Christian converts from Judaism -- Biography; Missions to Jews
Jacob, of Kefar Neuburaya, another Hebrew Christian of the fourth
century, is mentioned in the Talmud as one whose opinions met with
approval by the rabbis in two instances. One of those may be quoted. In
the School of Cæsarea he interpreted Hab. ii. 19 as being a rebuke of
simony. On the same occasion he indicated Ben Eleazer as being a worthy
candidate for the rabbinate (Yer. Bik. iii. 3. Midr. Shemuél vii.). Isi,
of Cæsarea counts him among the Judæo-Christians, applying to him the
Biblical word sinner (Eccl. R. vii. 47). The appellation Jacob Minah I.
= Jacob the heretic, met with in the Medrashim, may refer to the same
subject of the article in the "Jewish Encyclopædia." As its author is
Dr. Max Seligsohn, the official editor, we may assume that it is now
granted that by the word Minim in the Jewish Liturgy is meant Jewish
Christians. No wonder then that these have always protested, and
sometimes rather too vehemently, against the collect, and wished it to
be expunged.
CHAPTER III.
THE PERIOD OF THE PUBLICATION OF THE TALMUD.
When the Jewish Christians fled to Pella, at the time of the destruction
of Jerusalem, their brethren the rabbinists were very angry with them,
and probably accused them of want of patriotism, as we know they did
afterwards, because they did not enlist in the army of the false
Messiah, Bar-Cochba. However, during the first Christian centuries the
separation between them was not quite so wide and marked as after the
publication of the Talmud. The Talmud itself testifies that asperities
were occasionally smoothed over by continual intercourse and exchange of
thought on religious and other topics. Yes, even friendship was
possible. It is related that a heretic sent once on one of his own
feasts an imperial coin as a present to R. Juda Nasia. (Abodah Zarah
5._b_). The feeling of resentment against Jewish Christians gradually
diminished. This may be seen from the following amusing story. A certain
heretic once annoyed R. Joshua ben Levi whilst he was reading the
Scriptures, probably with questions as to the meaning of a Messianic
prophecy. R. Joshua, believing that there is a certain moment in the day
when God is angry, because it is written, "For His anger endureth but a
moment" (Ps. xxx. 5), and believing too that this moment is indicated
by a curious natural phenomenon, when the comb of a cock gets red, he
tied a cock to the foot of the bed and patiently watched for the sign,
so that he might have a good opportunity of cursing the heretic during
the moment of God's anger. But before that moment came he fell asleep,
and when he awoke he noticed that the cock's comb remained white as
before, so he concluded that it was not right to curse any one, for it
is written "The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all
His works" (Ps. cxlv. 9). Again "Also to punish the just is not good."
(Prov. xvii. 26) (Abodah Zarah 4_h_.)
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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