moses returned Mount Sinaa¯ (it was late, and the people were worried), discourage the people while their request to renounce their precious jewelry store to do the idol, and to teach them the error of their manners in the time (Former. 32:22).

Aaron, as Moses, dead in the desert soon before the people entered the earth of Promise (Num. 20).

Miriam

Miriam edtait  Aaron and the oldest sisters of Moses. According to some sources, she was seven older years than Moses, but the other sources seem to indicate that she was older than that. Some sources indicate that Miriam was Puah, one of the midwifes that helped babies hedbraa¯ques of the decree of Pharaoh against them (Former. 1:15-19).

Miriam was un  the prophetess in his own right (Former. 15:20), the first woman described as that in the writing (although  Sarah is considered to be also a prophetess, that the word is not applied to her in the writing). According to the tradition, she prophesied before the birth of Moses that its parents would put to the world the person that would provoke their buyback of the people.

Miriam awaited among the bulrushes while the arch of Moses was in the river, overseeing it to assure itself that it went very well (Former. 2:4). When the girl of Pharaoh drew Moses of water, Miriam arranged for their mother, Yocheved, care for Moses and the student until it was weaned (Former. 2:7-9).

Miriam took the women of Israel in a song and a celebration dance after the men of Pharaoh were drowned in the sea (Former. 15:20-21). She is said to be the ancestress of other creative geniuses to Israel history: Bezalel, the architect of the mishkan (the portable sanctuary used in the desert) (Former. 31:1-3) and the King David.

According to the tradition, because of the rectitude of Miriam, one took well the desert through their trips to the people in the end, and that remained well with them to the day of death of Miriam.

As its brothers, Miriam was not perfect. She took his Aaron of brother to speak against Moses on a question that implies a woman of Cushite it had married (Zipporah, or probably a second woman) (Numerical 12:1). They opposed themselves also to his direction, noting that it did not have monopoly on Omen Communication (Num 12:2). For this, Miriam was punished with tzaaras (an affliction generally translated as the la¨pre) (Numerical 12:10). Nevertheless, Aaron pled on his party, and she was healed (Numerical 12:11).

Prophets and Prophecy

Level: Intermediary

Which is a Prophet?

A lot of persons today think about a prophet as any person that sees the future. While the prophecy gift includes certainly the capacity to see the future, a prophet is far more just a person with this capacity.

A prophet basically is spokesperson for God, a person chosen by g-d to speak with the people on the party of g-d and transmits a message or a teaching. The prophets were the models of role of holiness, the erudition and the proximity to g-d. They regulate the norms for the entire community.

The word hedbraa¯que for a prophet, navi (Nun-Beit-Yod-Alef) comes from the term niv sefatayim meaning " the fruit of the lips, " that underlines the role of the prophet as a high speaker.

The Talmud sign that there were hundreds of thousands of prophets: two times more than the number of people that left Egypt, that was 600,000. But most of the prophets transmitted messages that only were wanted for their own generation and were not retrieved in the writing. The writing identifies only 55 prophets of Israel.

A prophet is not necessarily man. The writing records the female histories of seven prophets, enumerated to the under, and the reports of Talmud that the capacity of prophetic Sarah was superior to Abraham.

A prophet is not necessarily Jewish. The Talmud retrieves that there were prophets among the kind ones (the most notably Balaam, of which the history is said in Number 22), although they also were not raised as the prophets of Israel (as the history of Balaam shows). And certain of the prophets, as Jonah, were sent on the missions to speak with the kind ones.

According to some views, the prophecy not is a gift that arbitrarily is conferred on the people; rather, this is the culmination of a development of the witty person and ethics. When a person attains a sufficient level of witty accomplishment and ethics, the Shechinah (Omen Spirit) comes to rest on him or she. Same manner, the prophecy gift leaves the person if this person falls of his or his witty perfection and ethics.

The biggest one of the prophets was Moses. It is said that Moses all saw that all the others combined prophets saw, and more. Moa¯se saw THE very Torah, including the Prophets and the Ecritures that were written hundreds of years later. Subsequent the very prophecy was simply an expression of what Moses had already seen. Thus, it is taught that nothing in the Prophets or the Ecritures can be in the conflict with the writings of Moses, because Moses saw it all in advance.

The Talmud declares that the writings of the prophets will not be necessary in the World To Come, because in this day, all the people mentally will be, wittyly and morally to perfect, and all will have the prophecy gift.

Who is the Prophets of the Jewish Ecritures?

The list following by prophets is based on the Talmud and Rashi.

Abraham Gen 11:26 - 25:10 Isaac Gen 21:1 - 35:29 Jacob Gen 25:21 - 49:33 Moses Former. 2:1 - Deut. 34:5 Aaron Former. 4:14 - Numerical 33:39 Joshua Former. 17:9 - 14, 24:13, 32:17 - 18, 33:11; Numerical 11:28 - 29, 13:4 - 14:38; 27:18 - 27:23, Deut. 1:38, 3:28, 31:3, 31:7 -Joshua 24:29 Pinchas Former. 6:25; Numerical 25:7-25:11; Numerical 31:6; Josh. 22:13 - Josh. 24:33; Judges 20:28 Elkanah I Samuel 1:1 - 2:20 Eli I Samuel 1:9 - 4:18 Samuel I Samuel 1:1 - I Samuel 25:1 Gad I Sam 22:5; Sam II 24:11-19; I Chron 21:9-21:19, 29:29 Nathan Sam II 7:2 - 17; 12:1 - 25. David I Sam 16:1 - I Kings 2:11 Salomon II Sam 12:24; 1 Kings 1:10 - 11:43 Iddo Chron II 9:29, 12:15, 13:22 son of Michaiah of Imlah I Kings 22:8-28; Chron II 18:7-27 Obadiah I Kings 18; Obadiah Ahiyah the Shilonite I Kings 11:29-30; 12:15; 14:2-18; 15:29 son of Jehu of Hanani I Kings 16:1 - 7; Chron II 19:2; 20:34 son of Azariah of Oded Chron II 15 Jahaziel the Levite II Chron 20:14 son of Eliezer of Dodavahu Chron II 20:37 Hosea Hosea Amos Amos Micah the Morashtite Micah Amoz (the father of Isaiah) Elijah I Kings 17:1 - 21:29; the King 1:10-2:15, II 9:36-37, 10:10, 10:17 Elisha I Kings 19:16-19; Kings II 2:1-13:21 Jonah it well Amittai Jonah Isaiah Isaiah Joel Joel Nahum Nahum Habakkuk Habakkuk Zephaniah Zephaniah Uriah Jeremiah 26:20-23 Jeremiah Jeremiah Ezekiel Ezekiel Shemaiah I Kings 12:22-24; Chron II 11:2-4, 12:5-15 Barukh Jeremiah 32, 36, 43, 45 Neriah (the father of Barukh) Seraiah Jeremiah 51:61-64 Mehseiah (the father of Neriah) Haggai Haggai Zechariah Zechariah Malachi Malachi Mordecai Bilshan Esther Oded (the father of Azariah) Hanani (the father of Jehu) Female prophets Sarah Gen 11:29 - 23:20 Miriam Former. 15:20-21; Numerical 12:1-12:15, 20:1 Judge Deborah 4:1 - 5:31 Hannah I Sam 1:1 - 2:21 Abigail I Sam 25:1 - 25:42 Huldah the King 22:14-20 Esther II Esther

Why is Daniel not Prophet?

I often am asked why the Book of Daniel is included in le  the section of Ecritures of the Tanakh to the place du  the Prophets divide. Was Daniel not prophet? Its visions of the future not were they true?

According to Judaism, Daniel is not one of the 55 prophets. Its writings include visions of the future, that we believe to be true; nevertheless, his mission was not that of a prophet. Its visions of the future were never wanted to be proclaimed to the people; they were conceived to be noted for the future generations. Thus, they are Ecritures, the steps Prophecies, and are classified consequently.

Sages and Erudits

Level: Intermediary

Hillel and Shammai

These two big learned born a generation or two before that the beginning of the Common Ere is of ordinary discussed one and together contrasted itself, because they were contemporary and the leaders of two schools opposing thought (known as "houses"). The Talmud records more than 300 differences of opinion between Beit Hillel (the House of Hillel) and Beit Shammai (the House of Shammai). In almost every one of these disputes, these view of Hillel prevailed.

Hillel of rabbi had been born to a rich family, but came to Babylonie to Jerusalem without the financial support of his family and supported itself as a lumberjack. It is said that it lived in such big poverty that it was sometimes incapable to pay the import duties to study Torah, and because of him that the expenses were abolished. It was known for his benevolence, his softness, and his worry for humanity. One of its most of the words celebrate, recorded in Pirkei Avot (the Ethique of the Fathers, a tractate of the Mishnah), is " If I am not for me, then that will be for me? And if I am only for me, then I which am? And if not now, when? &Quot; THE organization of Hillel, a network of organizations of student of Jewish high schools, named is for him.

Shammai of rabbi was engineer, known for the severity of its views. The said Talmud that a kind one came to say Shammai that it would convert to Judaism if Shammai could teach it the entire Torah in the time that it could be held on a foot. Shammai hunted it with a stick of the builder to measure! Hillel, on the other hand, converted the kind one while saying it, " That that is hateful to you, done not do to your neighbor. That is the entire Torah; the remainder are the commentary. Go and study it. "

Zakkai of well of Yochanan of rabbi

Zakkai of well of Yochanan of rabbi was the youngest more distinguished disciple of Hillel of Rabbi. It was called the " the father of wisdom and the generation father (of learned ones) " because it guaranteed the extension of Jewish erudition after Jerusalem fell to Rome in 70 THIS.

According to the tradition, well Zakkai was pacifist to Jerusalem in 68 THIS. when the city was under the seat by General Vespasian. Jerusalem was checked by the Fanatics, the people that would die rather than goes to Rome (these are the same people that checked Masada). Well Zakkai urged the surrender, but the not hear Fanatics to talk about him, therefore well Zakkai faked his own death and had its disciples introduces it secretly Jerusalem in a coffin. They carried the coffin to the stretched Vespasian, where well Zakkai emerged from the coffin. It said Vespasian that it had had a vision (someone would say, a shrewd political insight) that Vespasian would be soon the emperor, and it asked Vespasian to put aside a place in Yavneh (close to modern Rehovot) where it could move his yeshivah (the school) and study Torah in peace. Vespasian promised that if the prophecy realized itself, it would grant the request of Zakkai of well. Vespasian became Emperor and kept his word, allowing the school to be after established that the war was on. The yeshiva survived and was a center of Jewish erudition for the centuries.

Joseph of well of Akiba of rabbi (roughly 15-135 THIS.)

A poor, an almost illiterate shepherd, Akiba of Rabbi became a more learned bigger ones of Judaism. It developed the method of exegetical of the Mishnah, each linking up the traditional practice to a basis in the biblical text, and has systedmatised the equipment that became later the Mishnah.

Akiba of rabbi was active in the rebellion of Kokhba of Bar against Rome. It believed that Kokhba of Bar was the Moshiach (messiah), although some other rabbis ridiculed it ouvertement for this conviction (the Talmud records another rabbi as saying, " Akiba, grass will grow in your cheeks and always the son of David will not have come. &Quot;) When the rebellion of Kokhba of Bar failed, Akiba of Rabbi was taken by Roman authorities and tortured to the death.

The rabbi Judah Hectares nasi (roughly 135-219 THIS.)

The Patriarche of the Jewish community, the Rabbi Judah Hectares nasi was instructed in Greek thought just like the Jewish thought. It organized and compiled the Mishnah, constructing on the work of Akiba of Rabbi.

Rashi (the Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki) (1040-1105 THIS.)

A grape planter that lives in France of the north, Rashi wrote the final commentaries on the Babylonian Talmud and the Bible. Rashi pulled together equipment of a big variety of sources, the grade in the order of the Talmud and the Bible for the easy reference, and wrote them in such clear language, concise and simple that it can be appreciated by the novices as well as the experts. Almost every edition of the Talmud printed since the invention of the press to print included the text of commentary of lateral Rashi-by-the side with the text Talmudique. A lot of traditional Jews will not study the Bible without a commentary of Rashi next to him.

Rambam (Maimonides; Maimon of well of Moshe of Rabbi) (1135-1204 THIS.)

A born doctor in moorish Cordoue, Rambam lived in a place selection through the moorish earths of Spain, the Middle East and Africa of the north, evasive often the persecution. It was leader of the Jewish community to Cairo. It heavily was influenced by the Greek thought, notably that of Aristotle.

Rambam was the author of the Mishneh Torah, one of the bigger codes of Jewish law, compiling every conceivable subject of Jewish law in the order of subject and furnish a simple declaration of the dominating view in the simple language. In his own time, it widely was condemned because it claimed that the Mishneh Torah was a substitute to study the Talmud.

Rambam is so responsible of several important theological works. It developed the 13 Principles of Faith, the list the most widely admitted Jewish convictions. It wrote also the Guide for the perplexed leash, a concept theological difficult written discussion of the perspective of a philosopher aristotedlien.

Ramban (Nachmanides; Nachman of well of Moshe of Rabbi) (1194-1270 THIS.)

Ramban was the first halakhist of his age. As Rambam before him, Ramban was Spanish that was doctor and a learned big one of Torah. Nevertheless, in contrast to the Rambam rationalist, Ramban had a mystical bent fort. Its biblical commentaries are the first one one to incorporate the mystical teachings of kabbalah.

It was known for its aggressive confutations of Christianity, the most notably, his debate with Pablo Christiani, a converted Jew, before the King Jaime I of Spain in 1263.

Ramban could be described as an of first Zionists of the history, because it declared that this is a mitsva to take the possession of Israel and to live in him (in cash on Numerical 33:53). It said, " If a long time as Israel occupies [the Holy Earth], the earth is considered as the subject to Him. &Quot; Ramban filled this order, transfer to the Holy Earth during the Crusades after it was expelled from Spain for its debates. It found the devastation in the Holy Earth, " but even in this destruction, " it said, " this is a blessed earth. &Quot; It is dead there in 1270 THIS.

Baal Shem Tov (the Besht, Eliezer of well of Israel of Rabbi) (1700-1760 THIS.)

The founder of Chasidic Judaism. Although a lot of books of its teachings exist, the Besht did not write itself book, maybe because its teachings underlined the Fact that even a simple and uncultivated peasant could approach God (a radical idea in his time, when Judaism underlined that the manner to approach g-d was by the study). It underlined the prayer, the order observation, and the mystical, personal experiences and in ecstasy.

AUTHOR

SESAN SAMUEL OYEDEPO