Pardes (legend)

Last updated

Pardes (Hebrew: פַּרְדֵּסpardēs, "orchard") is the subject of a Jewish aggadah ("legend") about four rabbis of the Mishnaic period (1st century CE) who visited the pardes (the "orchard" of esoteric Torah knowledge), only one of whom succeeded in leaving the pardes unharmed.

Contents

The basic story goes as follows:

Four entered the orchard: Ben Azzai, Ben Zoma, Acher (i.e., Elisha ben Avuya), and Rabbi Akiva. One looked and died. One looked and was harmed. One looked and cut down the trees. And one went up in peace and went down in peace.

Babylonian Talmud, Tosefta Hagigah 2.2 [1]

Sources differ concerning which sage died and which became demented; the Tosefta and the Babylonian Talmud say ben Azzai died and ben Zoma became demented, but the Jerusalem Talmud, Shir HaShirim Rabbah , and the hekhalot literature record the inverse.

Etymology

The Hebrew word פַּרְדֵּס (pardes, "orchard") is of Persian origin (cf Avestan 𐬞𐬀𐬌𐬭𐬌⸱𐬛𐬀𐬉𐬰𐬀) [2] and appears several times in the Bible. The same Old Persian root is the source of the word paradise via Latin paradisus and Greek παράδεισος, which were used for פרדס's Biblical Hebrew equivalent גן, Garden, in early Bible translations. [3]

Samson Levey proposed the Greek paradosis suggests the four were examining the claims and early documents of Christianity and that the Tosefta account preserves the scholarly undertaking most accurately. [4] [5]

Account

The story is found in several places, with minor variations: the Tosefta, [6] the Babylonian Talmud, [7] and the Jerusalem Talmud. [8] [9] The earliest context, found in the Tosefta, is the restriction on transmitting mystical teaching concerning the divine Chariot except privately to particularly qualified disciples. The version in the Babylonian Talmud, which is the best-known, may be translated:

The Rabbis taught: Four entered the Pardes. They were Ben Azzai, Ben Zoma, Acher and Rabbi Akiva. Rabbi Akiva said to them, "When you come to the place of pure marble stones, do not say, 'Water! Water!' for it is said, 'He who speaks untruths shall not stand before My eyes' [10] ". Ben Azzai gazed and died. Regarding him the verse states, 'Precious in the eyes of G-d is the death of His pious ones'. [11] Ben Zoma gazed and was harmed (also trans. went mad). Regarding him the verse states, 'Did you find honey? Eat only as much as you need, lest you be overfilled and vomit it'. [12] Acher cut down the plantings. Rabbi Akiva entered in peace and left in peace. [13]

Versions of the story also appear in the esoteric Hekhalot literature. [14]

Exposition

Rashi says that ben Azzai died from looking at the Divine Presence. Ben Zoma's harm was in losing his sanity. Acher's "cutting down the plantings" in the orchard refers to becoming a heretic from the experience. Acher means "the other one", and is the Talmudic term for the tanna Elisha ben Abuyah (Yerushalmi identifies him as EbA on the following line; MSS Munich 6 of the Bavli and Hekhalot Zutarti read "Elisha ben Abuyah" in place of "Acher"). Akiva, in contrast to the other three, became the leading Rabbinic figure of the era.

Rashi explains that the four rabbis ascended to Heaven by utilizing the Divine Name, which might be understood as achieving a spiritual elevation through Jewish meditation practices.

The Tosafot, medieval commentaries on the Talmud, say that the four sages "did not go up literally, but it appeared to them as if they went up." [15] On the other hand, Rabbi Louis Ginzberg wrote that the journey to paradise "is to be taken literally and not allegorically". [16]

According to another interpretation, PaRDeS is an acronym for the four traditional methods of exegesis in Judaism. In this sense, they were the four to understand the whole Torah.[ citation needed ]

Interpretation in Kabbalah

Another version of the legend is also found in the mystical literature ( Zohar I, 26b and Tikunei haZohar 40), which adds to the story:

The ancient Saba (an old man) stood up and said (to Shimon bar Yochai), "Rabbi, Rabbi! What is the meaning of what Rabbi Akiva said to his students, "When you come to the place of pure marble stones, do not say 'Water! Water!' lest you place yourselves in danger, for it is said, 'He who speaks untruths shall not stand before My eyes.'" But it is written, 'There shall be a firmament between the waters and it shall separate between water (above the firmament) and water (below the firmament)' (Genesis 1:6). Since the Torah describes the division of the waters in to upper and lower, why should it be problematic to mention this division? Furthermore, since there are upper and lower waters why did Rabbi Akiva warn them, "do not say, 'Water! Water!'""

The Holy Lamp (a title for Shimon bar Yochai) replied, "Saba, it is proper that you reveal this secret that the chevraya (Rabbi Shimon's circle of disciples) have not grasped clearly."

The ancient Saba answered, "Rabbi, Rabbi, Holy Lamp. Surely the pure marble stones are the letter yud—one the upper yud of the letter aleph, and one the lower yud of the letter aleph. Here there is no spiritual impurity, only pure marble stones, so there is no separation between one water and the other; they form a single unity from the aspect of the Tree of Life, which is the vav in the midst of the letter aleph. In this regard it states, 'and if he take of the Tree of Life (and eat and live forever)' (Genesis 3:22) ..." [17]

Moses ben Jacob Cordovero explains the Zoharic passage in his Pardes Rimonim ("Orchard of Pomegranates"), whose title itself refers to the Pardes mystical ascent (Pardes: Shaar Arachei HaKinuim, entry on Mayim-Water). The meaning of the ascent is understood through Rabbi Akiva's warning. The danger concerns misinterpreting anthropomorphism in Kabbalah, introducing corporeal notions in the Divine. Emanations in Kabbalah bridge between the Ein Sof Divine Unity and the plurality of Creation. The fundamental mystical error involves separating between divine transcendence and immanence, as if they were a duality. Rather, all Kabbalistic emanations have no being of their own, but are nullified and dependent on their source of vitality in the One God. Nonetheless, Kabbalah maintains that God is revealed through the life of His emanations, Man interacting with Divinity in a mutual Flow of "Direct Light" from Above to Below and "Returning Light" from Below to Above. The Sefirot, including Wisdom, Compassion and Kingship comprise the dynamic life in God's Persona. In the highest of the Four Worlds ( Atziluth ), the complete nullification and Unity of the sefirot and Creation is revealed within its Divine source. Apparent separation only pertains, in successive degrees, to the lower Three Worlds and our Physical Realm. Introducing false separation causes the exile of the Shekhinah within Creation from God. From Cordovero's explanation:

The meaning of Rabbi Akiva's warning is that the Sages should not declare that there are two types of water, since there are not, lest you endanger yourself because of the sin of separation. ... The marble stones represent the letter י yud ... a yud at the beginning, and a yud at the end. ... The first is Wisdom, the second Kingship, which is also Wisdom according to the light that returns from Below to Above. The upper is the yud of the Tetragrammaton (first letter), while the lower is the yud of Adonai (last letter). The latter is "female waters", and the former is "male waters" ... the inner and outer aspects ... signified by the top and the bottom yuds of the letter א aleph. ... Each is a stone because its shape is round. White "marble" indicates Compassion, similar to "waters of kindness". ... Wisdom is יש "Yesh" Being. Kinship is שי "Shay" (reversed). Combined they form שיש "Shayish" (marble). The letter ש Shin are the dividing emanations. When the two lights combine as "marble", the two yuds combine as one. ... These waters are completely pure. ... Through Compassion the daughter (Kingship) is able to ascend "to her father's house as in her youth". The firmament between them ו (letter Vav in the א aleph), which is Compassion, unites them. ... There is no separation other than in a place of spiritual impurity, but "Here there is no impurity ... the Tree of Life" in Atzilut. [17]

See also

Related Research Articles

Judah ha-Nasi or Judah I, known simply as Rebbi or Rabbi, was a second-century rabbi and chief redactor and editor of the Mishnah. He lived from approximately 135 to 217 CE. He was a key leader of the Jewish community in Roman-occupied Judea after the Bar Kokhba revolt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rabbi Akiva</span> Jewish scholar and sage (c. 50 – c. 135 CE)

Akiva ben Joseph, also known as Rabbi Akiva, was a leading Jewish scholar and sage, a tanna of the latter part of the first century and the beginning of the second century. Rabbi Akiva was a leading contributor to the Mishnah and to Midrash halakha. He is referred to in the Talmud as Rosh la-Hakhamim -"Chief of the Sages". He was executed by the Romans in the aftermath of the Bar Kokhba revolt.

Tannaim were the rabbinic sages whose views are recorded in the Mishnah, from approximately 10–220 CE. The period of the Tannaim, also referred to as the Mishnaic period, lasted about 210 years. It came after the period of the Zugot "Pairs" and was immediately followed by the period of the Amoraim "Interpreters".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Merkabah mysticism</span> School of early Jewish mysticism

Merkabah or Merkavahmysticism is a school of early Jewish mysticism, c. 100 BCE – 1000 CE, centered on visions such as those found in Ezekiel 1 or in the hekhalot literature, concerning stories of ascents to the heavenly palaces and the Throne of God.

Elisha ben Abuyah was a rabbi and Jewish religious authority born in Jerusalem sometime before 70 CE. After he adopted a worldview considered heretical by his fellow Tannaim, the rabbis of the Talmud refrained from relating teachings in his name and referred to him as the "Other One". In the writings of the Geonim this name appears as "Achor" ("backwards"), because Elisha was considered to have "turned backwards" by embracing heresy.

Hebrew astronomy refers to any astronomy written in Hebrew or by Hebrew speakers, or translated into Hebrew, or written by Jews in Judeo-Arabic. It includes a range of genres from the earliest astronomy and cosmology contained in the Bible, mainly the Tanakh, to Jewish religious works like the Talmud and very technical works.

Rabbi Meir was a Jewish sage who lived in the time of the Mishnah. He was one of the Tannaim of the fourth generation (139-163). He is the third most frequently mentioned sage in the Mishnah and is mentioned over 3,000 times in the Babylonian Talmud. His wife Bruriah is one of the few women cited in the Gemara.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rabbi Tarfon</span> Late 1st/early 2nd century Jewish rabbi and sage

Rabbi Tarfon or Tarphon, a Kohen, was a member of the third generation of the Mishnah sages, who lived in the period between the destruction of the Second Temple and the fall of Betar.

Simeon ben Azzai or simply Ben Azzai was a distinguished tanna of the first third of the 2nd century.

Pardes (פרד"ס) is a Kabbalistic theory of Biblical exegesis first advanced by Moses de León, adapting the popular "fourfold" method of medieval Christianity. The term, sometimes also rendered PaRDeS, means "orchard" when taken literally, but is used in this context as a Hebrew acronym formed from the initials of the following four approaches:

Eliezer ben Hurcanus or Hyrcanus was one of the most prominent Sages (tannaim) of the 1st and 2nd centuries in Judea, disciple of Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai and colleague of Gamaliel II, and of Joshua ben Hananiah. He is the sixth most frequently mentioned sage in the Mishnah.

Joshua ben Hananiah, also known as Rabbi Yehoshua, was a leading tanna of the first half-century following the destruction of the Second Temple. He is the seventh-most-frequently mentioned sage in the Mishnah.

Eleazar ben Shammua or Eleazar I was a rabbi of the 2nd century, frequently cited in rabbinic writings as simply Rabbi Eleazar (Bavli) or Rabbi Lazar רִבִּי לָֽעְזָר (Yerushalmi). He was of priestly descent and rich, and acquired great fame as a teacher of traditional law.

Rabbi Jonathan was a tanna of the 2nd century and schoolfellow of R. Josiah, apart from whom he is rarely quoted.

Simeon ben Zoma, also known as Simon ben Zoma, Shimon ben Zoma or simply Ben Zoma, was a tanna of the 1st and 2nd centuries CE. His name is used without the title "Rabbi" because, like Ben Azzai, he died at a young age, remaining in the grade of "pupil" and never receiving semikhah. Ben Zoma and Ben Azzai are often mentioned together distinguished representatives of this class. Like Ben Azzai, also, he seems to have belonged to the inner circle of Joshua ben Hananiah's disciples, and a halakhic controversy between them is reported in which Ben Zoma was the victor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tag (Hebrew writing)</span>

A tag is a decoration drawn over some Hebrew letters in the Jewish scrolls of Sifrei Kodesh, Tefillin and Mezuzot. The Hebrew name for this scribal feature is kether (כתר). Tag and kether mean 'crown' in Aramaic and Hebrew respectively.

The primary texts of Kabbalah were allegedly once part of an ongoing oral tradition. The written texts are obscure and difficult for readers who are unfamiliar with Jewish spirituality which assumes extensive knowledge of the Tanakh, Midrash and halakha.

Rabbi Yirmeyah was a prominent Jewish Amora sage of the Land of Israel, of the fourth generation of the Amora era.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rachel, wife of Rabbi Akiva</span>

The wife of Rabbi Akiva was a late 1st-century CE Jewish resident of Judea who is cited by the Talmud and Aggadah as a paragon of the Jewish wife who encourages her husband to pursue Torah study and is willing to make personal sacrifices to achieve that goal. She was the wife of the Tanna Rabbi Akiva, who became one of the greatest Torah scholars in Jewish history. She played a significant role in encouraging Akiva to pursue Torah study, as he was uneducated when they married. Her father, the wealthy ben Kalba Savu'a, disowned her over her choice of husband, and the couple lived in dire poverty. With her blessing, Akiva left to study in a Torah academy for 24 years. He returned home a renowned scholar accompanied by 24,000 disciples. When she came out in ragged clothing to greet him, his disciples tried to push her aside. Akiva told them, "Leave her. What is mine and what is yours is hers". Upon seeing his son-in-law's Torah scholarship, ben Kalba Savu'a reconciled with him and gave him half his wealth. Later Akiva had a special golden diadem fashioned for his wife, depicting the city of Jerusalem.

Ma'aseh Breishit and Ma'aseh Merkavah, literally "work of Creation" and "work of the Chariot", are terms used in the Talmud for the esoteric doctrine of the universe, or for parts of it.

References

  1. "Tosefta Chagigah 2:2". www.sefaria.org.
  2. מילים שמקורן בפרסית
  3. paradise (n.)
  4. S.H. Levey, "The Best Kept Secret of the Rabbinic Tradition". Judaism. vol. 21, no. 4. 1972, 468.
  5. The Text and I: Writings of Samson H. Levey. edited by Stanley F. Chyet. Series: South Florida Studies in the History of Judaism. no. 166. Atlanta, Ga: Scholars Press. 1998. pp. 46–57.
  6. Tosefta Hagigah 2:2
  7. Hagigah 14b
  8. Jerusalem Talmud Hagigah 2:1
  9. Shraga Bar-On and Eugene D. Matanky, "Revelation as Heresy Mysticism and Elisha ben Abuyah’s Apostasy in Classic Rabbinic Literature," in Canonization and Alterity: Heresy in Jewish History, Thought, and Literature, ed. G. Sharvit and W. Goetschel (Berlin: De Gruyter, 2020), 50–83
  10. Psalms 101:7
  11. Psalms 116:15
  12. Proverbs 25:16
  13. Babylonian Talmud, Hagigah 14b
  14. David J. Halperin, A new edition of the Hekhalot literature (Review of Synopse zur Hekhalot-Literatur by Peter Schäfer), Journal of the American Oriental Society 104(3):543-552.
  15. A. W. Streane, A Translation of the Treatise Chagigah from the Babylonian Talmud (Cambridge University Press, 1891). p. 83.
  16. Louis Ginzberg, "Elisha ben Abuyah", Jewish Encyclopedia , 1901-1906.
  17. 1 2 from ascentofsafed.com