15. The accord, or illJiir, " series," a catena or line of Talmudic teachers, cited against a given proposition.
IC. Siigia, X^SID, means the proper nature of a thing. By this word the Gemara refers to itself with regard to its own properties and characteristics.
17. HilkatJia, XTSPil, is the ultimate conclusion on a matter debated, henceforth constituting a rule of conduct. Much of the Gemara consists of discussions by which they are verified, confirmed, and designated. When the advo- cates of two opposing theses have brought the debate to an issue, they say, "The Halacta is with such a one,"
■)D' -p xnrbn.
IS. Maasah, or il'O'S^, factum, the establLshment of a Halacta by cases of actual experience or practice.
19. Shcviatetha, Xrin"?21I3, " to hear," describes a judg- ment or principle which, being founded on Holy Writ, or being of self-evident authority, must be hearkened to as incontestable.
20. Horaah, nx"lin, "demonstration," doctrine, legit- imate and authoritative.
21. Hagadah, msn, "a saying," incident related, an- ecdote or legend employed in the way of elucidation. Hagadah is not law, but it serves to illustrate law.
TALMUD
no
TALMUD
III. FA/erari/ and Moral Characler of the Book. — Since the (Jcmara is in general onh^ a more complete development of the JIi,sliiia. it also comprises all I he primary elements ot'the ^lishna mentioned above, which are. however, intermixed witli an endless variety of //«- f/ado/h, i. e. anecdotes and illustrations, historical and legendary, poetical allegories, charming parables, with epithalamiums, etc., and thus making the Talmud con- tain all and ererything, or, as Buxtorf (in Prajat. Lex. C'hald. et Talmud.) says:
"Snnt enim in Talmud adhnc niulta qnoque Theologica saiia, qnamvis plnriniis iuiitilibus corticilins, ut M:ijemoii alii'ubi loquitur, iuvohita. Sunt in eo multa tida antiqui- tntis Jud.iic.e coll;ipsa; veluti rndera et vestigia, ad coii- viiiceurtain posterorum Judreorum pertidiam, iid ilhtstran- dam ntriiisqiie Teslameiiti historiani, ad recte explicaiidos litus, le:^es, consuetudiiies populi Hebraji prisci, pliirimiini conduceutia. Sunt in eo niidta Juridica, Medica, Pliysic:i, Ethica, Folitica, Astronomica et aliarum scientiaruni i)rse- cUira doctimeiita, qui€ istius gentis et temporis his^toriaiii mirilice cotnmendant. Sunt in eo illusiria ex aniiquitaie proverbia, iiisignes seutentii«, ai'uta apophthegmata, scite prndenterqne dicta innumera, quie lectoiem vel meliorein, vel sapientiorem, vel doctiorem reddere posi^uiit, et ceu rutilantes gemniK non minus Hebiieain linguam exornant, quam onines Latii et Giifici;e flosculi suas linguas conde- corant. Sunt in eo niuUse vocuni myriades, quae vel voces in Scriptnite S.icrse usu raias illustraiit, et native expli- cant,vel totius linguse Hebraicaeett^haldaeie usum insigni- ter complent et [lerticiunt, qui aliuqui in defectn maxinio mutilus et niancus jaceret."
In order to illustrate this, we will give a few speci- mens of such Hagadoth for the benefit of the reader :
God is represented as prajfing.
R. Jochanau says, in the name of R. Josi, How is it proved that the Holy One, blessed be he, does pray? From Isa. Ivi, 7, "I will bring them to my holy mnuutain, and make them joyful in my house of prayei." Mark, it is not said, their prayer, biit my prayer; therefore it is conclusively proved that he prays. And what does he j)ray* K. Zutia, the son of Tobia, said, in the name of Rav, the following is the divine prayer: "May it please me that my mercies shall prevail over mine anger, that the bowels of my compassion may be exteudeil, that I may mercifully deal with my children and keep justice in abeyance." In corroboration of this, the following stoiy is given. It is told by R. Isinael, the sou of Elisha. Once I went into the Holy of Holies for the purpose of burning incense, and I saw Acathriel Jah, the Lord, sittinii; upon the high and exalted throne. And lie said to me, Isni;iel, my son, bless me ! and I addres-<ed to him the above prayer, and he shook his head (ISerakattt, p. 7, col. 1).
But if God prays, then he must also put on phylacteries. Even upon this point the rabbins do not leave us in igno- rance. Where is ii proved that God puts on phylacteries? In Isa. Ixii, S, wheie we read, "The Lord hath sworn by his right hand, and by the arm of his strenirth." By the term right hand is meant the law, as it is written, " Prom his right hand went a tiery law for them" (Deut. xxxiii, 2) ; and by the term arm of his strength is meant phylacteries, as it is written, "The Lord will give strength to his peo- l)le," etc. {Berakoth, p. 6, col. 1). Moreover, God has actu- ally shown his phylacteries to Moses. It is written, "And 1 will take away mine hands, and thou shalt see my back parts" (Exod. xxxiii, 23). R. Ghana, the son of Bisua,says, in tlie name of R. Shimeon Chasida, "From this passage we learn that the Holy One, blessed be he, has shown to Moses the tie of the phylacteries, which lies on the back part of his head" {Berakoth, p. 7, col. 1).
If God prays, then, in the language of the rabbins, he is conscious of some personal feeling. They are not silent on this point. For example, the school of Ishmael have taught that peace is a very important matter, and that for its sake even God prevaricated. For it is written in Gen. xviii, first that Sarah said, "My Lord is old;" but after- wards it is written she said, "And I am old" {Yebamoth, p. 65, col. 2 ; see also Baba Metsra, p. S", col. 1).