Final (better?) Flashcards
(17 cards)
What is ‘Mesorah’ and why is it important?
Mesorah is the chain of Jewish tradition passed down through generations. It’s vital for preserving Jewish culture, identity, and halacha across time and places.
Put 4 of the 5 following in historical writing order: A) Torah, B) Gemara/Talmud, C) Geonim, D) Rambam, E) Rabbi Samson
A) Torah – The foundational written text of Judaism, containing the Five Books of Moses.
B) Talmud/Gemara – Rabbinic commentary on the Mishnah (Oral Torah), exploring legal and ethical questions.
C) Writings of the Geonim – Early yeshiva leaders in Babylon who used a Q&A responsa format to apply Talmud to everyday life (approx. 600s–1000s CE).
D) Rambam – A 12th-century Rishon who codified halacha in works like the Mishneh Torah, making Jewish law practical and organized.
E) Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch – A 19th-century Acharon who applied Torah to modern, secular life through his philosophy of Torah im Derech Eretz.
Why did Torah scholarship spread out after the Mishnah and Talmud Yerushalmi?
Roman oppression (including persecution after Christianity became state religion) pushed scholars and communities to safer areas like Babylon.
Why did Torah scholarship eventually leave Babylon?
Under later Islamic rule, especially as the Abbasid Empire declined, persecution increased, making Babylon less safe for Jewish life and study.
Why is the Talmud Bavli more dominant than the Talmud Yerushalmi?
It had more time and stability to develop due to relative safety and support under early Islamic rule in Babylon.
How did assimilation contribute to new Jewish sects in the Greek period? Give 3 examples.
Hellenists – Adopted Greek language and culture, dropped mitzvot.
Sadducees – Assimilated aristocracy, rejected Oral Torah.
Pharisees – Responded by deepening commitment to both Written and Oral Torah, becoming more halachically strict to resist assimilation.
How did Christianity’s separation from Judaism lead to Christian antisemitism? (Give 3 examples.)
Paul’s new theology (Trinity, supersessionism) separated Christianity from Torah-observant Judaism.
Early Church Fathers blamed Jews for Jesus’s death (e.g., Justin Martyr, Origen).
Later figures dehumanized Jews (e.g., John Chrysostom, Augustine, Peter the Venerable).
What was the first major Roman-Jewish conflict?
Great Jewish Revolt (66–70 CE) – Jews revolted, and Rome destroyed the Second Temple. It marked the start of Roman hatred for Jews as a rebellious people.
What was the second key event in Roman-Jewish relations?
Bar Kokhba Revolt (132–135 CE) – Jews tried to re-establish Jerusalem and were crushed. Romans renamed Judea ‘Palestina’ to erase Jewish identity.
What was the third key event in Roman-Jewish relations?
Conversion of Constantine (313 CE) – Rome adopted Christianity. Antisemitism became institutional as Christian doctrine took legal and social power.
What are the two models of Muslim treatment of Jews based on Muhammad’s life?
Medina Model: Legal toleration, many rights, some restrictions. Represented by Constitution of Medina.
Mecca 2 Model: Harsh restrictions, humiliation, and discrimination. Represented by Pact of Umar.
Name 2 rights and 2 limits Jews had under the Constitution of Medina.
Rights: Shared protection in war; could keep religion.
Limits: Couldn’t avenge Muslim-killed Jews; had to submit in inter-communal conflict.
Name 3 harsh restrictions Jews faced under the Pact of Umar.
No public Jewish practice or display of religion.
Couldn’t build or repair synagogues.
Forced to wear humiliating clothing and pay jizya tax with humiliation.
What was contradictory about the Umayyad period?
Though based on the Medina model of equality, Umayyads moved Jews from Temple Mount and made them tax collectors. This contradicts full economic equality and shows hints of Mecca 2 behavior.
How did the Mongol conversion to Islam affect Jews?
Post-conversion, Mongols became more oppressive toward Jews than their original pagan ancestors, reflecting a harsh Mecca 2 model.
How did Safavid Shi’a Islam treat Jews?
Jews faced harsh social restrictions, like being ‘untouchable,’ showing an extreme form of Mecca 2 discrimination.
Was Herod good or bad for the Jews?
Herod built massive Jewish infrastructure (like the Second Temple expansion) but was seen as a Roman puppet and paranoid tyrant, often executing Jewish leaders.
