Hilulah Day: Iyar-26

Chumash
Traduction in arabic by Saadia Gaon ben Joseph (Sa'îd ibn Yûsuf al-Fayyûmî)



Hilulah Day: Iyar-26


Rabbi Saadia Gaon

Born: Al Fayyum, Egypt, 882
Died: Sura Babylonia, 942


Universal leader of Jewry, religious philosopher

Baylonia was the primary focus of Jewish learning for many centuries. The heads of the Babylonian academies of Sura and Pumbedita were called Gaonim and were widely recognized as the preeminent scholars of their day. With this distinction came the authority to promulgate religious decisions for the community. Saadia was the greatest Gaon of all times. He lived during the time that the Muslims ruled Asia Minor.In Saadia's day, he sought to reconcile the philosophical perspective of Islam, to which Jews living in Islamic countries were exposed, with the Torah.


Much of Islamic philosophy at this time was grounded in the thinking of Aristotle and Plato, and so Saadia wrote about this, as well. His most famous book is entitled Ha'Emunot Ve'hade'ot ("Faith and Belief") and it was written originally in Arabic, later translated into Hebrew by the Ibn Tibbon family.In this book, Saadia attempts to reconcile Judaism with the philosophical thinking of Aristotle and Plato, his goal being to bring assimilated Jews back to Torah and halacha. Saadia demonstrates that the teachings of the Torah will stand the test of logical inquiry. He offers unassailable proofs that the universe was created exnihilo - out of nothing, that the Creator is One, that man has a soul, that the Torah was given to the Jewish people by God on Mount Sinai, and that man has the freedom to choose between good and evil and receives reward or retribution accordingly.In addition, Saadia wrote the first Arabic translation of the Bible, which includes commentaries and grammatical notes.

He also wrote the first Hebrew dictionary, and a book about Hebrew grammar. Muslims at this time were involved in Arabic language and grammar studies and Saadia hoped to inspire Jews to explore their own religious roots more deeply.The RAMBAM (Maimonides) said of Saadia, "If not for our master Saadia Gaon, Torah would have been forgotten in Israel." Among his many books, Rabbi Saadia also wrote a commentary on Sefer Yetzirah.In Saadia's day, one of the most significant threats to Jewish life came from the Karaites, a group whose origins lay in the Jewish community, but who had separated from the Jewish community in opposition to rabbinic Judaism. The Karaites maintained that the laws of the Talmud were not obligatory upon Jews because they were written not by God, but by the rabbis.

The Karaites claimed that only the Torah comes from God and it, alone, should serve as the basis of Jewish authority and life.Traditional Judaism has always maintained that the Talmud is the Torah she'b'al peh (the Oral Torah, given at Sinai but transmitted orally for much of our history until it was finally written down in the academies of Babylonia). Saadia defended rabbinic authority against the claims of the Karaites, going so far as to declare that they were not Jews.

On Free Will...Saadia maintained that human beings possess free will, the capacity to make choices about their behavior. Muslim philosophers at this time promoted the Kallam, a system of thought which denies the existence of free will as an allusion and even denies causality of events in the universe, ascribe all power and will to Allah. Saadia parted company with Muslim philosophers over the issue of free will, for several reasons. First, if God is the first and only cause in the universe, then there is no difference between the righteous and sinners; all do the will of God. Hence there is no difference between a righteous deed and a sin. Second, if God is fully in control of people's behavior, then it makes no sense to punish one who breaks the law, since s/he is merely doing the will of God.

Finally and most importantly from a Jewish perspective, in a universe totally dominated by the will of God, mitzvot have no purpose or meaning, since people are incapable of "obeying" or "disobeying" them. There can only be a commandment if there is someone capable of accepting the commandments. In an effort to emphasize the role of free will in Jewish thinking, Saadia placed great emphasis on the covenant made at Sinai, in which the Israelites freely obligated themselves to God.Hence Saadia maintained that God created us with free will, a concept that has always been central to Jewish thinking.

May the merit of the tzaddik Rabbi Saadia Gaon protect us all, Amen.

The Enthusiastic Pilgrim

Introduction Jerba (also spelled Djerba) is an island off the coast of southern Tunisia, the fabled home of the lotos-eaters of classical antiquity. It has an ancient Jewish community, concentrated in two villages known as Hara Kbira and Hara Sgira (the Great Quarter and the Little Quarter) which, until recently, were completely Jewish. The Muslim population of these villages is rising as more Jews join the 80,000 who have left Tunisia since the founding of the State of Israel in 1948. However, there is still an active Jewish life on the island with synagogues and schools in operation.

The pride of the community is the Griba ("wonderful") synagogue, located at a short distance from Hara Sgira, which was reputedly built in the time of Ezra (fifth century, B.C.E.) It is reported that Ezra visited the island, and that relics of the Temple in Jerusalem are contained within the synagogue walls. Visitors reverently remove their shoes, and in the antechamber elderly men study Jewish holy books continuously.

On the holiday of the thirty-third day of the Omer, about a month after Passover, there is a great pilgrimage to the Griba in honor of Rabbi Simeon bar Yohai, the Talmudic sage to whom the mystical book the Zohar is ascribed. This pilgrimage is still made. Hotels on the island make kosher food available, and a charter flight from Paris brings expatriates to the island airport. Like the author of the following poem, they do not wish to miss the big day.
It was here that on April 11, 2002, what at first was designated an accident took the lives of a number of German tourists. It was later declared to be an act of terror, and was widely reported in the press.

This poem was printed in a little book, undated, in Tunis. The author's name, David, appears in the last stanza. It is a touching monument to simple and ecstatic religious faith. After a pious messianic hope, he describes the joy of pilgrimage, the certainty of the acceptance of any petition made on such an occasion, and then proceeds to mention the various places in Libya and southern Tunisia from which the pilgrims, filled with spiritual intentions, come. Sfax and Tripoli perhaps now have a couple of hundred Jews each. Gabes has a few dozen. Medenine and Ben-Gardane, two small towns on the mainland opposite Jerba, have none at all. Sic transit.

In Praise of the Griba

Until when shall we hope for him?
The Messiah has not come.
The Lord will bring him.
You never know when.

Listen brothers,Men and women,How precious is this place!
There is nowhere like it.
How tremendous is this spot!
Happy the one in whomLight dwells,
and his starRises among the twelve.

Place precious and exalted!
Sanctuary of God most High,
Visiting it is sweet to me,
No year will I forget.
Whoever has a request.
Far or nearMakes for the Griba.

He does not miss his goal.
When people in trouble.
Who experience grief.
Make for this pilgrimage,
Their ills fly away.

Joy comes to them,
Every moment, every step.
Their brightness is splendid,
And their light does not go out.
They come hereWith pure intent.
Every design is fulfilled,No injury remains.

Every design is accomplished.
For him who knows its worth.
Even the barren woman.
Through God brings forth a dozen.
Our Lord will make good the loss.
Of him who visits with full heart,A
nd grant his request.
When he comes to the sanctuary.

The place glows.
With burning lamps,
And he who comes to the festivity,
Spreads frankincense.

Poems and worship,
Reading and repetition.
The feast will not cease,Never will it perish.

Pray at the Ark –
You will get everything!
Money will be without counting,
It will be as nothing.
Our brothers from Tripoli,
Likewise from Gabes
–Their pilgrimage is acceptable,
Their presence well received.

The pilgrims from Sfax
–Not one of them falls short,
Guileless they are,In private as in public.
May the Merciful One have mercy,
On the pilgrims from Medenine,
For long yearsAnd yet more.

The pilgrims from Ben-Gardane,
From the provinces and towns
–The Lord of the festivity,
Will bring them soundness of body.
Today is a happy day.
Every year there is a holiday
–I, David, your servantWill not forgo your company!

Hilulah Day: Iyar-10

Eli Kohen Gadol

Born: Eretz Yisrael, 988 BCE.

Died: Eretz Yisrael, Shiloh, 890 BCE.

Eli served as Kohen Gadol (high priest) and judged the nation of Israel for 40 years (Samuel I 4:18), during the period of the Judges in Israel.

He was one of the descendants of Ithamar son of Aharon HaKohen (Yalkut Shimoni, Shoftim 68).

He was king [leader of Israel], Kohen Gadol (high Priest), and head of the Sanhedrin (Yalkut HaMechiri, Tehillim 75:4).

The Book of Tagin was copied by Eli from the 12 rocks that Yehoshua (Joshua) erected in Gilgal, and [Eli in turn] transmitted it to the prophet Shmuel (Samuel) (Otzar HaMidrashim 564).

Channah [who had been praying silently in Eli's presence] answered and said, "No my master (Samuel I 1:15). You are not a master in this matter, and Divine Inspiration does not rest upon you if you have judged me unfavorably [thinking that I am intoxicated]" (Berachot 31b).

Eli aged [prematurely] because of the troubles he had with his sons Chofni and Pinchas (Aggadat Bereishit).

Before Eli's sun set, the sun of Shmuel (Samuel the prophet) the Ramathite rose (Kiddushim 72b).

Eli died on the tenth of Iyar (end of Megillat Ta'anit).

When Eli died, Shiloh was destroyed and [the Sanctuary was relocated] to Nob (Zevachim 118b).

The house of Eli has no sages ordained [to render halachic rulings], for [God told Eli,] "There shall be no sage in your house" (Samuel I 2:32) (Sanhedrin 14a).

The iniquity of the house of Eli shall not be expiated with sacrifice or offering (Samuel I 3:14). With sacrifice or offering it is not expiated [for their iniquity dealt with the sacrifices (Metzdat David)], but it is expiated with Torah study and with seeds of kindness (Rosh Hashanah 18a).

There was one family in Jerusalem whose [members] used to die at the age of 18. They were of the house of Eli, [whom God had told,] "All the increase of your house will die young men" (Samuel I 2:33).

May the merit of the tzaddik Eli Kohen Gadol protect us all, Amen.



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