Saadia Ben Joseph Gaon

Saadia Gaon ( Hebrew , Arab said the ("), is a rabbi of the ^tenth century ( Egypt , 882 or 892 against assimilation into the Arab-Muslim conquest, the struggles for influence between the academies of the land of Israel and Babylon , those opposing the exilarch (leader of the Jewish exiles in Babylonia) to scholarchs etc.. It is, above all, the first major opponent to the Karaites , followers of Judaism that rejects scripturalist oral Torah of the rabbis.

It responds to these challenges through innovative and prolific, becoming the first follower of rabbinic Judaism to learn about science lay in his time without neglecting the traditional areas. His best known works today are the Tafsir , the first rabbinical commentary of the Bible, and the Sefer Emounot veDeot first major attempt to reconcile the Jewish rabbinic tradition and Greek philosophy.

The life and works of Saadia Gaon, making it one of the highest spiritual authorities and scientists Geonim period ^, . His work has strongly contributed to the golden age of Jewish culture in Spain , guaranteeing him a place in the Arab-Andalusian Judaism to which only Moses Maimonides was able to claim later .

Biography

The main sources on the life of Saadia were, until the nineteenth ^century , the Letter of Sherira Gaon and the Book of Transmission of Abraham ibn Dawd Halevi , which incorporates the content.
The followers of the Judentums Wissenschaft ("science of Judaism") then take into account, in addition to these sources, the polemical literature of the era and the story of Nathan HaBavli slightly later than Sherira .
The study of documents from the Cairo Geniza (a collection of pages, texts and fragments of medieval Jewish literature stored in a schedule designed for this use of the Ben Ezra synagogue of Old Cairo ), a company in the late ^nineteenth century but actually started in the early ^twentieth century and still going till now, can recover works that were thought lost, others remained unknown and correspondence and documents shedding new light on the Saadia Gaon's life and his time.

Early years

The first some facts about Saadia dating from 921 CE. All the above is largely from speculation beyond the facts that his birthplace, the village of Dilatz in Fayoum.

Saadia wrote in his Sefer HaGalou down of Shelah son of Judah and Hanina Ben Dossa , a Chassidim of the ^first century celebrated in many narratives of the Talmud (one of his son is also named Dossa ). His detractors meanwhile ensured that his family had been converted to Judaism of recent date and that his father was a model of debauchery, according to Henry Malter, only the origin of Saadia proselyte is plausible , the other taking of statements defamation. Sherira Gaon says that Saadia's father was a pious and learned .

It appears from the correspondence that Saadia had started a family and a school in Egypt and that he had left to study with masters of the West (the land of Israel ), which were attached so Jews of Egypt. It is possible that Saadia was compelled to start due to retaliation by the Karaites ^, . It would indeed, as the commentator Abraham ibn Ezra , publicly debated with scholars Karaites and wrote at the age of 23 years in the Book of Refutation of Anan, frontal attack against Anan ben David , the forerunner, if not the founder of Karaism .

During his stay in the land of Israel, Saadia corresponds with the Babylonian academies .
Moreover, Arab traveler and historian Al-Masudi notes have debated with some Abu Yahia al-Kathir Kathib, which Saadia for discipleship. Abu Kathir could have been a Masoretes - and have taught at the Saadia Massor (a system of reading, pronunciation, recitation and preservation of the biblical text) which it uses in his works, including grammar - or a philosopher and it is certainly not his first master.
The disciples of Isaac Israeli mention of the correspondence between their master and Saadia, before it arrives in Babylon and he also met the philosopher David ibn Marwan Al-Mukkamas . However, nothing indicates that they have inspired although it is likely that Saadia has read the works of Al-Mukkamas before composing his own .

The acquisition of scientific, literary, rabbinic and Karaite Saadia, obvious from his earliest works, and the identity of his first teachers, therefore, remain subject to various speculations ^{, , , ,} , some involving clear legend controversy .

The dispute Calendar

Saadia is Aleppo when he learned that the Rabbi Aaron ben Meir , the supreme authority of Palestinian Judaism, has issued a new rule concerning the calculation of molad (the lunar conjunction). This greatly affects the determination of dates in the Hebrew calendar , especially as it has been assured by the Babylonian sages for centuries and that they reject this amendment.

The argument that follows does not only ritual but a point to political influence because it can convince the members let alone the leaders and notables of the Jewish communities, obtained de facto rule over them.

Convinced of the correctness of calculations Babylonian, Saadia attempts to reason Ben Meir, without success, and writes number of circulars to recommend to many communities do not adopt the proposed innovation (this fact alone is indicative of the prestige he already has in the Jewish world ). The dispute escalates, and personal attacks are increasing.
Babylonian religious authorities, unable to contain Ben Meir even plan to appeal to the government, before loading Saadia writing in 922, during the height of the crisis, a memorial for the communities of the diaspora of which there remain as fragments. Saadia also composed the Book of Time set.
The agitation subsides, the Jews of the Land of Israel permanently adopt the calculation Babylonian, and Ben Meir is not mentioned . According to Alexander Marx , the two books have been written so that the controversy had already been settled .

The end of the controversy marks a major step in the establishment of the Babylonian Talmud as standard for all Jewish communities. As to Saadia, he ensured the support of exilarch David ben Zakkai and academies .

Academic career and appointment as Gaon

In Pumbedita

Service to the community Babylonian, and the recognition of their knowledge and secular Jews, are worth to be cared for Saadia ranks of Alouf and Resh Kalla at the Academy of Pumbedita , one of the two poles of knowledge Jewish Babylonia.

Saadia commenced its work of education: while continuing his polemics with the Karaites , he teaches his students, overwhelmingly Arabic speakers, to rediscover the Hebrew Bible according to rabbinical tradition.
It facilitates their learning on the one hand to the Hebrew Bible , writing the first systematic works on Hebrew grammar and, secondly, the understanding of text by calling the Tafsir ( Arabic : exegesis), the first translation of the Bible of the Bible in Arabic, accompanied by a commentary which relies, for the first time, both in text and on the tradition . It also fight against heretical interpretations by writing a rebuttal to the 200 questions Hiwi al-Balkhi , now lost.

Saadia also continuing its task of uniting community component as a prayer book where it offers a unique ritual prayers, valid all year and for the entire Jewish Diaspora. He also includes many of his liturgical pieces.

In Sura

At the death of the Gaon Yom Tov Yaakov Kahana Bar in 926 , the Academy of Sura came to such a decline that David ben Zakkai exilarch plans on the advice of the gaon Pumbedita, March Cohen Zedek , to close this school Despite its illustrious past. Death of candidate gaonat Honorary, occurring even before taking office, dissuaded .

The exilarch Saadia requires two years later, despite the voices in protest against the appointment of a "stranger" (an Egyptian Jew and non- Babylonian ) to a position that is traditionally shared between families and despite the reluctance of Nissim Nahrawan , Resh Kallah of Sura, who urge that future conflict between the Gaon and exilarch far less docile than David ben Zakkai would wish .

Saadia activity focuses on Jewish law , writing numerous responsibility but also the first monograph on the subject where the Judeo-Arabic is, for the first time, privileged Jewish Babylonian Aramaic , for the sake of accessibility. The academy of Sura recovers its splendor .

However, a dispute broke out between Saadia and Ben Zakkai, as feared Nissim Nahrawan.

The scholarch and exilarch

According to the story of Nathan HaBavli, the dispute began with an inheritance case (although tensions have probably occurred previously ) and escalated.
David ben Zakkai, both financially and ideologically supported by Aaron ibn Sarjadou , tabled Saadia, appointing in his place Yosef ben Ya'akov ibn Satya , but minor scholar brother of former gaon, Yom Tov Kahana. Saadia, backed by the son of Netira , tabled David, appointing in his place his younger brother, Yoshia (Hassan) ben Zakkai.

The case, argued for two years at the court of Caliph Al-Muqtadir , took a decisive turn in 932 as the new caliph, Al-Qahir , is in need of funds and welcomes the "present" brought by supporters of 'exilarch, while the influence of the supporters of Saadia declines.
Hassan ben Zakkai was exiled and died in Khurasan. Saadia, also banned, writes in his exile in the commentary Sefer Yetzirah , completed in 931, and his great work, the Emounot veDeot two years later.
The case is experiencing a resurgence in 937. Bishr ibn Aaron exilarch the sum to end the feud.
Reconciliation takes place the day of the fasting of Esther. Saadia takes over management of Soura some time later.

Weakened by a life of struggle, Saadia Gaon dies at Soura 26 Iyar 4602 ( May 21 942 ) of " black bile ", according to a tradition reported by Abraham ibn Dawd , whose source is likely Dossa. The traveler Benjamin of Tudela said he saw his grave at Mata Mehassia .

After Saadia

After the death of Saadia, Ibn Satya took over the management of Sura but did not meet its size Ibn Saradjou, became Gaon Pumbedita, and the academy closed for 45 years. A final attempt, carried out jointly by the college of Sura and that of Pumbedita, Soura meet held under the tutelage of Samuel ben Hofn , established emergency by her step-son Hai Gaon. Dossa succeeded him for 6 years .

According to Abraham ibn Dawd, suatre students Sura, left at sea to collect subsidies are captured at sea and redeemed by communities of various countries, where they would erect significant Talmudic academies (the historicity of this story is controversial by most scholars of the Wissenschaft des Judentums , who see it as a aetiological myth to justify the rise of the knowledge centers in Europe and North Africa). One of them, Moshe ben Hanoch , transmits the heritage of Spain and is known to Geonim Hasdai ibn Shaprout the work of Saadia. Other students, particularly Dunash ben Labrat , popularize the teaching of Saadia in Spain where he is indeed a revolution. Hence arises the golden age of Jewish culture in Spain.

Work

Saadia production is estimated at approximately one hundred works, most lost or to discover. Written in Judeo-Arabic and often influenced by Arab culture, it touches on many areas that Saadia did not, as it credits in traditionally invented ^, . His influence was, however such, with his followers and his opponents, he has forgotten most of his predecessors.

Controversy

The entire work of Saadia is the spiritual survival of Judaism true to its tradition in a new world with which it is possible to achieve a mutually beneficial relationship . The Karaism, which proposed such integration at the expense of tradition, that could not meet his natural enemy. Saadia Gaon also opposed the extreme rationalism of Hiwi al-Balkhi , a critic of the Oral Torah but also the written Torah.

Saadia's work leaves a mark so deep in the consciousness Karaite, until the nineteenth ^century , a karatologue this time, Samuel Poznanski , had gathered fragments of works from more than forty-nine authors directed cons ideas . Conversely, the mere mention of an author into a diatribe of Saadia was considered by many scholars, including Graetz , as evidence of membership of this author Karaism .

Saadia also wrote Sefer haGalou during his controversy with David ben Zakkai.

Linguistics

The main works of Saadia on the matter are, in chronological order, the Sefer HaEgron ( Hebrew : Book Collection ), the second version is the first prototype of Hebrew-Arabic dictionary, the Kutub al-Lughah ( Arabic : "Book Language") treatise on grammar in 12 volumes, and al-Sab Kitb lafz in al-Mufrad , to elucidate the meaning of 90 words appearing only once in the corpus Bible ; other notes on the subject scattered his work, especially the commentary on Sefer Yetzira.

Being "the first grammarian," Saadia's work contains many errors. Dunash demonstrates that his master often misunderstands the meaning of a word or passage in the Arabic translation of the Bible, and that in his philological research, it relies on superficial resemblances between Hebrew and Arabic roots, even if their real meanings are completely different . However, these errors were, according to Graetz, "useful to his successors . "

Exegesis

Saadia reintroduced exegesis of the Hebrew Bible . It produces an annotated translation of the Bible (except, it seems, Chronicles) in Arabic and Arabic characters, accessible to all Jews as Arab Christians and Muslims.

The translation is quite free, in the syntax, Saadia did not hesitate to bring a piece of the verses and fragments of verses to form a comprehensible whole . Saadia has willed comment in itself, hence its name Tafsir (Arabic: Closely following the traditional rabbinic interpretation, especially Targum Pseudo-Jonathan , he "often say more text and something else that really says , "to guard against critics who Mohammedans Jews feel unable to understand their own Scriptures if the Tafsir is too complicated .

Saadia also assistant to a comment, based on tradition and philosophy, which sets the traditional interpretation of the text and refutes the objections of the Karaites and skeptics as well as anthropomorphic readings.

The Tafsir familiar with the Jewish spirit of Arab culture, a time when they were considered incompatible . Saadia discusses philosophical speculation, responding to the arguments of skeptical rationalists.
This translation introduces the Jewish spirit, and Saadia, in the non-Jewish Arab world: Al-Masudi , a Muslim contemporary of Saadia gives details about his life, and an author of the ^tenth century , Mohammed ibn Ishak al-Nadim , gives, in his al-Fihrist'Ulum , a list of eleven works of Saadia.

The Tafsir remains long the Arabic translation of basic Jewish communities in Yemen, which are included alongside the Targum of Onkelos . The translation into Hebrew of the Torah commentary is published in the Torat Hayim Mossad HaRav Kook.

Poetry and liturgy

The most famous contribution to the liturgy of Saadia, prior to the study of manuscripts from the Cairo Geniza , is his siddur (prayer book), the Kitab His commentary, written in Judeo-Arabic, seems popular, although the arrangement proposed by the ritual Saadia has never been accepted .
The book was reissued on the basis of a nearly complete manuscript, preserved at Oxford , and fragments found in the Geniza, Davidson, Assaf and Yoel, in the title of Siddur Rav Saadia Gaon ( Jerusalem , 1941 ), with Hebrew translation of the sections written in Judeo-Arabic in columns vis--vis.

Saadia is renowned for his liturgical poems composed in all genres ( baashot , hoshanot , azharot , etc..). His approach is an attempt, fairly successful emancipation of style, but acknowledged hermetic of Eleazar Hakala and its predecessors. Bacher , citing Zunz , calls it "curious mixture of simplicity and trust payytanique Bible," borrowed turns to the Bible's narrative and vocabulary, incorporating the stylistic devices of his predecessors. Abraham ibn Ezra rent Saadia's commentary on Ecclesiastes 5:1, when he engages in a devastating critique of the ancient liturgical poets .
Saadia was the first to introduce the themes and philosophical ideas in his poems, inspiring poets liturgical Spanish major, which Solomon ibn Gabirol and Judah Halevi.

Azharot on the 613 commandments and the Shir shel HaOtiyot (Poem Letters) occupy a special place in his work: the first is repeated and amplified by Yeruham Fischel Perla, which makes it a real Hamitzvot laRassag Sefer (Book of Commandments Rassag) with a full commentary, which makes a comparison between the computation of the 613 mitzvot of Saadia Gaon and one of the rabbis of the Middle Ages and the second is distinguished by its subject, grammatical rather than liturgical, and his mastery of lessons Masoretic which can be read as a mnemonic in the number of each letter in the Torah or uplifting anthem .

Halakhic

The work of Saadia on Halacha (Jewish law) are still mostly in manuscript state, dispersed in thousands of Geniza fragments waiting to be studied or discovered . The little we know can get a general idea of their nature and dimension.

The most important contribution in the field of Saadia consists of the Treaties on the injury, financial and other loans, inheritance etc.. And ritual purity and impurity associated with menstruation , the ritual slaughter and flesh unfit for human consumption , the incest , festivals and the proclamation of the new month. Only the Kitab al-Mawarith Treaty (succession) and the Treaty on the laws of slaughter have been partially preserved and published .
With these treaties, Saadia is one of the pioneers, if not the creator of the rabbinic literature , the first to write "books" in the modern sense, and to establish a systematic approach to his work. By assigning a subject book, he invented the halakhic monograph. By dividing these books into sections and subsections, which he defined, explicit and pressed Talmudic evidence, it provides a real structure, unlike the codes of the time gaonique the Halachot Guedolot and Halachot Pesouot, which were modeled Talmudic discussions on . His method, and use of Judeo-Arabic , were adopted by his successors ^, .

Saadia has contributed to the flagship gaonique literature, the responsa (answers to questions most often a point of sent by an individual or a community), of which fifty were preserved , written in Hebrew, they follow the same structure as its treaties.

Saadia is one of the first to write manuals to facilitate learning and understanding of the Babylonian Talmud. His commentary on the thirteen principles of hermeneutics attributed to Rabbi Ishmael , preserved only in Hebrew, was included in the Complete Works . Another method is mentioned by HYD Azoulai under the name "Klalei haTalmud , "but is known only by the few quotes made by Bezalel Ashkenazi , in a similar work .
According to the traveler Pethahiah Regensburg , Saadia has produced a translation of the Mishnah in Judeo-Arabic, used in Baghdad in the ^twelfth century.

Jewish Philosophy

Besides the many notes scattered in his philosophical works, Saadia writes toward the end of his life two books devoted to philosophical speculation in Judaism.

The Tafsir al-Kitb Mabdi (Commentary of the Book of Creation), written in 932, was presented by the author as a work of establishing the text of , of which there are many versions. Although this book whose first chapter contains the doctrine of the Sefirot , is considered one of the fundamental works of the Kabbalah , it seems that Saadia, who rejected the doctrine of metempsychosis , has no knowledge of esoteric theories taught in the period gaonique at very small circles of insiders . His comment, describing the doctrine of creation ex nihilo means that defends the tradition of rationalism and cons Proponents of the eternity of the world, aims instead to limit speculation, philosophical and mystical about the topics covered in the book, and seems especially directed against the theory of Ideas , that is to say, Platonic philosophy, which the Kabbalists of Provence take the XII ^century the mystical interpretation of the Sefirot .
The book was translated in 1891 by Mayer Lambert , in French under the title "Commentary on the Sefer Yesira by Saadya Gaon . "

The Kitab written in 934 / A> is the works of Saadia whose survival is most important. Branded school motazilite al-Dubb in its method, as in its division and in its choice of themes, it also shows influences Stoic , Platonic and Aristotelian. Its purpose is less to establish the "first comprehensive system of religious philosophy ) that explain how philosophy, often used to destabilize the Jewish in his faith, may instead, guided by faith, confirm the truths of Revelation and refute the objections of the unbelievers .
Like Philo , whom he has often been compared, Saadia incorporates elements of Judaism with Greek philosophy. Reason being, in Saadia, subject to Revelation, philosophy is a tool that confirms the tradition, and one who uses it is in continuity with it, according to the principle that "a wise man is preferable to a Prophet .
This book, translated into Hebrew by Judah ibn Tibbon in the name of Sefer haemounot vehadeot , "Book of the beliefs and convictions") left a deep mark in the Jewish world . His ideas influenced Jewish philosophers of the neo-Platonic , which Baya and Abraham ibn Ezra , and to Abraham ibn Dawd , a supporter of Aristotle . Maimonides kalamite critical approach, which is to produce "evidence" rational according with predetermined doctrinal premises, such a method would invalidate the eyes of Maimonides, his own results, and incompatible with a serious philosophical approach . The Emounot veDeot is frequently cited to the Haskalah , and although the Eclipse Guide of the Perplexed of Maimonides, the philosophical opposition to the latter use it as a doctrinal source alternative .

Influence

Saadia involved, both through his writings and by the reactions they give rise to the birth of a rich Judeo-Arabic literature , which addresses both the traditional secular subjects . An argument about his writings, led by his disciple Dunash ben Labrat cons Menahem Ben Sarouk , is causing a major development of grammar, philology and poetry Hebrew . According to Alexander Marx, Moses Maimonides himself represents the culmination of what began Saadia .

Saadia's influence is initially lower in the Franco-German center of Ashkenazi Jewry, where the Judeo-Arabic is a foreign language. Rashi knows Saadia unlikely , although he was influenced indirectly through the grammatical and lexicographical works of Menahem Ben Sarouk and Dunash ibn Labrat, cited repeatedly in his biblical commentary.
A century later, the work of Saadia are known Tosafists , they reserve a home comparable to that of the Jews of Spain .

The researchers Wissenschaft and their successors see him as the initiator of the medieval Jewish civilization .

Saadia is an important figure of modern Orthodox Judaism , a fierce opponent of assimilation (but not acculturation) of the Jews ^{, ,} , however, remain open to the world and science , champion of the unity of Jewish people observing the precepts of the Bible and tradition

See also

Bibliography

Besides books, articles and sites mentioned in the references were also consulted:

• (In) S. Pessin, Saadia (Saadia) , The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy , Edward N. Zalta (ed. 2003)
• (He) This article incorporates text from of Otzar Israel in 1912 article "Rabbi Saadia" , a publication now in the public domain.
• (He) Saadia on the site of the Jewish Encyclopedia Daat
• Sylvie Anne Goldberg, The Clepsydra II, Albin Michel, 2004, p. 181-195
• Yaffa Ganz & Berel Wein , Sand and Stars, The Jewish Journey, 1994, pp. 94-99, Mesorah Publications, Brooklyn NY, ISBN 0-89906-036-6
• Berel Wein , Herald of Destiny: The Story of the Jews 750-1650, 1993, pp. 4-12, Shaar Press, Brooklyn, NY, ISBN 0-89906-237-7
• S. Munk , Notice sur R. Saadia Gaon , Paris, 1838, (see also additions to the Record , Paris 1843)
• (He) Weiss , Dor, iv. ch. 13-16, pp. 115 - 143 ;
• Erwin Isak Jakob Rosenthal Saadya Studies , 1980 (reprint of No. 282 Publications Of The University of Manchester, 1943, in honor of the millennium of the death of Saadia).

Links and external documents

• (En) Saadia Gaon on Akadem:
  • Overview
  • Reason and Revelation - Tribute to Great Masters: Saadia Gaon
  • Saadia Gaon, thinker of modernity
• (In) Excerpts from Saadia on the Sefer Yetzira
• (In) Resources> Medieval Jewish History> geonic The Jewish History Resource Center - Project of the Dinur Center for Research in Jewish History, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Notes, references and citations to article

Notes

References

Quotations
(In) This article incorporates text from the Jewish Encyclopedia 1901-1906 Article "SAADIA B. JOSEPH (Sa'id al-Fayyum) " by Wilhelm Bacher , a publication now in the public domain.

Geonim Period ( 589 - 1,038 )
Geonim of Soura	March Rav Huna bar AIHA Yehuda Natrona Amram (?) Saadia ben Samuel Hofn Other
Geonim of Pumbedita	Hanan of Isqiya Sherira hai Hizkiya (?) Other
The Jews in Babylonia	Exilarch Babylonian academies ( Sura Pumbedita Nehardea etc.. )
The Jews of Israel	Palestinian academies Aaron ben Meir Ben Asher and Ben Naphtali
The Karaites	Anan Benjamin Daniel Salman Sahl Yaphet Yaqub Other wise Karaites Princes Karaites
Other protesters	Abu Issa Yudghan Hamadan Hiwi al-Balkhi Ishmael of Oukbara Moussa Tiflis Meshwi of Oukbara
The Jews of Kairouan	Isaac Israeli Dunash ibn Tamim Jacob ben Nissim Houshiel Hananel Nissim ben Jacob
The Jews in Spain	Hasdai ibn Shaprut Dunash ben Labrat Menahem Ben Sarouk Judah ben David Hayyuj Samuel ibn Nagrela Yona ibn Jannah
Intellectual activity	Responsa Halachic Codes Arrangement of ritual ( Seder ) Philosophy ( Kalam ) Massor Grammar etc..

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