Ebel Rabbati ( he, אבל רבתי) is one of the later or
minor tractates
The minor tractates (Hebrew: מסכתות קטנות, ''masechtot qetanot'') are essays from the Talmudic period or later dealing with topics about which no formal tractate exists in the Mishnah. They may thus be contrasted to the Tosefta, whose t ...
which in the editions of the
Babylonian Talmud
The Talmud (; he, , Talmūḏ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law (''halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the cent ...
are placed after the fourth order, Neziḳin; it treats of
mourning
Mourning is the expression of an experience that is the consequence of an event in life involving loss, causing grief, occurring as a result of someone's death, specifically someone who was loved although loss from death is not exclusively ...
for the dead. It is known also under the euphemistic name Semachot (), meaning "festive occasions" or "joys".
References in the Talmud
A collection of
baraitot
''Baraita'' (Aramaic: "external" or "outside"; pl. ''Barayata'' or ''Baraitot''; also Baraitha, Beraita; Ashkenazi: Beraisa) designates a tradition in the Jewish oral law not incorporated in the Mishnah. ''Baraita'' thus refers to teachings "o ...
entitled "Evel Rabbati" is cited in the
Talmud
The Talmud (; he, , Talmūḏ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law ('' halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the ce ...
, which quotes three teachings from it. But this work is not identical with the work now known as Evel Rabbati, since only one of the three teachings in question is found even in an approximate form in Semahot.
The "Small" Evel
The designation "Evel Rabbati" in the Talmud suggests that a shorter treatise of similar content existed at the time of the amoraim, but probably the term "Rabbati" (the Large) was used merely because the collection of mourning regulations to which it was applied was more copious than that contained in the
Mishnah
The Mishnah or the Mishna (; he, מִשְׁנָה, "study by repetition", from the verb ''shanah'' , or "to study and review", also "secondary") is the first major written collection of the Jewish oral traditions which is known as the Oral Tor ...
. So much, however, is certain, that besides the treatise which is now known as Semaḥot or Evel Rabbati there was an older collection of
baraitot
''Baraita'' (Aramaic: "external" or "outside"; pl. ''Barayata'' or ''Baraitot''; also Baraitha, Beraita; Ashkenazi: Beraisa) designates a tradition in the Jewish oral law not incorporated in the Mishnah. ''Baraita'' thus refers to teachings "o ...
concerning funeral ordinances, and that the former was designated "Rabbati" to distinguish between the two.
Natronai Gaon, answering the question "What is the Evel Rabbati?" said: "Evel is a treatise of the Mishnah in which are contained the regulations concerning mourning for the dead and most of the halakhic ordinances of the third chapter of
Mo'ed Katan
Mo'ed Katan or Mo'ed Qatan (Hebrew: מועד קטן, lit. "little festival") is the eleventh tractate of '' Seder Moed'' of the Mishnah and the Talmud. It is concerned with the laws of the days between the first and last days of Passover and Su ...
. There are two such: a large and a small one". Numerous fragments of the so-called "small" Evel treatise have been preserved, notably in Isaac ibn Ghayyat's ''Halakhot,'' in
Nahmanides
Moses ben Nachman ( he, מֹשֶׁה בֶּן־נָחְמָן ''Mōše ben-Nāḥmān'', "Moses son of Nachman"; 1194–1270), commonly known as Nachmanides (; el, Ναχμανίδης ''Nakhmanídēs''), and also referred to by the acronym Ra ...
' ''Torat ha-Adam,'' in ''
Tanya
Tanya may refer to:
* Tanya (Judaism),an early work of Hasidic philosophy by Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi.
* Tanya (name), a given name and list of people with the name
* Tanya or Lara Saint Paul (born 1946)
* List of Mortal Kombat characters#Tany ...
,'' and in Jacob b. Asher's ''Tur''. To judge from these fragments, the small Evel contained regulations concerning visitation of the sick, treatment of the dying, laying out of the corpse, mourning for the dead, arrangement of graves, and collection of the bones ("ossilegium"), which was customary among the
Jews
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
as well as among the
Greeks
The Greeks or Hellenes (; el, Έλληνες, ''Éllines'' ) are an ethnic group and nation indigenous to the Eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea regions, namely Greece, Cyprus, Albania, Italy, Turkey, Egypt, and, to a lesser extent, oth ...
. This treatise, which is the oldest collection of
halakhot
''Halakha'' (; he, הֲלָכָה, ), also transliterated as ''halacha'', ''halakhah'', and ''halocho'' ( ), is the collective body of Jewish religious laws which is derived from the written and Oral Torah. Halakha is based on biblical command ...
on mourning customs, was compiled in Palestine; and, according to Brüll, R.
Eleazar Bar Zadok
Eleazar bar Zadok ( he, אלעזר בר צדוק), or Elazar Berabi Zadok, was a rabbi from the period of the Tannaim, who is mentioned many times in the Mishna. He was the son of Rabbi Zadok.
Biography
His life story is obscure, to the point tha ...
Gamaliel II
Rabban Gamaliel II (also spelled Gamliel; he, רבן גמליאל דיבנה; before -) was a rabbi from the second generation of tannaim. He was the first person to lead the Sanhedrin as '' nasi'' after the fall of the Second Temple in 70 CE.
...
, prepared its core. It was then amplified, enriched, and revised by R. Ḥiyya, but as it was known to a small circle only, it was replaced by the later treatise Evel Rabbati, which borrowed much from it.
Evel Rabbati
The currently extant tractate Evel Rabbati, or Semachot, is a post-Talmudic product and originated in the Land of Israel. This explains the many overlaps of its contents with the
baraitot
''Baraita'' (Aramaic: "external" or "outside"; pl. ''Barayata'' or ''Baraitot''; also Baraitha, Beraita; Ashkenazi: Beraisa) designates a tradition in the Jewish oral law not incorporated in the Mishnah. ''Baraita'' thus refers to teachings "o ...
of the
Jerusalem Talmud
The Jerusalem Talmud ( he, תַּלְמוּד יְרוּשַׁלְמִי, translit=Talmud Yerushalmi, often for short), also known as the Palestinian Talmud or Talmud of the Land of Israel, is a collection of rabbinic notes on the second-century ...
. It is a compilation from various older works; and in many passages traces of revision are to be noticed. The compiler incorporated a considerable part of the small Evel, as well as much from other works, besides adding original matter. The late compilation date of the tractate may be seen from the use of the two Talmudim and from the character of the composition itself, which is unmistakable.
The work reached Babylonia in the
geonic
''Geonim'' ( he, גאונים; ; also transliterated Gaonim, singular Gaon) were the presidents of the two great Babylonian Talmudic Academies of Sura and Pumbedita, in the Abbasid Caliphate, and were the generally accepted spiritual leaders o ...
period; and even at that time it received amplifications and additions from both
Talmudim
The Talmud (; he, , Talmūḏ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law (''halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the center ...
. It took on its present form probably in the middle of the 8th century, if not later. The work was comparatively widely circulated at the time of the later geonim, since reference to a passage in it is made in a question addressed to
Sherira
Sherira bar Hanina (Hebrew: שרירא בר חנינא) more commonly known as Sherira Gaon (Hebrew: שרירא גאון; c. 906-c. 1006) was the gaon of the Academy of Pumbeditha. He was one of the most prominent Geonim of his period, and the ...
and
Hai Gaon
Hai ben Sherira (Hebrew: האי/י בר שרירא) better known as Hai Gaon (Hebrew: האי/י גאון, חאיי גאון), was a medieval Jewish theologian, rabbi and scholar who served as Gaon (Hebrew), Gaon of the Talmudic Academies in Babylo ...
from a distant region. In their responsum to this question they call the tractate "Mishnatenu" = "our Mishnah".
Rashi
Shlomo Yitzchaki ( he, רבי שלמה יצחקי; la, Salomon Isaacides; french: Salomon de Troyes, 22 February 1040 – 13 July 1105), today generally known by the acronym Rashi (see below), was a medieval French rabbi and author of a compre ...
had the work in its present form, since he explicitly cites as the commencement of the tractate the opening words of the present text.
Organization
The tractate is divided into 14 chapters, and this division dates from the 13th century at the latest, since
Mordecai ben Hillel Mordechai ben Hillel HaKohen ( he, "המָּרְדֳּכַי" ,רבי מרדכי בן הלל הכהן; c. 1250–1298), also known as The Mordechai, was a 13th-century German rabbi and posek. His chief legal commentary on the Talmud, referred to as ...
cites it by chapters. The tractate contains almost complete instructions as to the treatment of the dying and the dead, from the commencement of the death-agony to the arrangement of the grave which receives the remains. Numerous examples from current practice are cited. A large number of
aggadot
Aggadah ( he, ''ʾAggāḏā'' or ''Haggāḏā''; Jewish Babylonian Aramaic: אַגָּדְתָא ''ʾAggāḏəṯāʾ''; "tales, fairytale, lore") is the non-legalistic exegesis which appears in the classical rabbinic literature of Judaism, ...
also are included. On the whole, it furnishes much valuable material for the study of Oriental antiquities in general and of ancient Jewish practices in particular, for the verification of historical facts, and for an understanding of the development of Jewish customs.
The present text is defaced by many corruptions, so that its original form cannot now be determined. Wherever possible the commentators have made corrections on the basis of critical comparison, or have called attention to the corruptions.
Contents
The following is am outline of the tractate:
*The first chapter is preceded by an aggadic introduction, inasmuch as it is considered desirable to begin so mournful a tractate with a teaching of a lighter character.Compare Brüll, l. c. p. 27, note 41
* Ch. 1: A person in the agony of death is regarded in every respect as fully alive (§§ 1-8); mourning to be observed for heathen and slaves; other regulations concerning slaves. In this connection it is said that only the three patriarchs
Abraham
Abraham, ; ar, , , name=, group= (originally Abram) is the common Hebrew patriarch of the Abrahamic religions, including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. In Judaism, he is the founding father of the special relationship between the Je ...
,
Isaac
Isaac; grc, Ἰσαάκ, Isaák; ar, إسحٰق/إسحاق, Isḥāq; am, ይስሐቅ is one of the three patriarchs of the Israelites and an important figure in the Abrahamic religions, including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. He was th ...
, and
Jacob
Jacob (; ; ar, يَعْقُوب, Yaʿqūb; gr, Ἰακώβ, Iakṓb), later given the name Israel, is regarded as a patriarch of the Israelites and is an important figure in Abrahamic religions, such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. J ...
may correctly be called the fathers of the Hebrew race, and only the four women Sarah,
Rebekah
Rebecca, ; Syriac: , ) from the Hebrew (lit., 'connection'), from Semitic root , 'to tie, couple or join', 'to secure', or 'to snare') () appears in the Hebrew Bible as the wife of Isaac and the mother of Jacob and Esau. According to biblical ...
,
Rachel
Rachel () was a Biblical figure, the favorite of Jacob's two wives, and the mother of Joseph and Benjamin, two of the twelve progenitors of the tribes of Israel. Rachel's father was Laban. Her older sister was Leah, Jacob's first wife. Her aun ...
, and
Leah
Leah ''La'ya;'' from (; ) appears in the Hebrew Bible as one of the two wives of the Biblical patriarch Jacob. Leah was Jacob's first wife, and the older sister of his second (and favored) wife Rachel. She is the mother of Jacob's first son ...
, the matriarchs. (§§ 9-14).
* Ch. 2: Mourning customs to be observed for a suicide; cases in which a person found dead is to be regarded as a suicide (§§ 1-6); mourning to be observed, for a person condemned and executed by a Jewish tribunal (§§ 7-9); no mourning is to be observed, even by their nearest relatives, for persons who have renounced their nationality and their faith (§ 10); mourning to be observed for a person executed by a non-Jewish tribunal; other regulations (§§ 11-14).
* Ch. 3: The different burial customs, varying according to the age of the deceased.
* Ch. 4: Cases in which a priest may handle a corpse, although he thereby loses his priestly purity.
* Ch. 5: Mourners are prohibited from performing any work during the seven days of mourning; laws relating to excommunicants.
* Ch. 6: What a mourner may and may not do during the seven days of mourning; what a person under a ban may not do; attitude of the community toward him.
* Ch. 7: Nature of the thirty days' mourning. In connection therewith many other regulations are enumerated which have to do with terms of thirty days.
* Ch. 8: Customs which one may observe, although they appear to be heathen customs; various proverbs, anecdotes, and historical narratives.
* Ch. 9: Different mourning customs for different relatives and for different events.
* Ch. 10: Mourning while the corpse is still in the house; mourning for scholars and princes; and other regulations.
* Ch. 11: When two corpses are in the city, which of the two is to be buried first; the mourning of a wife for the relatives of her husband; signs of mourning to be displayed in the house of a mourner.
* Ch. 12, 13: Regulations concerning ossilegium (see above); various other regulations, and anecdotes.
* Ch. 14: Regulations concerning graves and the laying out of burial-places; the mourning feast in the house of the mourner.
Wilhelm Bacher
Wilhelm Bacher ( hu, Bacher Vilmos; yi, בִּנְיָמִין־זְאֵב בּאַככֿר, he, בִּנְיָמִין־זְאֵב בכר ''Benjamin Ze'ev Bacher''; 12 January 1850 – 25 December 1913)Jacob Zallel Lauterbach
It has the following bibliography:
*N. Brüll, Die Talmudischen Traktate über Trauer um Verstorbene, in Jahrb. i. 1-57;
*M. Klotz, Der Talmudische Traktat Ebel Rabbati oder Semaḥot, Berlin, 1890;
*
Weiss, Dor
Isaac (Isaak) Hirsch Weiss, also Eisik Hirsch Weiss () (9 February 1815 – 1 June 1905), was an Austrian Talmudist and historian of literature born at Groß Meseritsch, Habsburg Moravia.
After having received elementary instruction in Hebre ...