Aaron ben Meïr
Encyclopedia
Aaron ben Meïr was a Jewish rabbi
, and a Nasi
(head of the Sanhedrin
) of the Palestinian Gaonate
in the first half of the tenth century. His name was brought to light by several fragments discovered in various genizoth (the store-room or depository in a synagogue (or cemetery), usually specifically for worn-out Hebrew-language books that were stored before they could receive a proper cemetery burial). The fragments contain an account of a controversy between Ben Meïr and the Talmudic Academies in Babylonia
regarding the Hebrew calendar
.
(lunar conjunction
) of the month of Tishri, Ben Meïr in 921 CE decreed that, in the year 922, Passover
and the other Jewish feasts should be celebrated two days before the date prescribed by the traditional calendar. The sage and scholar Saadia Gaon
, who was at that time staying at Baghdad
, objected, along with the Babylonian academies. Ben Meïr, however, refused to yield to their injunctions, denying them any authority in astronomical matters; and, owing to his own reputation and that of his family, won the confidence of Jews in many countries.
A letter from the exilarch
David ben Zakkai and the Babylonian notables was sent to ben Meïr, imploring him not to cause a schism
and showing him the fallacy of his calculations with regard to the calendar. Ben Meïr answered in an arrogant fashion, and was then excommunicated by David ben Zakkai and the academies. Circular letters were also sent to various parts of the world, warning the Jews against Ben Meïr's teachings. In this manner an end was made of this agitation.
in his Jewish Encyclopedia
article about Ben Meir, the aim pursued by Ben Meïr in this agitation is obvious. He conceived the project of transferring the dignity of the exilarch from Babylonia
back to the Land of Israel
, and he endeavored to deprive the exilarchate of one of its most important prerogatives, which was the calculation of the calendar. The moment chosen by ben Meïr was very propitious. The exilarch David ben Zakkai had no authority, being neither a learned man nor a very scrupulous one; and of the two academies at Sura
and Pumbedita
, the former had no head, and the latter was directed by the ambitious Cohen Zedek.
Ben Meïr's failure was chiefly due to the intervention of Saadia
, whose opinion on the subject of discussion, expounded in his Sefer ha-Mo'adim written for that occasion at the request of the exilarch, became authority. The exilarch later rewarded for the services rendered to him by Saadia by appointing the latter gaon
at Sura, notwithstanding the disinterested advice to the contrary by Nissim Naharwani, who, knowing Saadia, foresaw the collisions.
was indeed about 642 parts (35 minutes and 40 seconds) later than (ahead of) the meridian of Jerusalem, corresponding to a longitude difference of 8°55'.
An alternative explanation for the 642 parts is that ben Meir may have believed, along with many earlier Jewish scholars, in a Creation theology placing Creation in the spring season, and that the calendar rules had been adjusted by 642 parts to fit in with an autumn date. If Creation occurred in the autumn, to coincide with the observance of Rosh Hashana, the calculated time of new moon during the six days of creation was on Friday at 14 hours exactly (counting from the day starting at 6pm the previous evening). However, if Creation actually occurred six months earlier, in the spring, the new moon would have occurred at 9 hours and 642 parts on Wednesday.
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
, and a Nasi
Nasi
Nāśī’ is a Hebrew title meaning prince in Biblical Hebrew, Prince in Mishnaic Hebrew, or president in Modern Hebrew.-Genesis and Ancient Israel:...
(head of the Sanhedrin
Sanhedrin
The Sanhedrin was an assembly of twenty-three judges appointed in every city in the Biblical Land of Israel.The Great Sanhedrin was the supreme court of ancient Israel made of 71 members...
) of the Palestinian Gaonate
Palestinian Gaonate
The Palestinian Gaonate was the chief talmudical academy and central legalistic body of the Jewish community in Palestine during the middle of the ninth century till its demise during the 11th-century. During its existence, it competed with the...
in the first half of the tenth century. His name was brought to light by several fragments discovered in various genizoth (the store-room or depository in a synagogue (or cemetery), usually specifically for worn-out Hebrew-language books that were stored before they could receive a proper cemetery burial). The fragments contain an account of a controversy between Ben Meïr and the Talmudic Academies in Babylonia
Talmudic Academies in Babylonia
The Talmudic Academies in Babylonia, also known as the Geonic Academies, were the center for Jewish scholarship and the development of Jewish law in Mesopotamia from roughly 589 CE to 1038 CE...
regarding the Hebrew calendar
Hebrew calendar
The Hebrew calendar , or Jewish calendar, is a lunisolar calendar used today predominantly for Jewish religious observances. It determines the dates for Jewish holidays and the appropriate public reading of Torah portions, yahrzeits , and daily Psalm reading, among many ceremonial uses...
.
Changing the date of Passover
Introducing a new rule in the fixation of the moladMolad
Molad is a Hebrew word meaning "birth" that also generically refers to the time at which the New Moon is "born". The word is ambiguous, however, because depending on the context it could refer to the actual or mean astronomical lunar conjunction , or the molad of the traditional Hebrew...
(lunar conjunction
Lunar conjunction
A lunar conjunction is the event when the earth, moon and sun, in that order, are approximately in a straight line. It is sometimes referred to as the new moon, though traditionally and Biblically new moon refers to observance by earth bound individuals of the first visible crescent of rebuilding...
) of the month of Tishri, Ben Meïr in 921 CE decreed that, in the year 922, Passover
Passover
Passover is a Jewish holiday and festival. It commemorates the story of the Exodus, in which the ancient Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt...
and the other Jewish feasts should be celebrated two days before the date prescribed by the traditional calendar. The sage and scholar Saadia Gaon
Saadia Gaon
Saʻadiah ben Yosef Gaon was a prominent rabbi, Jewish philosopher, and exegete of the Geonic period.The first important rabbinic figure to write extensively in Arabic, he is considered the founder of Judeo-Arabic literature...
, who was at that time staying at Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
, objected, along with the Babylonian academies. Ben Meïr, however, refused to yield to their injunctions, denying them any authority in astronomical matters; and, owing to his own reputation and that of his family, won the confidence of Jews in many countries.
A letter from the exilarch
Exilarch
Exilarch refers to the leaders of the Diaspora Jewish community in Babylon following the deportation of King Jeconiah and his court into Babylonian exile after the first fall of Jerusalem in 597 BCE and augmented after the further deportations following the destruction...
David ben Zakkai and the Babylonian notables was sent to ben Meïr, imploring him not to cause a schism
Schism (religion)
A schism , from Greek σχίσμα, skhísma , is a division between people, usually belonging to an organization or movement religious denomination. The word is most frequently applied to a break of communion between two sections of Christianity that were previously a single body, or to a division within...
and showing him the fallacy of his calculations with regard to the calendar. Ben Meïr answered in an arrogant fashion, and was then excommunicated by David ben Zakkai and the academies. Circular letters were also sent to various parts of the world, warning the Jews against Ben Meïr's teachings. In this manner an end was made of this agitation.
Analysis
According to Isaac BroydéIsaac Broydé
Isaac David Broydé was a Jewish Orientalist and librarian.-Life:...
in his Jewish Encyclopedia
Jewish Encyclopedia
The Jewish Encyclopedia is an encyclopedia originally published in New York between 1901 and 1906 by Funk and Wagnalls. It contained over 15,000 articles in 12 volumes on the history and then-current state of Judaism and the Jews as of 1901...
article about Ben Meir, the aim pursued by Ben Meïr in this agitation is obvious. He conceived the project of transferring the dignity of the exilarch from Babylonia
Babylonia
Babylonia was an ancient cultural region in central-southern Mesopotamia , with Babylon as its capital. Babylonia emerged as a major power when Hammurabi Babylonia was an ancient cultural region in central-southern Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq), with Babylon as its capital. Babylonia emerged as...
back to the Land of Israel
Land of Israel
The Land of Israel is the Biblical name for the territory roughly corresponding to the area encompassed by the Southern Levant, also known as Canaan and Palestine, Promised Land and Holy Land. The belief that the area is a God-given homeland of the Jewish people is based on the narrative of the...
, and he endeavored to deprive the exilarchate of one of its most important prerogatives, which was the calculation of the calendar. The moment chosen by ben Meïr was very propitious. The exilarch David ben Zakkai had no authority, being neither a learned man nor a very scrupulous one; and of the two academies at Sura
Sura (city)
Sura was a city in the southern part of ancient Babylonia, located west of the Euphrates River. It was well-known for its agricultural produce, which included grapes, wheat, and barley...
and Pumbedita
Pumbedita
Pumbedita was the name of a city in ancient Babylonia close to the modern-day city of Fallujah....
, the former had no head, and the latter was directed by the ambitious Cohen Zedek.
Ben Meïr's failure was chiefly due to the intervention of Saadia
Saadia
Saadia is a Jewish name and Arabic name. it can refer to several people:*Saadia Gaon - Ninth century rabbi, philosopher, and exegete of the Geonic period.*Saadia Afzaal - Pakistani journalist and television news anchor....
, whose opinion on the subject of discussion, expounded in his Sefer ha-Mo'adim written for that occasion at the request of the exilarch, became authority. The exilarch later rewarded for the services rendered to him by Saadia by appointing the latter gaon
Gaon (Hebrew)
Gaon originally referred in Ancient Hebrew to arrogance and haughty pride . Later became known as pride in general: whether good or bad . Today it may refer to:...
at Sura, notwithstanding the disinterested advice to the contrary by Nissim Naharwani, who, knowing Saadia, foresaw the collisions.
Details
Ben Meïr asserted that the first day of Tishrei should be the day of the new moon unless the new moon occurred more than 642 parts ( minutes, where a "part" is of an hour or of a minute or seconds) after noon, when it should be delayed by one or two days. He may have been asserting that the calendar should be run according to Jerusalem time, not Babylonian. Local time on the Babylonian meridianMeridian (geography)
A meridian is an imaginary line on the Earth's surface from the North Pole to the South Pole that connects all locations along it with a given longitude. The position of a point along the meridian is given by its latitude. Each meridian is perpendicular to all circles of latitude...
was indeed about 642 parts (35 minutes and 40 seconds) later than (ahead of) the meridian of Jerusalem, corresponding to a longitude difference of 8°55'.
An alternative explanation for the 642 parts is that ben Meir may have believed, along with many earlier Jewish scholars, in a Creation theology placing Creation in the spring season, and that the calendar rules had been adjusted by 642 parts to fit in with an autumn date. If Creation occurred in the autumn, to coincide with the observance of Rosh Hashana, the calculated time of new moon during the six days of creation was on Friday at 14 hours exactly (counting from the day starting at 6pm the previous evening). However, if Creation actually occurred six months earlier, in the spring, the new moon would have occurred at 9 hours and 642 parts on Wednesday.
External links
- Broydé, Isaac. "Ben Meir" Jewishencyclopedia.com