Pirḳê de Rabbi Eliezer: (The chapters of Rabbi Eliezer the Great) according to the text of the manuscript belonging to Abraham Epstein of Vienna

552 Pages·1970·40.28 MB·English

by  Gerald Friedlander

DE
PIRK~
•
RABBI ELIEZER
TRANSLATED AND ANNOTATED
WITH INTRODUCTION AND INDICES
BY
GERALD FRIEDLANDER
HERMON PRESS
NEW YORK
PIRKE DE RABBI ELIEZER

PIRKE DE
RABBI E L I E Z ER
(THE CHAPTERS OF RABBI ELIEZER THE GREAT)
ACCORDING TO THE T E XT OF THE MANUSCRIPT
BELONGING TO ABRAHAM EPSTEIN OF VIENNA
TRANSLATED AND ANNOTATED
WITH INTRODUCTION AND INDICES
BY
GERALD FRIEDLANDER
H E R M ON PRESS
NEW YORK
First edition: London, 1916
Reprinted: HERMON PRESS, New York, 1970
LC 65-15088
SBN 0-87203-019-9
A D O L PH B O C H L E R, PH.D.
PRINCIPAL OF THE JEWS* COLLEGE, LONDON

P R E F A CE
MY thanks are due to Dr. A. Marmorstein for much general
help in the course of my work. He has verified all the
Rabbinic quotations in the notes and has added many addi­
tional references. I have further to express my gratitude
to Dr. Biichler for valuable counsel in the preparation of the
translation and also for reading and correcting the proof-
sheets. I dedicate this book to him as a mark of gratitude
for a series of kindnesses shown to me during many years.
It is mainly owing to his inspiration and encouragement
that I have ventured to offer this effort as a contribution to
Jewish literature.
G. F.

GENERAL CONTENTS
PAGE
INTRODUCTION . . . .. xiii
ABBREVIATIONS EMPLOYED IN NOTES . . llx
CHAPTER
I. RABBI ELIEZER AND THE TORAH . i
II. RABBI ELIEZER AND HIS BRETHREN . . 5
III. PREMUNDANE CREATION, AND THE WORK OF
THE FIRST DAY . . . .. 9
IV. THE CREATION ON THE SECOND DAY . . 20
V. THE CREATION ON THE THIRD DAY —THE
GATHERING OF THE WATERS . - 27
VI. THE CREATION ON THE FOURTH DAY — THE
PLANETS; THE COURSE OF THE SUN . 31
VII. THE COURSE OF THE MOON . . . 41
VIII. THE PRINCIPLE OF INTERCALATION . . 52
IX. THE CREATION ON THE FIFTH DAY . . 60
X. THE HISTORY OF JONAH . . . . 65
XI. THE WORK OF CREATION ON THE SIXTH DAY . 74
XII. ADAM IN PARADISE . . . . . 84
XIII. THE SERPENT IN PARADISE . . . 91
XIV. THE SIN OF ADAM AND EVE . . - 97
XV. THE TWO WAYS . . . . . 1 02
XVI. THE SERVICE OF LOVING-KINDNESS . . 106
XVII. LOVING SERVICE TO MOURNERS . . . 1 14
XVIII. THE CREATION ON THE EVE OF THE FIRST
SABBATH . . . . . . 1 24
XIX. THE SABBATH. . . . . . 1 34
XX. ADAM'S PENITENCE . . . . . 1 43
XXI. CAIN AND ABEL . . . . . 1 50
XXII. THE FALL OF THE ANGELS. . . . 1 58
XXIII. THE ARK AND THE FLOOD. . . . 1 64
XXIV. NIMROD AND THE TOWER OF BABEL . . 1 74
XXV. THE SIN OF SODOM . . . . . 1 79
XXVI. THE TEN TRIALS OF ABRAHAM (FIRST FIVE) . 187
ix