EXCHANGE SAADIA'S POLEMIC AGAINST HIWI AL-BALKHI 1 ' ' ,e t C f ' C ,' , T-S. 8. J. so 2>*s*h 6)<>n >> jtv^*t)f *t}>pyv* x'XT*6j} xttan 1&&ixi'J>*ft>?x>i+ &fpfl/M t&W&JtrMjV 'HUP*) % ^/^; yiy -> j *tt%*2k Ask* * *h ; * fc> AiAjAW* A** ' TEXTS AND STUDIES OF THE JEWISH THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY OF AMERICA VOL. V SAADIA'S POLEMIC AGAINST HIWI AL-BALKHI A FRAGMENT EDITED FROM A GENIZAH MS ISRAEL DAVIDSON Associate Professor of Mediaeval Hebreiv Literature Jewish Theological Seminary of America NEW YORK THE JEWISH THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY OF AMERICA 1915 Bmsss l7fs Composed and Printed By The University of Chicago Press Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A. hti b"i Tpoaarobp Diran banar "i mVu mnb nus: a TW tnnb Crai mw 'a ot p"sb nnn ro 347810 PREFACE In the summer of 19 14 it was my good fortune to spend a few weeks in that ancient seat of learning which is now the domicile of the greater part of the Cairo Genizah. Through the kind introduction of Dr. Schechter, the authorities of the Cambridge University Library extended to me the rare privilege of examining every part of the Genizah collection, and among the numerous fragments which had remained unclassified until then I discovered the important document presented here for the first time. It is a great pleasure to have this opportunity of publicly acknowledging my indebtedness to Dr. Schechter for his kindly interest and encourage- ment in my work. I further wish to express my thanks to Dr. Francis Jenkinson, the Librarian, and Mr. H. G. Aldis, the Secretary of the University Library, for their courtesy in unreservedly placing before me the entire collection of the Genizah. It is my hope that the publication of this text together with the facsimile will enable others who work in the same field to discover the rest of this remark- able document. I. D. New York April, 1915 7 TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. Introduction n II. Saadia's Polemic against Hiwi Al-Balkhi . 38 III. Texts Relating to Hiwi Al-Balkhi and His Two Hundred Questions; Arranged Chrono- logically . 80 CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION The annals of Jewish literature can point to many an important document that for centuries long lay buried and forgotten in the dust, and then was dug up and brought into the light of day, taking with it out of the dimness of obscurity into the glare of pub- licity the person or persons recorded therein. Wit- ness, for instance, the Chronicle of Ahimaaz, coming from a Spanish library, and the Scroll of Abiathar, the Letter of Chushiel ben Elhanan, and the Docu- ments of Jewish Sectaries issuing from the Cairo Genizah. Indeed, since the discovery of the Geni- zah, any number of documents have constantly been turning up which have given a better insight into the life of the Jews in the remote past. As Dr. Schechter himself some years ago testified, "new letters from the Eminences [Gaonim], addressed to their contemporaries .... are daily coming to light Even entire new books, or fragments of such, composed by the Gaonim and only known by references, have been discovered." 1 How rich the Genizah is in literary treasures can be seen from the fact that one who has merely "gleaned in the field 1 S. Schechter, Studies in Judaism (New Series), Philadelphia, 1908, p. 28. 11 12 saadia's polemic after the reapers" has been fortunate enough to light upon so important a document as the long-lost Polemic of Saadia against giwi Al-Balkhi. For nearly one thousand years the name of giwi was practically forgotten. Saadia mentioned him once casually in his philosophical work, 2 and Ibn Ezra mentioned him three times in his Commentary on Exodus, 3 while the chronicler Ibn Daud dilated upon the efforts which Saadia made to eradicate the influence of giwi, 4 but, through a scribal error, all the older editions of this Chronicle read "Hamiel Kalbi " instead of " giwi Al-Balkhi." s These casual references were not sufficient to keep the name of giwi alive in the annals of Jewish history and litera- ture. As a result it is not to be wondered at if the sixth volume of Jost's History of the Jews, published in 1826, though dealing with the period of Saadia, contained no reference to giwi. 6 The first to bring the name of giwi to the know- ledge of the modern student of Jewish history and literature was S. J. Rapoport, in his Biography of Saadia, published in 1829. 7 In this Biography, the mnm maTaan -iso , ed. siucki, P . 20. 3 Exod. 14, 27; 16, 13; 34, 29. The text of these passages is given below, chap, iii, sec. 10, c, d, e. " nbnpn "130 , ed. Neubauer, p. 66. Comp. below, chap, iii, sec. n. 5 This error was copied by David Conforte in his mTHPl XHlp (fol. 40). 6 Comp. Jost, Geschkhte der Israeliten, Berlin, 1826, pp. 86-97. i }6n rmbin , in ?rtD2 , 1829, pp. 20-37. AGAINST HIWI AL-BALKHI 1 3 first of a brilliant series, Rapoport displayed such wide erudition and such keen historic sense and critical acumen that he drew upon himself the atten- tion of the greatest scholars of the time. With his remarkable faculty for gathering data from neglected corners of history and literature, and reconstructing the past from them, he summed up the most essential characteristics of 5iwi within the compass of one Note. 8 He was the first to point out the references to IJiwi in Saadia and Ibn Ezra mentioned above, as well as to detect the scribal error in the Chronicle of Ibn Daud, and to suggest the correct reading of "IJiwi" instead of "Hamiel," a point which was, some sixty years later, corroborated by several manuscripts. 9 From these scanty references, Rapo- port drew two important conclusions: first, that IJiwi was not a Karaite, but a rationalistic critic of the Bible, 10 and, second, that Saadia answered his criticism in a separate pamphlet. More than this he could not say. He held to the form Kalbi for *Ibid., p. 31, note 31. 9 nbnpn nso , i.e. "Comp. Rapoport, 301 nTlbin, note 31: ^TO mOT DW1 ?n&hn innts am rm b^ra -w-ft p is^i -nn nnp ht htbdi mana "jtto pn -o^inpn pTo bbs ira rmo "120 by jmrmri ^cdi The opening words of this paragraph are somewhat puzzling. It is difficult to understand to whom Rapoport refers when he says that "many are of the opinion that Hiwi was a Karaite." I can find no such statement anywhere. 14 saadia's polemic IJiwi's surname, since all the sources known to him had that reading. In 1847, however, S. D. Luzzatto published an extract from a manuscript copy of Barzilai's Com- mentary on the Sepher Yezirah" which contained a quotation from a lost book of Saadia, 12 and in which was found a brief paragraph taken from his reply to IJiwi. 13 From this paragraph Luzzatto drew the following conclusions: first, that IJiwi's surname was Al-Balkhi, meaning that he came from the city of Balkh, in Persia; 14 second, that the work which formed the object of Saadia's Polemic consisted of two hundred questions, and, third, that Saadia's reply to these questions was written in the Hebrew language. 15 Meanwhile S. Pinsker, in the course of gathering material for his epoch-making work on the history of the Karaites and their literature, found strong evidence in support of Rapoport's hypothe- sis that IJiwi was not a Karaite. This evidence " comp. (* nDob) nanan rra, foil. ub-i2o, and mp mrbn, p. 71. 12 Graetz (Geschichte, V, 5 28) proved that this extract came from Saadia's T^nbtf ItfrO . x * For the full text of this quotation, see below, chap, iii, sec. 4, a. 14 On the name of Hiwi, comp. Poznanski, ^DbSH iTn , in pin , VII, 113-114. x s Curiously enough, Fiirst (Bib. Judaica, I, 268) states that a large(!) fragment of the Hebrew translation (!) of Saadia's reply to Hiwi was preserved in Barzilai's Commentary on the Sepher Yezirah, and with his usual self-assurance gives even the Arabic title of this Polemic as D^DD AGAINST HIWI AL-BALKHI 1 5 consisted of a quotation from Solomon b. Yeruham's Arabic Commentary on Ecclesiastes, in which IJiwi is taken to task for some of his questions and from which we gather that 9iwi was not an opponent of the Oral Law alone but of the Scriptures as well, and that he dealt in his Questions not only with the miracles of the Bible but also with an- thropomorphic passages. 16 The next scholar to throw further light upon IJiwi was Graetz. He showed, first of all, that Saadia's reply to IJiwi must have been written before the year 92 7. 17 Then, having detected that the ques- tions cited by Barzilai and by Solomon b. Yeruham corresponded to the fifth and sixth questions of the twelve enumerated by Saadia in the third chapter of his philosophic work, 18 he arrived at the conclusion that at least all of the first ten must have originated with IJiwi. 19 This enabled us to form a still clearer idea of the nature of IJiwi's critique. 16 nWfiffip 'IDIpb , p. 28. For the text of this quotation see below, chap, iii, sec. 5. In this connection it may also be mentioned that later on P. Frankel found another Karaite, Joseph Al-Basir, refuting the same question of Hiwi which Ibn Ezra cites in his Commentary on Exod. 14, 27 (M.G.W.J., XX, 156-157), and Harkavy brought the testimony of Kirkisani, that the Karaite Abu Amran al-Taflisi also refuted Hiwi (TH#0 21 I'TOT, p. 147). Pinsker persisted in regarding Al-Kalbi and not Al-Balkhi as the right form of Hiwi's surname. * Geschichle, V, 528. 18 IWim niDTQXn ISO , p. 73; and below, chap, iii, sec. 4, i, VH . J Graetz, ibid., p. 534. i6 On the other hand, Dukes, Fiirst, and Gottlober, though they dealt with the subject, have added nothing. Dukes merely mentioned the Polemic in one place 19 * and in another brought the far-fetched suggestion that Kalbi signified "one who belonged to the tribe of Kalb." I9b Gottlober merely trans- lated Fiirst and Graetz, 19 " while Fiirst indulged in wild hypo theses. Igd He maintained, for instance, that 5iwi translated the Bible into Arabic, basing his theory upon Ibn Daud's remark that IJiwi !TQ miri lnb?J, not seeing that this remark would apply to himself more fittingly. He also asserted that Saadia's reply to IJiwi was written in Arabic and that the Hebrew quotation by Barzilai was a translation, failing to see that Saadia was careful to say that he quoted his Polemic verbatim ("pi frabn nn rba TaiiDn nrrn). He also persisted in considering IJiwi as a Karaite. The only guess in which he came near the truth was that Saadia's Polemic was written in rhymed prose. But here also he overreached himself by assuming that it consisted exactly of two hundred stanzas of four lines each. *** Comp. Literaturhistorische Mittheilungen (Stuttgart, 1844), pp. 33-34. ^Comp. Philosophisches aus d. io ten Jahr. CNakel, 1868), p. 33. * Comp. D^anpn nnb-inb mpn , wiina, 1865, pp. 113, 142, 167. ^Comp. Geschichte des Karaerthums, I, 106-107, I75~i77; H, 30-31, and notes, pp. 10-11. AGAINST HIWI AL-BALKHI 1 7 In 1878, Harkavy brought to light one more ques- tion of Iliwi from a quotation in a fragment of an Arabic Commentary on the Bible written either by Saadia or by Samuel Ibn IJofni. 20 The next year, Jacob Guttmann published a minute study of the ten questions enumerated by Saadia, 21 and, accepting Graetz's point of view, went a step farther to prove that they were not original with IJiwi, but were already found in the Midrash. According to Gutt- mann, what IJiwi did was to take the questions of the Midrash and ignore the answers. 22 In 1888, Israelsohn published one more question of Iliwi found in an Arabic Commentary on Deuteronomy, 23 and in 1891, after Darmesteter published Texts Pehlvis relatifs au Judaistne, 24 Kaufmann made the conjecture that these Pahlavi texts were probably the source of IJiwi's inspiration. 25 Then, in 1891, Harkavy, in the first part of his work on Saadia, proved for the first time from a passage in the Sepher 20 Comp. DTTJD wlDXT3 , I, 4, and below, chap, iii, sec. 6, a. 21 Comp. M.G.W.J., XXVIII, 260-270, 289-300. 22 Comp. ibid., p. 299, note 1, where Guttmann adds this new point, that Saadia's remark concerning Manna: flliS "pa? *D rWH ^SBI nbnott nabsD nnT )isn (mnm maroon 'o , p. 12), was probably directed against the same question of Hiwi which Ibn Ezra cites in his Commentary on Exod. 16, 13. 2 3 R.E.J. , XVII, 310-312. He also drew attention to a parallel passage in inTEtfn '0 , p. 53. For the text of these passages see below, chap, iii, sees. 4, g, and 6, b. 2 4 Ibid., XVIII, 1-15. 2s Hid., XXII, 287-289. 18 saadia's polemic Haggalui that IJiwi's Book of Two Hundred Questions was composed about 875. 26 He also pointed out that the Karaite Abu Amran Altaflisi is the earliest opponent of giwi that we know. 27 In 1892 Derenbourg discovered an anonymous philosophical work, erroneously ascribed to Bahya, in which he found the remarkable statement that Saadia wrote his reply to IJiwi's questions in Hebrew, because IJiwi was a follower of the Magi. 28 Thus, for the first time, we came into possession of positive evidence that Saadia's Polemic was written in Hebrew, as Luzzatto had conjectured from the first, and that IJiwi was influenced by the teachings of the Magi, as was suggested by Kaufmann. In 1896, Harkavy further discovered a reference to 5iwi in an Arabic work of Moses Ibn Ezra, from which we learn that Ijjiwi was not only a rationalistic critic, but that he was also opposed to the essential principles of Judaism. 29 In 1 901, Dr. Schechter, in discussing the Genizah text which he discovered and edited under the title of a6 rP"!PO 21 'j'HDT, p. 147 and p. 176, 11. 12-14. ^Comp. banca mnsn m-npb in Heb. trans, of Graetz's History, III, 508. 38 Comp. R.E.J. , XXV, 248-250. The complete text, bearing the title of Kit&b ma K dni al-nafs, was published by Goldziher, Berlin, 1907. A Hebrew translation under the title of "OSDJl tTHin '0 had been previously made by I. Broyd6, Paris, 1896. For the passage concerning Hiwi see below, chap, iii, sec. 8. * Comp. D'W* D} D^EHn , VII, 33, and below, chap, iii, sec. 9. AGAINST HIWI AL-BALKHI 19 "The Oldest Collection of Bible Difficulties by a Jew," 30 touched also upon the characteristic of IJiwi's writings and was the first to suggest that Ibn Daud's remark that IJiwi "invented a new Torah" (ITO laba STD) meant that he com- posed an expurgated Bible from which all passages that proved objectionable to IJiwi on historical or moral grounds were eliminated. 31 Finally, in 1908, S. Poznanski wrote an exhaust- ive essay, 32 in which he collected and co-ordinated all that is known of IJiwi up to the present; and while he rejected ten, or at least nine, of the twelve questions enumerated by Saadia as not of IJiwic origin, 33 and maintained that the three questions mentioned by Solomon b. Yeruham must be re- garded as one, 34 he added, on the other hand, two more questions of IJiwi not noted before, one found in the Commentary of Ibn Ezra and the other in a MS copy of an Arabic Commentary on i Kings. 35 30 /.ex xiii, 345-374. 31 Ibid., pp. 354-355. In that essay, Dr. Schechter was half inclined to regard the Bible Difficulties as identical with Hiwi's Two Hundred Questions, but even then and there he pointed out a number of objec- tions, and concluded with the remark that he was just as much pre- pared for the acceptance of this hypothesis as for its rejection {ibid., p. 357). I may add that, long before our text came to light, I had the privilege of learning from him by word of mouth that he no longer regarded that hypothesis as tenable. xban ">vn m p:>n, vn, 112-137. 33 Ibid., p. 126. 3 4 Ibid., p. 122. 35 Ibid., Nos. 2, 10; below, chap, iii, sees. 6, c, 10, b. 20 saadia's polemic Summing up all the information that has been gathered concerning giwi from 1829 until now, we may say that he flourished about 850-875 and hailed from Balkh, a town in "Old Bactria." Coming under the influence of Zoroastrianism, and espec- ially under the influence of a Persian work known to us by the title of Shikand Gumdnik Vijdr (" Doubt- dispelling Explanations")? written after the middle, but before the end, of the ninth century, 36 he pro- pounded two hundred questions relating to the Bible and to Jewish philosophy and theology. It may also be that some of these questions were based upon the various Biblical inconsistencies mentioned in the Midrashim. It is further suggested that, as a result of his critical attitude, he may have made a sort of expurgated Bible, intended for the use of children, from which all objectionable passages were elimi- nated and which was in vogue in the schools until Saadia interfered. On account of his skepticism, he was attacked by the Rabbanites as well as the Karaites, and Saadia even went to the length of writing a complete refutation of the two hundred questions. Of these, according to Poznanski, only ten could be described with certainty. 37 & Comp. The Sacred Books of the East, XXIV, p. xxvii. w Poznanski groups these questions with the Biblical verses with which they deal, as follows: (i) Gen. i, 2; (2) ibid. 3, 9; (3) Exod. 14, 27; (4) ibid. 16, 13; (5) ibid. 25, 8; (6) ibid., the entire 25th chapter; (7) ibid. 34, 29; (8) Num. 14, 23; (9) Deut. 32, 9; (10) 1 Kings 7, 13-14. AGAINST HIWI AL-BALKHI 21 But the order in which IJiwi's questions were written, and the language and style in which they were composed are matters that have still remained unsolved. On the other hand, Saadia's refutation was proven to have been written in Hebrew and in rhymed prose, and of this only a single quotation was known till now, the one cited in Barzilai's Commentary on the Sepher Yezirah. This, in brief, is all the information concerning giwi's questions and Saadia's replies that has been acquired up to the present. The Genizah, however, restores to us now a large part of Saadia's Polemic, and enables us at the same time to get a clearer idea of the contents and char- acter of IJiwi's Book of Questions, since from the replies we are able, in a measure, to reconstruct the corresponding questions. In the first place, we learn from one remark in this fragment that Iliwi composed his Book of Questions in a tongue that was not Hebrew, 38 most likely Arabic, and from another passage we may infer that he also wrote it in rhymed prose. 39 The former inference is sup- ported by the fact that the author of the Kitdb madni al-nafs found it necessary to explain why Saadia replied to Iliwi in Hebrew. 40 If IJiwi had 38Comp. below, chap, ii, sec. 37: I3fib HI nmn nKSTl TOft .nD3 *Ibid., sec. 61: DTnn ^WEil 23. 40 Comp. below, chap, iii, sec. 8. 22 SAADIA'S POLEMIC composed his questions in Hebrew, no excuse would have been necessary for Saadia's use of the same language. Without a doubt, if Saadia had written his philosophical work in Hebrew, he would have quoted his own Polemic literally. On the other hand, the fact that he did not cite lijiwi verbatim in his philosophic work is no proof that IJiwi's Questions were not written in Arabic, for the simple reason that the poetic style of IJiwi's composition did not lend itself to the didactic style of Saadia. Furthermore, our text puts us in a position to assert, with full confidence, that Graetz was right in assum- ing that the first ten questions in Saadia's philo- sophical work owed their origin to IJiwi's attacks, since, besides the fifth and sixth, which have been proved positively to be 5iwi's, we find that our text contains replies also to the fourth, seventh, and eleventh. 41 Indeed, it gives us the right to assume that the twelfth also was directed against IJiwi. Now, if we examine our text carefully, we shall find that it contains thirty-one replies to as many questions, if not to more, since in one instance Saadia seems to have regarded four questions as one. 42 If to this number we add nine of the twelve questions given in Saadia's philosophic work, but not found 41 Comp. below, chap, ii, sees. 28, 29, 41, 65-68. < a Comp. ibid., sec. 10. mpi Din -nns *^bn -nm nba bs .Diir nwm nna nba AGAINST HIWI AL-BALKHI 23 in our text, 43 and seven of the ten questions arranged by Poznanski, not found in either of these sources, 44 we get a total of at least forty-seven questions, or about one-fourth of the contents of IJiwi's Book of Two Hundred Questions. This should give us a clear idea of what IJiwi aimed at in his writings, and should enable us to understand his religious attitude, whether he was merely a rationalistic critic, or the founder of a sect, or simply a skeptic, who had no higher aim than to poke fun at the Sacred Writings. Let us first state briefly the questions in the order indicated above. A. THE QUESTIONS DEDUCED FROM OUR TEXT i. Why did God withhold the Tree of Life from Adam? (1-4) 45 2. Why did God accept Abel's gift and reject that of Cain ? (s) 3. Why did God ask Cain where Abel was? (6) 4. Why did not God save the life of Abel ? (7-9) 5. Why did God make man liable to suffering? (10, 11) 6. Why does not man live forever ? (12-15) 7. Why was not man created holy and pure? (16-18) 43 These are Nos. 1-3, 5, 6, 8-10, 12. 44 These are Nos. 1-4, 7, 8, 10. No. 1 is deduced from the remarks in the Kitdb ma*dni al-nafs, Nos. 2, 3, 4, 7 are taken from Ibn Ezra's Commentary, No. 8 is found in an Arabic Commentary on Numbers, and No. 10 in a similar Commentary on 1 Kings. 45 The numbers in parentheses refer to the sections in the Hebrew- text below (chap. ii). 24 saadia's polemic 8. Why has God implanted evil in man, and has not freed him from the Evil Yezer? (19, 20) 9. God seems to have regretted that He created man. (20, 21) 10. Since God blessed men with the power to subdue the earth, why did He destroy them afterward? (22, 23) 11. Why did not God rest from inflicting punishment? (24) 12. Why were the earth and all the animals destroyed, to- gether with man, in the flood ? (25) 13. Why did God save Noah? (26, 27) 14. Why should blood of animals be acceptable to God as an atonement? (28, 29) 15. Why should God have feared that the builders of the Tower of Babel would wage war against Him ? (31-34) 16. Why has God chosen the Jewish people as His own portion and given the other nations into the care of the angels? (35-40) 17. Is not circumcision the same as mutilation? (41) 18. Did not God change the name of Abram to Abraham that it may act as a charm ? (42) 19. Are not the verses in Gen. 22, 17, and Deut. 7, 7, contradictory to each other ? (43) 20. What is the meaning of the vision of Abraham ? (44-46) 21. Why did God inflict the Egyptian servitude upon the offspring of Abraham ? (47-49) 22. If Ishmael had not been born would not the Jews have suffered less ? (50) 23. Is not the Godhead represented as three? (50) 24. Is not God represented as eating and accepting bribes ? (51-56) 25. Wherein was Sodom more iniquitous than other cities that it should have met with such severe punishment ? (57, 58) AGAINST HIWI AL-BALKHI 25 26. Were not the descendants of Lot forbidden to be ad- mitted in the assembly of the Lord, because of the incest in which their first ancestors were born ? (59, 60) 27. Was it not foolish of Isaac to yield himself as a sacrifice ? (61, 62) 28. Why should God have needed to put Abraham to test, since everything is known unto Him? (63, 64) 29. Why has God made the children of Esau more prosperous than the children of Jacob ? (65-68) 30. Would not the tribes have lived in peace among them- selves if they all had one mother as they had one father ? (69) 3 1 . Why was Jacob subjected to so much suffering ? (70-73) B. THE QUESTIONS RECORDED IN THE THIRD CHAP- TER OF SAADIA'S PHILOSOPHIC WORK NOT FOUND IN OUR TEXT 32. Are not many commandments in the Bible stated with- out giving a reason for them ? (1) 46 33. Are not the verses in 2 Sam. 24, 7, and 1 Chron. 21, 5 contradictory to each other? (2) 34. Does not the Bible contain also impossible statements ? (3) 35. How is it that the Creator made His light to dwell among men and left the angels without light ? (5) 36. What need has God for tabernacle and curtain, for burn- ing candles and sound of song, for the show bread and the smell of incense, for the offering of flower and wine, oil and fruit ? (6) 37. How is it that the ashes of the red heifer make unclean people clean and vice versa? (8) 46 The numbers in parentheses refer to the order of the questions in . mnrn HOTatn 'o 26 SAADIA'S POLEMIC 38. How was it that a sacrifice was offered on the Day of Atonement to Azazel when that is the name of a demon ? (9) 39. How could the breaking of the head of the heifer atone for the people when they committed no crime ? (10) 40. Does not the Bible omit the mention of reward and punishment in the next world? (12) C. QUESTIONS FOUND IN OTHER SOURCES 41. Concerning the pre-existence of the world, (i) 47 42. If Adam had not answered where he was God would not have found him. (2) 43. The Israelites crossed the Red Sea without any miracle, because Moses knew the ebb and flow of the sea and the Egyptians did not. (3) 44. The Manna was not a miraculous food but the Persian Tarjabin found in those parts of the world. (4) 45. When Moses came down from Mt. Sinai his face was so shrunken from long fasting that the people were afraid to look at him and therefore he was obliged to put on a veil. (7) 46. Since God first promised to give Palestine to the children of Israel, how is it that he swore afterward (Num. 14, 23) that He would not let them enter into it ? (8) 47. The verses in 1 Kings 7, 13-14, and 2 Chron., 2, 13 con- tradict each other. (10) If we carefully analyze the foregoing 47 questions, it will be seen that they may be classified under the following six heads: I. God and His Attributes; The numbers in parentheses correspond to the order in which Poznanski has arranged them. AGAINST ?IWI AL-BALKHI 27 II. God and Creation; III. The Worship of God; IV. Miracles; V. Bible Difficulties; VI. Bible Ex- egesis. Under the first head would come the following ideas: The Godhead is not one, but three (24) ; 48 God is not Omnipotent, else why was He afraid to allow man to live forever? (1, 6); and why did He fear lest men wage war against Him? (16). He is not Omniscient, else why should He have had to ask Adam where he was ? (43) ; and why should He have had to inquire of Cain after Abel? (3); and why did He put Abraham to test to make sure of his implicit faith? (29). Sometimes God acts like man (25, 37). He even practices enchantments (19). God is not always impartial and just (2, 4, 5, 10, 12, 17, 22, 26, 32). Sometimes He does not even keep His promises (47). Under the second head may be grouped the fol- lowing ideas: The World existed before Creation (42). God's Creation is so far imperfect that He himself had reason to regret it (7, 9, 36). God implanted evil in man (8, 15). Under the third head come IJiwi's objections to the sacrifice of animals (14), circumcision (18), and the scapegoat (39). The fourth group contains arguments against miracles (44-45). 48 The numbers in the following parentheses refer to the paragraphs in the preceding analysis. 28 saadia's polemic The fifth group, or the group of Bible Difficulties, relates to the contradictions (20, 34, 48) and impos- sibilities (35) found in the Scriptures as well as to the laws for which no reason is given (33, 38, 40). Under the last heading come the Biblical passages to which IJiwi seems to have given an interpretation of his own (11, 13, 21, 23, 27, 28, 31, 41, 46). We see from this analysis that Uiwi was not merely a collector of Biblical inconsistencies but that he used the Bible as a basis upon which to build posi- tive doctrines. His ideas about God in the main, and especially the emphasis he lays upon the fact that evil is inborn in man, and that God's work falls short of perfection, are in harmony with the state- ment of the author of the Kitab madni al-nafs that he was inclined toward the religion of Zoroaster, the fundamental idea of which is that at the begin- ning of things there existed two spirits, Ormuzd and Ahriman, representing good and evil, and that both possessed the power to create. Perhaps his objec- tion to the sacrifice of animals may also be due to Zoroastrian influence, since the protection of useful animals assumes the dignity of a doctrine in the Vendidad. 49 Additional testimony that Hiwi was a follower of the Magi may be deduced from the following remark of Ibn Danan. In speaking of IJiwi, he says that Comp. K. Geldner, "Zoroaster" (in Enc. Brit., 9th ed., Vol. XXIV, 8626). AGAINST HIWI AL-BALKHI 29 "he was a philosopher and a magician " (^TH Wn n*n bra ClTOBI rXlbs). 49 " Harkavy, assum- ing positively that Ibn Danan had no other source before him but the Chronicle of Ibn Daud, ascribes this remark to gross carelessness or wilful distortion of facts. 496 But in all possibility, Ibn Danan may have had other sources from which he learned of yiwi's leaning toward the teachings of the Magi, and the term "(IBM is to be taken as the rendering in Biblical Hebrew of the word Magician in its etymological significance of a follower of the Magi, not in its derived sense of enchanter. That he was greatly influenced by the Pahlavi book Shikand-Gumdnik Vijdr cannot be doubted, for on comparing the criticism of the Scriptures contained in the thirteenth and fourteenth chapters of that book with the Questions of IJiwi, we find not only a similarity of tone but an actual identity of topics in at least three instances. 50 All his ideas concerning God are in harmony with the view of the Persian skeptic whose object, as clearly stated in the opening of the thirteenth chapter, is to show "the inconsistency and faulty statements of the first 4 ' a Comp. below, chap, iii, sec. 14, b. 4rrn90 m prw, p . i 47 , note i: w )xa cwwi chied gn afl Db innTD ab tk brattb n-nnb tar rvr rem rrnatD bDD nanai wonm D^TB-ipn nan na opwro n^*nnan 50 Comp. below, chap, iii, sec. 1, a, b, c. 30 saadia's polemic scripture," 51 i.e., the Old Testament. On the other hand, his question why God saved Noah (13) could not possibly have been inspired by Zoroastrianism since we find also in the Avesta that a winter de- populated the earth except in the enclosure of the blessed Yima. 52 Nor can we reconcile the idea of a Trinity (23) with the teachings of Zoroaster. In fact, from one of Saadia's remarks it seems that he accused IJiwi of being a follower of Christianity, for he says to him, "Thou knowest that thy master s 1 Comp. The Sacred Books of the East, XXIV, 208. The similarity between Hiwi's Questions and the Persian text will perhaps be made still clearer by the following analysis of the thirteenth chapter taken from the introduction of E. W. West to his edition of the Pazand- Sanskrit text of the Shikand Gumdnlk Vijdr (Bombay, 1887), pp. xiv- xv. "The 13th chapter begins (1-4) a criticism of the Jewish Scrip- tures by pointing out apparent inconsistencies and absurdities in the first book of Moses. After quoting ( 5-47) many passages from the account of the creation and the fall of man, contained in Genesis i, 1-5, 26, 27, 31; ii, 1, 2, 15-17; iii, i-io, 23, 24, besides referring to Exodus xx, 10, 11, Mardan-farukh proceeds to criticize this account especially with reference to the creation of light and the previous con- dition of the sacred being and the world ( 48-91), also as to why six days were necessary for the creation ( 92-99), how the days could have been formed before the sun ( 100, 101), why repose was requisite on the seventh day if the creation merely consisted of commands ( 102- 105), why man was created disobedient, and why a command was given when it was known that he would not obey it ( 106-122), whether that command was not intended to maintain ignorance, so that man really owes his knowledge 'to the serpent and deceit' ( 1 23-131), and whether other details of the statement regarding the fall of man are not incon- sistent with the omniscience, truth, and power of the sacred king ( 135- 147). It is further pointed out that the curse inflicted on Adam could not be justly extended to his posterity ( 148, 149)." Comp. A. V. W. Jackson, "Zoroaster" (in Jew. Enc, XII, 696^. AGAINST HIWI AL-BALKHI 3 1 hath been eaten and drunk and absorbed and mixed up [in the body]," 52 " which plainly refers to the Eucharist. It seems, therefore, safe to assume that 3iwi, on the one hand, denied the truth of the Torah and, on the other hand, showed a leaning toward Chris- tianity as well as the religion of Zoroaster. Whether he had separated himself entirely from Judaism and aimed at founding a new sect cannot be said with certainty, 53 but at all events he endeavored to spread his views throughout the schools by means of a new principle of Biblical exegesis. This would be in complete harmony with the account of Ibn Daud in which IJiwi is described as one of the sectarians and those who deny the Torah and as one who "invented a new Torah" (tWrafi b? rVOTOn rrttiTl rrn tusk ^nbsba ti ana mm -mira trtswi bn PPin isbn). The statement of Ibn Daud that Saadia testified to having seen this "invented Torah" taught to children mmbni D^BBS , which has been taken to mean "in books and on tablets" led to the assumption that the teachings of giwi were embodied in some tangible, or even portable, form, in other words, an expurgated Bible. It is S2a See below, chap, ii, sec. 54. 53 The fact that Hiwi's teachings were in vogue in the schools argues against the supposition that he was the founder of a new sect. On the other hand, Ibn Danan's statement, b&ntPft 113*111 rVHm rPOTYl (below, chap, iii, sec. 14, b), seems to support it. 32 SAADIA S POLEMIC my opinion, however, that these two words stand for two cities, or two districts in the Orient, though I am unable to identify them. This interpretation finds support in the fact that Saadia Ibn Danan, in quoting Ibn Daud, substitutes for these two words the expression bnnn "jbnba "H3D, "in the cities of Albalkh in Babylonia." 54 This, of course, is geo- graphically impossible, as Harkavy has pointed out, ss but it does not follow, as Harkavy claims, that Ibn Danan was extremely careless. s6 It only shows that he took these two words as names of places and tried to identify them. We may, there- fore, regard the theory that IJiwi composed a sort of expurgated Bible as doubtful, if not altogether erroneous. Further proof that Ibn Daud speaks of a method and not of books or tablets may be deduced from his last remark in which he says that the teachers taught this "invented Torah" until R. Saadia came and prevailed over them (orcfcyi TWO '1 13). That is, he prevailed upon the teachers to abandon the views of IJiwi. The word DHD1 would hardly have been employed if all they did was to teach the Bible in an abridged form, from books and tablets. It is more appli- cable to the abolition of ideas. Indeed, we are fully justified in assuming that Ibn Daud had in 54 Comp. below, chap. Hi, sec. 14, b. ssrVHIPO m jp"DT, p. 147, note 1. s 6 Ibid. AGAINST HIWI AL-BALKHI 33 mind Saadia's powerful and convincing refutation contained in the text before us. That the text published here for the first time is the Polemic under discussion cannot be doubted. 57 On the one hand, we have here the replies to two questions, which we know from independent sources to have emanated from IJiwi (14, 16), and, on the other hand, the authorship of Saadia is firmly estab- lished by a threefold acrostic. Our text is written in rhymed prose, and is divided into stanzas of four rhymes each. In accordance with the literary custom of the time this Polemic is made up of several series, or groups, of stanzas, bearing the letters of the alphabet in acrostic. The first group gives the letters in their regular order (3"M), the next gives them in the reverse order (pTJDfl), and the next again has them once more in their regular order, and so forth. In addition to this customary plan of structure, Saadia introduced into each group of stanzas a secondary group, bear- ing his name in acrostic, so that the letters of the 57 The MS bears now the shelf-mark T-S. 8. J. 30 and consists of two double sheets, making altogether eight continuous pages. The size of the paper is 6^X4! inches, and the writing is in a legible square hand inclined somewhat to cursive. The first two pages contain 25 lines each, the next four pages 24 lines each, and the last two pages only 22 lines each, making a total of 190 lines. With very few exceptions the MS is unpointed, but dots are used to mark the rhymes, and strokes to indicate the ends of stanzas. The sequence of the leaves is fortunately estab- lished by the sequence of the rhymes as well as by the continuity of thought. 34 SAADIA S POLEMIC alphabet and those of his name follow each other alternately. This secondary group of stanzas, furthermore, is not distributed haphazard, but is placed with a care for symmetry and balance. Thus, in the first series, the author's acrostic (T?D tjCT p) numbers ten letters and is grouped so that each of these ten letters alternates with each of the last ten letters of the alphabet. In the second series the author's acrostic is placed in the middle, and since it contains only eight letters (rpbfct T2C), it is grouped with the eight middle letters of the alphabet (i.e., C-m). The third series breaks off in the middle, but, from the fact that the author's acrostic here ( . . . . bD iD$T\ T?c) begins immediately after the third letter of the alpha- betic acrostic, we may assume that it extended up to the third letter from the end of the alphabet. In other words, it consisted of 16 letters (perhaps w;DV p nbD 123 fcO T?C) and the whole series con- sisted of 38 stanzas. Furthermore, from the fact that our text treats of 31 questions in 73 stanzas and that the number of stanzas in each group varies from 30 to 38, we may assume that the whole treatise dealing with the 200 questions must have comprised about 460 stanzas, or 14 groups. In other words, we have in our frag- ment about one-sixth of the entire work preserved. That our fragment is a part of the beginning of the treatise can be seen from the contents. But it AGAINST HIWI AL-BALKHI 35 may very likely have been preceded by at least two groups in which the earlier part of Genesis was discussed. Aside from these points of technique, our text holds other points of interest which tend to throw further light upon Saadia himself. Thus, from the author's acrostics qlb TSO and rfo TSfcO TTO , we learn, in corroboration of Graetz, that Saadia wrote this Polemic before he was elevated to the Gaonate, that is, before the year 928. Again, we see that Saadia applied the term Cftbk to himself and not to his father as Harkavy maintained, 58 and that the two terms rflba and rfo TDiO are synonymous. 59 We also learn from several passages in our text 60 that Saadia in the interest of his reli- gious views sometimes stretched his arguments to a point which was contrary to the opinion of the Talmud and Midrash. 01 Furthermore, we find that many of the theological ideas which Saadia contro- verts in his philosophical work, without mentioning their sources, can, by help of our text, be traced back ^Comp. LPPIIU QOfeCD, III, 35; also in CEuvres computes de R. Saadia, IX, p. xli. On this point, comp. also Poznanski, D^D? Dianawn nsipnb owian d^td, p. 62, 17. 59 Comp. Poznanski, ibid., p. 46, note 1. 60 Comp. below, chap, ii, sees. 20 (note 126), 24 (note 142), 31 (note 157), 35 (note 177). 61 Comp. also Rapoport, 3832*1 "1 nTlbin , pp. 44-46; Pinsker, m^TQIp n T3lpb, pp. 111-112, and D^MB03,pp. 13-14; Weiss, TH ronm "vn , iv, 140. 36 saadia's polemic to IJiwi's Questions. 62 It is therefore not unlikely that if we knew more of these Questions we should find more parallels in Saadia's philosophic work. It is also most probable that if we had Saadia's Biblical Commentary we should find in it parallels to our Polemic. One such parallel, at least, we have now in his remark that in the Vision of Abraham (Gen. 15) there is an allusion to the Resurrection. 63 That there is an intimate connection between Saadia's polemical monographs and his Biblical com- mentaries has already been pointed out by Hartwig Hirschfeld. 64 This scholar justly argued that the usual classification of Saadia's works into Biblical, halakhic, polemical, and philosophical is too mechani- cal. According to him, "it appears more probable that the bulk of his works followed a distinct and well-arranged plan, in the centre of which we find his translation and commentary on the Bible, and from which radiated monographs on various chap- ters of the Jewish law code which needed special protection from Karaite interference. ,,6s The inter- dependence of Saadia's Commentary and his polemi- cal writings cannot be gainsaid. But instead of regarding the Commentary as the central work from 62 Comp. below, chap, ii, sees. 10, 11, 12-15, 16-18, 20, 21, 28, 29, 36-40, 41, 47, 49, 50-55, 65-68, and chap, iii, sec. 4, c, e-o. 63 Comp. below, chap, ii, sees. 44, 45, and also note 242 at the end. , c in nosp: rrabn rra dji: dtw abra pttann m mmbs ]7asy mirtfb "p-pri* DTm isinDinD rdpn nss aba PirPtt "Q nO-pS "P^b . This parallel was brought to my attention 38 CHAPTER II [SAADIA'S POLEMIC AGAINST HIWI AL-BALKHI] i Therefore hath the tree of life been with- held from him, that he be a warning to all fools that hate knowledge. 2. Thou hast written, that the Creator was on His guard against the one created; but in thy stub- bornness thou hast not inquired wisely concern- ing this. For, being the Creator of all things, the strength of His hand doth not wax short; He feareth not nor doth He stand in awe of man whom He hath restrained. 3. If He were in fear of him, He would have put him to death, and if He were alarmed lest he eat of the tree [of life] He would have cut it down. But He drove him out and did not cause him to forget his expulsion, in order that he may see the Cherubim who bar him [the way] and that his anxiety may wax great. 4. By the conduct of Adam all understanding men are admonished and do not turn away from the ways of God; but they who are godless in heart by my colleague, Dr. L. Ginzberg. I take this opportunity of thank- ing him also for the references given below in notes 112, 120, 141, 168 173, 176, 197, 202, 252. 39 40 saadia's polemic aitai 74 qa WW nb wi "p-HO"' ab orrnbtf : , p , TOfcr onbiaa ^d w tfb "]V&tv jtspn n^ ba nn rorao raa *n*D* 5 toed ^mbn "jbab b"am "tiro a t resi a n D abi tttam "5 tmm 79 *ppb ann bran *o3 , i j^wi a 8i bbvim to Tnr 7:2b mba *wi na cpa 6 tpa ba iqpa p b? "rrnsi aaraa maiana :rmi ^iiDBn "Dip* may d-t ^ *-rrrn 86 -rraa nairan -jnb*to by -pa m* 7 rm p tito: Nb wi mra ab rrab ma* nictf 7< Comp. Job 36, 13. " s From the preceding paragraphs we gather that Hiwi asked why Adam was not allowed to eat of the tree of knowledge. Comp. the parallel in the Pahlavi text, below, chap, iii, sec. i, a. * Comp. Gen. 44, 1. 77 Comp. Ps. 66, 15. 78 ! Sam. 15, 9. 79 comp. b. Joma 15b: "pbp-iiab mmnsn cmntrpDi nvowpD . Though etymologically ]1t3* , p (koituv) means a side chamber, it may be rendered here "sanctuary" with reference to 5TOT1 TDTTO, Gen. 4,3: pE&nn m rhy ninpn mran nrn by 'nb nnD-o nn^npm . Comp. also KT1B , chap. 21. Dr. Ginzberg suggested to me the reading of ]I3pb which is to be construed as a verbal noun from T3pb (comp. Zunz, Synagog. Poesie, p. 398, for analogous formations). According to this reading the phrase should be rendered: "The elder brought a bundle that was vile and refuse." But it seems to me that the b of ]I2pb must be taken as a preposition modifying the verb fc^in , just as in the parallel phrase the b of "(blob modifies the verb b^llil . AGAINST HIWI AL-BALKHI 41 lay up anger and are deprived of good; they cry not for help, because they are bound in their folly. 5. When his sons brought offerings God favored the younger, because he brought of the best of his fatlings to the ruling King: what was vile and refuse that the elder brought to the sanctuary. So He let him know that he was despised; but he did not repent, he hated. 6. He struck his brother, and God inquired of him so that he might confess, but in his reply he feigned [innocence] with cunning and craft. Therefore hath God wreaked His vengeance on him with a ruling anger; for He avengeth the blood of His servants and redeemeth their soul. 7. I shall reply to thy question with a strong reply. Thou sayest: "Why hath He not guarded him [Abel] so that his posterity should not have been destroyed?" Thus shouldst thou have said if there were but one world and one habitation, 80 Hiwi's question must have been directed against Gen. 4, 9: "And the Lord said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother?" For a parallel, comp. below, chap, iii, sees. 1, 6, and 10, b. For the Rabbinic interpre- tation of this passage, comp. Rashi, ad loc: DHD "Hm 1127 ODD^b . 7b Tia tarn Tnmn ^a -rasm aw ibna 81 1 Sam. 21, 14. * 3 Ibid. 24, n. Comp. Rashi, Gen. 4, 9: 3TBP TMDW 'VXTV *6 .rwbsn nm 8 3 Isa. 14, 6. g s Context requires 0E?BD"1 . ^Deut. 32,43. 86 Jer. 8, 5. 42 saadia's polemic bna Tina 8 ?n:nzn ina obi? rrn ib* THib -jb tnrwb ^nn bsn *vu obi? two wb tp Dpic'ra na D-piowi taw btf etc 8 bD baam abi -Dp] obicb bar dis *obn man ma is^bnnb btfb nr *3 9i -Dp?n ytm pnw 92 :op-n nw tfbi bi "rCl maia pEi* tot tfb "5 -jr* 9 nfitf bib or izr *5 rfttOa oaro b^- ro bin *:ra? a[b] "nctfb ba idtv jo -mtii ipva msm "brm nrm crmcfl "TO b? nbau: -to io b man fo rrab *rtpm own 'traajm Tram :tnQi rraTn nn nbais nba bs '^n;: (i verso) trw roioblimba "5 nam ?h*] n ibvm enmnwi pnotan n^o xrr -prab -n^o M pnroa m abi * nib *raa n rowa jdttwi ib-a 7 Comp. isa. 45, 18: msr nnrcb . 88 3d sing. perf. of TT3 . *9 Deut. 32, 35. 90 Comp. Job 6, 9. * Post-Biblical Nifal of Qp7 . ' 2 Jer. 50, 9. ^3 is used here in the sense of "J 35 . * Mai. 3, 18. 9s Construe the clause as if it read ibirP TOK HTb DTW^ 9 s This point is developed at greater length in IWim n"!D"lfttf H '0 , pp. 76-77. Comp. below, chap, iii, sec. 4, I. It is worth noting that AGAINST HIWI AL-BALKHI 43 but since there is a second world, He chose everything with a view for reproof. 8. Let them not rejoice who exercise oppression here [in this world], for at the time when their foot shall slide there [in the next world] He will choose to pay with vengeance; and let him not mourn who is oppressed and crushed and circumvented, for God can change it into good, and he shall not return empty. 9. Because the oppressor will not cease from putting forth his hand, and the one who suffereth violence will not always rescue his possessions, therefore there is a day when everyone will be measured by His law, both he that serveth God and he that serveth Him not. 10. Thou hast asked further concerning the kinds of suffering; hunger and sickness, fear and desolation and destruction, and heat and cold, why they are not kept from men. All these are but one question' and thou hast multiplied words. 11. Know thou and understand, that God chastiseth His creatures for their good, that they may know the pain of chastisement and the bitterness thereof; He delivereth them to it that they may forbear to do wrong. For they would not know [what punishment was] if He had withheld [suffering] from them. the Midrash (TD 9, 10) gives a different reason: 'pTlO' 1 flTO *OT nnrn **nb o^an m-nnn nrp brtc aba arrant* ixn mta 44 saadia's polemic *T>n* ab mb m tbiarab tVTDptn nrann mabi 12 nbnra t^bi pr "5a "?bira tp abi i?b dih ns nb vann *a cj#i 97, bi^b ann dVw "jbi^nni maa D*-nYB D^m izr nba bs imwn* 13 bp tnaia ima ur Drrn'raa divik rrnsTDl obis tw d5id to t 'trims to b na nam -itr-cra TO tfb nb^nb ioi ia --pb nnvnb TODHn ^an ^jw^s 14 "l^bnb Diaion ran it ^ -im npisi mw in* "piw by io3 nnm mo "a iw --iraa -ptp "Maibrrffi d^std D^sbb idisd* 15 ns rob -pen nraa 'irnva ios nn3n bronatB vcb DJ^n arm nn nna ds n6, maribB , i anp nrb imepa ba w Comp. irVlttKn , p. 76 (see below, chap, iii, sec. 4,j, o). ** Prov. 24, 1. A paitanic derivation from JlbXH V nbtf . Comp. Lam. 3, 65. See also Saadia, r m rU M , 59, btfnnb nTb DOKTttl. The idea is also found in the Midrash (TH , 9,7): by nmfc miM HE ''SMS pr> ay n^nba an n^n d^isto pT bs xbx e rynm . pro }n aira nntf ^to 100 Comp. Zeph. 3, 9. 101 MS reads: TfcC . AGAINST HIWI AL-BALKHI 45 12. Thou hast expressed wonder and amazement and hast asked a difficult question, "Why doth man not live forever so that he shall not go down to Sheol?" Would that from the beginning he were created to be in the world that is to come for redemption, but thou desirest him to remain in siege and under a curse. 13. Though He doth all these things, there are many who yet rebel, and though He frighteneth them with calamities, there are [many] who are yet faithless to His decree. How much more if they had no cause to fear. They would then all with one accord not serve Him. 14. Is it wise to make thy image live forever, or to save it from distress and anguish and trembling ? What knowledge, dost thou judge, will save thee from falling [into ruin] that thou hast spoken rebellion against Him who dwelleth forever? 15. For the scorners judgments and stripes are prepared, Topheth is of old prepared for them in wrath. He preserved it against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war. Thou also like one of them wilt share the anger of the God of vengeance. 102 Comp. Ps. 18, 37. * Jer. 28, 16. 104 Prov. 19, 29. io s Isa. 30, 33. 106 Comp. Job 38, 23. 46 saadia's polemic *bsi pwi rraa ttimr-Tiv ab -p izmp 16 whwioh *ynm inrnn bw ra "*rwii ab -p-^a ran -ymb io nrwato nrabai io8 y^zi "jyto "nam "pbr man "mrn ntfEitt -pa *a nn m* 17 t# we m tr n tp nw wip* ab two to "a ran D'Wip -Dicr ms 110*0 DTB^na fb ibis '"pri ara win nwffw "rvittattn pi 18 nbb ibw rrai ni *{awo mtr bi iis d* ^a dtd 118 : -jnb rcna "oaa ibk bani 'pa rare bs nia II9 . no ^ p rvoirra rratf wi* 19 bD p -iom nasi mbra mawna TDTba ntDDtt I0 7 Comp. the expression nS122 Xb"Q DEfi ntDtf (6. Shabbath 152a). *Comp. 6. TVaw/A 16a: ITO p QE1TMD DTtfb nail rib-aa ib nnby ab obtain ma^ ban bnta nb^s^TD ^ Comp. Mishnah Kelim 2, 1 : "jnirVB 8m }nTaiD .... OIH ^D . 110 Job 35, 4. 111 1 Sam. 21, 9. " 3 Comp. Mishnah Niddah 5, 1: "pat3a )PX ^p bWl 1TH 7"inn jnama asnt? -iy ; also b. Niddah 41k B'nnon rfQ naanta "3 The topic discussed in sees. 16, 17 is developed at length in nniTQ^n , pp. 76, 100. Comp. below, chap, iii, sec. 4, k, m. "4 Read: D^WOn . * Job 14, n. AGAINST HIWI AL-BALKHI 47 16. "How is it," sayest thou, "that He hath not formed him (man) holy from within and from without; for, what availeth a vessel full of excrement that it be washed. Thou hast likened him unto an unclean reptile and unto an earthen vessel which remain unclean though washed. Behold, I shall answer thee, though my reply be in haste. 17. Know thou that there is nothing unclean in the innermost parts of man, that all his fluids are not called unclean until they separate [from the body]. Therefore, when they have separated as their Maker hath ordained, they are indeed clean from within and from without. 18. Only for them that are unclean with the un- cleanliness of wickedness may est thou weep. The waters will fail from the sea, but he who causeth confusion will not be cleansed. For what availeth the heart of an infidel all the waters of the spring since God hath said, "Wash thy heart from wickedness" ? 19. And again thou hast said that He hath inbred evil thoughts in him (man) and hast failed to 116 A paitanic derivation of *pK . Comp. ^JlSH XDp^OB , sees. 29,30 (ed. Friedmann, p. 1376): 'pb'tt'l pDSttRTO D^Wn '1 Wl where *|2X is used in the sense of entanglement. "7 Comp. Job 38, 16. " 8 Jer. 4, 14. "'Isa. 28, 16. Hiwi's question undoubtedly dealt with Gen. 6, 5; 8, 21. 48 saadia's polemic abi -man n iwrr "wrrra WT I20 3n ptt i22 :[i]c3nn n ynnsn * , nw lit: xb nsn "S [nftaa Tp 20 no^^b nnbi i25 [-p]nnb onanffl "[tflro-n* (2 recto) *-*B&a ^ ffi3Yt1 b31 I26 Dr^n II "aSBft* ursam rvarcn Vtfflrt rora,, rro* 21 wtob Trm nbjn ^'m* "isn wra 120 Comp. VQ1 XSTlp^DD, sec. 31 (ed. Friedmann, p. 1436): TttR xnb?E to swna xnn^TD -nnx an p in an -trh ropn ib xnpsD *m nfei. comp. also x^insn , sec. i**\ t 3: rnpn b"a na nm inn rooaaan na nan-iiD *-i prcb ntm nna niab . rmafrh ' Comp. Ps. 31, 14: *b* im mcnnn. 122 The same proverb is also cited by Burckhardt in his Arabic Proverbs (London, 1875), No. 134. "3 Hiwi's question must have dealt with Gen. 6, 5-6. For a parallel in the Pahlavi text, see below, chap, iii, sec. 1, c. 124 Gen. 6, 6. Ibn Ezra, ad loc, quotes Saadia's interpretation anonymously: "jmnb "jb Dn:nfc TM Dnm "O D^ttia TD'n IDni^Kin Ssi TyTt im"lS' 1 T, but in Gen. 27, 42 he mentions Saadia by name: "pttbl thl mtttt Itttf pawm .... Dmntt "s Gen. 27, 42. 126 This interpretation agrees with Saadia's Arabic translation of this verse (comp. (Euvres completes de R. Saadia, I, 12): b^ltf*! Dnnibp *>btf npEmbtf, i.e., "He brought grief into their [men's] heart." It is worth noting that this interpretation of 23KW1 is already found in Targum Onkelos, ad loc: "Qntt3 THE^'Hl "113X1 mrWQ 'prPBp'in , except that Saadia takes nib to refer to DISH AGAINST HIWI AL-BALKHI 49 mention the thoughts of peace and truth and loving-kindness. So doth every wicked neigh- bor act when he taketh counsel, he counteth the gain but not the loss. 20. It is false what thou hast said that He saw that He made what was not good. The meaning of Dfin ("it repenteth Him") is like the meaning of "pnb DTOnttD ("he planneth to kill thee") and give thee for a spoil. "It grieved Him" meaneth He caused them to grieve, and so are [to be interpreted] all similar utterances relating to the works of our God done unto His creatures. 21. The expression "He rested and was refreshed" is to be interpreted "He caused others to rest mentioned previously, while Onkelos takes it to refer to God. Comp. Rashi, ad he.: Tawrrea nb? -Dip* brcnnb ba 'trttrramrn "1D"1 "Q^nb Dlptt btD. Dr. Ginzberg called my attention to the fact that Saadia opposes here the literal interpretation of the Midrash 0"n 27, 7): D'nttia nna "pa b"x p*3"n na bxin ins nh$ inb ba 3X?m TFO am :*pn b"a ?nbi:n na nam nip p b"tf :abna abna n*t -anvnn anvnn n*im b"x .... . nnpn ^Dsb ntD*ia "7 Comp. Isa. 13, 1. I28 Exod. 31, 17. Comp. his Arabic translation, ad loc: Xnbt37 . annsna n I2 ' Gen. 17, 22. In his Arabic translation he renders the phrase nviba b^n by nbba *na sams. comp. also nrvnaan, P . 53 : ^np3T *nnn *nan in D->m -o w aaprm tq w ttttti mb?b Tanvn -nbn nrasD i"i ^b^ ma mr?xi -nrottJ .aonn I30 Gen. 11, 5. Comp. Arabic translation: Sntttf nbbtf TTttW 50 saadia's polemic pi -fir a"m rrsn awm. i3i "nM\, "riyiw trm isspi "isa 7r *d ^-TDiasb iptxn rfrmn fro iwibin 22 rim-ib mab rm tra" m mrtp n ten ww ^ ^owtrw totd3 rav b:n * # wnm d-ots panam : tray n*Mto mhn bm ? rrbsn b Dm -p* ** : nriss * 23 rmsrn mawm "irrbsn Dnrarui rrazn ore irrsrbn rrwib rrtaarn rrwra -rrrm q rrmu n swan nrrsva mb -cr ^^nttsn sbnnn 24 bm * -, ?nrroB irasab d-jd Kb town rtc ma* ** Ps. 104, 31. a Gen. 6, 6. x *3 Ps. 30, 6. The method of exegesis adopted in the last two para- graphs (20, 21), which has its aim to remove anthropomorphism from the Bible, is dwelt upon at length in the second chapter of TflmMSn , PP- 5 1 ? 54- Comp. also sec. 64, below, and chap, iii, sec. 4,/, h. * Gen. 1, 28. *36 Comp. Job 34, 17. w Deut. 11, 6. Ibid. 18, 20. ^ Comp. Kalir, Kerobot for the second day of Passover: nSD .ion Tan J 39 Comp. Judg. 9, 49. I4 Comp. Ps. 107, 27. This seems to be based on the Midrash (T3 xi, 11): nDtfb'KS'E nsab'Q'B abi own nDsbrti ab nn abi nmn i^bi? nDxb'o imp own btE? nwinciB pna .... D^-ran iett ^bD ns awm i-ona na "n nns> ora *a rrw> towo . in nDxbtt id AGAINST HIWI AL-BALKHI 51 and to be refreshed." "He went up" and "He went down" meaneth "He caused others to go up and to go down." "He rejoiceth" and "He grieveth" implieth that He caused others to rejoice and to grieve, and so [interpret] "His anger" and "His wrath" and "in His favor is life." 22. He first blessed His creatures to subdue the earth, though He knew that they will corrupt and that all their substance will wither; that they will become a warning forever and that the faithful will restrain himself when he thinketh of their fate; that they who come after shall be astonished at their day and God will be ap- parelled in majesty. 23. "How was it, then," thou hast asked, "that He did not prosper their way?" But, indeed, He hath made their strength to grow and their understanding to thrive, and hath caused them to improve and to blossom forth, and He hath fortified them and enlarged them and hath taken care of them and hath promised to reprove them and then to give them peace. 24. May thy wit be at its end, thou who arguest against God with reproach; who sayest, "Why hath He not rested from judgment and reckon- ing?" But indeed He who hath created the whole universe by His word doth not tire, nor 52 SAADIA S POLEMIC * bi pr ab -rTrrra -q iabtfi obwi to .rwian man n* nnnirs ht nsb* jnbaiz: 25 i-nzob Db^ ^rranarn rrnn wthrn C[Wi Dj rrnro wj! rin^i "r.rnrwa tbj am isn:a rnaan "prwrip otto ^nT-j Tmn fto* ^ron 26 irvrran *" 'Ran ab vn na tup ab rab ^wi D3? p+ri iw cjMi 'Rpraa "tain nrm : ntanbb p*TS bs jDibnn ^papi n:p bs Wfftt bp 27 [^]--qto ddh bs nru? -pann rra "D d d-e ^pwi pw I49 bbi?nn rob-b? ^ par nil -nnDira b^a na DBtft) oa osm p-nx 28 143 This is another case where Saadia ignores the Midrash when the question of anthropomorphism is involved. 143 Hiwi's question was directed against Gen. 6, 7, 13. Comp. b. Sanhedrin 108a: HXt2n TO rfiOTD atsn D^K DK . '"Comp. dVw, end of chap, iv: Hipn H^E D^nm TTCbTDl na-naah ma^an bnpn p iba rtna nr Dia -en na . b. SanhedHn 38a has rtfT instead of Htt^a . Comp. also fcO"! 10TM0 8, 14. * Comp. Isa. 29, 24. ^6 comp. m 28, 5: iban ntrts ]ma itttod ab jrnK . ntrbs Dma nn^nwa "7 Gen. 18, 23. AGAINST EEIWI AL-BALKHI 53 doth He become fatigued; He judgeth them with His breath. 25. Thou hast asked, "Why was the earth destroyed together with man, also the fowl and creeping things, the beasts and the cattle?" All of them were created for his [man's] glory and they were of one disposition with him, therefore were they drawn after him unto destruction and desolation. 26. Thou hast complained: "Why hath He left a remnant of the seed of evildoers ? " But where- fore should He not have left Noah since he hath not sinned. Had He destroyed him, thou wouldst have said, "Doth He consume in flame the righteous together with the wicked!" 27. If concerning cattle and worldly goods thou corn- plainest, how much more wouldst thou complain if the righteous and the pure were lost ? Now every wise man can understand from thy words that thou art mocking and practicing deceit. 28. If a righteous and wise man hath a controversy with a foolish man, whether he be angry or laugh there will be no rest. Thus turnest thou about to find slander that may be spread, and n*Ezek. 38, 12. 149 Comp. Num. 22, 29. Comp. Sifra, C WH p, sec. 3, chap, vi: lbtf -133WI *6 54 SAADIA S POLEMIC nnbirj nm tfirab [-jslnnn -p isi *nrt3 pii prroi is2 :nnp^ tna *pa tni nbn br nbarai rearo ana *a ""Tons ma irnbs are rranTB 29 13b ima msab nanaii b? -p br nm ba tesd ( 2 verso) wj-^wjllsmyi ftfinaa -run "a im frab tea nbTD *p -wa^n Kb rrab nam mn tr br 30 abi di rvfena abb D3 .Ttrm who Ta*ni :rerr na pro n ns nrn "bis is6 ininp ht pom 'Jtm isa anbnb a n?jib ntaw 31 binn ^b atari "pa m *pm it -bn cfw w ip :Vwn nro "a rran m&&\ p aire abi *nia D-brss d^tb* 32 151 Prov. 29, 9. * Comp. Gen. 8, 21. J 53 Pass. part, of "IDE . Comp. mntf 1,1. x "Lev. 17, 11. 155 This question is dealt with in "IiVnOKn, pp. 72-73. Comp. below, chap, iii, sec. 4, i, "T . ^ Comp. "va ix, 7: mo ann tr w -nn tt m -ib mo abn r^n on roa ab ynn -up ^bibaE aba arrona *nn Tira . dtd Tbm abn nK airo IS ? Comp., however, b. Sanhedrin loga: .... mfD '3b IpbnD .ranbra nrasn nb?D mtna nnai 158 For the use of CHE in the sense of "angels," comp. Dan. 12, 1 and -re, 8, 14: b^STDttiu to no^b rwifcHa JTTtt rvnpn pa nb^-nb rmiD. Comp. also below, 36, wm *6 pbn ina c AGAINST HIWI AL-BALKHI 55 hast asked concerning fat and blood, how they could be accepted as sweet savor. 29. Our God hath explained its meaning in the Law handed down to us, that the life of all flesh is in the blood, therefore hath He given it to us to bring on the altar as an atonement that we may remember that we are but flesh and thereby be humbled and reproved. 30. Concerning the evil Yezer thou hast inquired, why He hath not removed him. But, indeed, thou hast asked thereby to remove His com- mandments and His prohibitions. Perhaps, thou, O fool! who counselest his Creator, desirest also that neither man nor his habitation should have been created. 31. Thou hast gone astray in saying that they built the tower [of Babel] to wage war. This asser- tion of thine is false and must end. It is thine evil way not to desist from falsehood, and because thou pridest thyself of evil thou hast repeated it twice. 32. Thou hast said that the "Nephirim," the [fallen] angels [built the Tower of Babel], but it is not written so, for it is also said that the "Nephilim" were in Hebron in the days of Moses. And thou D'HtDb. As to the Nephilim being the fallen angels, comp. Pseudo Jonathan, Gen. 6, 4: Tim tiPCM p lbS3 JW1 bT*n WnEE pa^n a^ra ariao and bran w-rra , ad be. 56 saadia's polemic nnaffi i6o,, p *fiDa o^sa ffora "ntDB rcra ^ onsTD bbni "p *^ma arrna Dcawib Dion ^.ipw psan irsnn TrtbYD i63 n^snn nnTO tto* 33 ma "0 ^nrfropb ab nnina ba rraa i64 nibir irrn am 'niVwa nsrb rmwb araan bar irYteb i66 -ic*r vba inawai wta -no 'nnn bnn ^3 b* ynsb dyis na 34 **n i68 qcarnb tor Dm * #l *nitt nbwji,, vsm *:mnn bs *B bs arm diee pb "nan ab 13b lottr abi "tran cru* iptr* 35 tarrmna tmmpa ^"cra iab p* *!a bbaa crrtn * Comp. Num. 13, 33. 160 Read p D3 "TJ2XD . Hiwi seems to have maintained that the fallen angels built the Tower of Babel, to which Saadia objected on the ground that the Nephilim are also mentioned in the days of Moses. Dr. Ginzberg suggested to me that p TDW is an abbreviation for '"p *nnS OX\u n^X3 , referring to the phrase p "HnS Dm in Gen. 6, 4: i.e., while Hiwi took the phrase to refer to the builders of the Tower of Babel, Saadia maintained that it referred to the Nephilim of the time of Moses. He also brought to my attention two passages ascribed to Eupolemos, in one of which it is stated that the Giants who escaped the Deluge founded the city of Babylon and built the renowned Tower, and in the other of which it is said that Giants dwelt in Babylonia and on account of their impiety were destroyed by the Gods through a deluge, but Belos who escaped death settled in Babylonia and built a tower which was named after him. (Comp. J. Freudenthal, Helle- nist ische Studien, I, 92.) AGAINST HIWI AL-BALKHI 57 hast said that God was in fear of them to provoke them with anger, but He hath confounded their language and hath scattered them from dwelling together. 33. Thou speakest still with exceeding perverseness and seekest things unjust not one of which doth agree with the other; for what can the one created do unto Him who createth all deeds, who gathereth unto himself his spirit and his soul when He chooseth to make an end of him ? 34. Noah commanded them to spread upon the face of the inhabitable world, as it is written of his children; "and of these was [the whole earth] overspread/ ' whereas they planned to gather together. But God did not wish it, therefore hath He scattered them abroad upon the face of all the highways. 35. Many servants there be that are righteous, yet their history is not told unto us, because there l6l 'Hiwi's idea that God feared the men who built the tower must have been based on Gen. 11,6: TfWA TOP TB8 bo DPIE "\1 *6 nnn . 162 Comp. Gen. 11, 9. l6 s Comp. Exod. 26, 5. 163 Comp. Prov. 2, 12. l66 Job 34, 14. l6 < Comp. Ps. 64, 7. l6 7 Gen. 9, 19. 168 Comp. pttl to Gen. 11,2: mn ft&B ffntftt OTBn Wm . D"nmroa -im vmo aba onn l6 5>Gen. 11, 9. o ^ MS reads D*H237 D'DI , but the diacritic mark over D'HIS? indi- cates the transposition, or perhaps the entire omission, of that word. ^Prov. 1, 3. 58 saadia's polemic nnai i73# Drn xvnb 13b are i72 -p?jn aa rrawi i74 :ona n: ab D^a^n bs mrtm n^abi D'narn D^nban wph nscb ^b he 36 T? on "trroi n^irm ^i pbn ina ifk i76n D nb Tea p by i78 -D^^n^n teta inbro mt>p itrraflaa i79 "^b -b mba oa "iw ^sb nn nmn n^^n nan* 37 abm i8o '*or rab "wan ab nna TO ttik ira fttfw irai "ns bs *-TM ba iw pn v6it cbs v* Gen. 17, 14. ^comp. Ti6o, 8: ]mira ma via "nay bra ]nrpE w narnon mnK urn n^si 'm d^w -irybs bra inims D^a bra J 74 Ezek. 7, ii. According to Rashi's interpretation of OrD H3 fc$b"l pb lb iniDI JMWO "nnK nni3 nnn pK) we might render the last clause of this stanza as follows: "Thou, however, hast said that as to all others there was no one among them who followed the Lord." Ps. 50, 16. rf In the MS there is a stroke through the word ^D . ^In nHTB&Kl, p. 53, Saadia voices the same objection: comp. below, chap, iii, sees. 4, g; 6, b. This is another instance where Saadia rejects the opinion of the Midrash, for Hiwi's view is found in several Agadic passages. Comp. 8T1D , chap. 24: nap"l btEJ lb*T!} bSDl jTobi "jTob ba by ^Kbia rem .... nma byi nmaa by . in Fa/&* ha-Makhiri Ps. 55, 2 the version is Dmitf by bTttH bS3*l ibs: bamm maii rnais ba by -jsbE nam .... wt by-i AGAINST HIWI AL-BALKHI 59 is no instruction to be gotten from their deeds, but the deeds of the Father of Multitudes are written that we may be taught by them. Thou, however, hast said [that as to] all others there was no one of distinction among them. 36. What right hast thou to qualify the plain statutes of God and say that one man [Abraham] is God's portion and the rest [of mankind] is that of the [tutelary] angels, also that one small city [Jerusalem] is of all fortified cities His possession, therefore hath God said to him [Abraham], "Go thee"! 37. It is an evil report that thou hast brought and hast shouted to strangers. For, if God hath [chosen] but one man and one city, who would remember the rest [of mankind]? For, verily, there is none beside Him, and there is no strange God with Him; whether angel or great man languisheth and is troubled. iWnbn ipbnb. Comp. also Wertheimer, miDTra TO, II, p. 14: bi npbnb nbra ^b^b fttthn maw bD ib-inn nbm t^ei . vnna wn nab nmntf tiVit nnpn pbnb -ia ** Comp. b. Zebahim uga: D^BTrT IT nbriD . ^Gen. 12, 1. 180 This clause is translated as if it read finX Ttfl intf ETX DK "OP ^ -ItfEn 'bab, the last b of btfb has by mistake been trans- ferred to ^"D . l8l Deut. 32, 12. 60 saadia's polemic D-anrna Dian oa *ra nwiDba t) rcrr ab 38 bnn ttfi -trawl bs mba rarr rorraba on ncrtn nbtjoa -crarttc vb* tpbm mbwi izran -itraiwn anba w foot "Wi i&op 3 *D8 *"wpb*n ttab, na i i* 39 ( 3 recto) -bnsnn sra )hkt:d ^s-rcni -jinna ll nrwi i8s *bni d? npw nsio "a -,a i86 *bnDb mao ab nrr nsu: bm *:ba*raa pi bw pa ab o^rn, 'trinann bira naa* -ims 40 pbn ba rrss nna p -,# *trwi ip 161 o^arm Drawn ^nb *& -n nrran **tranp3n nbrai *jm6tti ban 183 The idea expressed in this paragraph is that ]TB23 H*T1PI mi*T Dltf "OH. It is more fully elaborated in "TiTVDXn, p. 52. Comp. below, chap, iii, sec. 4, /. Ig 3 Num. 20, 5. 184 Read DH, or else construe D^ in the sense of WQtf ; comp. Gen. 47, 18. l8s Deut. 32, 6. l86 Prov. 17, 7. l8 ? 1 Chron. 15, 27. 188 Professor Goldziher and my colleague, Professor Friedlaender, have each suggested that this is very likely an erroneous rendering of the Arabic proverb cited by Damiri (ed. 1284), II, 422: &oljuJ| Jouo J t -^ y* ^fJo ^1 i.e., "Like the ostrich neither bird nor camel." This proverb if correctly rendered should therefore have read: DibTMH )12 tfbl D^HSSn )T2 *6 D W^Pl lED . Professor Goldziher explains that D^STDIDn was used instead of D^bttSn because the original AGAINST ?IWI AL-BALKHI 6 1 38. Thou dost not know that in the language by which men express their love, in that very lan- guage God exalts all those who are beloved unto Him; they are beloved unto Him like man's lot and his possession and his portion; nay, they who are God-fearing are even dearer unto Him than such treasures. 39. [On the other hand] they who said, "Wherefore have ye made us to come up [out of Egypt"], were called foolish people. Thou, however, on account of thy abuse and blasphemy art be- coming disgraced. Indeed, fine speech be- cometh not a fool, much less do lying lips cloaked with mischief and iniquity. 40. As the proverb of the Arabs says, "The ostriches neither see nor carry burdens," so hast thou turned to those who are called portion and possession and hast disregarded that to God, thy Lord, are the Heavens, the world and the fulness thereof. may have read J- t ^ instead of J^^ . But aside from the fact that Saadia's knowledge of Arabic was too sound to suppose such a mis- understanding on his part, the word D^X^H remains unexplained. My colleague, Professor Ginzberg, suggests the reading: "JTO fc$b D^DS^n D^EIOn yu tfbl D^fcnn. In either case the application of the proverb to the context is somewhat obscure. l8 9 Construe the phrase as if it read r6n31 pbn D'Wpsn ba rV^D . ^Comp. Hos. 4, 17. '' Comp. Ps. 89, 12. 62 SAADIA'S POLEMIC '"ntrvjab "mm I92 n^nn b? nmyb* 41 o -manna rnowi abn wii am p ^bm tin rferan nan -ntaqpa dwo mbvn nra I9s :nt:b7j7j D h Ti nscin rra ^ "rawni i96 -ba taa cpcnm twa ip* 42 Dcp abi apra era Kb nb-bn wiban ptr fan 198 :bs b?s ma tai "ra&r n?D -ia-vara '"D-uiron "aw rrr na m ww abi* 43 - t r 3 5*05 enseal ^airsa wa wnn ran *a obs bn -D-n-jina nmxp tn D'ws iTO di ja-area abi obttE nsca Kb '^Comp. Gen. 17, n. m Read WWII . '^ Comp. Lev. 21, 5. wComp. Mishnah Nedarim III, 11: bttE TO DbttJ *npa b , also b. Nedarim 32a. Saadia dwells upon this subject in irVlUOTJ , p. 73. Comp. below, chap, iii, sec. 4, i, T . ^ Comp. Gen. 17, 5; Neh. 9, 7, and T2 , chap. 39, 11 (ed. Theodor, p. 375, note 6): T3TD b? 71 SPOTO "Wri "P3E rfnMTl. w Comp. 6. os/* Hashanah 16b: btt> "I3"H in 'pinp'O CHIT 'T nttto mm "o -nm he na anpn ab inrctf -nm apron nra?T2 nm tTDnai S^ron . Maimonides (rQTlDn niDbn , II, 4) seems to feel that this is open to the charge of soothsaying and therefore explains Dtt ^TW by saying WtXn im ^3W in *3 WlbD AGAINST HIWI AL-BALKHI 63 41. Thou hast mocked the Covenant [of Abraham] and hast likened it to mutilation. But, indeed, men do not start life without the imprint of a mark, for from the time of their birth their navel is shrunk and circumcision likewise saveth life from a thing that is superfluous. 42. [Abram] was dear unto Him so He enlarged his name [to Abraham] which thou hast considered an enchantment. But doth God practice sooth- saying? Far be it from Him. "There is no enchantment with Jacob, neither is there any divination with Israel and now shall it be said of them what God hath wrought.' ' 43. And there is no contradiction between the two verses (Gen. 22, 17; Deut. 7, 7) for his (Abra- ham's) children were the fewest in their own eyes though their numbers were like the stars. And though many times parts of them were counted, yet all of them were never completely counted or written down. *# Comp. Num. 23, 23. The reference is to Gen. 22, 17: ^IDIDD "pIT nX mnS rO^TTl DTBTDn, and Deut. 7, 7- DTD**! bDtt t3?En DDtf 'O. 200 Comp. Rashi to Deut. 7, 7: DDES* 'pT32tt , nn 'ttfttn DDK *0 ; also b. Hulin 89a; pEttM Dn nbTO DDb TW& ^XE Wl ^j)b DD'aSi?. It is significant, however, that in his Arabic translation Saadia renders this passage by pHlta DHS'Q bpX Dn:X bl , i.e., ''for you are fewer than all of them taken together." 64 saadia's polemic b* -ar^ roan ab "D'nnam rnrtari ro*a 44 n ^b rmiri cpn -wm na -pEraa nbnaa -p "jorrwo rains atta ri m* ^ -Dmn3 arpb* ihrsh Tfirn i^nm trim* 45 pbi ^-DnbiD rtrn Drri 2o3 D-aa cms awn ax* anpa -ana iron naopb nra bs nn a^ipn tdrrn era nnsb td b p nrab a-nn 'wwa rrrn btwi ban bm 46 wi [*jja twrr ab "pr^b 'mm ni to ns "sjirow ** mr rnn ^ irwin "tfttraa 301 Gen. 15,9 c/ seg. 202 This symbolic interpretation of the vision of Abraham is already found in an old Midrash preserved in bTJJH ttJTTQ (ed. Schechter, p. 240): DTnan n^nn nnann ax Tai pn ana. ** Comp. Gen. 15, 10-n. 204 This interpretation of Gen. 15, 11 is also implied in the same Midrash quoted above (TOtt, ibid.): ntf bttt D-Q8 Dm 3m imsn Tn msxn prt* n* jwi fin nr pnai D*min "jnb IDbm ; it agrees with Saadia's Arabic translation 3?S1 OFl nDnnns max xronm -ixoiixbx ib* TXtabx and is also found in the extract from his Commentary cited by Dunash ibn Labrat (trOTOn '0, ed. Schroter, No. 7), where the additional statement is found: nntrniD *inx nnpn [D?nn :b"2] rnrin xb ^bibx "O paxTa rm ma it in lorn'man on-crro v :b"2] nmrw lb WB31D T\12 TW^tD . It is worth noting, however, that with the possible exception of Saadia's Commentary our text is the only place where Saadia states that the vision of Abraham was symbolic of the AGAINST HIWI AL-BALKHI 65 44. Thou hast failed to understand the meaning of the vision [of Abraham] and the dismembered animals, therefore hast thou been astonished by hearing of them; but refrain and let me tell thee their significance, that in their mystery is written the idea of resurrection. 45. The carcases were dismembered and the birds were caused to come down upon them, and Abraham blew upon them and made them to move and they returned to life, therefore had he first laid each half over against the other in order to breathe life into them when bone came near unto bone. 46. When he saw the power of this great God he felt it his duty to command his children and his household that they shall not feel anxious when affliction came and shall trust that in the days after him God will make His salvation known. Resurrection (D3"Pnm rQiriD ffSTOH IT^nn). It is not found in "imiQXfl , nor is it implied in the passage quoted by Dunash. What misled Geiger (TDn D"D , V, 100) and others (Poznanski in Studies in Jewish Literature, Berlin, 1913, p. 252) to assume that in that passage Saadia spoke of the Resurrection was the reply which Ibn Ezra made to Dunash. In that reply Ibn Ezra says: "pfcin T "I^IX *$& nrsra -Dnrra ht rmx am -b"T wraip inns srrnb DTi'an n^nn br sr&n n^n mpts om new, ed. Lippmann, p. 6a). Geiger took the words DTTDH fi^nn to mean Resurrection, whereas the real meaning is "the coming into life of the dismembered animals," and refers to Saadia's statement that the slaughtered animals came into life, as a sign that God would keep His promise. J os Comp. Ps. 98, 2. 66 saadia's polemic -pa nrton 2o6 -nwj ma Tnn rwr "pnt 47 wrb ar t) fb n ** -matin -to ht urb* Sn 208 : ma nittb DttP mwb dw rrob -mabs aiw abi -Tb* latin "5 -jr D*mn tmoiri 48 si p* D-oic 'pa "jra ^-vba yncba nub -ma (3 verso) jrbimn orb "px tw mta rrnii-rbci "^ toots 2io, i:^ na ira x^ "row abn 49 rirtai vona ibnnnb -was* afi trter np'w :won ds na -era tmba v '^ p -nmn rrnwbi 212 -b^n ba^ur Trora bfiWD" 1 "ibrj mm 50 b^Bia oma 2i3 n n n T;a to ibia ab rn Da "mcbiob rosnb Vwanb Tp rmxa m , nn "jb^TOl d-he ba 2o6 Comp. Gen. 15, 13. 2 7Comp. S. Schechter, "The Oldest Collection of Bible Difficulties by a jew" (j.q.r., xiii, 360): -maom nan main Dbl7 in nrtom can in:* p "nna i^n -nam pasm ^riT nw hd . mrwtn na nsnb -ra pan i?-it nvn 15 *o 208 Comp. Deut. 8, 16; Ps. 86, 17. Saadia discusses this point also in "rWEtfn , p. 100. Comp. below, chap, iii, sec. 4, n. 2 9 Comp. Ps. 44, 19, 23. 2I0 Deut. 8, 5. 211 Read "12T2'02 and comp. Hos. 2, 7. 2 Comp. b. Sukkah 52b: nann niipn jmb* tannrna nrnix 213 MS reads Jin^n , but the error is indicated by a diacritic sign over the n . 2I < Comp. Job 13, 4. "scomp. judg. 9, 43: D^ir*n rnubtDb naM-m. AGAINST giWI AL-BALKHI 67 47. "Thy seed shall be afflicted and enslaved four hundred years." Thou hast wondered why He decreed this against them that did not sin. Know thou that our Lord hath His secrets. He caused them to be slaves so as to humble them and to show them a token for good. 48. Because our forefathers in Egypt were killed for His sake, and because their heart did not turn away from crying unto Him for help, He gave them as a reward the clouds and [the pillars of] fire and manna and the quails and the great good which He hath laid up for the day of recompense. 49. For, just as when a man chastiseth his son, he causes him pain and mortifies him with his oil and his drink in order to hold him back from evil and from sickness and to do what is good for him, so doth God, our Lord, chasten his tumultu- ous people. 50. Thou hast said that the birth of Ishmael caused the servitude of Israel to double. But if he were not born He would have thrown them into 21(5 Saadia discusses this subject at length in TTTflMWl , p. 47 (comp. below, chap, iii, sec. 4, e). It is also worth while to quote the words of Ibn Ezra (Gen. 18, 1) together with the commentary of Joseph Bonfils OWE) 1-1322, ed. Herzog, p. 102): OW "O TOM* mn WU dtb3 mr6rc rem aire ma?a trims irmbw aim -ins Kin nba am amat} maran -rrabw int> t-raa p b? en -rrp :ins on ntJbtsn oms -o "niaa p by Tina ntnsa bam "" nami nma ontjbtJ dm *o israa ab itrmo irmwr bii o-at? on nnai : trims nnwo D^aab-an ^at? wo'n main Tin msm Kb i-rcaa j&\ -ra nobis man nan onm nbtaa nam nt)btj abn ins oa^x d^td "ntftjairo ^a 68 saadia's polemic nrra innpai onbi -ran bDa ^d rmta to 51 racial bab nb^bn rnatfi rotfi -om -lasa wo nTDn b*o -0*153 *ps -raa n Tom *Dnb taara ab rwnrri oa 2i7 ' ws via kti* pw bsn 52 ^Dubtt obi tam wrwa "0 '"o rvrro 218 r' s *3Bb TtttP w nrngjffi vm ab irgr tt u rtnna r^^ m mtk ** n 53 oreb "-ins *5 riwo'ixj in abi tmwan nfcn in rrrr -pan -rwrara mnDD nna to irwrwi marrr vn -pons 5 m *"pab rr n nm bs na nrr nna 54 tropin m pb pirn ""cnron nmtti teaa -p-i bDi voot nbtr abai . m prr by pit -isnb :-proa nmun 21 ? Gen. 18, 1-33. 218 Ibid. 18, 22. "9 The meaning is that Tl TV XTH and D'nMa HtObtD TOTl KTn are two distinct appearances. 220 Gen. 18, 22. 221 1 Kings 2, 44. 222 Comp. Mishnah Aboda Zarah II, 5 : rtTl HBTltD HEP inrflB "jro . 22 3This unquestionably refers to the Eucharist. Saadia, then, accuses Hiwi of being a follower of Christianity. AGAINST HIWI AL-BALKHI 69 the hands of another people. After this thou hastened to forge a lie, to divide into three the God who lifteth up and bringeth low. 51. Thou hast also said that He ate of meat and bread, and that after taking a bribe He gave him the good tidings of a first-born, and on the other hand, thou hast said far be it from God and His angels to partake of food. Hear, then, what, thy mouth speaketh and do not lie and engage in dispute. 52. If thou hadst given careful thought to the entire passage of "God appeared to him" thou wouldst not have rebelled against God, for it is clearly written, "And the angels of God turned and went, but Abraham stood yet before the Lord." 53. The Appearance [literally: the light] of God which was seen [by Abraham] first is not [identi- cal with] the appearance of the men, for it is written that even after they went he yet stood [before the Lord] and how could He be they as thou sayest, Oh man of insolence and error! 54. Thou knowest all the wickedness which thy heart is privy to that thy Master hath been eaten and drunk and absorbed and mixed up [in the body], therefore hast thou sought to turn this upon thy opponent, and being unable, hast presented Him in thy writings as one who doth eat and drink. 70 saadia's polemic Kb yntfi Dro^bi -tear ^fKi Kin bsn ama 55 fear bi prrar rsabB r, -tor b^ *a -px* ^ibs^a iran trwrt b^ na rtoai aires -Sana nrca qbr! to ns^bnnb onssb rrrwn as 56 jmn iro "to bai -to nrr bai Tian aarar ban isaipn nraa maio nsp toi 22S# ns cjri ribis ra* -mta*- 1 ' r rn a n dyio,,* 57 "ittwrabb nnnsnzjEn rtnan is name an8 (4 recto) jjK "'DMbflWri D^lE&On n PltTCS II S*b final : arrow tnrtnwn na nana sb nntf -jtap ran -nam ^- rcn abn nw nil 58 m by nii3 wi new nra bs wra ""nrai "nav ab3 "sua p^rrab man -najriB lb ab 229 "&b *aa ibcss wip b niD^ bs* 59 224 Read: bDXE D3"W1 , Saadia cites here a Biblical instance (Deut. 7, 16) where 5DX cannot possibly have but a figurative meaning. M 5 Comp. Isa. 40, 29. 226 MS reads Cnb'lTS'OI . 22 ? Comp. Jer. 49, 15. 228 Comp. Prov. 26, 17. Our text shows that Saadia connects the word *"Qy with 23D and not with 1391ft] as the Masorah. This is exactly what we find in his Arabic translation of this verse (see (Euvres computes de R. Saadia, VI, 156). Ibn Nachmias in his Commentary on Proverbs (ed. Bamberger) quotes this construction in the name of Saadia. AGAINST HIWI AL-BALKHI 71 55. He is the creator of all things and how should He eat? Neither the heavens nor the earth doth He need, for He can do all things; even His angels consume by fire but do not eat food, as it is written, "Thou shalt consume all the people," and they [the people] are no food. 56. Even to the body food is only to give new strength in exchange of that which is drawn out by the air and weariness; but as to God Al- mighty, blessed be He, who giveth strength to the weary, remember but a part of His glory which we have mentioned before and do not forget it. 57. "In what way," sayest thou, "hath the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah been greater than the sin of other nations and families after their lan- guages ? " But, surely, thou hast not probed the former and their deeds nor hast thou examined the latter and their sins. 58. How darest thou speak words of insolence with- out knowledge? Behold, thou art small and unworthy of knowing all that is being written, and the man that vexeth himself with strife belonging not to him is like one that taketh a running dog by the ear. 59. Because they did not meet [the people of Israel with bread and with water in the way] the "9 Deut. 23, 4-5. 72 saadia's polemic . by np^rn ^-tfibn r\v& nin^n vimcm nrosm Dia 23i nb^37j nti * tonbpb trran in ^ bis itnbsr toe D-nbam "proi *" - wa bv rrr ab ^ rrabiD ab Dbsn 60 d*3w nbiD nb-a wrai nra bis n imrcbn [Tab] nan Dj tonp bi -rns wi p D'atfrm 234 : nis -pmb inaop -DTa D^n bipn mton * w* 61 bipb wcnwri "a -p* 3 * 3 'P tr tn -p&ruDn to .,. nsn D^n rrtr tD rraa -trnaa n in Din jD-msi D^p-i d^od bipb ib im -rem ba mrw t) mb "noEPKi 62 mart nTDS" -pi -vioYa nnn hot nit: bteo 5^125 Tj3b D3i rfiiD nib nnbi -tts *t by sran 2 3 Comp. Isa. 25, 7. 231 MS reads nbiySTSIB , with a stroke through the second "U . 332 Zeph. 3, 5. 2 33 Prov. 17, 20. 23 * Comp. Ps. 84, 7: imrPTZP "p^D. It has perhaps reference to the Midrashic comment on this verse, viz. : fi'DEJ'QD ^TOW) niyQTmC "pIPED (D^bnn TEHTQ, ad /oc). I feel, however, that this is some- what far-fetched. If the MS did not read distinctly 'p^'Qb , we might suggest reading T\X0 "JT7 Dfpb^ . 2 3s This refers to Isaac who implicitly obeyed Abraham when led to the altar. AGAINST HIWI AL-BALKHI 73 children of Lot became unfit [to enter into the assembly of the Lord], but thou hast turned it about and hast ascribed it to the incest committed under cover; thou hast spoken falsehood against God that He hath caused him to lie down to cause conception, whereas this is the work of man in which God taketh no part. 60. Thou hast shown no shame, for the wicked knoweth no shame and he that hath a perverse tongue falleth into mischief and into a trap. Even if the Ammonites and the Moabites had been offspring of a lawful marriage but had not met [the Israelites with bread and with water in the way], by this [alone] He would have given them cause to weep. 61. The upright who hearkened unto the voice of the wise in all secrets thou hast called .... carried away by the rhyme. But in saying that he who obeyeth the voice of a wise man is the most despised of fools thou hast declared that he shall be considered wise who listeneth to the voice of foolish, vainglorious, and wanton men. 62. It is possible that God will kill a man by His word and reward him well in the next world for his suffering. It is also possible that He would kill one through His messenger and would reward the messenger as well as him who obeyed the word of the messenger. 74 saadia's polemic na rrr van ft twipn nira nan* 63 rvuab itr b lira: toei p bs -mwa bs ft -err pab Tfloo trans onsn ta bbra bna jmanrt Drraa 236 o;a ab bs p ft trttta Timn wr nn? frot 64 rbmbl 1122b owi ^"imsb nan lynsr mb^b* arnvib g p o nb i aTtnb eewd ^--ama tan ^ranbi m ab nbx 0:28 ^tumu rvun* 65 ( 4 verso) pro ft "ttry romp bx pa tnan bs sii ft trrwn b? nroan ^-kti inn ft nbftraa ^nrmm bmn wn * MS reads C:H . ^ This interpretation of Gen. 22, 12 is already found in T3 56, 7: ^nma rain bDb vimn "wp nnr . Ed. Theodor ( P .6o 3 ) reads: "1D1 bDb lan^T^ HIlT. Ibn Ezra on the same verse quotes Saadia as follows: "^nb inpna: mann noa nb^E n^a "pawm Timn DJtaD WT nb^ D3 -D"7^ . Comp. Saadia's Arabic trans- lation caaba ntny ]b ^xs . 2 # Comp. above sees. 20, 21. 23 ' Comp. Ps. 21, 3. 240 MS reads rYOlprTO with a diacritic mark over the 1 , to indicate that it was a scribal error. 241 The meaning of the three clauses is not clear to me. In the trans- lation, I had in mind the following passage from ^inTD^n , chap, i, p. 18: YiKraiB Kim D'np'on rabiyn wan byi rrrann )"q rwbfcm dk tossb ox -rnx bDn rrp^w D^npttB itabtti ab trewan bD . toe* nbTO AGAINST HIWI AL-BALKHI 75 63. I have already said that He knoweth all that is being done, therefore, He hath no need for Him- self to resort to trials, but for the sake of men there is need of trials, that they may know that He did not compel Abraham to be tried. 64. The expression "Now I know [that thou fearest God"] is to be interpreted "Now I have made it known," for so are all the deeds of our Creator to be explained, and the meaning of "to re- strain" and "to cause to give birth" is, I may say, like the meaning of "to starve" and "to feed," "to wither" and "to cause to produce." 65. These thoughts, however, are not evil, for every- one created is subject to the accidents that may happen to him; through them we learn that it (the world) is new (i.e., creata ex nihilo). Thou 2 * 2 Hiwi's argument which Saadia takes up in this phrase and con- tinues in the following three paragraphs must have been the same as the one mentioned by Ibn Ezra (Gen. 27, 40): TOS T^ D'H'B'IK "CH -nrn ttib nan pnar to* yi tot -tw ati ninn which Joseph Bonfils (11372 nDD2 , ed. Herzog, ad loc.) explains as follows: lama 13 -ntb isn ff*m isn:tf ^ a">n D'n'a'itfn nba nm D11S ITfibM . In the same passage Ibn Ezra quotes Saadia as follows : 71s ba ^v xtov Tinrn yvr\ nspn nbainn it nrn paam nma*8 rn nana -innim roc nnm u vn& np:^ lasia om nnban nanaa "o intjn-> nbian naima "is^pn abE own inn "p Xbl. Comparing this quotation with 66, 67 below, it seems that either Ibn Ezra had this Polemic before him, or that Saadia elaborated this point in his Biblical Commentary and Ibn Ezra took it from there. The question why God allows His people to remain in exile is discussed in inTOXn, p. 74. Comp. below, chap, iii, sec. 4, i, a-\ 76 saadia's polemic rati ^cn "a nm wan ynn -pa* rim 66 mn dm wi -rawo nrrwu nb-j ton 161 bat ^ m bna an n:n D^iriM ""trtr dp : to Mb wi ^rcns tots orn ona* iRW* ra nmaa* 67 247 -^nsn ynn tv *>n [*] nrr [Mlbi "oro DTtan '[Mwflrn man hd Mb bpoti Dai * trail ma rnn Mb *pb mann psnai *onb rrowa nM wiba cpbnn "b rrtwa 68 [D-nc\b nrrronn bD ^onrrnVi ran yirt mvj ddbhd rtnaa] it [bt> -[dWik iVra Mb dmi SDTtww Dimzn wi DMh] [irw] [n]ME m dm dtddib* 69 ito Mbm 'twins rna&ir] iap Mb nntas tihm ^Dnun -nriM itaai dmi [thm] [n]ME bwi jnra fni]Mi am lain Dnam 2 Gen. 30, 43. 2 * /Wa. 25, 27. ^comp. Lev. 25, 29: inbao rmi d^b\ "* Gen. 36, 6. ** Dan. 11, 16. ** The 2d pers. sing, impf . of KID analogous to "COP "|/t333 . >* Comp. Ps. 144, 10: vn* th pa nsisn . 2 sThe reading is not certain, it may also be read DPYinbl, in which case the phrase should be translated "of the saving of his children and their freedom he announced to them all good tidings." *" Gen. 27, 41, 42. AGAINST HIWI AL-BALKHI 77 hast said of the brothers [Esau and Jacob] that He made the elder richer and greater. 66. But consider the passage: "The man increased exceedingly," and thou wilt understand that He made the "Man of Integrity" (Jacob) greater, and thou wilt not say what is not written. Moreover, if the Man of Integrity fled for a few years, he soon returned, but this one (Esau) " went into a land [away from his brother Jacob "] whence he hath not yet returned. 67. Thou hast said that the Children of Israel are today serving in captivity in Seir, and thou dost not know that Mt. Seir is in the glorious land; nor are the Romans, when they muster their hosts, made up of the descendants of Esau, but through the exceeding deceit of thine own heart thou dost not know what thou speakest. 68. Thou hast erred [in thinking] that our God changed His promise to the Man of Integrity. On the contrary, to save his children and their generations, He announced to them all good tidings and if .... all this befell as long as they turned away [from His path] but when they repent from their evil doing it will be removed. 69. If the tribes had come of one father and one mother, thou sayest that they would not have quarreled so jealously one with the other, but surely Esau and Israel came of one father and 78 saadia's polemic [bnh raGti -rrmn 2s2 r,stfin rrab nbattj npr 70 CfOTi tbh bs ^-niman nasi 2S3 iD:ra cpt^] p: vntffl ab *d roan tfoin -rvra in rwft {rmataan "i:r men ns vmraa tn *yW 71 am "nit: nn [rrai] [irjus m ma rreb p *'*n 'frapa tawa b*ra[b] ...... p rrcn Dbi?n 255 : in ^Bn -nra b*oizr taw iswi icnn -tran nirbiz: b? irnba ram *s 72 wis b^n c ramm icinn onsrw btaaetf bs by [traWI] 256 b^b [**] nit: [*] ftrteHB 2s7 :D^bnn :nr vsfi d^oe wra mm ^znyb* 73 * Hof . of ClES . Comp. n^HJS-Q n-tttf , chaps, lxi-lxii. IBS apy moan mob -nan mp na rrab npanb n"npn 2 S3 Gen. 42, 36. 2 Comp. ibid. 47, 9. a s5 Isa. 49, 3. 2 5* Ps. 145, 9- w Comp. Xeh. 12, 31. The word may also be read D^Dbnn. AGAINST HIWI AL-BALKHI 79 one mother and one belly and yet [Esau] hated and plotted and said, " I will kill and bring down to the grave." 70. Thou hast asked, " Why was Jacob encompassed with troubles, with the death of Rachel and the loss of Joseph and with much bitterness ? " But the more thou speakest of his troubles, the more dost thou add to his praise that they have not turned him away from the commandments. 71. In proportion as his sorrows increased and his pains grew strong here, so will his song and his comfort increase in the future [world], and even in this world .... to him who asks his name .... and God hath said, "Oh, Israel in whom I am glorified." 72. For the goodness of God cometh in three ways, through kindness, or recompense, or reward. All are in need of His kindness and mercy, for the Lord is good to all, and his tender mercies are over all processions. 73. To those who do His will CHAPTER III TEXTS RELATING TO HIWI AL-BALKHI AND HIS TWO HUNDRED QUESTIONS; ARRANGED CHRONOLOGICALLY NINTH CENTURY i. Mardan-farukh (fl. in the middle of the ninth century). From Shikand Gumdnik Vijar, translated by E. W. West (In The Sacred Books of the East, Vol. XXIV, Oxford, 1885). (a) Chap, xiii, 122, 132-134. Comp. above, chap, ii, sees. 1-4. "And as to the tree of knowledge itself, about which he commanded thus : ' Ye shall not eat of it,' and also as to the injunction for not eating of it, which was issued by him, why was it necessary for him to make them? (132) They also say this, that things of 80 AGAINST HIWI AL-BALKHI 8 1 every kind were created for mankind, on account of which it is evident that even that tree was created by him for mankind (133) and man was made by him predominant over every creature and creation. (134) If that be so, why were they now to incline their desires away from that tree, which was their own?" (b) Ibid., 135-137. Comp. above, chap, ii, sec. 6, and below, sec. 10, b. "From this following statement, this, too, is evident, that knowledge was not really origi- nating with him, (136) because if he came forth to the garden and raised his voice, and called Adam by name thus: ' Where art thou ? ' it is just as though he were unaware of the place where he existed; (137) and if he had been unanswered by him, he would have been unaware of the place where Adam existed." 82 saadia's polemic (c) Ibid. j XIV, 32-33. Comp. above, chap, ii, sees. 20, 21. "Again, it shows that his final result is all regret, (7,3) just as this which it states, that he became among the despondent, and he spoke thus : 'lam repentant as to the making of men on the earth.'" 2. Abu Amran Al-Taflisi (fl. second half of ninth century). See No. 3. TENTH CENTURY 3. Abu Yusuf Yakub Al-kirkisani (fl. first half of tenth century). From Kitdb Al- Anwar ', chap. ii. cited by Harkavy, TV12C 2*\ "jTdT, p. 147, note 2. *rrrn *b& arnor b*8oa nao&ra rbn 4. Saadia b. Joseph (892-942). (a) From r"Wib 2SrO , cited by Judah b. Bar- zilai in ttTT 130 101TB , published first by 258 "And he [Abu Amran Al-Taflisi] had replies to questions which he wished ascribed to Hiwi." AGAINST HIWI AL-BALKHI 83 S. D. Luzzatto in Dip rwbn , p. 71. Comp. ed. Halberstam, p. 21. Comp. below, sec. i, n- DTitta la anM YiBra ^bnba nHri "tea rwni abi D^int:n twabttn rf apn st? naV. :nwo ma "3n p rros -pirb wi tamra itod ii :rcn n ^ny^isir^ mix tocm "?tr&attn rrmn cratan pa pn ab tD Tmn rai nrrn pi ?mn "tt -pa pitnn "Wra nam [?rma] nre ^ w j-prabn no via -raiion pirn *a niDB ?Drma ^bab nw rra mi ora ^sb mp -o D'WB pjba pits ma uran ya man bi dd&d -men 781 traro rash "EPaSrVi. Luzzatto (#>id.) suggested also that it was this passage which Ibn Ezra had in mind when he said (Gen. i, i): U*iBT\ bfcO troabarra Tan trwtm tbiwd paan *wb *pb . He also pointed out that Ibn Ezra quoted Saadia again in his shorter Commentary on Exod. 23, 20: picrra -roan *3 ^na nscn "ran promo "fODna D^bsn ^bsD D*Dban d? Dion 84 saadia's polemic Tan m Drra cratt m6!on n D *birw d* IV, p. 106; comp. also Reggio, '0 by llfcO 2n"&nnb n^pn *p3 nVJir, Prague, 1840, p. 71). Later, Kaufmann called attention (hrjT r s 3 , ed. Halberstam, p. 334) to the fact that Ibn Ezra quoted Saadia also in his longer Commentary on Gen. 1,1: "ifitf 'Oil -ran D? rroa "pwn -pa bvtm bm Da td D-^npn D"5ban mam cfota traha dhie dti ninsn D-bas bss irittn or tosh -o :ram rroab picnic (comp. to-o nma, 11, 211). In the ed. of M. Friedlaender (Essays on the Writings of Ibn Ezra, Hebrew Appendix, p. 22) the last line reads: U$ ptDiTO TOfcfi ntj^b -prarra todti bss D^ab^n . Poznanski groups this question neither with Gen. 1, 1 nor with Exod. 23, 20, but with Exod. 25, 8 (pan , VII, 1 19-120). (b) From *lban 120 (ed. Harkavy, p. 177, 11. 12- 14). AGAINST ?IWI AL-BALKHI 85 maro oapa *ib ^bbnba h rn ^b? t6k "]b'^i (c) From nWTl WElOan ^3D, ed. D. Slucki, Leipzig, 1864, Introduction, p. 12. Comp. also below, sec. 10, d. 'bVoa nabs: "tvr pah m p* tj nan ^i ab h D -powna abss -ttr tbwwi wn * nrip Dnaouffl w tebsmo nbiann n:ra nbr tt -oto ab rro trw* nna D^sba qbab T T ' tTHO onb ffton vn brr bma firm oa ht nspb nbmnnb tr one nsn rrn ibi tm cryeonpn otwi^wtj nba cnnpa m jta Dprrtin trtebao (d) Ibid., chap, i, p. 20. mmsn rranw n^ era rvnna nran ^b ie* n^bn wea rnanw ma Drrai nrmna abDH Ttl b? TWIWOI mV* According to the Arabic (ed. Landauer, p. 37) it should read *rrn b? trowrwi rraira iriTsa pbban 2 "And so in the reply to Hiwi Al-Balkhi whose book was in vogue among our people for sixty years." 86 saadia's polemic (e) Ibid., chap, ii, p. 47. Comp. above, chap, ii, sees. 50-55. rr&o ** vbs sti p*a troMm crrai pan htw cnaiRi cs Tf s msaon) anaa sin riTn Mn anpn onnnsb raw 1123s d^s:s nrabtt r p r tots sin ^ rrcbta sim -terra d^oc on nbs "a ^snsi :tpaao m ibsi pwi qiob mi * irnan sbia ME IMP) (2"D -DTD -DTD) Injuria 13? OT T ftflU ^sb lav to annnsi n afn o tab*] D-^sn <* Toai isbn nns D*E3sn "O dttt TO "* bas -on sin nvra bam *rvsb nn-asi tji? nbsra rasa -rabbis annnsb nbnn ttan ns-o :D"j3n *firm trven d-ieds (/) i%/., pp. 51, 52. Comp. above, chap, ii, sees. 20, 21,38. *d -mpa ' t ' rVjD prr sb ntjsn simr ieisi naiaiD s^7^3 nias nil -DbiD t mpa n smn sin bsiD mn -prn on sdiic is im nms sinis nras ten ... . ibss 11ns isnp 12 tns nirs ibss sirs isnp inwa sbra 1^73 inwi AGAINST HIWI AL-BALKHI 87 HXn KVTCD WWTS D-n I-KIT httl now vara nspir in toti *OFto *rii part riT Kiip Snaro nnbsnn onb rrn :ca& riT snip "ttfn twi crisp :rw iirioi (g) Zfod., p. 53. Comp. above, chap, ii, sees. 36- 40, and below, sec. 6, 6. rawi vara on cwnn bs ^d ppn b?i Kbi tit *Tjtoa pit rwp "torn prr 161 D-nscn rro imn *mns nrbi w nib trgpe o ttftren ibnni trapi inbiso nric o naiK Cra "nb D^mj inbra bnn apr w "* pbn ^ra ntfiiti b*ran ^n b? dk ti n pi iibsa trip ipbm m bD nb^o lAsaio (A) /ftitf., p. 54. Comp. above, chap, ii, sees. 20, 21. anba ten -issm -ana rosa nrhan irani jirra 161 roisra -dth "ran,, nwiei : renin pso ^bn p wnnan -arm irwari urn bus Kin bna -nrra abi rwsna Kb "roan,, nrara , flm rurman "am iraan nm? 88 saadia's polemic rcrana irrr w iar r j*b ma) wi - T~ nbara aa iek b&\ . . . . r*om umnn .mtfnafi b aw nvyp rvnah (i) Zta/., chap, iii, pp. 72-74. tm .... bitaan "yaya xran *raa nn&o orrba ^anair nan *3 d-jk "aa nssnD t : tow . . B338 322 ESS isoa p-'innb D^spa d-j "Da nsp h bia M trmcan rtwan "tcrri 7^12: tg -nm naja m p^Tfira TOpE nna ^bitf "awn [a] barazja Ttow rrrro ta "uno aiDirr mwa na^^D bamr in eta "ft -a" 1 ) Ch 'fifb '*) tnm natal lra c-b^ Cjb nasi D-'sbx qba bvnwr b3 ym ta "urio towna nib mara* "bia "trtmn [3] p bna pn mnD npio wnv man :tn D-nro aan AGAINST HIWI AL-BALKHI 89 [Comp. above, chap, ii, sees. 28, 29] [1] rosea m ron inna vnr *bi8 y a'tfi i mt>pnb im rwbri tsirrob Da ntenpn ^d : Tatari run p*n mptn sabnm dtj wi '"moa cm "bsn te b? to aman maron m nto mi tm to* ma bsb rftqn mppa ncprasi am -nntrrra n?b mto "05 nbnm D*in tnapn bna . . . . ^ -in [man] pw m Diais-no mt*i na-0 "nDfiOi .... Dti dxhto WHOSO rWib cpota ab i-oti iDirsD ba aitoa m raw *xabn isrran mri iMrur abia ttrarn w "bia "tD^artT) [Comp. above, sec. a] [n] fo yyik firron pan ^ aiwr awn Mtti 'crwion tranteri mm ef "93 abn D^intan trsfi&ari mm ' .pwi nyi DTrra aman pirn naM -rasa ^ rim *Di -Dn *n p to wo rraa D^bss tnaa tt8T ^bia TOWT1 [Comp. below, No. 5] [1] bnab entai rrq {-rasm pran rrwaa 90 saadia's polemic -yxb mm bipbi 'tvjpVna rvrobi -pnbi nbio nrmif] -ma rmVi * anbbi tawi ?mb ntmtn rmfi "pawi y*i rrrasn -yna ab3 nba ^ -tok a^nbam tDi -frcBi ffta b "araicm [Comp. above, chap, ii, sec. 41] [T] mn rm* ^ stmari "pbm mrarra arm w nabrcn mr-aa isna toil term mr -ttt *ot law nw -raaai trn "a noi ?nb^n -nra wi nscin ab in "pn niaa *Hn abisn nscin -oan m atari anrn -yncm abi lawn -nsDinn men iw -ncaai -via jobir pt inana me pas nirr "raism [n] aaro BTtfaan inarm: nmra rem *eri naoi fawrwri bTKTsb B-mpa Tti nraa pnpn y p rcri [a] an "3nb nana -aa ?a t mr an am m arc bwra "a tonri ^ib aw kvto '151 AGAINST HIWI AL-BALKHI 9 1 w -pa na^ro rbw bs toia n'wrn n wnpn ^ns "a "trm abir pp D?b ra n3 5113 ab bbn any *s pwi nbnro [Comp. above, chap, ii, sees. 65-68] [fcT] npTn7 < :n prolan nan am ito mam iba :*rasei ?nbpn nbi nam n-nro m Trrwrt rvobsn n-nnn ^rsab era d-hm ora "a 'tnvcsi Dn^b* artcnn : *on Dwan smjwS o^< t) anmba biu3 rmra ara ab s w tranni bl nn ten bna -ann Dbi3tt wtP 161 titp ias "Wan ?Taba rabWi itaan *oi tDSP h :sn inaa p3*n nib (7) /ta/., chap, iv, p. 76. Comp. above, chap, ii, sees. 12-15. rrrr ab rnb m-i^ai rn nr pan Toram D^nn lb -jdd ab a-namo ^b nantvn ?ran abv am -iraa nm nbi trupn nban n^-nann trrn lb rrr irrnr^ maas -ja man 92 saadia's polemic lb nro ipw bair cm nin^n n^a niD vionn -raaraa nana t31 won Comp. below, sec. 0. (k) Ibid. Comp. above, chap, ii, sees. 16-18. nsra pa Dian *ima or rrti -pt town rvman "pnoi nrrbfil mma as-rna raibn "hna-ttim wrrtara nisi vpbn m Kb rrabi (/) /fod., pp. 76, 77. Comp. above, chap, ii, sees. 10, 11. : train vb* D^nn D^bm to Taiom p rms ai rb^a ima ik -ansa bs: win vnbab sdd^ nxem siurra ninrn *nb d^id onnn biicm TO -trwni .... w lapwn rmrn nsyn "bmi c^Kn mtDarn "npra a "iropna nn m:ro *s wn nitron ttto rm Kb *ap want rrn Kb dk ^pssK h D rba td n^KD "3 "rnba 3Wa toto irraTDi tpsn Kin m nr rm Kb j-jrnb ib rm orw Tnyab nb^n anwa AGAINST HIWI AL-BALKHI 93 (m) Ibid., chap, vi, p. 100. Comp. above, chap, ii, sees. 16-18. irio in -j ttaa im in "pi man cfD wins rra bi toma w mra twncm o naaa b mwi 'rmra arrwi bna -bwn ana dtibh nn aa *d 'tna ninb nsp DTD DTTl UTMEO tfb t t ; (w) Ibid. Comp. above, chap, ii, sees. 47, 49. iptfcb son D^nba rrb* aiznn crvioti off -TO "pi b* aba rrb? aaran ab twnbl n anal) -w Tae naia arman nbaab :-jrvnn3 "ptanb -jmoa pabi (fa (0) 7MZ., chap, ix, p. 131. Comp. above, chap, ii, sees. 12-15. *omn mm sin rpn abm tam *tr aao tot -nbnrra twn obiso rm anan n ma tasa vn zmi* ?ann nba bs vb*a -"iirbirn Tosaa mara wnprrm. This has reference to the following passage on p. 58: aimam tttanan naion ba aroan mo ta*ra 94 saadia's polemic bMims nam -aits mm wn -in rmw rtoa nn^nic rra*a b? raiab riD ra rrrno "p abra ia man "2 wrtt rta bss nb tit in : yn to* totto n baa tan nw 5. Solomon b. Yeruham (885-960). From his Arabic Commentary on Ecclesiastes (7, 16), published by Poznanski in Monats- schrift, 1907, p. 732. A Hebrew translation of this passage was given by Pinsker, in IWfflTJp "Wpb, p. 28. Comp. also above, No. 4, i, 1 . pns "nn ba nbip nsn irvr n^nnn bi ipi nbba aaro *mto "by ywan ab *3r roTi rwi rvsa ifbrr ab nbi area nfbn obi bnpns baps -ribba nb "bbnba Tin ynroa KB bha obi -any b -*o ( -paopbaa nam ob obi "bDar b "pw -a D-asn Dnbn nayn rrb* rri Tpi '"Str ab fflia i iancbaa nfbn tfir cp bnaa *r :nb nbapi vnroai a^bsba nbaa* anism an?a bs*r i&wbai yaanpbaa D^rebtfi cnsm nnb bsar cpsi 'D^rebs AGAINST HIWI AL-BALKHI 95 raabi pnsi [nrvrn] rrrfi Tpa arrfo^ tor saniT croi *[wnp Dip?jn] p"n Tnbs&o TT D^nba "to^i ty m:bxi iH3b pbab mi err rt'y ^^w , araba bapi -ma tti *n 26 . . . . ^n intxi tia 6. Anonymous. (a) From an Arabic Commentary on Numbers (14, 23) , published by Harkavy in DTHD ~Ctf"3 , No. 1, p. 3. :bapi nspba sin h s> "obnba *rn ;ptt ipi ar Drror -a auabb Dcpa np ]s btw jon? -fDs nsttMbg ; pb sin omabiab 260 "In saying: 'Make not thyself overwise' after he said: 'Be not righteous overmuch' (Eccles. 7, 16) he meant that in matters pertaining to the Scriptures you must not be antagonistic and ask why was this ordained and why was not such and such a function prescribed, just as Hiwi Al-Balkhi, may God curse him, did. He asked: 'Why did God demand sacrifices unless he require nourishment, and why did he demand show-bread unless he eat, and why did he prescribe the lighting of candles unless he be in need of splendor?' And the wise men have already answered and rebuked him, saying: O fool, how is he to receive nourish- ment from the sacrifices when part of them is consumed by fire and part is eaten by the priests, and how would he eat the show-bread when it is eaten by the priests, as it is said: "And it shall be for Aaron and his sons; and they shall eat it in a holy place" (Lev. 24, 9), and how can he be in need of splendor, when he created the fire and the light, as it is said, "Let there be light: and there was light" (Gen. 1, 3), and the Prophet Isaiah, peace be upon him, said "He forms the light and creates darkness'" (Isa. 45, 7)." 96 saadia's polemic arrba bwba p d;toe "b? Dcp^ ; rea j bipDs ?biaba rraopi arB83tt -jbh pns ob Dmabiab ; paba ann tip -jsd rraop W nn"2 b-ib [read -psbr] yina pr ysbM Dip ^bho nnb ocpbs h 2 bbn abi *. DTOR'Wa (b) From an Arabic Commentary on Deuteronomy (3 2 > 9)i published by Israelsohn in R.E.J., XVII, 312. Comp. above, chap, ii, sees. 36- 40, and above, sec. 4, g. picsba Kin "s nbba rob -bbnbtf *m pal -barn rraa *bs St ifhn yt baps rmwa seal TTT31 in aaaba ocnpa -pbnaiba baipa p nb bip;s orra rcwi nnn "bian *05*e2 Dh jnrcn ns-rn *a na n-irocb nbba bipD cbl "pinabRl nt>bbb Dabs tfn ( bip3 ppSarr pAa nbDbx pnta p ynnbaba p 261 "And Hiwi Al-Balkhi already raised an objection against this passage, saying: 'Since God had already sworn to the patriarchs to give their children this particular land, how did it become him to swear to prevent them from entering it so that this would be the annulment of the former oath : And we shall answer, that the oath that he would give this land to their children was not specified for any one generation, and some distinguished people did not come under this oath at all " AGAINST HIWI AL-BALKHI 97 nbi np nb-iaba -ab paw sid^d -j^i reran abi nb n ^h ab TttH "bawi nbba i ^b* nahvirroba rtia hiria nba niki rwa "po rracap'' pi neap-' -pbs -n^n ann ]W ttos pas ins ^wtse&a bip* tray *bae?ra TObE "a yn^n "jbnn DDircbi on^s traca inn: nn^s b^p ja onmb *a yrtaroybH rkwrvcr wi cftP ibi bap ab -nna -jbn bp^ Db yasnbaba bsb nn ^b? anna Doap^ Wi -pbn iraa "" ?n nrabaoba 262 "And Hiwi Al-Balkhi, may God curse him, spoke arrogantly in regard to this verse and similar verses saying, that this shows that God, may He be exalted over the words of fools, divided the nations between him and others, and that of them these [the people of Israel] became his share and portion. And we shall say to him as God said to Sennacherib (Isa. 37, 23): 'Whom hast thou reproached and blasphemed?' Then we shall say that this is the word of madness and arrogance, and none of those who have strayed from the path of thought, though they were wicked, hold to such arguments. For it was already shown that God, may He be exalted, is one, there is no second to Him and no associate, and that He created all creatures, and if this is so to whom would He give a portion and who would share with Him His kingdom ? (May He be exalted above the words of the infidels.) And he [Hiwi Al-Balkhi] is like one of those of whom it is said (Ps. 73, 9): 'They have set their mouth in the heavens, and their tongue walketh through the earth,' and if he knew the idiom which the Hebrews employ in expressing selec- tion he would not have said this. For see when David said (Ps. 16, 5) 1 The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup ' did he alone want to share the master of the worlds!" 98 saadia's polemic (c) From an Arabic Commentary on 1 Kings (7, 13-14), cited first in Neubauer and Cowley, Cat., No. 2628, 24, and translated by Poz- nanski in pan , VII, 124. jn "am 'm i inpm nrrn .... nbun p nmtt EttMfi] mow h bna3 maps [in] nan b"oa "s vn ypMma *r*a are-n *rttai* eleventh century 7. Joseph b. Abraham Ha-Kohen Ha-Roeh Al- Basir (fl. first half of eleventh century). From his tM mrarna cited by P. Frankl in Monatsschrift, 187 1, p. 157. Comp. also below, No. 10, c. bnx rr s*>p ab rt'9 rooa tb took* nba *arr\ man "ten" re qba in nnto Cjb&p DipB n*n aw rm to own -p nr aonn Dipan m mmptin nba toed itr orn to WipB ba 263 "And he sent .... understanding And it is said in Chronicles (2 Chron. 2, 13) ... . he is of the tribe of Naphtali and his mother of the daughters of Dan. But this is no contradiction. This is found in the questions of Hawi Al-Balkhi." AGAINST HIWI AL-BALKHI 99 Dipa rrm enpen m rrr moa rrm aw jtrrawn rm vb -jim ffwi 8. Anonymous. From ii/a& madni al-nafs, ed. Goldziher, Berlin, 1907, p. 16, 11. 20-24. Comp. also Hebrew translation of Broyde, 264 p. 20. ^bbnba *wn *hy b"T -paa tftsq 'n in Tpl ttoi tun nrm wn ^Bsi fcrssnoy arh bsbn rrb* t\ nra *s nncban 'icnori gas tn ciraba antes arftan ip po rraab ^aoayba tub* nip^ obi rrbs nns rmnba ypr 8 wn +1t rroa s tomb ^nbsn Ti m& ipnnizr iMEm irv)b mtn rw irmn D^n tra na ?otbi idseed d*wi Disaa w two aim *:& p bs dvi mm rr ab (d) JM&, 16, 13. Comp. above, No. 4, c. piobn snpn ain pn "S TOHtB T did npT : we T?b yrabnn fa rptp fratoi 733m vis II, 117 e seg.)- Harkavy discovered a fragment of the original Arabic and has found that the Hebrew title originated with the author himself and not with the translator (D^TIT D3 D'WlTl, VII, 32). a6 7Poznanski QIDiH , VII, 118) justly remarked that by aid of this passage we get the real meaning of Ibn Ezra's words in the shorter com- mentary to this verse, viz.: i pi "D'nmn ]innS PD"** DTD pn* ^t bnp dot nb r>Em ^p wra nam "rn bnn . Dip*ns 268 Samuel ibn Zarza (D" , ' i n l^pTQ , Mantua, 1559, fol. 39c) quotes this remark of Ibn Ezra but misquotes the surname of Hiwi: "J !inD1 . "iDi -vaatD oarraa "bmn irn nToaa? "ipnnur intP 102 SAADIA S POLEMIC (e) Ibid., 34, 29. aba toss ^ "R3OT wan *n Was* ipnna^ D7dt ppn tea roazr na7j ^s ma nnb bss :n*nrao rss ma raw m 11. Abraham ibn Daud (1110-1180). From Snbnpn ISO , ed. Neubauer, p. 66. ma '3 pa vn aarri roan rrro nn naso nmo rtaa nana nnab rrrtnan man p n h am banarb tYibna wcno nan pww nnai -rmnn D-naian bn crran b* mman r*rn 'flTiti mb:j mn "tafc "nbaba *in Drta D^?jb/j nipirn naba nan *rra rriyo m ^on^Di rroo nn &a 13 mmbni tr**pa nma FOURTEENTH CENTURY 12. Samuel ibn Zarza (fl. second half of fourteenth century). See above, No. 10, c, note 268. fifteenth century 13. Simon b. Zemah Duran (1361-1444). From mitf ]"/2 Leghorn, 1785, fol. 31a. 26 * This passage is copied by David Conforte (nWHtl &$")1p , ed. Cassel, Berlin, 1846, fol. 4a) with the older reading of "ObD bfcTian . AGAINST HIWI AL-BALKHI I03 ^nabs ba wti n^n pio rrm "i "jra mpnmi nm D*taba rm -rrfln tabia rrmo 14. Saadia b. Maimon ibn Danan (fl. second half of fifteenth century). (a) From DX15n TO nbtftt in Edelman, misn riTTO , 1856, 16a. n^m b? taion mn rro* nns D^mn wotwi arwon ymri ynsai prti brai mra nibnpE p^nir] txd "absn *rn nra tibo mm y^ai 27i r2sb bi oia^n rvrrra [mow (ft) From Wnmn -Ho b? "BMIta , #., 28ft. d^w omm rain d^bc tan G-rrc arfl iwn "bnnn rahcm nmam by\ imp ^bo t*i 'o^npn Jsn trran bs awnfi t "]iicbn iprnir] tot "aten Tn mai mnsa rraiwi a ? This reads like a copy from the Chronicle of Ibn Daud, though the latter has not the words "pfctt rTH?0 '"I lE'DI . v*We should perhaps read ^m TQfcbl V'T Dntnn nifTO .isbnn ^m a 7 2 0n this word Harkavy remarked (JTH2WD 31 "JVIDT, p. 147, note 1), mM *6bn KfWnjb nba B^Din, but we see that Simon 104 SAADIA S POLEMIC rmn mm htm [qicM] tudixd 2n [vn)my rmn iaSa rmi 'n rrnro rami iwa qioibs th in -pirn mm *raa rain bi rrro troi tsppi ""rm bna eppaeri bion -jbaba "nso nipirn noba tvmm Crmaw nprrar] s'izr "atari *rn min onabsa D^bsnn n Tom rpb&u pinna bi ph*d trtm tyro -p rnwwrarn seventeenth century 15. David Conforte (1618-1675). Comp. above, No. 11, note 270. Duran also wrote WH rtTI "p*W mro "1 ^Tl (above, sec. 13). It is therefore likely that both Duran and Ibn Danan had some other source than the Chronicle of Ibn Daud. 3 73 Harkavy (ibid.) unnecessarily corrects the abbreviation as follows: man mtD rWl ntr bT*. His substitution of DEDT0 for 71D11D is borne out by the Talmudic phrase HX WIITI rPOffi DttTIDTD b'P bX*YB' , (b. Sanhedrin 43a, comp. Dikduke Sopherim, ad loc). *74l have already explained this phrase to mean that Hiwi was a follower of the Magi, not that he was an enchanter. JEWISH THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY OF AMERICA TEXTS AND STUDIES Vol. I II. Geonica. By Louis Ginzberg. 1909: I, "The Geonim and Their Halakic Writings"; II, "Genizah Studies," 8, xii+210+425 p. $3 .00 Vol. III. Yerushalmi Fragments from the Genizah. Edited by Louis Ginz- berg. Vol. I, "Text with Various Readings from the Editio Prin- ceps," 1909,4, vi+[i]+372+ix p. 5.00 Vol. IV. Sepher Shaashuim. A Book of r Mediaeval Lore. By Joseph Ben Meir Ibn Zabara. Edited by Israel Davidson, Ph.D., 19 14, 8, cxxix+[6]+i97+vii p. 2 .00 Vol. V. Saadia's Polemic against Hiwi Al- Balkhi. By Israel Davidson. 191 5, 8, 104 p. 1. 00 SOLD BY BLOCH PUBLISHING CO., New York M. POPPELAUER, Berlin 14 DAY USE RETURN TO DESK FROM WHICH BORROWED LOAN DEPT. RENEWALS ONLY TEL. NO. 642-3405 This book is due on the last date stamped below, or on the date to which renewed. Renewed books are subject to immediate recall. Due end _ | 10 APR APR 19'71 70 *i&m K&nMled bn phone $GH 77 l r tifeRV^ r