Onqelos in Byzantium in the Twelfth and Thirteenth Centuries: The Relationship of R. Samuel of Rossano and R. Meyuhas ben Elijah to the Aramaic Translation

This study addresses the views of two Byzantine commentators regarding Targum Onqelos: R. Samuel Roshano of the twelfth century and R. Meyuhas ben Elijah of the thirteenth. R. Samuel explicitly refers to the translation forty-six times; R. Meyuhas makes explicit reference to it 104 times. But there are differences between the two commentators in their relation to the Targum: R. Samuel never mentions the name Onqelos, while R. Meyuhas does so explicitly; R. Samuel systematically cites the text of the Targum, while in most cases in R. Meyuhas’ commentary, there is no accurate citation. The qualitative difference is in their respective relationships with the Targum: all of R. Samuel’s references to it signal his agreement; R. Meyuhas, on the other hand, while frequently agreeing with Onqelos, also brings the Targum as one of two possible alternatives and sometimes openly challenges its interpretation.

The Eunuch and the Baldhead: Sexuality in Early Jewish-Christian Polemic

Defining appropriate attitudes towards sexuality has always been an issue in Jewish-Christian polemic. Contemporary Jewish writers tend to boast of Judaism’s liberal attitude toward sexuality, while medieval Jewish polemicists were defensive when confronting Christian attacks on this matter. In ancient times, when sexual puritanism was less popular, Jewish theologians did not refrain from showing their contempt for the Christian value ​​of celibacy. This article proposes a new reading of the Talmudic legend about an argument between Joshua b. Karhah and a Christian eunuch. In this reading, the Christian figure stands for Origen, a Church father described in Christian sources as having castrated himself owing to a literal interpretation of the New Testament. In this reading, the debate summarizes the Talmudic rabbis’ perspective on the difference between Jewish and Christian views of sexuality.

Rhetorical Conclusions in Nahmanides’ Torah Commentary

This paper examine Nahmanides’ rhetorical style in his Torah commentary, addressing his convention of concluding his biblical commentaries with a flourish, both in form and content. The origins of this rhetorical device in the literature preceding Nahmanides is presented, followed by a demonstration of its embodiment and development in Nahmanides own Torah commentary.

The Traces of Early Halakhot in the “Hava Amina” of the Sages in Second Temple Literature and the Ethiopian Halakhah

This essay seeks to add a further layer to the discussion of associations between ancient Halakhah and that of Beta Israel by examining correlations between halakhic traditions that were preserved among Ethiopian Jewish communities and the Hava Amina mentioned by the Sages. It demonstrates that opinions espoused by the sages’ opponents can be identified within the Hava Amina of the Talmudic discussion. The discussion presents three examples: The use of fire on Shabbat, Kosher slaughtering by someone other than a priest, and the status of an unborn child. The article concludes that the sages were familiar with ancient halakhic traditions parallel to those of the Ethiopian Halakhah, rejected these traditions from the accepted Halakhah, yet preserved traces of them in the Hava Amina of the Talmudic give and take.

Changing Relations between Prophets and Rulers in the Bible

This article discerns a change of tendency in the nature of the relations between prophets (“religion”) and rulers (“state”) in the Bible. The examination concentrates on the differences between pre-exilic and post-exilic prophets. The sample survey shows a change of tendency between the two eras. Pre-exilic prophets act as opposition to the government, while Haggai, as a representative of post-exilic prophecy, endorses the heads of the restoration community. This change is rooted in the communal trauma of destruction and exile, as well as in the social, political and theological changes that followed.

Sivan Baskin: Multilingual Israeli Poet in the Age of Globalization

Sivan Baskin, a poet and literary translator, started writing on the Internet in the early years of the millennium on the “New Stage” site and has published three books of poetry. Baskin’s writing is characterized by multilingualism, inserting words from various languages, written in their own alphabet, within a poem in Hebrew. Although these words or phrases are few and far between, they are conspicuous by their presence and foreignness, representing multiculturalism. Baskin is the first Hebrew poet in multicultural Israel to do this. This article cites four poems that reflect Baskin’s unique writing, which is derived from the combination of her two mother-countries in her life: Lithuania as a Jewish exile, her first homeland, and Israel as the Jewish State into which Jews from around the world were gathered. As an introduction to Baskin’s poetry, this article presents Israel as a multicultural and multilingual country.

Biblical History in the Thought of R. Ḥaim David Halevy

R. Ḥaim David Halevy was an exceptional voice in the Religious-Zionist camp in Israel. While espousing faithfulness to the halakhah, he recognized the importance of changing circumstances with respect both to halakhic rulings and philosophical issues arising in Hebrew law. He viewed the study of history as a practical imperative, necessary to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past. Frequently adducing biblical texts, he argued that Israel must learn from the patriarchs and maintain a strong military force. In particular, the events leading to the destruction of the Temple and exile prompted him to posit that the State should remain neutral and not take an active part in international affairs. On the basis of the historiographical and prophetic literature, he maintained that fidelity to the divine covenant – i.e., ethical conduct – would safeguard Israel’s existence.

Changes of Meaning in Biblical and Modern Given Names of the YIQTOL Noun Pattern

The biblical Hebrew tense system has two aspects: the perfective, indicating a completed action, and an imperfective aspect, denoting an action that has not yet ended. From the period of the rabbinic sages of the first centuries CE to today’s Modern Hebrew, an absolute tense system has been the norm, employing past, present, and future. This change in the system of tenses influenced the meaning of names created in the Qatal and Yiqtol patterns. The reason for the changed meanings is Modern Hebrew speakers’ lack of proficiency in the biblical system of tenses. To shed light on the language and culture of Modern Hebrew speakers, this article presents biblical and modern given names in the Yiqtol pattern and explains the changes in the modern names.

Pitched between Scylla and Charybdis: Metz Jews’ Litigation Hurdles in the Metz Beit Din and Ancien Regime French Courts

During the eighteenth century, French courts expanded their competence over Jewish disputes in order to consolidate the kingdom’s hegemony over Alsatian Jewry. In Metz, the expansion was sanctioned by a royal order for the composition of the Recueil des Loix, Coutumes, et Usages Observes par les Juifs de Metz (1742). A blend of Jewish law and French customary law tailored for ancien regime Alsatian courts, the Recueil enabled a Jewish claimant to sue in either the beit din or a French tribunal. These judicial alternatives posed strategic dilemmas. French rulings were frequently vehicles for persecuting Jewish claimants and debasing their law, while rabbinical enforcement mechanisms typically lacked the aggressive bite of their French judicial counterparts. This article examines how the law, and these options, worked in practice.