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The Heart Knows Its Own Bitterness (Talmud)
"The Heart Knows Its Own Bitterness" () is a sugya (passage) in the Babylonian Talmud's tractate ''Yoma'', which discusses when a person may be exempt from fasting on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. The sugya hinges on the interpretation of a Biblical verse. A phrase from this verse"The Heart Knows its Own Bitterness" ( Proverbs 14:10)serves as the name of both the sugya and a principle in Jewish law and ethics that is derived from the sugya. The sugya analyzes a few statements from the Mishnah, a rabbinic work that is the core of the Babylonian Talmud. There are related texts in the Tosefta and Jerusalem Talmud. For centuries, the sugya has been relevant to deliberations over real or perceived health risks, especially when facing religious obligations such as fasting on Yom Kippur. In contemporary Jewish medical ethics, the passage is used to assess patient autonomy in relation to expert medical opinion. In a more expansive move, progressive (non-Orthodox) Jews have invoked thi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sugya
A sugya is a self-contained passage of the Talmud that typically discusses a mishnah or other rabbinic statement, or offers an aggada, aggadic narrative.; see for overview. While the sugya is a literary unit in the Jerusalem Talmud, the term is most often used for passages in the Talmud, Babylonian Talmud, which is the primary focus of religious and academic readings of sugyot (plural form). Religious and academic scholars of Talmud have identified numerous sugyot, though there is no definitive listing or count. Individual sugyot have been explained for readers, taught as curricular units, and analyzed by historians and other scholars. Definition The term sugya (pl. sugyot) is derived from the Aramaic ''segi'' (סגי), which means to go, and it refers to "a self-contained basic unit of Talmudic discussion". Sugya is also used in the Talmud for a narrower meaning, as the course or trend (lit. a "going") of a discussion. It may also refer to a lesson on rabbinic law (''halakha ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mar Bar Rav Ashi
Mar bar Rav Ashi () (d. 468) was a Babylonian rabbi who lived in the 5th century (seventh generation of amoraim). He would sign his name as Tavyomi (or ''Tabyomi'', ), which was either his first name or his nickname. Biography According to Abraham ibn Daud, he received his personal name (Tavyomi) due to the "good days" (Aramaic: ''tav''=good, ''yomei''=days) which prevailed during his lifetime. However, this tradition is difficult to understand, since the beginning of his official activity was marked by the bitter religious persecution by Yazdegerd II. That king died in 457; and his death was ascribed in part to Tavyomi's prayer. The name he is usually known by, Mar bar Rav Ashi, translates to "Master, son of Rav Ashi", as he was the son of Rav Ashi. He achieved a reputation for scholarship even during Rav Ashi's lifetime. There is an allusion to his marriage, which took place in his father's house. He was not elected director of the Sura Academy until 455 (ד'רט"ו, Hebrew ca ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Orach Chayim
''Orach Chayim'' ("manner/way of life") is a section of Rabbi Jacob ben Asher's compilation of Halakha (Jewish law), '' Arba'ah Turim''. This section addresses aspects of Jewish law pertinent to the Hebrew calendar (be it the daily, weekly, monthly, or annual calendar). Rabbi Yosef Karo modeled the framework of the '' Shulkhan Arukh'' (שולחן ערוך), his own compilation of practical Jewish law, after the ''Arba'ah Turim.'' Many later commentators used this framework, as well. Thus, ''Orach Chayim'' in common usage may refer to another area of halakha, separate from Rabbi Jacob ben Asher's compilation. ''Orach Chayim'' deals with but is not limited to: *Washing the hands in the morning * Tefillin * Tzitzit (ritual fringes) *Prayer * Sabbath * Festivals * Torah reading in synagogue. Commentaries on the ''Shulchan Aruch'' – ''Orach Chayim'' * ''Taz (Turei Zohov)'' – by Rabbi David HaLevi Segal * ''Magen Avraham'' – by Rabbi Avraham Gombiner * ''Biur HaGra'' – ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shulchan Aruch
The ''Shulhan Arukh'' ( ),, often called "the Code of Jewish Law", is the most widely consulted of the various legal codes in Rabbinic Judaism. It was authored in the city of Safed in what is now Israel by Joseph Karo in 1563 and published in Venice two years later. Together with its commentaries, it is the most widely accepted compilation of halakha or Jewish law ever written. The halachic rulings in the ''Shulhan Arukh'' generally follow Sephardic law and customs, whereas Ashkenazi Jews generally follow the halachic rulings of Moses Isserles, whose glosses to the ''Shulhan Aruch'' note where the Sephardic and Ashkenazi customs differ. These glosses are widely referred to as the ''mappā'' "tablecloth" to the "Set Table". Almost all published editions of the ''Shulchan Aruch'' include this gloss, and the term has come to denote both Karo's work as well as Isserles', with Karo usually referred to as "the ''Meḥabbēr''" (, "Author") and Isserles as "the Rema" (a Hebrew acr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sefer Ha-Chinuch
''Sefer ha-Chinuch'' (, "Book of Education") is a rabbinic text which systematically discusses the 613 commandments of the Torah. It was written in 13th-century Spain by an anonymous "Levite of Barcelona". Content The work's enumeration of the commandments (; sing. ''mitzvah'') is based upon Maimonides' system of counting as per his Sefer Hamitzvot; each is listed according to its appearance in the weekly Torah portion and the work is structured correspondingly. The book separately discusses each of the 613 commandments, both from a legal and a moral perspective. For each, the Chinuch's discussion starts by linking the ''mitzvah'' to its Biblical source, and then addresses the philosophical underpinnings of the commandment (here, termed the "''shoresh''", or "root"). Following this, the ''Chinuch'' presents a brief overview of the ''halakha'' (practical Jewish law) governing its observance - based on Maimonides' ''Mishneh Torah'', while cross referencing the Talmudic tractate ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rashi
Shlomo Yitzchaki (; ; ; 13 July 1105) was a French rabbi who authored comprehensive commentaries on the Talmud and Hebrew Bible. He is commonly known by the List of rabbis known by acronyms, Rabbinic acronym Rashi (). Born in Troyes, Rashi studied Torah studies in Worms, Germany, Worms under German rabbi Yaakov ben Yakar and French rabbi Isaac ben Eliezer Halevi, both of whom were pupils of the famed scholar Gershom ben Judah. After returning to Troyes, Rashi joined the , began answering Halakha, halakhic questions and later served as the 's head after the death of Zerach ben Abraham. Rashi is generally considered a leading biblical exegete in the Middle Ages. Acclaimed for his ability to present the basic meaning of the text in a concise and lucid fashion, Rashi's commentaries appeal to both learned scholars and beginning students, and his works remain a centerpiece of contemporary Torah study. A large fraction of rabbinic literature published since the Middle Ages discusses Ra ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Isaac Ben Asher Ha-Levi
Rabbi Isaac ben Asher HaLevi or Riba (ריב"א) is the earliest known Tosafist, son-in-law of Eliakim ben Meshullam and pupil of Rashi. He flourished in Speyer during the 11th century. He is cited under the name of "Tosafot Riba," in the ''Temim De'im,'' in the printed ''tosafot'' (''Sotah'' 17b), and in the ''Tosafot Yeshanin'' (''Yoma'' 15a). They are frequently quoted without the name of their author. Isaac ben Asher also wrote a commentary on the Pentateuch The Torah ( , "Instruction", "Teaching" or "Law") is the compilation of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, namely the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. The Torah is also known as the Pentateuch () o ..., which is no longer extant. It is cited in the ''Minchat Yehudah,'' and Jacob Tam made use of it in his '' Sefer ha-Yashar'' (p. 282). He was also the teacher of Isaac ben Mordecai of Regensburg and Ephraim ben Isaac of Regensburg. References * {{DEFAULTSORT: ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tosafot
The Tosafot, Tosafos or Tosfot () are Middle Ages, medieval commentaries on the Talmud. They take the form of critical and explanatory glosses, printed, in almost all Talmud editions, on the outer margin and opposite Rashi's notes. The authors of the Tosafot are known as Tosafists; for a listing (see List of Tosafists.) Meaning of name The word ''tosafot'' literally means "additions". The reason for the title is a matter of dispute among modern scholars. Many of them, including Heinrich Graetz, think the glosses are so-called as additions to Rashi's commentary on the Talmud. In fact, the period of the Tosafot began immediately after Rashi had written his commentary; the first tosafists were Rashi's sons-in-law and grandsons, and the Tosafot consist mainly of strictures on Rashi's commentary. Others, especially Isaac Hirsch Weiss, object that many tosafot — particularly those of Isaiah di Trani — have no reference to Rashi. Weiss, followed by other scholars, assert ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Prohairesis
Prohairesis or proairesis (; variously translated as "moral character", "will", "volition", "choice", "intention", or "moral choice") is a fundamental concept in the Stoic philosophy of Epictetus. It represents the choice involved in giving or withholding assent to impressions ''( phantasiai)''. The use of this Greek word was first introduced into philosophy by Aristotle in the ''Nicomachean Ethics''. To Epictetus, it is the faculty that distinguishes human beings from all other creatures. The concept of prohairesis plays a cardinal role in the '' Discourses'' and in the '' Manual'': the terms "prohairesis", "prohairetic", and "aprohairetic" appear some 168 times. Explanation by Epictetus According to Epictetus, nothing is properly considered either good, or bad, aside from those things that are within our own power to control, and the only thing fully in our power to control is our own volition (prohairesis) which exercises the faculty of choice that we use to judge our impressi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hellenistic Philosophy
Hellenistic philosophy is Ancient Greek philosophy corresponding to the Hellenistic period in Ancient Greece, from the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC to the Battle of Actium in 31 BC. The dominant schools of this period were the Stoics, the Epicureans and the Academic Skepticism, Skeptics. Background The Preceding classical period in Ancient Greek philosophy had centered around Socrates (c. 470–399 BC), whose students Antisthenes, Aristippus, and Plato went on to found Cynicism (philosophy), Cynicism, Cyrenaicism, and Platonism, respectively. Plato taught Aristotle who created the Peripateticism, Peripatetic school and in turn, had tutored Alexander the Great. Socrates' thought was therefore influential for many of these schools of the period, leading them to focus on ethics and how to reach ''eudaimonia.'' Early Platonism, known as the "Old Academy" begins with Plato, followed by Speusippus (Plato's nephew), who succeeded him as the head of school (until 339 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Amoraim
''Amoraim'' ( , singular ''Amora'' ; "those who say" or "those who speak over the people", or "spokesmen") refers to Jewish scholars of the period from about 200 to 500 CE, who "said" or "told over" the teachings of the Oral Torah. They were primarily located in Babylonia and the Land of Israel. Their legal discussions and debates were eventually codified in the Gemara. The ''Amoraim'' followed the '' Tannaim'' in the sequence of ancient Jewish scholars. The ''Tannaim'' were direct transmitters of uncodified oral tradition; the ''Amoraim'' expounded upon and clarified the oral law after its initial codification. The Amoraic era The first Babylonian ''Amoraim'' were Abba Arikha, respectfully referred to as ''Rav'', and his contemporary and frequent debate partner, Shmuel. Among the earliest ''Amoraim'' in Israel were Johanan bar Nappaha and Shimon ben Lakish. Traditionally, the Amoraic period is reckoned as seven or eight generations (depending on where one begins and en ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pikuach Nefesh
''Pikuach nefesh'' (), which means "saving a soul" or "saving a life," is the principle in ''Halakha'' (Jewish law) that the preservation of human life overrides virtually any other religious rule of Judaism. In the event that a person is in critical danger, most '' mitzvot'' become inapplicable if they would hinder the ability to save oneself or someone else. However, there are certain exceptions; some rules and commandments may not be broken under any circumstances and thus may require an act of self-sacrifice. Origin and interpretation Biblical source The Torah, in Leviticus 18:5, states simply: "You shall keep My statutes and My laws, which a person shall do and shall live by them. I am the ." Ezekiel 20:11 states the following: "And I gave them my statutes, and showed them my judgements, which if a man do, he shall even live in them." Talmudic discussion In the Talmud (Yoma 85b), Samuel of Nehardea interpreted the verses above to imply, "Live by them od's statutes and l ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
