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eat: He plowed, sowed, reaped, sheaved, threshed, winnowed in the wind, separated the grain from the chaff, ground the grain into flour, sifted, kneaded, and baked and only thereafter he ate. And I, on the other hand, wake up and find all of these prepared for me. Human society employs a division of labor, and each individual benefits from the service of the entire world. Similarly, how much effort did Adam the first man exert before he found a garment to wear? He sheared, laundered, combed, spun and wove, and only thereafter he found a garment to wear. And I, on the other hand, wake up and find all of these prepared for me. Members of all nations, merchants and craftsmen, diligently come to the entrance of my home, and I wake up and find all of these before me.
618:
187:
was walking one day, when he met Ben Zoma, who was about to pass him without greeting. Thereupon Joshua asked: "Whence and whither, Ben Zoma?" The latter replied: "I was lost in thoughts concerning the account of the
Creation." And then he told Joshua his interpretation of Genesis 1:2. When speaking
348:
A grateful guest says, "That host be remembered for good! How many wines he brought up before me; how many portions he placed before me; how many cakes he offered me! All that he did, he did for my sake." But the ill-willed guest says, "What did I eat of his? A piece of bread, a bite of meat. What
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Ben Zoma once saw a multitude of Israel while standing on a stair on the Temple Mount. He immediately recited: Blessed… Who knows all secrets and
Blessed… Who created all these to serve me. Explaining his custom, he would say: How much effort did Adam the first man exert before he found bread to
218:
The Pardes legend allowed the rabbinate to examine
Christian claims and Greek philosophical ideas while formulating the talmudic tradition although the subject never completed his ordination. Conversion to Christianity was the result of the subject's alleged insanity according to Samson H. Levey.
234:
Only a few of Ben Zoma's exegetic teachings have been preserved. The most widely known of these is his interpretation of the phrase, "that you may remember the day when you came forth out of Egypt" to prove that the recitation of the biblical passage referring to the
304:, "for this is the whole man," he found the thought expressed, that the pious man is the crown and end of mankind; the whole race ("the whole world") was created only to be of service to him who fears God and respects His commandments.
335:
He who is happy with what he has. As is stated: "If you eat of toil of your hands, fortunate are you, and good is to you"; "fortunate are you" in this world, "and good is to you" in the World to Come;
140:(rabbinical ordination). Ben Zoma and Ben Azzai are often mentioned together distinguished representatives of this class. Like Ben Azzai, also, he seems to have belonged to the inner circle of
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did I drink? A cup of wine. Whatever he did, he did for the sake of his wife and his children." Thus the
Scripture says, "Remember that thou magnify His work, whereof men have sung."
188:
to his disciples on the matter, Joshua said, "Ben Zoma is outside," meaning thereby that Ben Zoma had passed beyond the limit of permitted research according to
179:
passages by which Ben Zoma created a commotion all over the world". An interpretation of the second verse of the same chapter has been handed down in a
329:
He who controls his impulses. As is stated: "Better one who is slow to anger than one with might, one who rules his spirit than the captor of a city.";
211::16, "If you find honey, eat only what you need, / Lest, surfeiting yourself, you throw it up." according to Hagiga 2:5,6 and l.c.; see also
92:
393:
Sweeney, Marvin A. “Pardes
Revisited Once Again: A Reassessment of the Rabbinic Legend Concerning the Four Who Entered Fardes.”
341:
He who honors everyone! As is stated: "For to those who honor me, I accord honor; those who scorn me shall be demeaned;"
703:
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595:
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If you, in repentance, have been ashamed in this world, you will not need to be ashamed before God in the next.
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became proverbial, for it was said, "Whoever sees Ben Zoma in his dream is assured of scholarship".
144:'s disciples, and a halakhic controversy between them is reported in which Ben Zoma was the victor.
414:
Series:South
Florida studies in the history of Judaism, 16. Atlanta, Georgia:Scholars Press. p. 45.
1300:
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applied to the limitless theosophic speculations, for which Ben Zoma had to suffer, the words of
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of the garden and "was struck" with mental aberration according to Hagiga 14b. The disciples of
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167:. One of his questions on this chapter, in which he took exception to the phrase in verse 7, "
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of the 1st and 2nd centuries CE. His name is used without the title "Rabbi" because, like
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He who learns from everyone. As is stated: "From all my teachers I have grown wise";
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Ben Zoma was one of the four who entered into the garden of esoteric knowledge (see
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1214:
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The principal subject of Ben Zoma's exegetic research was the first chapter of the
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136:, he died at a young age, remaining in the grade of "pupil" and never receiving
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9:15 states, "With Ben Zoma died the last of the exegetes" ("darshanim").
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621: This article incorporates text from a publication now in the
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175:(though without the answer), with the remark, "This is one of the
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21:28 by referring to the usage of the word in everyday life.
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interpretation, Ben Zoma explains the word "naḳi" (clean) in
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34:
477:
369:
681:
168:
410:
Samson Halevi Levey and
Stanley Franklin Chyet. (1998).
678:
Braunschweiger, Lehrer der
Mischnah, pp. 257–259.
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Ben Zoma was specially noted as an interpreter of the
412:The text and I : writings of Samson H. Levey.
183:tradition, together with the following anecdote:
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697:
247:. This interpretation, quoted with praise by
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704:
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171:made", has been handed down by the Judean
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199:). It was said of him that he beheld the
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1293:
685:
663:, Darke ha-Mishnah, pp. 134–136;
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669:, History of the Jews, ii. 358, 381;
650:It has the following bibliography:
278:Ben Zoma, seeing the crowds on the
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13:
16:Late 1st / early 2nd century tanna
14:
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648:. New York: Funk & Wagnalls.
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755:Hananiah ben Hezekiah ben Garon
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589:
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397:, vol. 22, no. 4, 2004, p. 54.
657:, Agada der Tannaiten, i. 429;
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1:
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1058:Eleazar ben Judah of Bartota
740:Houses of Hillel and Shammai
227:Ben Zoma's erudition in the
7:
786:Ishmael ben Elisha ha-Kohen
711:
251:, has found a place in the
10:
1327:
273:
1192:
1091:
1028:Haninah ben Ahi R. Joshua
915:
849:
768:
719:
307:
300:In the closing words of
811:Hanina Segan ha-Kohanim
645:The Jewish Encyclopedia
1200:Judah haNasi (Judah I)
1099:Simeon ben Gamaliel II
781:Shimon ben Gamliel (I)
642:; et al. (eds.).
401:Retrieved 2 Aug. 2022.
298:
239:is obligatory for the
148:Esoteric contemplation
776:Gamaliel I, the Elder
284:
1270:Yadua the Babylonian
1235:Symmachus ben Joseph
1184:Eliezer ben Jacob II
988:Hanina ben Antigonus
963:Eleazar ben Perata I
958:Haninah ben Teradion
897:Akabia ben Mahalalel
867:Eliezer ben Hurcanus
816:Abba Saul ben Batnit
596:Tosefta, Brachot 6:5
1179:Hananiah ben Akavia
1139:Eleazar ben Shammua
1078:Abba Jose ben Hanan
1073:Simeon the Yemenite
943:Eleazar ben Azariah
877:Nehunya ben HaKanah
862:Joshua ben Hananiah
836:Eliezer ben Jacob I
796:Jonathan ben Uzziel
720:Last Generation of
313:Ben Zoma would say:
249:Eleazar ben Azariah
243:as well as for the
185:Joshua ben Hananiah
142:Joshua ben Hananiah
1311:Pirkei Avot rabbis
1306:2nd-century rabbis
1280:Abba Kohen Bardela
1265:Simeon ben Menasya
1225:Simeon ben Eleazar
1220:Eleazar ben Simeon
1114:Shimon ben Halafta
1068:Hanan the Egyptian
1063:Matteya ben Heresh
1043:Jeshbab the Scribe
1018:Eleazar of Modi'im
993:Hanina ben Hakinai
968:Johanan ben Baroka
791:Yohanan ben Zakkai
223:Halachic teachings
1288:
1287:
1230:Eleazar ha-Kappar
1164:Johanan HaSandlar
1134:Shimon bar Yochai
1092:Fourth Generation
1053:Johanan ben Torta
1008:Elisha ben Abuyah
998:Yochanan ben Nuri
948:Jose the Galilean
872:Eleazar ben Arach
850:Second Generation
831:Judah ben Bathyra
826:Dosa ben Harkinas
760:Simeon ben Hillel
197:the Pardes legend
103:
102:
1318:
1215:Ishmael ben Jose
1193:Fifth Generation
1169:Pinchas ben Yair
1154:Joshua ben Karha
1109:Jose ben Halafta
1048:Aquila of Sinope
978:Simeon ben Azzai
953:Eliezer ben Jose
916:Third Generation
882:Nachum Ish Gamzu
769:First Generation
730:Hillel the Elder
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491:"Berakhot 58a:4"
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447:Numbers 15:37–41
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436:Deuteronomy 16:3
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108:, also known as
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973:Simeon ben Zoma
911:
907:Shmuel ha-Katan
902:Simeon HaPakoli
845:
806:Hanina ben Dosa
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640:Singer, Isidore
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339:Who is honored?
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213:Midrash Mishlei
192:2:5,6 and 15a.
165:Book of Genesis
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114:Shimon ben Zoma
106:Simeon ben Zoma
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22:Rabbinical eras
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1174:Simeon Shezuri
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1104:Judah bar Ilai
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933:Judah ben Bava
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539:Proverbs 16:32
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327:Who is strong?
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245:morning prayer
241:evening prayer
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110:Simon ben Zoma
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938:Rabbi Ishmael
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801:Baba ben Buta
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634:(1901–1906).
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623:public domain
608:
607:Exodus Rabbah
603:
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574:, Chapter 4:1
573:
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561:1 Samuel 2:30
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528:Psalms 119:99
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1149:Rabbi Nathan
1013:Rabbi Ilai I
972:
928:Rabbi Tarfon
887:Abba Hilkiah
745:Bnei Bathyra
643:
615:
602:
591:
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550:Psalms 128:2
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333:Who is rich?
332:
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321:Who is wise?
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302:Ecclesiastes
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280:Temple Mount
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154:Hebrew Bible
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117:
113:
109:
105:
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1245:Bar Kappara
923:Rabbi Akiva
892:Rabbi Zadok
857:Gamaliel II
584:Book of Job
572:Pirkei Avot
209:Proverbs 25
205:Rabbi Akiva
1295:Categories
1205:Huna Kamma
1126:(and wife
1124:Rabbi Meir
675:, ii. 126;
673:Weiss, Dor
661:Z. Frankel
636:"Ben Zoma"
470:Bava Kamma
357:References
215:on 25:16.
116:or simply
1159:Abba Saul
1033:Abtolemus
722:Zugot Era
667:H. Graetz
655:W. Bacher
518:, s.v., 5
514:30b; see
474:Kiddushin
181:tannaitic
173:aggadists
134:Ben Azzai
128:), was a
67:Acharonim
508:Berachot
478:Pesachim
458:Berachot
424:Berachot
293:Berakhot
290:—
282:, said,
264:halakhic
257:Passover
255:for the
253:Haggadah
229:halakhah
177:Biblical
138:semikhah
118:Ben Zoma
62:Rishonim
50:Savoraim
1128:Bruriah
1023:Halafta
983:Onkelos
750:Menahem
735:Shammai
713:Tannaim
625::
512:Shabbat
274:Aggadah
259:night.
201:secrets
126:בן זומא
45:Amoraim
40:Tannaim
630:and
395:Shofar
308:Quotes
268:Exodus
237:Exodus
190:Hagiga
122:Hebrew
57:Geonim
30:Chazal
821:Admon
638:. In
609:30:19
586:36:24
516:Arukh
476:56b;
472:41a;
295:58a:4
262:In a
158:Sotah
130:tanna
35:Zugot
510:6b;
480:22b)
370:Naz.
460:1:5
426:57b
372:8:1
169:God
1297::
493:.
156:;
124::
112:,
1130:)
705:e
698:t
691:v
497:.
384:4
120:(
94:e
87:t
80:v
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