{"title":"Two Medieval Necromantic Practices: Maimonides versus Nachmanides and R. Joseph Albo concerning Ob and Yidoni","authors":"A. O. Shemesh","doi":"10.1163/15700704-12341352","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1163/15700704-12341352","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000Medieval literature documents two main commentaries on the biblical terms ob and yedoni. Maimonides claims that these are separate necromantic practices. This is based on rabbinic descriptions, but he adds the use of incense and holding a myrtle branch. This was carried out to contact the deceased or for ecstatic goals, namely, to heighten the fervidness of the magician. Nachmanides and Joseph Albo introduce independent traditions that originate from Spain. Ob and yedoni, they say, are a single necromantic practice, performed in a cemetery or church. It entails a woman (ob) and a man (yedoni), because they have different talents of mediumship. Nachmanides claims that using clappers during funerals is a relic of the ceremony of mediumship. But the historical reasons for using clappers during funerals are different.","PeriodicalId":40689,"journal":{"name":"Review of Rabbinic Judaism","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.2,"publicationDate":"2019-02-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1163/15700704-12341352","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42319023","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Rethinking Jewish Approaches to Wastefulness","authors":"Tanhum Yoreh","doi":"10.1163/15700704-12341350","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1163/15700704-12341350","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000This paper demonstrates that attitudes toward idolatry and the influence of foreign cultural practices in rabbinic sources play a central role in the conceptualization of the rabbinic prohibition against wastefulness (bal tashḥit). This has been essentially ignored in the contemporary discourse on wastefulness but has the potential to shift the manner in which the prohibition is perceived, especially from a practical point of view, among observant Jewish communities. Prima facie, through the prohibition against wastefulness, Judaism has the tools and values to mitigate wastefulness. Yet this prohibition has had only modest success in accomplishing this. In order to understand how and why religious theory is translated into practice in a particular way it is essential to understand the history of this concept.","PeriodicalId":40689,"journal":{"name":"Review of Rabbinic Judaism","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.2,"publicationDate":"2019-02-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1163/15700704-12341350","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42430217","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Isaiah 10:34 and the “Ambiguous Oracle” in Josephus, Bellum 6.312–313 (Part Two)","authors":"R. Aus","doi":"10.1163/15700704-12341349","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1163/15700704-12341349","url":null,"abstract":"In the previous issue of this journal, after an introduction to the topic, I analyzed in section 1. Eschatological Fervor and Messianic Hopes; in section 2. The King, the Messiah, Is Only to Come from Judea; in section 3. Isaiah in Judaic Tradition; and in section 4. Hezekiah in Judaic Tradition. This prepared for the sections included here: 5. Isaiah, Hezekiah, and the Siege of Jerusalem by Sennacherib in Judaic Tradition; 6. Isa. 10:34; and 7. Summary and Conclusions.","PeriodicalId":40689,"journal":{"name":"Review of Rabbinic Judaism","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.2,"publicationDate":"2019-02-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1163/15700704-12341349","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48583228","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Legends of Rabbi Akiva: New “Biographies” and a Hermeneutical Study","authors":"D. Weiss","doi":"10.1163/15700704-12341353","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1163/15700704-12341353","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":40689,"journal":{"name":"Review of Rabbinic Judaism","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.2,"publicationDate":"2019-02-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1163/15700704-12341353","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49258054","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Concatenation in Ancient Near East Literature, Hebrew Scripture and Rabbinic Literature","authors":"Shamir Yona, A. Pasternak","doi":"10.1163/15700704-12341351","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1163/15700704-12341351","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000This paper follows the development of concatenation from its early use in Ancient Near Eastern literature through its use in the Hebrew Bible, in Hebrew Ben-Sira, and ultimately in Rabbinic literature. We demonstrate that the Rabbis adopted this rhetorical pattern for stylistic purposes and also used it as an editing device. The latter use of the rhetorical device in question is only rarely attested in the Hebrew Bible.","PeriodicalId":40689,"journal":{"name":"Review of Rabbinic Judaism","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.2,"publicationDate":"2019-02-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1163/15700704-12341351","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41930629","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Talmud: A Biography (Lives of Great Religious Books), written by Barry Scott Wimpfheimer","authors":"Gary G. Porton","doi":"10.1163/15700704-12341354","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1163/15700704-12341354","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":40689,"journal":{"name":"Review of Rabbinic Judaism","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.2,"publicationDate":"2019-02-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1163/15700704-12341354","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46355131","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Time and Evil in the Confessions of Augustine and the Talmud","authors":"A. Kovelman, U. Gershowitz","doi":"10.1163/15700704-12341344","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1163/15700704-12341344","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000To solve the aporia of suffering and evil, the framers of Bavli Berakhot as well as Augustine combined the idea of love for God with the notion of making the moment linger. According to Augustine, evil prevents man from praising God. Evil derives from perverted human will and poisons a soul. Instead of being distended between the past and the future, a soul should forget the past, concentrate on the present, and extend the present as much as possible. By concentration, the present can be extended to approximate eternity, which is the messianic future. The idea of making a moment linger is salient in Bavli Berkahot as well. The close correlation between redemption and ritual presumes the lingering of time, achieved by prolonging the recitation, concentrating on the text, and merging the blessings. Prolonging halakhic time at any cost hastens the coming of the ultimate meta-historical event. Thus Aqiba’s protracting of the word ehad brings him into a meta-historical context, into the future world. The moment of reading the word ehad lingers amidst torture, spasm, and ecstasy. That ecstasy is the consummation of love with God.","PeriodicalId":40689,"journal":{"name":"Review of Rabbinic Judaism","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.2,"publicationDate":"2018-07-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1163/15700704-12341344","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49575364","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"“Some Animals Die from Eating this Herb:” The Controversy between R. Yosef Caro and R. Moses di Trani Concerning the Common Giant Fennel","authors":"A. O. Shemesh","doi":"10.1163/15700704-12341343","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1163/15700704-12341343","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000In 1552, a virulent halakhic polemic opposed R. Joseph Caro and R. Moses Terani. The case happened in a slaughterhouse in Safed where shehita of cattle had taken place. It was found that the animals’ stomachs were in a bad condition. It was argued that the cause was a plant the animals had ingested—Kelekh. The two rabbis published different halakhic decisions concerning the kashrut of these animals. Caro declared that the meat was not permitted, while Terani allowed consumption of the meat. Kelekh is common giant fennel. The two rabbis addressed three questions: Does the plant render animals ritually unfit for eating? What is the meaning of the pathological symptoms found in the stomach of the livestock? Which parts of the plant are the source of the problem? The dispute between the rabbis had various consequences for the Jewish community: economic, health-related, and social.","PeriodicalId":40689,"journal":{"name":"Review of Rabbinic Judaism","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.2,"publicationDate":"2018-07-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1163/15700704-12341343","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45998147","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A Genizah Fragment of Bavli Eruvin 53b–54a, 64b","authors":"Uri Zur","doi":"10.1163/15700704-12341346","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1163/15700704-12341346","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000This article presents a Genizah fragment related to B Eruv. 53b–54a, 64b, identified as Cambridge UL T-S F1 (2) 114. The article begins with a description of the fragment, including paleographic and calligraphic description. The fragment then is compared to the printed version of the text and major manuscripts of Eruvin, including graphic comments of the commentators in the margins of the page in the printed text.","PeriodicalId":40689,"journal":{"name":"Review of Rabbinic Judaism","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.2,"publicationDate":"2018-07-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1163/15700704-12341346","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47182931","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Isaiah 10:34 and the “Ambiguous Oracle” in Josephus, Bellum 6.312–313 (Part One)","authors":"R. Aus","doi":"10.1163/15700704-12341341","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1163/15700704-12341341","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000One of the most disputed passages in Josephus is found only late in his account of the Jewish war against Rome, 66–70 CE. After relating numerous phenomena he considered portents of the destruction of Jerusalem with the Temple, he notes two oracles. The first, in Bell. 6.311, has never been traced back to a specific scriptural passage or Judaic tradition. The second, in 6.312–13, is the object of this study, in which I argue that Isa. 10:34 is the biblical verse behind the “ambiguous oracle.”","PeriodicalId":40689,"journal":{"name":"Review of Rabbinic Judaism","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.2,"publicationDate":"2018-07-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1163/15700704-12341341","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42425744","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}