Page:Jewish Encyclopedia Volume 2.pdf/724

674 Ben Dama Ben Judah

674

THE JEWISH ENCYCLOPEDIA

Szegedin, Hungary. It appeared at Szegedin from 1858 to 1867, covering ten volumes. Its form and subtitle underwent various changes: the first thee volumes were in octavo the last seven, in quarto. The subtitle was at first " Monatsschrift f ilr Judiscbe Theologie " in the third volume it reads " Zeitschrift," etc. from the fourth to the ninth, " Wochenblatt," etc., and from the thirty -eighth number of the ninth volume to the end of the tenth, " Zeitschrift flir Jiidische Theologie und fur Jud. Leben in Gomeiude, Synagoge, und Schule." The ten volumes of this journal contain important information concerning the history of the Jews in Hungary during the period of its existence, especially in relation to the Reform movement, in which Two suppleits editor was heartily interested. ments containing valuable contributions by eminent scholars appeared occasionally from 1866 to 1867. The one, a homiletic review, was entitled " Homiletische und Didaktische Beilage " the other, for special scientific research, bore the title " Forschungen des Wissenschaftlich-Talmudischen Vereins." separate treatise, "Der Judeneid Betrachtet vom Mosaisch - Religiosem und Humanitarem Standpunkte," by I. C. Soppron, was attached to vol. vii. An index to both supplements was prefixed to the tenth volume. Among notable contributors were N. Brull, Carmoly, Criezenach, Dukes, Jost, Kohut, Munk, Neubauer, and other able scholars. The erudite articles contributed by the editor to the magazine throughout its course were reissued in

been preserved by the Tosefta (Hul. I.e.), which contains a halakic controversy between Ben Dama and Ishmael (Sheb. iii. 4). Bibliography Heilprin, Seder ha-Dorot, ed. Warsaw, 1882, Gratz, Gcsch. der Juden, 3d ed., iv. 81. ii. 84 L. G. k.



BEN DAVID. See Messiah. BEN-DAVID, ABRAHAM:







A

his "Gesarnmelte Schriften," edited by his son, Immanuel Low, chief rabbi of Szegedin. M. Eoest, Catalog der Hebraica undJudaica aus der L. Rosenthal' sehen Btbliotheh, i. 741-743, Amsterdam, 1875.

Bibliography



G. A. K.

g.

BEN DAMA

DAMAH;

full name, (or B. DAMA[H]) Tanna of the beginning of the second century a nephew of Ishmael His inclination toward Hellenism and b. Elisha. the Judaeo-Christians contrasted with the attitude of his uncle, whom he once asked if he should study " Greek Wisdom," since he had finished the study of The answer of Ishmael was: "Study the Torah. the Torah day and night and Greek Wisdom when it is neither day nor night." Ben Dama died of a snake's bite, and the following account is given

ELEAZAR





'

'

of his last moments: Jacob of Kefar Sama (Sakonya), a Judreo-Christian, wanted to charm away the deadly effects of the bite by formulas in the name.of Jesus but Ish;

mael did not believe

in

such charms and would not

Just as Ben Dama esallow him to come in. sayed to prove to his uncle that there could be no objection to the cure from a Jewish standpoint, he died, and Ishmael exclaimed, " God has shown thee mercy in that thou didst depart in peace and didst not transgress the law of the sages " (Tosef, Jli. ii. 22, 23; 'Ab. Zarah 27*; Yer. 'Ab. Zarah ii. 40<?). It is not improbable that Ben Dama's inclination toward the Judaeo-Christians was the reason that nothing written by him was transmitted either by the Halakah or by the Haggadah, and that neither the Babylonian nor the Palestinian Talmud gives him the title " Rabbi. " His title and full name have

Chief rabbi of 16 years (1825-41); born 1788, died 1841; author of a volume of responsa, "Tiferet Adam" (Man's Beauty), Salonica, 1861.

European Turkey,

Sorres,

for

M. Fe.

s.

BEN-DEKAR

Commissariat officer of Solomon, whose district in northern Dan included Makaz, Shaalbim, Beth - shemesh, and Elon - Beth - hanan (I

Kings J.



iv. 9). tr.

JK.

1>.

-Lj.

BEN DURAND:

Diplomat and intermediary between Abd-el-Kader and the French government died at Algiers in September, 1839. Clauzel and Valee, French governors of Algeria, also availed themselves of his services. s.

BEN ELASAH A rich

M. K. and prominent Pales-

tinian of about the middle of the second century.

the son-in-law of R. Judah ha-Nasi I., and known in the Talmud as having been made a butt of on various occasions by Bar Kappara (Ned. 51a; Yer. M. K. iii. 81c). It was also said that Ben Elasah paid a large sum of money to a barber to have his hair cut after the fashion of the Sanh. 22*). From these high priests (Ned. I.e. stories it appears that Ben Elasah was merely a rich man and it is highly improbable that he was identical, as Heilprin asserts, with the R. Elasah mentioned in Midr. Teh. ix., where the following conversation is reported as having taken place between R. Elasah and a philosopher

He was

is

chiefly





" The philosopher asks the rahbi when the prediction of the prophet Malachi (i. 4) that the Edomites would build in vain, would be fulfilled; to which Ben Elasah replies that he interpreted the passage to mean that the evil intents of Edom [Rome] against the Jews are frustrated by Providence. The philosopher thereupon admits that the Romans annually plan to destroy Israel, but that an aged one [a wise counselor] always comes to defeat their counsels." [Compare Pes. 786 'Ab. Zarah 10b]. ,

'

'



The

words are very obscure and possibly contain an allusion to Antoninus, a contemporaneous emperor, whose friendship for the Jews is a frequent topic in Talmudic legends (see Antoninus in the Talmud). Assuming this to be true, there would be some, but by no means conclusive, reason for the identification of R. Elasah with Ben Elasah. last

Bibliography ii.

J.



Heilprin, Seder ha-Dorot, ed. MasMleison,

70.

sr.

L. G.

BEN ELIEZER. See Behrman, BEN-EZRA, SOLOMON Chief

V. L. rabbi of the

Jewish community of Smyrna, Asia Minor, in the second half of the eighteenth century, having succeeded his father, Abraham Ben-Ezra died in 1782. He was the author of a series of Hebrew sermons, " Yad Shelomoh " (The Hand of Solomon), Salonica, 1826, and of two other works, " Bet-Metabahia " (.The Slaughter-House) and " Bet-Abtinas " (The House of

Abtinas). s.

M. Fr.