An Interdict Against Socializing on the Sabbath

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An Interdict against Socializing on the SabbathAuthor(s): Sidney B. HoenigSource: The Jewish Quarterly Review, New Series, Vol. 62, No. 2 (Oct., 1971), pp. 77-83Published by: University of Pennsylvania Press

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AN INTERDICT AGAINST

SOCIALIZING ON THE SABBATH

By SIDNEY B. HOENIG, Yeshiva University

THE ZADOKITE FRAGMENT TEXT XI, line 4 reads: Z852r bxnltrn W2 Ir1win trx.l R. H. Charles rendered it, "No man

shall fast of his own will on the Sabbath." 2 He proposedthe reading m7ii5vhe shall not afflict himself by fasting."

Similarly, A. Dupont-Sommer translated, "Let no manfast voluntarily on the Sabbath," annotating this withthe remark, "The same rule against fasting on the Sabbathappearsin Jubilees L, i2: cf. also L, Io: '....they must eatand drink and enjoy themselves on this festival day'." 3

This rendition, to appertain to fasting, is the result of theemendation by S. Schechter, from the textual n2571to read

!27n1".4 L. Ginzberg supportedthis, bringingprooffromJosephus that "at the sixth hour it is our custom on theSabbath to take our midday meal." 6 He also quoted thePalestinian Talmud that it is forbiddento fast till midday.7This notion has been followed by most scholars-I. Levi,8

1 See facsimile of the Zadohite Fragment text, published by S.Zeitlin, JQR Monograph Series No. i, (Phila. I952), XI line 4. Seealso L. Rost, Die Damashusschrift neu bearbeitet(Kleine Texte, I67;

Berlin: de Gruyter, I933), 2I, for listing of different readings.2 "Fragments of a Zadokite work", Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha

II, 827.3 The Essene Writings from Qutmran(N.Y. I962), I52.4 Documents of Jewish Sectaries, Vol. I (Cambridge I910), p. XLIX,

note I9. Cf. also reprint in The Library of Biblical Studies, KtavPublishing House, Inc. (N.Y. I970), with Prolegomenon by JosephA. Fitzmyer, containing review of the many early studies and lengthybibliography.

5 Eine Unbeha'nnteJiidische Sehte, (N.Y. I922), p. 90.

6 Vita 54 (279).7 Yer. Taanit 67a: 11== nnswV W= AIlWAN* -1R.8 I. Levi, "Un ecrit Sadduceen anterieur a la destruction du.

Temple," REJ 6i (i9ii), I6I-205.

5







78 THE JEWISH QUARTERLY REVIEW

W. Bacher,9K. Kohler,10Th. Gaster11 nd also by Ch. Rabin

in his edition of the Fragment: "Let no man starve himselfvoluntarily on the Sabbath." 12 Ed. Cothenet likewise trans-lates, "Que personne ne je'unevolontairement le sabbat." 13

Despite this general consensus of opinion, the difficultyof resorting to emendation is apparent, particularly whenthe text itself may be rendered meaningfully withoutdistortion.

R. Leszynsky14 and P. Lagrange15 suggested that thephrase visvn referred to the erub (the rabbinic legal fictionof extending the Sabbath limits). According to them theZadokite sectarians opposed this Pharisaic enactment.This suggestion, however, is unacceptable in this context,for the arrangementof an erubalways had to be implementedbeforethe advent of the Sabbath,16whereas the Fragmentcontext in this section lists prohibitionsonly for the Sabbathday itself. Were the reference to a prohibition of "beforethe Sabbath"it would have been includedin the introductorypassages pertaining to Sabbath preparation, as in XIIIline 2i: "Let no man eat on the Sabbath except that whichhas been prepared."17 Moreover,the text (line 20) alreadynotes that "on the Sabbath no one shall walk outside his

city more6than a thousand cubits," thereby limiting any

I W. Bacher, "Zu Schechter's neuesten Geniza-Funde," Zeitschriftfi1i hebrdische Bibliographie I5 (I97I), I3-26.

10 K. Kohler, "Dositheus, The Samaritan Heresiarch and hisrelations to Jewish and Christian Doctrines and Sects" (A study ofProfessor Schechter's Recent Publication)," American Journal ofTheology 5 (I9II), 404-35.

1 Th. Gaster, The Dead Sea Scriptures (N.Y. I956), 58.12 Zadohite Documents, XI, 54.13 Les Textes de Qumran par J. Carmignac (Paris I963) II, I92.

14 R. Leszynsky, "Observations sur les Fragments of a Zadokite Workedite par Schechter," REJ, (I9I2) I90-96.

15 P. Lagrange, "La secte juive de la nouvelle alliance au pays deDamas", Revue Biblique Internatio'nale (I9I2), 2I3-240.

16 Erubin 8.I: 7"X9mr?e IVr= 14s17 5=pw 5:n

17 t314=n7n7:n e :nS,D" W-It5:)Z; 5x







SOCIALIZING ON THE SABBATH-HOENIG 79

acceptance of the notion of erub. The "thousand cubits"

conform to the originalbiblical verse.18S. M. Habermann rendered the opinion that nsn "e

refers.to a prohibition of competition or making a wager,or of "pooling property" on the Sabbath. 19The latter viewis based on the reading in the Manual of Discipline: bXl

:n4n irm nvri420 "normust he be mixed with the propertyof the Many,"as translatedby P. WernbergMoller.21Dupont-

Sommer likewise renders the text: "let,him not mingle hisproperty with that of the many." 22 He alludes to the Essene"'minglingof property" and seeks support from Josephus'account of Essene practice in Wars 2: i22. This rendition,however, is inaccurate, for the Manual context deals merelywith the rule that the initiate shall not only refrain fromtouching the purities of the Many but he shall also notmingle in any of the sect's possessions. He is to be excludedfrom these duringhis novitiate of the first year.

G. R. Driver has already well argued against this notionof Zadokite objection to "pooling or sharing property."23

Indeed, the holding of property among these sectarianswasprevalent, as revealed in the Fragment XIV: 9,24 that"no man shall sell beasts and birds, or his property (vlim)to non-Jews."Thusany affinity to Essene practice of commu-

nal propertyis not at all applicable here.Similarly, this phrase cannot appertain to competition

18 Numbers 35.4, concerning the Levitical cities, reads u1j7P **11 1VZK X W1Sl. The next verse is ...77|7 rlnr Mn-r?

19 Megillat Midbar Yehudah (i959), I95: rWW'nVfnn nz' rn10Habermann brings no support though apparently he relies upon 2

Kings i8:23. ">8R hS RI Vn ni, meaning "make a wager with mymaster," also translated as "give pledges to my master."

20 Manual VI- I7.21 The Manual of Discipline (Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, Michigan,

I957) I09.

22 op. cit. (see above n. 3), 86.23 The Judaean Scrolls (Oxford I965) 113-II6.24 5t;j ... 131jnnl See Rost,n op.1ct.,-1 1p.t J

I-tst7 t7n= :;tw -1323 See Rost, op. cit., p. 22.







80 THE JEWISH QUARTERLY REVIEW

or making a wager on the Sabbath. The Zadokite text already

notes that one shall not violate the Sabbath for any gain;25

hence nnrn 'x cannot refer specifically to making a wageror any competitive enterprise. Such would be in the categoryof general Sabbath prohibitions of a financial activity.

This naturally would include the prohibition of makingloans on the Sabbath. In fact the phrase, "No man shall

lend ought to his neighbor"26 is already incorporated in the

Sabbath context, and Habermann's suggestion is only aredundancy. Likewise one must dismiss G. F. Moore's27

early view that Vi1rv '' is a prohibition against "pledging"or "pawning" anything on the Sabbath.

It is important to note that all the scholars mentionedabove overlooked the implication of the word 1112o 28,

"voluntarily," in this passage. Such a phrase as "voluntary

fasting," "voluntary wager," "voluntary preparation of anerub,""voluntarypoolingof property"or "voluntary lending"

would be a most unusual expression for Ifnsl1Ine= "s.Fasting is always voluntary; else it is starvation. Likewise,can there be any forced wager or a compulsoryerubwithout

volition or intention? Similarly,lendingone'smoney perforce,pawning, or mortgaging property without free will would

only be extortion. Hence, in all instances, one cannot accept

the explanations of this phrase, as renderedby the scholars.G. Vermes, in an earlier edition of his book,29translated

the Fragment text, "let no man mingle voluntarily (with

strangers)on the Sabbath." A later rendition of his is, "No

man shall willingly mingle (with others) on the Sabbath."30

25 XIII line 25 (Rost, op. Cit., 2I) 173 11. ?5P ''W X-.26 p. XIII line 3 (Rost, op. Cit., 20): n fl?' X. (Seenote

I above.27 G. F. Moore, "The Covenantors of Damascus: A Hitherto Un-

known Jewish Sect," HTR 4 (I9II), 347.28 The suggestion of Leszynzky to read 11311= is only a result of his

reference to Sabbath Erub. See above.29 Discovery in the JuvdaeanDesert (N.Y. I956), I77.30 The Dead Sea Scrolls in English (Pelican ed.), II2.









82, THE JEWISH QUARTERLY REVIEW

He continued:

:"3sIN,13-1N7nss3'ilnVMMV R nIVw, Z1"2bX17 "Mt bX Z3"X

'WTIS1Nn 1" ,11-n X+InM ".n n

He adds:

... inasmuch as they mingle with thembwillingly and

there is not admonition or warning, we know that theythink lightly of it.

The author thus specifically deplores any free social

mingling on the Sabbath. The same complaint is recorded

by the Karaite, Yehudah Hadassi.35

On the Sabbath it is prohibited for any person to go

forth for his personal desires, except for prayer and the

reading and study of the Torah. Some of the scholarswere strict even here; blessed be he who observes the divine

commandments.

From this and similaritems mentioned,we know that he

*who ocializedwith evil doersand with those who desecratein profaneplaces, for his personaldelight out of hisfree will,

may be regardedas profaningthe divine holiness.

Basically the Karaitic rule was that one may leave his

home to worship, mingling there with his companions.

35 :t1:1 +=X, Alphabet 144 (p. 54).36 ibid. It1j (P. 55).







SOCIALIZING ON THE SABBATH-HOENIG 83

Buzttt was prohibitedo haveany socialminglingon theSabbath.The medieval Karaite texts, quoted above, use preciselythe same verbiage as found in the Zadokite Fragment:

This is but another instance demonstrating that theZadokite Fragment is nothing but a medieval Karaitic

context, supported by the similarity in the linguistic usagesof Sahl ben Masliah and Yehudah Hadassi, the Karaiticteachers. No earlier text conveys such notion. That theKaraites imitated an earlier sect, Essene or Zealot, is notplausible. Both the Essenes and Zealots, whether asceticor belligerent, did not frown on Sabbath mingling. Onlythe Karaites mentioned and maintained such conduct.

The correct renderingof this text is therefore VI$ inn57M

Mvi6 tri 1'1?n87 let no man socialize, of his own free will,on the Sabbath," the Fragment only reiterating Karaitepractice.

In essence, Essene or Zealot affinities are not evidentin the Zadokite Fragment. Only the Karaitic backgroundreveals the provenance of the text.

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