Page:Ginzburg - The Legends of the Jews - Volume 5.djvu/22

11–14]$undefined$  theory plays an important part, especially in the Sefer Yezirah (see Ginzberg’s article on the Sefer Yezirah in the Jewish Encyclopedia, and the literature cited there, as well as Joel, Blicke, I, 121), and the literature dependent on this book, as Midrash ‘Aseret ha-Dibrot 62, Konen 23–24, and many others.Along with these mystic speculations (Pesikta Hadta 36 asserts that God created the universe by means of the Sefer Yezirah; comp. also Seder Rabba di-Bereshit 1–5), the forms, names, and order of the Hebrew letters are a favorite theme of the “pedagogic Haggadot”, whose object it is to render the elementary instruction to the young interesting and attractive.Such Haggadot are, e.g., Shabbat 104a; Yerushalmi Megillah 1, 7 Id; BR 8.11 (see the numerous parallel passages cited by Theodor), as well as the non-mystic elements of the two versions of the Alphabet of R. Akiba.Darmesteter, R.E.J., IV, 259, seq., and Muller, Sitzungsberichte Wiener Akademie, Phil.-historische Klasse, CLXVIII, treatise 2, furnish a rich collection of parallels to these Haggadot from patristic as well as from later Christian literature.To these “pedagogic Haggadot” belong also the Tagin and Midrash R. Akiba, whereas Midrash ha-Shiloah (in Onkeneira’s Ayyumah Kannidgalot, 18) and Tikkune Zohar deal exclusively with the first word of the Bible, concerning which a great deal may be found in other parts of rabbinic literature; comp. BR 1.7; MGH I, 10–11; Alphabet of R. Akiba 19; Seder Rabba di-Bereshit 3–4; Midrash Aggada on Gen. 1.1; the commentaries Hadar, Da'at, Pa'aneah, and Toledot Yizhak on Gen., ''loc. cit. For interesting parallels in Christian literature relating to the forms of the Hebrew alphabet, comp, especially ps.-Matthew'' 31; Gospel of Thomas 6 (in both versions).  $undefined$ An allusion to Ps. 145.15; comp. also Berakot 4b.  $undefined$ There are different versions relating to the controversy of the letters about precedence&msash;originally a “pedagogic Haggadah”, it was later combined with the mystic theory of the letters.The text given is essentially based on 2 Alphabet of R. Akiba 50–55, with the omission of many biblical verses, which are quoted by God and by the letters.Other versions are found in MHG I, 12–13; ‘Aseret ha-Dibrot 62; Midrash R. Akiba 23–24; Zohar I, 2b–3a and 205b.  $undefined$ This number, as Lekah, Gen. 1.1, correctly remarks, corresponds to God’s “ten words”.Comp. vol. I, p. 49 (beginning).  $undefined$ I.e., “time”, which is here mentioned as having been created simultaneously with the world.This is in agreement with Philo, who in De M. Opif., 7, rejects the view which assumes that “time” is older 