Yehuda Ben Eliya Hadassi

Hadassi Judah ( Hebrew : is a Sage Karaite the mid- ^twelfth century.

Controversial and liturgist, is considered one of the most eminent masters of the Jewish movement scripturalist, as opposed to rabbinic Judaism traditional.

Biographical Elements

We know little about his life except that he was the disciple of his older brother Nathan. It was, according to a Sage Karaite later master Hebrew grammar , Massor , theology and philosophy ^Works

Eshkol Hakofer

The great work of Hadassi Judah, to whom he owes his reputation, is the Sefer Eshkol HaKofer or Hapel, written in Constantinople in 1148, described as a "sum of Karaite theology, and probably the most important Karaite work ever written in Hebrew . "

The Eshkol HaKofer is a treatise on the commandments, which the author seeks to explain philosophically, using all his knowledge and talent of analysis. Assuming that all laws, those contained in the Pentateuch, those decreed ("added") by the rabbis and the various ethics laws by which the Jews set their daily find their source in the Decalogue , Hadassi lists each of these ten commandments, and derives a comprehensive set of religious laws that result. All work is arranged on this plan, incorporating in addition not only much of the science of his time but also the legends and folklore that make the book a veritable ocean of study. "
Written in Hebrew , the text is mostly in rhymed prose, and uses extensively the technique of the acrostic. Sections 105 to 124, however, are written in a poetic form regularly.

The first command, asserting the existence of God, contains the alphabet from 1 to 95. The author deals with the duties of the creatures to the Creator, addressing issues including prayer, repentance, retribution and resurrection of the dead. Once the alphabet No. 35, Hadassi discusses the nature of God, that of Creation (Ma'asse bereshit), angels, celestial bodies, etc.. This part of the book is a compendium of religious philosophy, astronomy, physics, natural history, geography, and folklore.

The Second Commandment ("Thou shalt have no other God before Me") contains the alphabets from 96 to 129. It includes an extensive section controversy Hadassi refuting the views of Christians , Samaritans and Jews Rabbinites. It also rejects any identification between the Karaites and former Sadducees , noting the major theological differences that separate the two groups, the Karaites did not include believing in the eternity of the world. It is no less violent with Rabbinites. Alphabets No. 99 and 100 contain an attack of the same intensity against Christianity.

The third commandment is addressed in the alphabets from 130 to 143, the fourth in the alphabets 144-248. He deals with the laws of Shabbat , the Jewish holidays , laws related to these days and offerings , including laws relating to the Cohanim , in the ritual slaughter , the ritual fringes , etc..
In this part, Judah Hadassi outlines his views on exegesis and grammar, when debating with Rabbinites tasks permitted or prohibited on the Sabbath. Trying to prove that the Karaites are not inferior to Rabbinites as exegetes, he begins by outlining the thirteen principles of Rabbi Ishmael , used to deduce the laws of the Text , and thirty to two principles of Rabbi Eliezer ben Rabbi Yossi HaGuelili to deduct moral lessons or other , before outlining his own. He divides them into two groups, one of sixty grammar, the other eighty exegetical rules, claiming to find a hint in Songs 6:8 ("The queens are sixty in number, the concubines of four- eighty, and many are girls "), the" countless girls' representing the myriad forms of Hebrew grammar. Whereas phonics as necessary for the interpretation of the Act, there Hadassi devotes a long treatise in the form of questions and answers.

The fifth commandment contains the alphabets from 249 to 264, dealing with laws governing the relations between parents and children, inheritance, bereavement, etc..

The sixth commandment contains the alphabets from 265 to 274, the seventh alphabets from 275 to 336, the latter covering all laws regarding adultery, incest, purity and impurity, parturient women and fruits of three years.

The eighth commandment is addressed in the alphabets from 337 to 353, covering the laws on different types of theft and fraud.

In the ninth, including the alphabets from 354 to 362, are discussed all kinds of false testimony, including false prophets.

Finally, the tenth commandment contains the alphabets from 363 to 379, treating of the laws involved in the prohibition against covetousness. Hadassi illustrates his explanations with examples interspersed with stories and legends.

Also contained within the book's ten principles of faith Karaites:

1. God is the Creator of all created beings.
2. God is transcendent and has no equal or partner.
3. The entire universe was created.
4. God called Moses and other prophets of the biblical canon.
5. The Law of Moses alone is true.
6. Knowing the language of the Bible (the Hebrew ) is a religious duty.
7. The Temple of Jerusalem is the palace of the Master of the world.
8. Belief in the resurrection, contemporary with the coming of the Messiah son of David.
9. Final Judgement.
10. Compensation.

These principles are quite similar to the thirteen principles of Maimonides , with the exception of Articles 5 and 6, which put the emphasis on the rejection of the Oral Law and the obligation to know the Hebrew.

The Eshkol Hakofer was printed Eupatoria in 1836, with an introduction by Caleb Afendopolo (Wise Karaite the XV ^century ) entitled Nahal Eshkol. Alphabets 99 & 100, and part of the alphabet 998 (including the attack against Christianity) have been redacted from this edition by the censor, but were published by Wilhelm Bacher .

Sources and models

It is generally accepted that the main model of the Eshkol Hakofer would Bitan HaMaskilim of Nissi ben Noah , also called Peles Bi'our Hamitzvot, written 370 years earlier. However, Judah did not mention Hadassi Nissim ben Noah, and Pinkus F. Frankl hypothesized that the Bitan was not the work of the Karaite Sage, who has not lived at the time productively Karaites, and that would be a plagiarism from the Eshkol ha- kofer attributed to an ancient author to give it more prestige .

Judah Hadassi also drew on a multitude of sources, and Rabbinites Karaites, including:

• the Ma'asse Bereshit Rabbi Ishmael and Baraita Samuel , for astronomy;
• Josippon for the story;
• the work of David al-Mukammas on sects (conversely, the main argument of the proponents of belonging to Al-Mukammas Karaism comes from the Eshkol Hakofer);
• stories of Eldad ha-Dani , for captions;
• many grammatical features written by Karaites. Judah Hadassi also uses the work of grammarians Rabbinites, citing Hayyuj Judah and Jonah ibn Janah , he also included in the Eshkol Moznayim of Abraham ibn Ezra , without mentioning neither the author nor the fact .
• many arguments used by his predecessors, including Salman bin Yeruham , Yaphet ben Ali , Sahl bin Matzliah , etc.. against rabbinic Judaism.

Other

Judah has composed Hadassi piyyutim (liturgical poems) many of which have been incorporated into ritual prayers Karaite. He also mentions in his Eshkol a treatise on Hebrew grammar antrieurment he wrote, entitled Sefer biteren Teren, who wants a continuation of the work of Aharon ben Asher , and he details the meaning of various namesakes in the Bible.

Abraham Firkovich also assigns a piece he entitled Sefer HaYalkout (Firkovich Cat. No. 619, St. Petersburg); if Simhah Pinsker think this is an excerpt from Sefer Hamitzvot Tuvia, PF Frankl abounds in the direction of Firkovich, and considers it part of the Eshkol Hakofer, Hadassi that Judah had previously written in prose.

References

This article incorporates text from the Jewish Encyclopedia of 1901-1906, Art "Hadassa, ELIJAH JUDAH BEN HAABEL" by Kaufmann Kohler & M. Seligsohn , a publication now in the public domain.

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