- Ezra in rabbinic literature
Ezra inrabbinic literature .His work
Ezra marks the springtime in the national history of
Judaism . "The flowers appear on the earth" (Cant. ii. 12) refers to Ezra andNehemiah (Midr. Cant. ad loc.). [ [http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=578&letter=E&search=ezra#1 JewishEncyclopedia.com - EZRA THE SCRIBE ] ] Ezra was worthy of being the vehicle of the Law, had it not been already given throughMoses (Talmud Sanhedrin 21b). [ [http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=578&letter=E&search=ezra#1 JewishEncyclopedia.com - EZRA THE SCRIBE ] ] It was forgotten, but Ezra restored it (Talmud Sukkah 20a). [ [http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=578&letter=E&search=ezra#1 JewishEncyclopedia.com - EZRA THE SCRIBE ] ] But for its sins, Israel in the time of Ezra would have witnessed miracles as in the time ofJoshua (Ber. 4a). [ [http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=578&letter=E&search=ezra#1 JewishEncyclopedia.com - EZRA THE SCRIBE ] ] Ezra was the disciple ofBaruch ben Neriah (Cant. R.); his studies prevented him from joining the first party returning to Jerusalem in the reign ofCyrus , the study of the Law being of greater importance than the reconstruction of theSecond Temple . [ [http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=578&letter=E&search=ezra#1 JewishEncyclopedia.com - EZRA THE SCRIBE ] ] According to another opinion, Ezra remained behind so as not to compete, even involuntarily, with Jeshua ben Jozadak for the office of chief priest. [ [http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=578&letter=E&search=ezra#1 JewishEncyclopedia.com - EZRA THE SCRIBE ] ] Ezra reestablished the text of the Torah, introducing therein the Assyrian or square characters, apparently as a polemical measure against theSamaritans (Talmud Sanhedrin 21b). [ [http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=578&letter=E&search=ezra#1 JewishEncyclopedia.com - EZRA THE SCRIBE ] ] He showed his doubts concerning the correctness of some words of the text by placing points over them. [ [http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=578&letter=E&search=ezra#1 JewishEncyclopedia.com - EZRA THE SCRIBE ] ] ShouldElijah , said he, approve the text, the points will be disregarded; should he disapprove, the doubtful words will be removed from the text (Ab. R. N. xxxiv.). [ [http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=578&letter=E&search=ezra#1 JewishEncyclopedia.com - EZRA THE SCRIBE ] ] Ezra wrote theBook of Chronicles and the book bearing his name, theBook of Ezra (B. B. 16a). [ [http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=578&letter=E&search=ezra#1 JewishEncyclopedia.com - EZRA THE SCRIBE ] ]Praise of Ezra
He is regarded and quoted as the type of person most competent and learned in the Law (
Torah ) (Ber. R. xxxvi.). [ [http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=578&letter=E&search=ezra#1 JewishEncyclopedia.com - EZRA THE SCRIBE ] ] The rabbis associate his name with several important institutions. [ [http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=578&letter=E&search=ezra#1 JewishEncyclopedia.com - EZRA THE SCRIBE ] ] It was he who ordained that three men should read ten verses from the Torah on the second and fifth days of the week and during the afternoon ("Minchah") service on Sabbath (B. Ḳ. 82a); that the "curses" inLeviticus should be read beforeShavuot , and those inDeuteronomy beforeRosh Hashanah (Meg. 31b; see Bloch, "Die Institutionen des Judenthums"," i. 1, pp. 112 et seq., Vienna, 1879). [ [http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=578&letter=E&search=ezra#1 JewishEncyclopedia.com - EZRA THE SCRIBE ] ] He ordained also that courts be in session on Mondays and Thursdays; that garments be washed on these days; thatgarlic be eaten on the eve of Sabbath; that the wife should rise early and bake bread in the morning; that women should wear a girdle (B. K. 82a; Yer. Meg. iv. 75a); that women should bathe (B. Ḳ. 82a); that pedlers be permitted to visit cities where merchants were established (B. Ḳ. 82a; see Bloch, l.c. p. 127); that under certain contingencies men should take a ritual bath; that the reading at the conclusion of the benedictions should be "min ha-'olam we-'ad ha'olam"("from eternity to eternity") against theSadducees ; see Bloch, l.c. p. 137). [ [http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=578&letter=E&search=ezra#1 JewishEncyclopedia.com - EZRA THE SCRIBE ] ] His name is also associated with the work of the Great Synagogue (Meg.17b). [ [http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=578&letter=E&search=ezra#1 JewishEncyclopedia.com - EZRA THE SCRIBE ] ] He is said to have pronounced the Divine Name according to its proper sounds (Yoma 69b), and the beginnings of theHebrew calendar are traced back to him (Betzah 6a; Rashi, ad loc.). [ [http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=578&letter=E&search=ezra#1 JewishEncyclopedia.com - EZRA THE SCRIBE ] ]Malachi
Ezra is identified with
Malachi by Joshua b. Ḳarḥa (Meg. 15a) [ [http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=102&letter=M&search=malachi#1 JewishEncyclopedia.com - MALACHI, BOOK OF ] ]Death and place of burial
According to tradition, Ezra died at the age of 120 in
Babylonia . [ [http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=578&letter=E&search=ezra#1 JewishEncyclopedia.com - EZRA THE SCRIBE ] ]Benjamin of Tudela was shown his grave on theShatt al-Arab , near the point where theTigris flows into theEuphrates ("Itinerary," i. 73). [ [http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=578&letter=E&search=ezra#1 JewishEncyclopedia.com - EZRA THE SCRIBE ] ] According to another legend, he was at the time of his death in Babylon, as a courtier in the retinue ofArtaxerxes (seeFulcran Vigouroux , "Dictionnaire de la Bible", ii. 1931). [ [http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=578&letter=E&search=ezra#1 JewishEncyclopedia.com - EZRA THE SCRIBE ] ] In the selichah for theTenth of Tevet the date of Ezra's death is given as the 9th ofTevet (seeShulkhan Arukh ,Orach Chayim , 580). [ [http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=578&letter=E&search=ezra#1 JewishEncyclopedia.com - EZRA THE SCRIBE ] ]notes
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