Abstinence in Judaism

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Abstinence is the refraining from enjoyments which are lawful in themselves. Abstinence in general can be considered a virtue only when it serves the purpose of consecrating a life to a higher purpose. The saints, or adherents of religious and philosophical systems that teach the mortification of the flesh, practice asceticism only with the view of perfecting the soul for the higher state of bliss for which they believe it to be destined.

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Judaism, having for its fundamental ethical principle the law of holiness: "You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy" (Leviticus 19:2), accentuates the perfectibility of the whole man, while demanding the sanctification of all that pertains to human existence.

Disapproving views

"The Lord did not create the world for desolation; he formed it for human habitation" (Isaiah 45:18) is the principle emphasized by the rabbis. [1] In the ideal state of things nothing should be profane (Zechariah 14:20,21). This view is expressed in no uncertain terms by Rav: "Man in the life to come will have to account for every enjoyment offered him that was refused without sufficient cause." [2]

Accordingly, we find asceticism, or abstinence as a principle, condemned in the Talmud. "Why must the Nazarite bring a sin-offering at the end of his term? (Numbers 6:13–14) Because he sinned against his own person by his vow of abstaining from wine," says Eleazar ha-Kappar, [3] drawing his conclusion from this Biblical passage: "Whosoever undergoes fasting and other penances for no special reason commits a wrong." R. Isaac said, "Is the number of things forbidden by the Law not enough that you venture to add of your own accord by your inconsiderate vow?" [4]

According to Maimonides, the monastic principle of abstinence, whether in regard to marriage or to eating of meat and drinking of wine, or to any other personal comfort, is most emphatically condemned as antagonistic to the spirit of Judaism. [5]

Approving views

Nevertheless abstinence is frequently considered meritorious, if not actually necessary, as a means of self-discipline. Simon the Just said: "I partook of a Nazarite meal only once, when I met with a handsome youth from the South who had taken the vow. When I asked him the reason, he said: 'I saw the evil inclination pursue me as I beheld my face reflected in the water, and I swore that these long curls shall be cut off and offered as a sacrifice to the Lord.' Whereupon I kissed him upon his forehead and blessed him, saying: 'May there be many Nazarites like thee in Israel!'" [6] In this sense abstinence is supposed to have a positive value, as a training in self-control. Consequently, the law: "Be holy!" was interpreted: Exercise abstinence in order to arrive at the state of purity and holiness. [7]

Excessive indulgence in wine or in any form of enjoyment being harmful [8] man must learn self-restraint in due time. "Haste!" people say to the Nazarite. "Pass quickly around the vineyard, come not too near the grape" [9] became the proverbial warning. "Make a fence around the Law" was a well-known principle. [10] The Talmud declares "Abstain from everything unseemly and from whatsoever is like unto it." [11] According to Rav, the purpose of the kashrut laws is to purify Israel [12] —to train the Jew in self-discipline.

Accordingly, there were those that taught and practised abstinence for the purpose of self-consecration. Such were the followers of the Rechabites (Jeremiah 35:2) among the Essenes, "the water-drinkers". [13] A revival of their principles was attempted in Persia by Abu Isa al-Ispahani in the 8th century, who added to the prohibition of wine also that of meat. The tendency to mysticism induced moral philosophers of the Middle Ages like Bahya ibn Paquda to favor abstinence as a mode of moral self-elevation. [14]

In the Biblical narrative, humanity initially abstained from eating meat, (Genesis 1:29) and only after the flood, in an age of decline, eating of meat was permitted (Genesis 9:2 etc.) (similar traditions appear in Greek and Roman sources [15] ).

The rule

As a rule, however, Jewish opinion has been against total abstinence, and is best represented by Maimonides, who advocates the "golden middle way" of moderation. [16]

See also

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References

PD-icon.svg  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain :  Kaufmann Kohler (1901–1906). "Abstinence". In Singer, Isidore; et al. (eds.). The Jewish Encyclopedia . New York: Funk & Wagnalls.CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link)

  1. ↑ Pesachim 88b
  2. ↑ Yerushalmi Kiddushin 4, end
  3. ↑ Sifra, ad loc., and Nedarim 10a
  4. ↑ Yerushalmi Nedarim 9 41b
  5. ↑ Mishneh Torah, De'ot, 3:1
  6. ↑ Nazir, 4b
  7. ↑ Avodah Zarah 20b; Sifra, Kedoshim, beginning
  8. ↑ Proverbs 23:20
  9. ↑ Bava Metzia 92a
  10. ↑ Pirkei Avot 1:1; Avot of Rabbi Natan 2
  11. ↑ Hullin 44b
  12. ↑ Leviticus Rabbah 13
  13. ↑ Mekhilta of Rabbi Ishmael, Yithro, Amalek 2
  14. ↑ See Chovot haLevavot, 9:5, 11:6
  15. ↑ Plato, De Legibus, vi. 782; Plutarch, Symposion, viii. 83; Porphyrius, De Abstinentia, iii. 25, 26; Diogenes Laërtius, viii. 20; Spiegel, Eranische Alterthümer, i. 455
  16. ↑ Mishneh Torah, Hilkot De'ot, 1-3

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