Judah haNasi

"Rebbi" redirects here.

Roman province of Judea.

Rabbi Judah haNasi, (Hebrew: יהודה הנשיא, pronounced Yehuda haNasi, "Judah the Prince"), also known as "Rabbi" and "Rabeinu HaKadosh" (Hebrew: רבינו הקדוש, "our holy rabbi"), was a key leader of the Jewish community of Judea toward the end of the 2nd century AD, during the occupation of the Roman Empire. He is best known as the chief "editor" or "redactor" of the Mishnah. He was of the Davidic line, the royal line of King David, hence the title "Prince." The title nasi means president of the Sanhedrin.

Biography

Family and education

The Galilee in late antiquity

Judah haNasi was born in 135. According to the midrash, he came into the world on the same day that Rabbi Akiva died a martyr's death (Midrash Genesis Rabbah lviii.; Midrash Eccl. Rabbah i. 10) The Talmud suggests that this was a result of Divine Providence: God had granted the Jewish people another leader of great stature to succeed Rabbi Akiva. His place of birth is unknown. His father, Shimon ben Gamliel II, sought refuge with his family at an unknown location during the persecutions of the Jews under the Roman emperor Hadrian after the defeat of the Bar Kochba revolt, of which Akiva had been a prominent supporter.

On the restoration of order in Palestine, the western Galilean town of Usha became the seat of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish rabbinical court. Here Judah spent his youth. It may be assumed that his father gave him about the same education that he himself had received, and that his studies included Greek. He is reported to have held that the Jews of Palestine who did not speak Hebrew should consider Greek as the language of the country, while Syriac (Aramaic) had no claim to that distinction. In Judah's own house, pure Hebrew seems to have been spoken.

Judah devoted himself chiefly to the study of the Jewish law. In his youth he had close relations with most of the great pupils of Akiva. He thus laid the foundations which enabled him to undertake his life's work, the redaction of the Mishnah. His teacher at Usha was Judah bar 'Ilai, who was officially employed in the house of the patriarch as judge in religious and legal questions (Men. 104a; Sheb. 13a).

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According to the Talmud (Avodah Zarah 10a-b), Rabbi Judah the Prince was very wealthy and greatly revered in Rome. He had a close friendship with "Antoninus," possibly the Emperor Antoninus Pius, who would consult Rabbi Judah on various worldly and spiritual matters.

The Talmud records the tradition that Rabbi Judah haNasi was buried in the necropolis of Beit She'arim, in the Lower Galilee.

Compiler of the Mishna

Rabbinical Eras
Zugot Tannaim Amoraim Savoraim Geonim Rishonim Acharonim

According to Jewish tradition, God gave the Jewish nation the Written Law - Torah - and revealed to Moses additional laws and customs, called the Oral Law. For centuries, only the Torah appeared as a written text. Fearing that the oral traditions might be forgotten, Rabbi Judah Hanasi undertook the mission of compiling them in what became known as the Mishna. The Mishna consists of 63 tractates codifying Jewish law, which are the basis of the Talmud.

Talmudic legends

In the Talmud (Bava Metziah 85a), one of the most prominent rabbis is Judah haNasi, often referred to as "Rabbi." The title "Nasi" is often translated as "Prince," but in modern Hebrew, it is translated as "President."

Various stories are told about Judah HaNasi, to illustrate different aspects of his character. One of them tells of a calf being led to slaughter that broke free and tried to hide under Judah HaNasi's robes, bellowing with terror. Yehuda pushed the animal away, saying: "Go; for this purpose you were created."

In Heaven it was said: "Since he showed no pity, let us bring suffering upon him." Judah HaNasi was afflicted with kidney stones, painful flatulence and other gastric problems. He prayed for relief, but his prayers were ignored, just as he had ignored the pleas of the calf.

One day, Judah HaNasi's maid found some baby weasels in the house and was about to expel them violently with her broom. But Judah HaNasi stopped her, saying "Leave them alone! It is written: 'His Mercy is upon all his works.'"

And from Heaven was heard: "Since he has shown compassion, let us be compassionate with him." The rabbi was then healed of his painful illnesses and of his flatulence and could once again go out in public.

Rabbi Judah HaNasi also said "One ignorant of the Torah should not eat flesh" - possibly as a result of these experiences.

References

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Preceded by: Shimon ben Gamliel II

Nasi 165 (Est.) - 220

Succeeded by: Gamaliel III

Rabbis of the Mishnah

Hillel   Shammai           Teacher → Student                                                                             Gamaliel the Elder               Johanan b. Zakai                 Father → Son                                                                                 R. Gamaliel   Jose the Galilean   Eliezer b. Hyrcanus   Joshua b. Hananiah   Eleazar b. Arach   Eleazar b. Azariah                                                                         Elisha b. Abuyah       Akiva   Ishmael b. Elisha   Tarfon                                                                                                 Meir   Judah b. Ilai   Jose b. Halafta   Shimon b. Yohai                                                                                             Judah HaNasi   Hiyya   Oshiah

See also

• Talmud
• Mishna
• Tannaim
• Amoraim

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