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8. " Hast thou seen a black ass ? [Then! it was neither Mack nor white." (Addressed to a confirmed liar whose very statement is a proof against itself.) [Cowley and Neubauer, p. 29, read " Hast thou seen white and black ? "] 9. " Bestow no good upon that which is evil, and no evil will

befall thee."

The

rabbinical sources characterize this as a say-

ing of Ben Sira, though

it does not occur in Ecclesiasticus [it is scribal variation of Ben Sira, vii. 1] ; compare Schechter, io. pp. 694, 703 ; Cowley and Neubauer, "The Original Hebrew

a slight

of a Portion of Ecclesiasticus," Introduction, p. xx. 10. " Restrain not thy hand from doing good." According to the MS. reading in Cowley and Neubauer (ilb. p. 29), the proverb runs, " Never restrain thy hand from chastising a child." 11. "The bride enters the bridal chamber and, nevertheless, knows not what will befall her." 12. "A nod to the wise is sufficient the fool requires ablow." This is cited as a maxim in Prov. E. xxii. 15. 13. " He who honors them that despise him is like an ass." H. "A Are, when it is kindled [Neubauer, ib., suggests •?<?-,

The accompanying Hebrew commentary, which explains every proverb, and illustrates its correctness with legends and tales, is much more recent. It is true that, with the exception of the mythical Uzziel and Joseph (p. 8 has R. Jose, probably the same as Joseph), the son and the grandson of Ben Sira (compare Joseph ben Uzziel), no authorities are cited by name yet there is no doubt that the commentary availed itself of the Talmud and the

Midrashim.

Thus the commentary begins with a citation from Sanh. 44S; and the whole section following is but an elaboration of this Talmudic passage and of B. B. 1216. More than a dozen such citations can be pointed



"little" Instead of p'Si "kindled"], burns

(compare James 15.

lit.

5).

"An old woman in the house isagood omen in the house "







Neubauer,

lb. p. 20)

22. " He that was first satisfied and then hungry will offer thee his hand but not he that was first hungry and then satisfled." For the proper reading and signification of this proverb see below.

The parallel citations from rabbinical literature show that only five of these twenty-two proverbs

known

to Talmudic-Midrashic literature quently they can not be regarded as being drawn from it. It is noteworthy that two of them, Nos.

conse-

17 and 22, agree almost literally with

Origin of the Proverbs.

two of Ahikar' s proverbs, Nos. 43 and 71 (in the Syriac). A comparison reveals the fact that No. 17

is

to

be read xniJ^S E>nD NTUIS 103, in Similarly a's make a paronomasia. No. 22 of the Alphabet shows that the manuscript reading of No. 71 of Ahikar is correct in omitting i&, "not." The meaning of No. 22 is that one grown suddenly rich is accustomed to the niggardly ways of his poverty, and is not free in giving but a rich man grown poor will remain true to habits of

which the four



generosity. Since the

mentary.

is

As Aramaic rendiof archaic Aramaic character. " G. V. tions of the real Ben Sira (compare Zunz, 2d ed., p. 110) existed at the time of the Amoraim, and probably earlier, it is possible that the Alphabet have sprung from an Aramaic collection that is



have made an alphabetical list is a later author may and spurious of proverbs from the many genuine sayings of Ben Sira.

An

out.

especially interesting

fact

concerning the commentary is that it combines the fable told in Eccl. K. (v. 8) of the lion and the grass that revives the dead (on Nos. 7, 9 ed. Venice, pp. The author in5b, 7), with a totally distinct one. deed betrays a general inclination to give stories from the Talmud and the Midrash in a modified form, which, no doubt, in many cases was that current among the people. Moreover, the author in all likelihood drew upon Midrashic sources now unknown; and this would account for many differences be;

tween the Haggadah in its present form and the Haggadah of the Alphabet. It is impossible to determine the date at which the commentary was written, but it was probably about Concerning the 1000, the end of the gaonic period. In the locality of its composition there is no doubt. first

upon never omitting God wills " (on No. 11

place, the stress laid

formula

QE*>n

"IT1J

DN,

" if



shows that

the ed.

originated in a Mohammedan country for the use of formulas was introduced to the Jews by the Mohammedans. In the second place, the exact words of an Arabic prov-

Venice, pp.

9S, lOcs),

it



erb are cited (on No. 22 ed. Venice, p. 16a) with " the phrase " There is a proverb among the goyim (Gentiles); and a writer living among Christians would not refer to the Mohammedans as "goyim." Moreover, the commentary alludes to the arbitrariness of the Mohammedan ruler (No. 8 ed. Venice, p. 6), and in another passage denounces the divorces frequently occurring among the Arabs and their

'

'



Jewish countrymen. The author combats exaggerated piety, the indulgence of children, and yielding to enemies (on Nos.

book of Ahikar

very probably derived from Jewish sources, its agreement with the proverbs of Ben Sira is not particularly remarkable for although Ben Sira is not the real author of the Alphabet, the proverbs are undoubtedly olden current Jewish adages. This is evident especially from the language in which they are written, which is far from being a learned imitation of a later style, but

may

The Com-

many sheaves"

('Ar. 19a, according to which N3D in the present passage is the status absolutus of npjjd, and is to be translated by "old woman " compare Rashi on Lev. xxvii. 7) 16. " Even a good surety has to be applied to for a hundred morrows a bad one for a hundred thousand." 17. " Rise quickly from the table and thou wilt avoid disputes." 18. " In thy business deal only with the upright." 19. "If the goods are near at hand, the owner consumes them but if they are at a distance, they consume him." 20. " Do not disavow an old friend." 21. " Thou mayest have sixty counselors, but do not give up thy own opinion " (Ecclus. [Sirach] vi. 6 compare Cowley and

are

Ben Naphtali Ben Sira

THE JEWISH ENCYCLOPEDIA

5, 9,

13;

ed. Venice, pp. 4, 6,

7,

10, 11).

The

particularly recommends are praying (on No. 1), almsgiving (on Nos. 7, 10; ed. Venice, pp. 4J-6, 7i-9a), respect for the aged (on No. 15; ed. Venice, pp. 12«, 13a), exclusive intercourse with the upright, and constancy in friendship. The manner in which the author imparts moral instrucvirtues

which he

tion at the end of the proverbs by a happy combination of Haggadah. and legend shows him to be a clever writer, and one who knows how to treat his Some of the notions may seem strange to subject. the modern mind but this is the case with many

Midrashim.

The

Alphabet of Ben Sira is quite from the other, and belongs to

so-called second

different in character a much later period.

It consists, as stated, of twenty-two Hebrew proverbs with a commentary upon