Historical Figures Codexery

Judah ha-Nasi

Chief redactor of the Mishnah and leader of post-revolt Judea.

Evidence indicates Judah was born in 135 CE; a different calculation places his death on 15 Kislev, AM 3978 (around December 1, 217 CE).[1][2]

Quick Facts

Birth name
Yehudah ben Shimon
Born
c. 135 CE
Birthplace
Judea, Roman Empire
Died
c. 217 CE
Place of death
Sepphoris, Roman Judea
Other names
  • Rabbi
  • Rebbi
  • Rabbenu HaQadosh
Occupation
  • Rabbi
  • Tanna
  • Chief redactor of the Mishnah
Known for
Compilation of the Mishnah, leadership of the Jewish community in Roman Judea

Facts from the source article.

Life and work

Judah was born in the Roman province of Syria Palaestina to Simeon ben Gamaliel II.[1] He studied under several teachers, including Judah bar Ilai, Jose ben Halafta, and Shimon bar Yochai.[3][4][5] The Mishnah is based on the halakhic divisions formulated by Rabbi Akiva and the arrangement taught by Rabbi Meir.[6] He was very wealthy and had a close friendship with an emperor named "Antoninus," possibly Antoninus Pius or Caracalla.[7][8]

He died in Sepphoris and was interred in the necropolis of Beit Shearim.[2] Judah's father provided him with an education that included Koine Greek, a skill that allowed Judah to serve as an intermediary with Roman authorities.[9] Judah headed the Sanhedrin and relocated its court from Beit Shearim to Sepphoris.[10][11] Around 189 CE, Judah compiled the Mishnah, a collection of 63 tractates that codify Jewish oral law.[12]

What the cited sources add

The Jerusalem Talmud notes that Judah lived in Sepphoris for at least 17 years and applied the biblical verse about Jacob's 17 years in Egypt to himself.[13] Rabbi Judah ben Samuel of Regensburg relates a post-Talmudic legend that Judah's spirit would visit his home every Friday evening to recite Kiddush.[14] It is said that Judah was punished with years of illness after he showed unkindness to a calf being led to slaughter.[15]

References

  1. Wikipedia, "Judah ha-Nasi" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Avi-Yonah, "The Jews of Palestine", Schocken, 1976, p. 58; Urbach, "The Sages", Magnes Press, 1979, p. 599; Genesis Rabbah 98:8; Shabbat 56a; Ketuvot 62b; see discussion in Shevet uMechokek MiBeit Yehudah; Midrash Genesis Rabbah 53; Midrash Ecclesiastes Rabbah 1:10; Kiddushin 72b (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  2. Wikipedia, "Judah ha-Nasi" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Goldin, "The Jews: Their History", Schocken, 1970, p. 172; Margolis, "A History of the Jewish People", Atheneum, 1980, p. 225; Cf. Babylonian Talmud Kettubot 103a-b; Bava Metzia 85a; Pesachim 49b; Jerusalem Talmud, Kelaim 9:3, 32a-b. (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  3. Wikipedia, "Judah ha-Nasi" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Menachot 104a; Shevuot 13a; Megillah 20a; Tosefta Megillah 2:8 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  4. Wikipedia, "Judah ha-Nasi" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Yerushalmi Gittin 48b (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  5. Wikipedia, "Judah ha-Nasi" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "when we studied the Torah with Shimon bar Yochai at Tekoa'"; Tosefta Eruvin 8:6; Shabbat 147b; compare Yerushalmi Shabbat 12c; See Bacher, l.c. ii. 76; Eruvin 53a; Yevamot 84a; compare Menachot 18a (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  6. Wikipedia, "Judah ha-Nasi" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Sanhedrin 86a (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  7. Wikipedia, "Judah ha-Nasi" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Babylonian Talmud (Avodah Zarah 10a-b) (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  8. Wikipedia, "Judah ha-Nasi" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: A. Mischcon, Avodah Zara, p.10a Soncino, 1988. Mischcon cites various sources, "SJ Rappaport... is of the opinion that our Antoninus is Antoninus Pius." Other o; 'Codex Judaica' Kantor, second edition, NY 2006, page 146; Solomon Judah Loeb Rapoport, Erekh Millin, Warsaw 1914, p. 219; Modern scholarship has difficulty fitting these accounts into the historical framework of the period of the Antonines, especially since Rabbi Judah the Prince t; Jerusalem Talmud (Megillah 3:2) (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  9. Wikipedia, "Judah ha-Nasi" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Sotah 49b (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  10. Wikipedia, "Judah ha-Nasi" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Babylonian Talmud, Rosh Hashana 31b, Rashi s.v. ומיבנא לאושא (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  11. Wikipedia, "Judah ha-Nasi" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Giat, "A Word in Stone: Zippori in the Sages Literature (Milah be-even: Zippori basifrut chazal)", Israel Nature & National Parks Authority, and The Department for Torah Culture in the Ministry of Education, 2003, p. 48 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  12. Wikipedia, "Judah ha-Nasi" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Abraham ben David, Seder Ha-Kabbalah Leharavad, Jerusalem 1971, p.16 (Hebrew); Heinrich Graetz, History of the Jews, vol. 6, Philadelphia 1898, p. 105 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  13. Wikipedia, "Judah ha-Nasi" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Jerusalem Talmud, Kelaim 9:3, 32a-b. (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  14. Wikipedia, "Judah ha-Nasi" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Sefer Hasidim §1129 (Cf. Ketubot 103a) (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  15. Wikipedia, "Judah ha-Nasi" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Psalms 145:9; Bava Metzia 85a; Genesis Rabbah 33; Pesachim 49b; Yerushalmi Berachot 10b (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org

Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Judah ha-Nasi (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.

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