Abraham Cohen Footnotes to the English Translation of Masechet Berakhot

I.e. before dusk.

See Singer, p. 124.

M. : Judah.

M. : Ammi.

M. omits : in the name of Rab. D. S. gives Rabbi as a variant for Rab ; but the reading of edd. is preferred by Hyman, i. p. 20 b.

Some edd. and M. omit : Abbai said.

M. and some edd. : Rab.

A name given to the Rabbis who were skilled in dialectical contests.

He probably suspected Rabban Gamaliel of seeking another opportunity to humiliate him. See below.

The witness against him.

Waiting for Rabban Gamaliel's permission to sit.

I.e. the Amora; see Glossary, s.v.

These two Rabbis differed on which day the New Year was to commence, and Rabban Gamaliel compelled R. Joshua to visit him with his stick and money (as though it were not a holy day) on the Day of Atonement according to the latter's calculation. See Rosh Hash. 25 a.

See Bekorot 36 a. A scene similar to that described here occurred over the question whether a distinction is to be drawn between a priest who was a Haber and one who was an 'Am ha'ares (see Glossary, s.v.) in the matter of judging the blemish of an animal destined as a sacrifice.

From his Office as President.

He was descended from Gentiles.

Some commentators suppose this to refer to Rabban Gamaliel.

Lit. "to work for the palace." The meaning of the phrase is not certain. Krauss, T. A. ii. p. 543 n. 100, (since the root means "to till") suggests "to provide the palace with agricultural supplies."

M. and some edd. here insert : "We have the tradition, 'We may raise to a higher degree of sanctity but not degrade to a lower degree'." "But perhaps Rabban Gamaliel will plague thee !" He answered.... Rashi rejects this reading; and the quotation "We may raise to a higher degree" etc. seems out of place, inasmuch as the Rabbis had just degraded Rabban Gamaliel. The passage occurs further on, whence it probably was wrongly copied here.

Or "precious cup." Rashi gives it the meaning "crystal goblet."

One occupying so exalted a position as President should possess the dignity which grey hair brings. The same idea seems to underlie the wearing of a wig by judge and counsel.

J. T. reads sixteen.

Referring to his beard.

See fol. 12 b, p. 79.

I.e. sincere and of a high moral standard.

To accommodate the crowds that sought admission.

This is the correct form of the name. Edd. : Joseph.

I.e. the new disciples were beautiful outwardly but not inwardly, and he had not prevented any worthy students from studying.

The new disciples were in reality worthy men.

It is doubtful whether this is to be identified with the Tractate 'Eduyyot in the fourth Order of the Mishnah. It more probably refers to a collection of legal decisions which has not been preserved.

Some edd. add : for a single hour.

I.e. the real Ammonites form only a minority of the inhabitants of the land of Ammon ; it is consequently presumed that the would-be proselyte belonged to the majority who were not Ammonites.

According to J. T. he went to conciliate all the members of the Sanhedrin.

Or, a smith. In the version of J. T. he was making needles.

Lit. "I am humbled to thee." The words ooold also mean, "I agree with thee," i.e. "Thou art quite right" ; of. A. T. i. p. 161 n. 2.

Or, a washer ; followers of this occupation are often mentioned in the Talmud and seem to have been rather despised.

He meant that Rabban Gamaliel had a hereditary claim to the Office of President which should be respected.

He was evidently against re-installing Rabban Gamaliel. J. T. mentions that he was grieved at not being appointed to the Office.

To R. Eleazar b. 'Azariah and induce him to stand aside in favour of Rabban Gamaliel.

By "sprinkler" is meant the priest who had the duty of purifying one defiled by contact with the dead, by sprinkling him with the ashes of the "red heifer" mingled with running water; cf. Num. xix. For the sense of the enigmatic message, see note 3 above.

I.e. ordinary well-water and common ashes, not the running water and ashes of the red heifer, as required by the Torah.

To convey to him the invitation to resume Office.

In Hagigah 3 a this question is asked by R. Joshua.

Who asked, "Is the evening Tefillah voluntary or obligatory?" and caused the scene. The tradition is faulty ; R. Simeon b. Jobai could not chronologically have taken part in this affair. Cf. A. T. ii. p. 70.

See above, fol. 27 a, p. 176.

See p. 176 n. 1.

M. : Ze'ira,

Of honouring the Sages.

What follows is uncertain, and there are many variants. D. S. prefers the reading of the Soncino edition : "Who stated the Halakah in the House of Study?" He replied, "R. Johanan." He asked him, "What was it?" He replied, "One says the afternoon Tefillah and afterwards the additional." R. Zera asked him.

I.e. that R. Johanan was the authority for this teaching.

R.V. "Them that sorrow for." R.V. marg. "Them that are removed from."

Euphemism for Israel.

Rab Joseph was the Principal of the Seminary at Pombedita, and used to deliver a discourse every Sabbath morning before the additional Tefillah.

Who resented Rab Iwya's absence.

M. : Raba.

I.e. a man may say the Tefillah at home before the Congregation says it in the Synagogue.

As a teacher of Torah.

Either idlers or stall-holders. Wiesner, p. 64, suggests that the word keronut is connected with the Latin corona and means "a company," sc. of musicians. J. T. reads : with those who frequent theatres and circuses.

Jastrow, p. 331 a, explains : i.e. parading a superficial knowledge of the Bible by verbal memorising. Goldschmidt suggests that the word higgayon (lit. meditation), which in medieval Hebrew is used in the sense of "logic," may here mean "philosophical speculation." It has also been explained as referring to the reading of apocryphal literature as against the canonical Scriptures ; cf. A. T. i. p. 97 n. 5.

Corresponding to the right-hand pillar in Solomon's Temple ; cf. I Kings vii. 21,

If there is a witness, he desists. Remember, then, that God is always a witness ; so have the same fear of Him that you have of a human being.

Caused by the presence of a corpse.

To accompany him into the next world.

See Singer, pp. 44-54. There are now nineteen, the addition being explained below. On this important part of the liturgy, see J. E. xi. pp. 270-282; and especially Elbogen, Geschichte des Achtzehngebets and his Der judische Gottesdienst, pp. 27-60, 515-519.

This will be explained below.

Eleven times J H W H and seven times Elohim.

See p. 76 n. 6 and p. 229.

For this benediction, see Singer, p. 48 — "And for slanderers," etc. "It was directed against antinomians — those who rejected or neglected the Law — and also against sectarians within the Synagogue. The statement which originated with Justin Martyr that the paragraph is an imprecation against Christians in general has no foundation whatever" (Abrahams, p. Ixlv). See also Herford, Christianity in Midrash and Talmud, pp. 125 ff.

See p. Ill n. 1.

So M. correctly. Edd. : R. Levi the son of R. Samuel b. Nahmani said : According to R. Hillel.

"The Lord is one," which is taken as an attribute of the Deity.

On the word ha-Pakoli see T. A. i. p. 540 n. 138, ii. p. 623 n. 39.

Derenbourg, Essai sur l'histoire, p. 345 n., explains the statement "in the following year he had forgotten it" by conjecturing that the benediction relating to the Minim was originally said not daily as now, but on a special annual occasion.

Trying to recall the words.

From his office as Precentor.

Before becoming righteous. It is possible for such an one to lapse into evil ways.

Abot ii. 5 ; Singer, p. 187.

There is confusion between Johanan, i.e. John Hyrcanus, and Jannaeus (=Jonathan, see Derenbourg, op. cit. p. 95 n.), i.e. Alexander Jannaeus. The former was at first favourably disposed towards the Pharisees, but in the latter part of his life opposed them (Schurer, i.i. pp. 288f.) ; but the latter was throughout his reign hostile to them and massacred numbers of them ; ibid. pp. 300 ff.

In holding that Johanan and Jannaeus were identical, he assumes that he had been originally wicked and that accounts for his later lapse.

If Johanan was originally righteous, how could he have become a Sadducee ?

The benediction relating to Minim. He broke down in the middle ; consequently there was no suspicion that his heretical views made him hesitate to pronounce the words.

About discharging the Precentor.

See Singer, pp. 136-142.

Ibid. pp. 239-242.

M.: Raba.

Either Carthage or Carthagene in Spain, where there was a Jewish Community in the 2nd cent. See Neubauer, p. 411. Krauss, p. 572, identifies it with Carthage. Bacher, A. P. A. II. p. 218 n. 6, p. 225 n. 1, denies the existence of an Amora of this name and suggests as the true reading : R. Abba of Carthage said in the name of R. Isaac.

The additional six benedictions to the eighteen are enumerated in Mishnah Ta'anit ii. 3 f. The only addition now made to the Tefillah on a fast day is the paragraph in Singer, p. 50, which is quoted from J. T.

Words for prayer and supplication.

Since it was on no special day of the Calendar that this happened.

See Singer, p. 55. What follows is a summary of the central benedictions of the Tefillah, ibid. pp. 46-50.

And not the eighteen benedictions in full.

See Singer, p. 46.

M. : Raba b. Ishmael.

And the abstract of the remainder.

See Singer, p. 51, "We give thanks." This benediction and what follows are said in full even when the central benedictions are shortened.

Viz. the three introductory and three concluding benedictions and "Give us understanding."

See Singer, p. 47.

Ibid. p. 49, "Hear our voice."

Ibid. p. 44 bot.

Ibid. p. 216.