Tanna Devei Eliyahu
Encyclopedia
Tanna Devei Eliyahu is the composite name of a midrash
, consisting of two parts, whose final redaction took place at the end of the 10th century CE. The first part is called "Seder Eliyahu Rabbah" (31 chapters); the second, "Seder Eliyahu Zuṭa" (15 chapters). A distinct reference to this midrash occurs in the Talmud
in Ket. 106a:
, the midrash has the two names, "Rabbah" for the earlier, and "Zuṭa" for the later lectures. Anan was a Babylonian amora of the 3rd century. The collection of baraitot concerning him, referred to in this midrash, is cited in the Babylonian Talmud under the title "Tanna debe Eliyahu" (see below), and the utterances in question are found in the midrash itself. The tosafot
to Ketubot (106a, s.v. והיינו) say that the midrash consists of a large book and a small one. R. Nathan ben Jehiel
in his Aruk (s.v. סדר, ii.) says: "The midrash contains baraitot which the prophet taught to Anan, and consists of two parts, a large seder with 30 chapters, and a small seder with 12 chapters; and all of the Tanna debe Eliyahu cited in the Talmud is to be found in these baraitot." The inner connection between these two midrashim is a loose one, and it is only in sections 5 to 10 that the second refers to the first.
, consists of two subsections, (a) "Ma'aseh Merkabah" and (b) "Ma'aseh Bereshit." The six series of the world-system, however, were created in the divine mind even before any being, with the exception of Israel, existed. They were:
Even before these six foundations, however, Israel was, as stated above, already in being in the divine mind, because without Israel there could have been no Torah
(M. Friedmann, Seder Eliyahu, p. 161).
The second series embraces the period from the expulsion of man from Eden
to the Flood. In the ten generations from Adam to Noah
man did not adhere to "meekness," did not do what was right (ib. p. 80), but fell lower and lower until he practiced violence, theft, immorality, and murder. For this reason his destruction became a necessity (ib. p. 190).
the period of "tohu wa-bohu" (confusion) ceases and the 2,000 years of law begin. This time is divided into the following periods (see M. Friedmann, Mebo, v. 108):
The fourth series is filled with "meekness" (ib. p. 163). Whoever studies the Torah
receives "meekness" as a reward. In addition there is a second recompense, which is the Mishnah
. In this introduction of the Mishnah there is a trace of apology intended for those who believe that only the Torah was delivered on Mount Sinai
. The fifth series extends from King Manasseh to the building of the Second Temple
(ib. p. 163). The last series treats of the future. God, surrounded by all the saints, sits in His bet ha-midrash and counts up the generations of the different periods of time, what they have learned, and what reward they shall receive therefor (ib. p. 4). The future of these saints will be like the beginning of the life of man (ib. p. 164).
; (c) 2,000 years of the Messiah
; (d) inauguration of a general peace; (e) the future world (ib. p. 115).
Besides this fundamental idea both parts of the midrash
emphasize the importance of virtue, of a religious life, and of the study of the Law, and exhort to repentance and almsgiving, greater tolerance toward both Jews and non-Jews, diligent study and respect for scholars, modesty and humility, and the avoidance of non-Jewish manners and customs. The midrash, further, attempts to prove that all human life is based on the two extremes, toil in the sweat of the brow, and the regaining of the freedom of the soul. Hence it begins with the expulsion of Adam from Eden (Gen. iii. 24), and closes with the same theme. The cherubim in Eden are identified with man, and are the symbol of the reward of well-doing; the flaming sword is hell, the punishment for evil-doing. The way to the tree of life is said to be "derek ereẓ" (good behavior), while the guarding of the tree of life is like the guarding of the word of God.
By derek ereẓ the midrash understands that which is fitting, useful, and honest; and these three qualities are the fundamental principles upon which the human world-system and society rest. An example of derek ereẓ in this midrash is the following: The princes of the Philistines
possessed derek ereẓ, because when the Philistines wished to convey the Ark
to the Israelites they would not send it back without sacrifices (I Sam. vi. 3; Friedmann, l.c. p. 58). On the other hand, the inhabitants of Bethshemesh did not possess it, inasmuch as instead of bowing before the Ark they rejoiced and danced before it boldly, so that misfortune came upon them and 50,000 of them fell (ib.).
, has sunk so low as this. In ordinary life, however, the transgression of a command or prohibition, indecency, or even theft is a most pronounced opposite of derek ereẓ; and every father of a family should strive to preserve those depending on him from these vices, because they belong to those evils which might bring about the destruction of the world.
The twelve chapters of the second part of the midrash
are characterized by the fact that the narratives showing why in this world things often go amiss with the good and well with the wicked, are commonly introduced by the words "It happened" (מעשה) or "Once on a time" (פעם אחת). The midrash is sometimes interspersed with very beautiful prayers (see, for example, M. Friedmann, l.c. pp. 6, 18, 19, 28).
The Tanna debe Eliyahu is the only haggadic work which contains a rabbinic-karaitic polemic. In the second chapter of the second part is an account of a meeting of the author with a Karaite, who possesses a knowledge of Jewish Scripture, but not of the Mishnah
; the differences discussed, however, are not important. The polemical attitude is much more noticeable in ch. xv. of the first part. There the following points are treated in detail:
Unlike other polemics, this one is not couched in acrimonious terms, but it adopts a mild, conciliatory tone.
, J.L. Rapoport, W. Bacher, Oppenheim, and Hochmuth) suppose Babylonia
or Palestine
, Güdemann is of the opinion that the work was written in Italy
, or at least that its author must have been an Italian who had traveled a great deal and had been as far as Babylon
, who learned there of the polemic between the Rabbinites and Karaites, but who abstained from mentioning Europe
or Italy because he considered he would be likely to create a greater impression among his fellow countrymen by relating observations which he had made abroad.
Furthermore, the fact that he knew nothing of Babylonia beyond its name shows that he could not have been a native of that region. Derenbourg also places the origin of the work in Rome. H. Grätz goes farthest of all, by simply identifying the Babylon of the midrash with Rome
, and the fights of Gog and Magog
described in the work with the devastating invasion of the Hungarians into Italy
from 889 to 955. The most radical opponent of this view is M. Friedmann. For him all arguments concerning the age of the Tanna debe Eliyahu and against its identification with the "Seder Eliyahu" mentioned in Ket. 10b, are only superficial and only apparently sound; and he accordingly assigns the origin of the work "eo ipso" to Babylonia.
The age of the midrash is approximately ascertainable by three data contained in the book itself.
The passages in the Talmud cited in Tanna debe Eliyahu are: Shab. 13a; Pes. 94a, 112a; Meg. 28b; Ḳid. 80b; Ab. Zarah 5b, 9a; Sanh. 92a; Tamid 32a.
Those cited in the Talmud under "Tanu Rabbanan" and found also in this midrash are: Shab. 88b and Giṭ. 36b = Tanna debe Eliyahu (ed. Friedmann), p. 78; Pes. 49a = ib. p. 30; Pes. 49a = ib. p. 68; Suk. 52a = ib. p. 20; R. H. 18a = ib. p. 53; Meg. 14a = ib. p. 82; Ḳid. 82a = ib. p. 101; B. Ḳ. 97b = ib. p. 21; B. B.
90b = ib. p. 77; B. B.
147a = ib. p. 157; Sanh. 19a = ib. p. 147; Sanh. 43b = ib. p. 102; Sanh. 109a = ib. p. 168; Sheb. 39a = ib. p. 132; Yeb. 62b = ib. p. 78.
Furthermore, in this midrash are found sentences of the following amoraim: Johanan
, Joshua ben Levi
, R. Abbahu, and Eleazar
.
appeared at Venice
in the year 1598, prepared from a copy dated 1186. In 1677 an edition by Samuel b. Moses Haida, with changes in the text and with a commentary (דאשא זקוקין דנורא בעורין), appeared in Prague
. The text itself was presented in a "nusḥa ḥadasha" (new text) and in a "nusḥa yeshana" (old text), being wholly distorted from its original form by Talmudic and cabalistic interpolations. This edition consists of three parts, the first two of which contain the text of the Rabbah and the Zuṭa (31 and 29 chapters respectively). These two parts are preceded by prefaces bearing the titles "Mar Ḳashshisha" or "Sod Malbush ha-Neshamah" (Mystery of the Clothing of the Soul) and "Mar Yanuḳa" or "Sod Ḥaluḳa de-Rabbanan" (Mystery of the Clothing of the Rabbis). Then follows an introduction (common to part ii. and part iii.), with the title "Sha'ar Shemuel" (Gate of Samuel), and a third part consisting mainly of an exegesis of ch. xx.
The following editions are specially to be recommended, namely: that by Jacob ben Naphtali Herz of Brody, with a commentary, Yeshu'at Ya'aḳob (Zolkiev, 1798); that by Abraham ben Judah Löb Schick, with the commentary Me'ore Esh (Sidlkov, 1835); that by Isaac Elijah ben Samuel Landau, with a commentary, Ma'aneh Eliyahu (Wilna, 1840). Among the best editions is the Warsaw one of 1880 containing both texts. The latest edition (prior to 1906) appeared in Vienna in 1900 and 1903, under the titles Seder Eliyahu Rabbah and Seder Eliyahu Zuṭa, after a Vatican manuscript of the year 1073, critically revised, and with a commentary entitled Me'ir 'Ayin, and a voluminous introduction by M. Friedmann. In this edition Seder Eliyahu Zuṭa is divided into 15 chapters.
Midrash
The Hebrew term Midrash is a homiletic method of biblical exegesis. The term also refers to the whole compilation of homiletic teachings on the Bible....
, consisting of two parts, whose final redaction took place at the end of the 10th century CE. The first part is called "Seder Eliyahu Rabbah" (31 chapters); the second, "Seder Eliyahu Zuṭa" (15 chapters). A distinct reference to this midrash occurs in the Talmud
Talmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
in Ket. 106a:
The name of the book
Hence, according to RashiRashi
Shlomo Yitzhaki , or in Latin Salomon Isaacides, and today generally known by the acronym Rashi , was a medieval French rabbi famed as the author of a comprehensive commentary on the Talmud, as well as a comprehensive commentary on the Tanakh...
, the midrash has the two names, "Rabbah" for the earlier, and "Zuṭa" for the later lectures. Anan was a Babylonian amora of the 3rd century. The collection of baraitot concerning him, referred to in this midrash, is cited in the Babylonian Talmud under the title "Tanna debe Eliyahu" (see below), and the utterances in question are found in the midrash itself. The tosafot
Tosafot
The Tosafot or Tosafos are medieval commentaries on the Talmud. They take the form of critical and explanatory glosses, printed, in almost all Talmud editions, on the outer margin and opposite Rashi's notes...
to Ketubot (106a, s.v. והיינו) say that the midrash consists of a large book and a small one. R. Nathan ben Jehiel
Nathan ben Jehiel
Nathan ben Jehiel of Rome was a Jewish Italian lexicographer. He was born in Rome not later than 1035 to one of the most notable Roman families of Jewish scholars. Owing to an error propagated by Azulai, he has been regarded as a scion of the house of De Pomis...
in his Aruk (s.v. סדר, ii.) says: "The midrash contains baraitot which the prophet taught to Anan, and consists of two parts, a large seder with 30 chapters, and a small seder with 12 chapters; and all of the Tanna debe Eliyahu cited in the Talmud is to be found in these baraitot." The inner connection between these two midrashim is a loose one, and it is only in sections 5 to 10 that the second refers to the first.
The Underlying Principle of the Book
The underlying theme of the Tanna debe Eliyahu, which, with many interruptions, runs through the whole work, is the evolution of the world-system. The midrash calls the single periods of the history of man "shiṭṭot" (series). The first series, which deals with the beginning of the world and extends to the moment when man was driven out of EdenGarden of Eden
The Garden of Eden is in the Bible's Book of Genesis as being the place where the first man, Adam, and his wife, Eve, lived after they were created by God. Literally, the Bible speaks about a garden in Eden...
, consists of two subsections, (a) "Ma'aseh Merkabah" and (b) "Ma'aseh Bereshit." The six series of the world-system, however, were created in the divine mind even before any being, with the exception of Israel, existed. They were:
- the divine law (תורה)
- hell (גיהנם)
- paradise (גן עדן), or punishment and reward in the future world
- the throne (כסא הכבוד), or the divine government of the world
- the name of the Messiah (שם המשיח), or the restoration of the universe when about to be destroyed
- the Temple (בית המקדש), or the dependence of man upon God.
Even before these six foundations, however, Israel was, as stated above, already in being in the divine mind, because without Israel there could have been no Torah
Torah
Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five books of the bible—Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers and Deuteronomy Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five...
(M. Friedmann, Seder Eliyahu, p. 161).
The second series embraces the period from the expulsion of man from Eden
Garden of Eden
The Garden of Eden is in the Bible's Book of Genesis as being the place where the first man, Adam, and his wife, Eve, lived after they were created by God. Literally, the Bible speaks about a garden in Eden...
to the Flood. In the ten generations from Adam to Noah
Noah
Noah was, according to the Hebrew Bible, the tenth and last of the antediluvian Patriarchs. The biblical story of Noah is contained in chapters 6–9 of the book of Genesis, where he saves his family and representatives of all animals from the flood by constructing an ark...
man did not adhere to "meekness," did not do what was right (ib. p. 80), but fell lower and lower until he practiced violence, theft, immorality, and murder. For this reason his destruction became a necessity (ib. p. 190).
The Periods of Jewish History
The third series extends from the Flood to King Manasseh of Judah. It treats of the time of the study of the Law, of the priestly office, of the kingdom, and of the end of Israel's prosperity through the evil administration of Manasseh. In the days of AbrahamAbraham
Abraham , whose birth name was Abram, is the eponym of the Abrahamic religions, among which are Judaism, Christianity and Islam...
the period of "tohu wa-bohu" (confusion) ceases and the 2,000 years of law begin. This time is divided into the following periods (see M. Friedmann, Mebo, v. 108):
- the sojourn of the children of Israel in EgyptEgyptEgypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, the ExodusThe ExodusThe Exodus is the story of the departure of the Israelites from ancient Egypt described in the Hebrew Bible.Narrowly defined, the term refers only to the departure from Egypt described in the Book of Exodus; more widely, it takes in the subsequent law-givings and wanderings in the wilderness...
, to JoshuaJoshuaJoshua , is a minor figure in the Torah, being one of the spies for Israel and in few passages as Moses's assistant. He turns to be the central character in the Hebrew Bible's Book of Joshua... - the kingdom of love extending to Samuel
- the kingdom of fear, to the time of Elijah
- the kingdom of truth, to the time of Jeroboam IIJeroboam IIJeroboam II was the son and successor of Jehoash, , and the fourteenth king of the ancient Kingdom of Israel, over which he ruled for forty-one years according to 2 Kings . His reign was contemporary with those of Amaziah and Uzziah , kings of Judah...
- the time of Israel's salvation from oppression under HezekiahHezekiahHezekiah was the son of Ahaz and the 14th king of Judah. Edwin Thiele has concluded that his reign was between c. 715 and 686 BC. He is also one of the most prominent kings of Judah mentioned in the Hebrew Bible....
- from the time of Hezekiah to the reign of Manasseh
The fourth series is filled with "meekness" (ib. p. 163). Whoever studies the Torah
Torah
Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five books of the bible—Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers and Deuteronomy Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five...
receives "meekness" as a reward. In addition there is a second recompense, which is the Mishnah
Mishnah
The Mishnah or Mishna is the first major written redaction of the Jewish oral traditions called the "Oral Torah". It is also the first major work of Rabbinic Judaism. It was redacted c...
. In this introduction of the Mishnah there is a trace of apology intended for those who believe that only the Torah was delivered on Mount Sinai
Mount Sinai
Mount Sinai , also known as Mount Horeb, Mount Musa, Gabal Musa , Jabal Musa meaning "Moses' Mountain", is a mountain near Saint Catherine in the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt. A mountain called Mount Sinai is mentioned many times in the Book of Exodus in the Torah and the Bible as well as the Quran...
. The fifth series extends from King Manasseh to the building of the Second Temple
Second Temple
The Jewish Second Temple was an important shrine which stood on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem between 516 BCE and 70 CE. It replaced the First Temple which was destroyed in 586 BCE, when the Jewish nation was exiled to Babylon...
(ib. p. 163). The last series treats of the future. God, surrounded by all the saints, sits in His bet ha-midrash and counts up the generations of the different periods of time, what they have learned, and what reward they shall receive therefor (ib. p. 4). The future of these saints will be like the beginning of the life of man (ib. p. 164).
The Three Periods
These six series are again divided into three main periods: (1) the present world; (2) the Messianic period; and (3) the future world. These are subdivided into: (a) 2,000 years of confusion ("tohu"); (b) 2,000 years of the TorahTorah
Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five books of the bible—Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers and Deuteronomy Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five...
; (c) 2,000 years of the Messiah
Jewish Messiah
Messiah, ; mashiah, moshiah, mashiach, or moshiach, is a term used in the Hebrew Bible to describe priests and kings, who were traditionally anointed with holy anointing oil as described in Exodus 30:22-25...
; (d) inauguration of a general peace; (e) the future world (ib. p. 115).
Besides this fundamental idea both parts of the midrash
Midrash
The Hebrew term Midrash is a homiletic method of biblical exegesis. The term also refers to the whole compilation of homiletic teachings on the Bible....
emphasize the importance of virtue, of a religious life, and of the study of the Law, and exhort to repentance and almsgiving, greater tolerance toward both Jews and non-Jews, diligent study and respect for scholars, modesty and humility, and the avoidance of non-Jewish manners and customs. The midrash, further, attempts to prove that all human life is based on the two extremes, toil in the sweat of the brow, and the regaining of the freedom of the soul. Hence it begins with the expulsion of Adam from Eden (Gen. iii. 24), and closes with the same theme. The cherubim in Eden are identified with man, and are the symbol of the reward of well-doing; the flaming sword is hell, the punishment for evil-doing. The way to the tree of life is said to be "derek ereẓ" (good behavior), while the guarding of the tree of life is like the guarding of the word of God.
By derek ereẓ the midrash understands that which is fitting, useful, and honest; and these three qualities are the fundamental principles upon which the human world-system and society rest. An example of derek ereẓ in this midrash is the following: The princes of the Philistines
Philistines
Philistines , Pleshet or Peleset, were a people who occupied the southern coast of Canaan at the beginning of the Iron Age . According to the Bible, they ruled the five city-states of Gaza, Askelon, Ashdod, Ekron and Gath, from the Wadi Gaza in the south to the Yarqon River in the north, but with...
possessed derek ereẓ, because when the Philistines wished to convey the Ark
Ark of the Covenant
The Ark of the Covenant , also known as the Ark of the Testimony, is a chest described in Book of Exodus as solely containing the Tablets of Stone on which the Ten Commandments were inscribed...
to the Israelites they would not send it back without sacrifices (I Sam. vi. 3; Friedmann, l.c. p. 58). On the other hand, the inhabitants of Bethshemesh did not possess it, inasmuch as instead of bowing before the Ark they rejoiced and danced before it boldly, so that misfortune came upon them and 50,000 of them fell (ib.).
Quality of Derek Erez
The opposite of derek ereẓ is "to walk in the crooked way," i.e., to do unworthy deeds and to give oneself up to immorality. Yet no nation of the world, with the exception of Ancient EgyptAncient Egypt
Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...
, has sunk so low as this. In ordinary life, however, the transgression of a command or prohibition, indecency, or even theft is a most pronounced opposite of derek ereẓ; and every father of a family should strive to preserve those depending on him from these vices, because they belong to those evils which might bring about the destruction of the world.
The twelve chapters of the second part of the midrash
Midrash
The Hebrew term Midrash is a homiletic method of biblical exegesis. The term also refers to the whole compilation of homiletic teachings on the Bible....
are characterized by the fact that the narratives showing why in this world things often go amiss with the good and well with the wicked, are commonly introduced by the words "It happened" (מעשה) or "Once on a time" (פעם אחת). The midrash is sometimes interspersed with very beautiful prayers (see, for example, M. Friedmann, l.c. pp. 6, 18, 19, 28).
The Tanna debe Eliyahu is the only haggadic work which contains a rabbinic-karaitic polemic. In the second chapter of the second part is an account of a meeting of the author with a Karaite, who possesses a knowledge of Jewish Scripture, but not of the Mishnah
Mishnah
The Mishnah or Mishna is the first major written redaction of the Jewish oral traditions called the "Oral Torah". It is also the first major work of Rabbinic Judaism. It was redacted c...
; the differences discussed, however, are not important. The polemical attitude is much more noticeable in ch. xv. of the first part. There the following points are treated in detail:
- washing the hands (comp. Ḥul. 106a; Shab. 62b; SoṭahSotahSotah deals with the ritual of the Sotah - the woman suspected of adultery as described and prescribed in the Book of Numbers in...
4b) - slaughtering (comp. Ḥul. 27a)
- partaking of human blood (comp. Ker. 20b)
- prohibition against eating fat (comp. Lev. vii. 23; Ker. 4b; Pinsker, Liḳḳuṭe Ḳadmoniyyot, p. 20)
- robbery from a Jew and from a non-Jew (comp. B. Ḳ. 113b)
- degrees of relationship as bearing on marriage (comp. Eshkol ha-Kofer, p. 117b)
- grades of purity (comp. ib. p. 111b; Shab. 13a).
Unlike other polemics, this one is not couched in acrimonious terms, but it adopts a mild, conciliatory tone.
Composed in the tenth century
As to the time of the composition of the work, all scholars agree in assigning it to the end of the 10th century, but as to the place where it was written, authorities differ. Whereas certain scholars (e.g., ZunzZunz
Zunz, Zuntz is a Yiddish surname: , Belgian pharmacologist* Leopold Zunz , German Reform rabbi* Gerhard Jack Zunz , British civil engineer- Zuntz :* Nathan Zuntz , German physiologist...
, J.L. Rapoport, W. Bacher, Oppenheim, and Hochmuth) suppose Babylonia
Babylonia
Babylonia was an ancient cultural region in central-southern Mesopotamia , with Babylon as its capital. Babylonia emerged as a major power when Hammurabi Babylonia was an ancient cultural region in central-southern Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq), with Babylon as its capital. Babylonia emerged as...
or Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
, Güdemann is of the opinion that the work was written in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, or at least that its author must have been an Italian who had traveled a great deal and had been as far as Babylon
Babylon
Babylon was an Akkadian city-state of ancient Mesopotamia, the remains of which are found in present-day Al Hillah, Babil Province, Iraq, about 85 kilometers south of Baghdad...
, who learned there of the polemic between the Rabbinites and Karaites, but who abstained from mentioning Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
or Italy because he considered he would be likely to create a greater impression among his fellow countrymen by relating observations which he had made abroad.
Furthermore, the fact that he knew nothing of Babylonia beyond its name shows that he could not have been a native of that region. Derenbourg also places the origin of the work in Rome. H. Grätz goes farthest of all, by simply identifying the Babylon of the midrash with Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, and the fights of Gog and Magog
Gog and Magog
Gog and Magog are names that appear primarily in various Jewish, Christian and Muslim scriptures, as well as numerous subsequent references in other works. Their context can be either genealogical or eschatological and apocalyptic, as in Ezekiel and Revelation...
described in the work with the devastating invasion of the Hungarians into Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
from 889 to 955. The most radical opponent of this view is M. Friedmann. For him all arguments concerning the age of the Tanna debe Eliyahu and against its identification with the "Seder Eliyahu" mentioned in Ket. 10b, are only superficial and only apparently sound; and he accordingly assigns the origin of the work "eo ipso" to Babylonia.
The age of the midrash is approximately ascertainable by three data contained in the book itself.
- In ch. ii. the author speaks of the 7th century of the 2,000 years of the Messianic period as having passed; this period began in 242 C.E., hence the time of writing must have been the 10th century.
- The second datum relates to the temporal reckoning of the jubileesJubileesThe Book of Jubilees , sometimes called Lesser Genesis , is an ancient Jewish religious work, considered one of the pseudepigrapha by Protestant, Roman Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox Churches...
, and is treated by J.L. Rapoport in Toledot de-R. Natan, p. 144. - The third datum (ch. xxx.) indicates that nine centuries had passed since the destruction of the Second TempleSecond TempleThe Jewish Second Temple was an important shrine which stood on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem between 516 BCE and 70 CE. It replaced the First Temple which was destroyed in 586 BCE, when the Jewish nation was exiled to Babylon...
; hence the last redaction of the midrash falls in the interval between 968 and 984.
Examples of Exegesis
Of especially original midrashim contained in the work a few may be noticed here.- On the passage "and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones" (Ezek. xxxvii. 1-11) it is said, "Instead of 'bones' [עצמות] should be read 'tree of death' [עץ מות]; for it was the same tree which, through Adam's disobedience, brought death to him and to all his descendants" (v. 24).
- "'And this man went up out of his city yearly' [ I Sam. i. 3]: from these words it appears that Elkanah went to Shiloh four times a year, three times in accordance with the legal prescription, and once in addition, which last journey he had assumed voluntarily" (Friedmann, l.c. p. 47).
- "On the day of Adam's death his descendants made a feast, because on account of his age he had long been a burden to himself and to them" (ib. p. 81).
- "'I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger' [ Hos. xi. 9]: God has sworn to His people that He will not give them in exchange for another people, nor change them for another nation" (Friedmann, l.c. p. 127).
- "'The fool hath said in his heart, there is no God' PsalmsPsalmsThe Book of Psalms , commonly referred to simply as Psalms, is a book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Bible...
xiv. 2]: a man may not say in his heart, 'This world is a tohu va-bohu; I will give myself up to sensual pleasures and will retire from the world'" (xxiii. 127-128). - "From the words 'Israel was holiness unto the Lord' [ Jer. ii. 3] it follows that the holiness of God, of the Sabbath, and of Israel is the same" (Friedmann, l.c. p. 133).
The passages in the Talmud cited in Tanna debe Eliyahu are: Shab. 13a; Pes. 94a, 112a; Meg. 28b; Ḳid. 80b; Ab. Zarah 5b, 9a; Sanh. 92a; Tamid 32a.
Those cited in the Talmud under "Tanu Rabbanan" and found also in this midrash are: Shab. 88b and Giṭ. 36b = Tanna debe Eliyahu (ed. Friedmann), p. 78; Pes. 49a = ib. p. 30; Pes. 49a = ib. p. 68; Suk. 52a = ib. p. 20; R. H. 18a = ib. p. 53; Meg. 14a = ib. p. 82; Ḳid. 82a = ib. p. 101; B. Ḳ. 97b = ib. p. 21; B. B.
Bava Batra
Bava Batra is the third of the three tractates in the Talmud in the order Nezikin; it deals with a person's responsibilities and rights as the owner of property. It is part of Judaism's oral law...
90b = ib. p. 77; B. B.
Bava Batra
Bava Batra is the third of the three tractates in the Talmud in the order Nezikin; it deals with a person's responsibilities and rights as the owner of property. It is part of Judaism's oral law...
147a = ib. p. 157; Sanh. 19a = ib. p. 147; Sanh. 43b = ib. p. 102; Sanh. 109a = ib. p. 168; Sheb. 39a = ib. p. 132; Yeb. 62b = ib. p. 78.
Furthermore, in this midrash are found sentences of the following amoraim: Johanan
Yochanan bar Nafcha
Rabbi Yochanan ;...
, Joshua ben Levi
Joshua ben Levi
Joshua ben Levi or Yehoshua ben Levi was an amora who lived in the land of Israel of the first half of the third century. He headed the school of Lydda in the southern Land of Israel. He was an elder contemporary of Johanan bar Nappaha and Resh Lakish, who presided over the school in Tiberias...
, R. Abbahu, and Eleazar
Eleazar
Eleazar , was a priest in the Hebrew Bible, the second Kohen Gadol - succeeding his father Aaron. He was a nephew of Moses.-Life:...
.
Editions
The first published edition of this midrashMidrash
The Hebrew term Midrash is a homiletic method of biblical exegesis. The term also refers to the whole compilation of homiletic teachings on the Bible....
appeared at Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
in the year 1598, prepared from a copy dated 1186. In 1677 an edition by Samuel b. Moses Haida, with changes in the text and with a commentary (דאשא זקוקין דנורא בעורין), appeared in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
. The text itself was presented in a "nusḥa ḥadasha" (new text) and in a "nusḥa yeshana" (old text), being wholly distorted from its original form by Talmudic and cabalistic interpolations. This edition consists of three parts, the first two of which contain the text of the Rabbah and the Zuṭa (31 and 29 chapters respectively). These two parts are preceded by prefaces bearing the titles "Mar Ḳashshisha" or "Sod Malbush ha-Neshamah" (Mystery of the Clothing of the Soul) and "Mar Yanuḳa" or "Sod Ḥaluḳa de-Rabbanan" (Mystery of the Clothing of the Rabbis). Then follows an introduction (common to part ii. and part iii.), with the title "Sha'ar Shemuel" (Gate of Samuel), and a third part consisting mainly of an exegesis of ch. xx.
The following editions are specially to be recommended, namely: that by Jacob ben Naphtali Herz of Brody, with a commentary, Yeshu'at Ya'aḳob (Zolkiev, 1798); that by Abraham ben Judah Löb Schick, with the commentary Me'ore Esh (Sidlkov, 1835); that by Isaac Elijah ben Samuel Landau, with a commentary, Ma'aneh Eliyahu (Wilna, 1840). Among the best editions is the Warsaw one of 1880 containing both texts. The latest edition (prior to 1906) appeared in Vienna in 1900 and 1903, under the titles Seder Eliyahu Rabbah and Seder Eliyahu Zuṭa, after a Vatican manuscript of the year 1073, critically revised, and with a commentary entitled Me'ir 'Ayin, and a voluminous introduction by M. Friedmann. In this edition Seder Eliyahu Zuṭa is divided into 15 chapters.
Jewish Encyclopedia bibliography
- W. Bacher, in Monatsschrift, xxiii. 267 et seq.;
- idem, in R. E. J., xx. 144-146;
- T. Derenbourg, in R. E. J. ii. 134 et seq., iii. 121-122;
- M. Friedmann, introduction (Mebo) to his ed. of Seder Eliyahu;
- Grätz, Gesch. 3d ed., v. 294-295;
- Güdemann, Gesch. ii. 50, 52 et seq., 300-303;
- Hochmuth, in Neuzeit, 1868, Nos. 23 et seq.;
- Oppenheim, Bet Talmud, i. 304 et seq.;
- J.L. Rapoport, Toledot de-Rabbi Natan, in Bikkure ha-'Ittim, x. 43;
- J. Theodor, in Monatsschrift, xliv. 380-384, 550-561;
- ZunzZunzZunz, Zuntz is a Yiddish surname: , Belgian pharmacologist* Leopold Zunz , German Reform rabbi* Gerhard Jack Zunz , British civil engineer- Zuntz :* Nathan Zuntz , German physiologist...
, G. V. ii. 119-124, Frankfort-on-the-Main, 1892.
External links
- Jewish Encyclopedia article for TANNA DEBE ELIYAHU, by Wilhelm BacherWilhelm BacherWilhelm Bacher was a Jewish Hungarian scholar, rabbi, Orientalist and linguist, born in Liptó-Szent-Miklós, Hungary to the Hebrew writer Simon Bacher. Wilhelm was himself an incredibly prolific writer, authoring or co-authoring approximately 750 works in an unfortunately short life...
and Schulim Ochser.