Karaite Judaism or Karaism (IPA: [ˈkærəˌaɪt, ˈkærəˌɪzəm]; Hebrew: קָרָאִים, Standard Qaraʾim Tiberian Qārāʾîm ; meaning Readers [of Scripture]) is a Jewish movement characterized by the sole reliance on the Tanakh as scripture, and the rejection of the Oral Law (the Mishnah and the Talmud) as halakha (Legally Binding, i. PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ Judaism (from the Greek Ioudaïsmos, derived from the Hebrew יהודה Yehudah, " Judah " in Hebrew יַהֲדוּת Yahedut " Who is a Jew? " (Mihu Yehudi? ?מיהו יהודי is a basic question about Jewish identity. This article focuses on the Etymology of the word Jew. Biblical and Middle Eastern origins The Jews in their land The Jewish ethnonym in Secular Jewish culture embraces several related phenomena above all it is the Culture of secular communities of Jewish people but it can also include Judaism (from the Greek Ioudaïsmos, derived from the Hebrew יהודה Yehudah, " Judah " in Hebrew יַהֲדוּת Yahedut Although Jews and religious leaders share a core of monotheistic principles Judaism has no formal statement of principles of faith such as a Creed or Catechism In Judaism, the name of God is more than a distinguishing title See also Old testament, Septuagint, Targum, Peshitta The Tanakh (תַּנַ"ךְ (taˈnax or; also Tenakh or Tenak is term " Torah " ( Hebrew: תּוֹרָה "teaching" or "instruction" sometimes translated as "Law" most commonly refers to Nevi'im (נְבִיאִים "Prophets" is the second of the three major sections in the Hebrew Bible, the Tanakh, between the Ketuvim (כְּתוּבִים "writings" is the third and final section of the Tanakh ( Hebrew Bible) after Torah and Nevi'im This article is about commandments in Judaism For the Jewish rite of passage see Bar Mitzvah and Bat Mitzvah Mitzvah ( Hebrew: מצוה See also Mitzvah See also Biblical law in Christianity The 613 Mitzvot ("commandments" (also " 613 Mitzvos The Talmud ( Hebrew: he תַּלְמוּד is a record of Rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, customs and history Halakha ( הלכה; alternative transliterations include Halocho and Halacha) is the collective body of Jewish Religious law For the Gregorian dates of Jewish Holidays see Jewish holidays 2000-2050. Jewish services ( Hebrew: תפלה, tefillah; plural תפלות, tefillos or tefillot; Yinglish: davening Tzedakah ( צדקה) is a Hebrew word commonly translated as charity, though it is based on a root meaning Justice Jewish ethics stands at the intersection of Judaism and the Western philosophical tradition of Ethics. Kabbalah (קַבָּלָה lit "receiving" is a discipline and school of thought discussing the mystical aspect of Judaism. Minhag ( Hebrew: מנהג "custom" pl minhagim) is an accepted tradition or group of traditions in Judaism. Midrash ( Hebrew: מדרש plural midrashim, lit "to repeat" is a Hebrew term referring to the not exact but comparative ( homiletic See also Judaism by country Jewish ethnic divisions refers to a number of distinct communities within the world's ethnically Jewish population Ashkenazi Jews, also known as Ashkenazic Jews or Ashkenazim ( Hebrew: אַשְׁכֲּנָזִים, ˌaʃkəˈnazim sing Sephardi Jews ( Hebrew: ספרדי, Standard Səfardi Tiberian Səp̄arədî; plural Mizrahi Jews or Mizrahim, ( also referred to as Edot HaMizrach (Communities of the East are Jews descended Jewish population refers to the number of Jews in the world Precise figures are difficult to calculate because the definition of " Who is a Jew " remains a Jewish population centers have shifted tremendously over time due to the constant streams of Jewish refugees created by expulsions persecution and officially sanctioned killing This article deals with the practice of Judaism and the living arrangement of Jewish people in the listed countries The History of the Jews in the Land of Israel begins with the ancient Israelites (also known as Hebrews) who settled in the Land of Israel. 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Antisemitism (alternatively spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism; also rarely known as judeophobia) is the Prejudice against or hostility The history of antisemitism, hostile actions or discrimination against Jews as a religious or ethnic group goes back many centuries Jewish political movements refer to the organized efforts of Jews to build their own political parties or otherwise represent their interest in politics outside of History of Zionism|Timeline of Zionism|World Zionist Organization|Zionist political violence Zionism is an international political movement that originally supported the Labor Zionism ( Labour Zionism, ציונות סוציאליסטית tsionut sotsialistit) can be described as the major stream of the Left wing of the Revisionist Zionism is a nationalist faction within the Zionist movement Religious Zionism, or the Religious Zionist Movement (a branch of which is also called Mizrachi) is an ideology that combines Zionism and religious The General Zionists (ציונים כלליים Tzionim Klalim) were centrists within the Zionist movement and a political party in Israel World Agudath Israel (The World Jewish Union usually known as the Aguda, was established in the early twentieth century as the political arm of Ashkenazi Torah Judaism Jewish feminism is a movement that seeks to improve the religious legal and social status of women within Judaism and to open up new opportunities for religious experience Politics of Israel takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic Republic, whereby the Prime Minister of Israel is Tiberian Hebrew is an extinct (yet very well documented Oral tradition of pronunciation for ancient Hebrew, especially the Hebrew of the Tanakh, that was See also Old testament, Septuagint, Targum, Peshitta The Tanakh (תַּנַ"ךְ (taˈnax or; also Tenakh or Tenak is An oral law is a Code of conduct in use in a given Culture, Religion or community application by which a body of rules of human behaviour is transmitted The Mishnah or Mishna (he משנה "repetition" from the verb shanah he שנה or "to study and review" is a major work of Rabbinic Judaism The Talmud ( Hebrew: he תַּלְמוּד is a record of Rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, customs and history Halakha ( הלכה; alternative transliterations include Halocho and Halacha) is the collective body of Jewish Religious law e. , required religious practice). This name was chosen by the adherents of Karaite Judaism to distinguish themselves from Rabbinic Judaism. Rabbinic Judaism or Rabbinism ( Hebrew: " Yehadut Rabanit " - יהדות רבנית is the mainstream religious system of post- diaspora They originated in Baghdad, in present day Iraq. Baghdad (بغداد) is the Capital of Iraq and of Baghdad Governorate, with which it is also coterminous For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics.
When interpreting scripture, Karaites strive to adhere only to the plain meaning (p'shat) of the text. This is in contrast to Rabbinical Judaism, which employs the methods of p'shat, remez (implication or clue), drash ("deep interpretation," based on breaking down individual words, e. g. , breaking down "be'ra'shit" to "beit" "ra'shit" which means two startings of) and sod ("secret," the deeper meaning of the text, drawing on the Kabbalah). Kabbalah (קַבָּלָה lit "receiving" is a discipline and school of thought discussing the mystical aspect of Judaism. In modern times Karaite Judaism has formed its own independent Jewish organization, and is not a member of any Rabbinic organization.
At one time Karaites were a significant portion of the Jewish population. However, today, there are an estimated 2,000 Karaites in the USA, about 100 families in Istanbul, and about 12,000 in Israel, most of them living in Ramleh, Ashdod and Beer-Sheva. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. Ramla (רַמְלָה Ramlāh; الرملة also Ramle and sometimes Rama) is a city in central Israel with a mixed Arab and Ashdod (אַשְׁדּוֹד اشدود إسدود Isdud) located in the South District of Israel, on the Mediterranean Sea coast Beersheba (בְּאֵר שֶׁבַע Be'er Sheva, بئر السبع, Birüssebi is the largest City in the Negev desert of southern Other estimates of the size of the modern Karaite movement are as much as double or triple these numbers, estimating as many as 30,000 or more worldwide, with 20,000-25,000 of them living in Israel. [1]
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Karaite beliefs
Karaites believe they follow the original form of Judaism as prescribed by God in the Torah. Karaite Judaism rejects later additions to the Tanakh such as the Rabbinic Oral Law and places the ultimate responsibility of interpreting the Bible on each individual. Karaism does not reject Biblical interpretation but rather holds every interpretation up to the same objective scrutiny regardless of its source. The Karaites believe in an eternal, one, and incorporeal God, Creator of Universe, who gave the Tanakh to humankind, through Moses and the Prophets. Karaites trust in the Divine providence and hope for the coming of the Moshiach.
Karaites and the Mishnah
Karaites do not accept the Mishnah because:[2]
- The Mishnah quotes many different opinions from one another. The Mishnah or Mishna (he משנה "repetition" from the verb shanah he שנה or "to study and review" is a major work of Rabbinic Judaism
- The Mishnah doesn't go on to say in which opinion the truth lies. Rather the Mishnah sometimes agreeing with neither one nor the other, contradicting both.
- They argue that the truth of the oral law given to Moses could only be in one opinion, not many opinions.
- They question why the Mishnah does not solely speak in the name of Moses.
The Oral Law is not mentioned even once in the entire Tanach (Hebrew Bible).
5 When God told Moses to come up to Mount Sinai to receive the tablets He said: "Come up to me into the mountain, and be there: and I will give thee tablets of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written;" (Ex 24,12). No mention is made of an Oral Law.
6 The Tanach reports that the written Torah was both lost and completely forgotten for over 50 years and only rediscovered by the Temple priests (2Ki 22,8; 2Chr 34,15). It is inconceivable that an Oral Law could have been remembered when even the written Law was forgotten.
7 The words of the Mishnah and Talmud are clearly the words of men living in the 2nd-5th centuries CE and absent are the familiar Biblical formulae "And the Lord spoke unto Moses saying," and "Thus saith the Lord".
Karaite interpretations of the Torah
Theoretically, most historical Karaites would not object to the idea of a body of interpretation of the Torah, along with extensions and development of halakha. In fact, several hundred such books have been written by various Karaite sages throughout the movement's history, though most are lost today. The disagreement arises over the perceived exaltation of the Talmud and the writings of the Rabbis above that of the Torah, so that, in the view of Karaites, many traditions and customs are kept which are in contradiction with those expressed in the Torah. This is seen especially by the fact that the Karaites also have their own traditions which have been passed down from their ancestors and religious authorities. This is known as "Sevel HaYerushah", which means "the yoke of inheritance. " It is kept primarily by traditional Egyptian Karaites, and any tradition therein is rejected if it contradicts the simple meaning of the Torah.
For those Karaites who do not have such an "inheritance" or "tradition," they tend to rely heavily upon just the Torah and those practices found within it, as well as adapting Biblical practices into their own cultural context. This lack of tradition could be for many reasons; one is that many modern Karaites are the result of the Karaite revival in large part due to the World Karaite Movement, a revival group started by Nehemia Gordon and Meir Rekhavi in the early 90's. Nehemia Gordon (1972 &ndash is arguably the best known Karaite Jew of this era Meir Yosef Rekhavi (1962–) is a Karaite Hakham currently living in London England Another may be the fact that Karaite communities are so small and generally isolated that their members generally adopt the customs of their host country. A prime example of this would be the beginnings of cultural assimilation of traditional Israeli Karaites into mainstream society.
Rabbinic opinions
Rabbinic Judaism's scholars, such as Maimonides, write that people who deny the Godly source of the Oral Torah are to be considered among the heretics. Judaism (from the Greek Ioudaïsmos, derived from the Hebrew יהודה Yehudah, " Judah " in Hebrew יַהֲדוּת Yahedut Moses Maimonides ( March 30 1135 – December 13 1204) also known as the Rambam, was a Rabbi, Physician, and According to Rabbinic Judaism, the oral Torah, oral Law, or oral tradition ( is the oral tradition received in conjunction with the written Torah However, at the same time Maimonides holds (Hilchot Mamrim 3:3) that most of the Karaites and others who claim to deny the "teaching of the mouth" are not to be held accountable for their errors in the law because they are led into error by their parents and are thus referred to as a tinok shenishba, or a captive baby.
Rabbinic scholars have traditionally held that, because the Karaites do not observe the rabbinic law on divorce, there is a strong presumption that they are mamzerim (adulterine bastards), so that marriage with them is forbidden even if they return to Rabbinic Judaism. In Halakha ( Jewish religious law a Mamzer (ממזר is a person born of certain forbidden relationships between two Jews Some recent scholars have held that Karaites should be regarded as Gentiles in all respects, though this is not universally accepted. They hasten to add that this opinion is not intended to insult the Karaites, but only to give individual Karaites the option of integrating into mainstream Judaism by way of conversion. A conversion to Judaism (גיור giyur) is a formal act undertaken by a non-Jewish person who wishes to be recognised as a full member of the Jewish community
In response to the position taken by the Karaites in regards to the authority of the Talmud, Orthodox Judaism counters by pointing to the innumerable examples of biblical commandments which are either too ambiguous or documented in such a concise fashion that proper adherence is absolutely impossible without the details provided by the oral tradition. The Talmud ( Hebrew: he תַּלְמוּד is a record of Rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, customs and history Orthodox Judaism is the formulation of Judaism that adheres to a relatively strict interpretation and application of the laws and ethics first canonized [3]
- Tefillin: As indicated in Deuteronomy 6:8 among other places, tefillin are to be placed on the arm and on the head between the eyes. Tefillin, ( תפילין) also called phylacteries, are a pair of black leather boxes containing scrolls of parchment inscribed with biblical verses However, there are no details provided regarding what tefillin are or how they are to be constructed.
- Kosher laws: As indicated in Exodus 23:19 among other places, a kid may not be boiled in its mother's milk. In addition to numerous other problems with understanding the ambiguous nature of this law, there are no vowelization characters in the Torah; they are provided by the masoretic tradition. This is particularly relevant to this law, as the Hebrew word for milk is identical to the word for fat when vowels are absent. Without the oral tradition, it is not known whether the violation is in mixing meat with milk or with fat.
- Shabbat laws: With the severity of Sabbath violation, namely the death penalty, one would assume that direction would be provided as to how exactly such a serious and core commandment should be upheld. Shabbat or Shabbos ( Hebrew: שַׁבָּת, shabbāt, shabbes, "rest/inactivity" is the Weekly Sabbath However, there is little to no information as to what can and cannot be performed on the Sabbath. Karaites, nonetheless, do keep the Shabbat according to their own, different traditions and interpretations, as described in detail in the special section below.
For Karaites, in sum, the rabbinic interpretations above, as codified in oral law, are only one form of interpretation. They are definitley not divinely ordained for them, and therefore are also not binding as 'halacha' or practical conduct religious 'law. '
The calendar
- See also: Hebrew calendar
Karaites rely on observations of the Moon to begin their months, and on observations of barley (called the Aviv) to begin their years, as deduced from statements in the Torah (Aviv is both a marker for the first season of the Biblical Hebrew calendar, and the next-to-last stage in the growth of barley, which occurred during the plague of hail shortly before the first Passover). The Hebrew calendar (הלוח העברי ha'luach ha'ivri) or Jewish calendar is a Lunisolar calendar used by Jews for predominantly religious The month is a unit of Time, used with Calendars which is approximately as long as some natural period related to the motion of the Moon; Barley ( Hordeum vulgare) is an annual Cereal Grain, which serves as a major animal Feed crop, with smaller amounts used for A year (from Old English gēr) is the time between two recurrences of an event related to the Orbit of the Earth around the Sun term " Torah " ( Hebrew: תּוֹרָה "teaching" or "instruction" sometimes translated as "Law" most commonly refers to Aviv ( Hebrew: אביב) has a few meanings in Hebrew: Aviv literally means spring; it is one of the four Seasons The Hebrew calendar (הלוח העברי ha'luach ha'ivri) or Jewish calendar is a Lunisolar calendar used by Jews for predominantly religious Passover ( Hebrew, Yiddish: פֶּסַח Pesach, Tiberian: pɛsaħ Israeli: Pesah, Pesakh, Yiddish Before quick worldwide communication was available, Karaites in the Diaspora used the calendar of Hillel II, as the Rabbis did. The term Diaspora (in Greek, διασπορά &ndash " a scattering or sowing of seeds " refers any population sharing common ethnic
The Shabbat
As with other Jews, during the Jewish Sabbath (Shabbat), Karaites attend synagogues to worship and to offer prayers. Shabbat or Shabbos ( Hebrew: שַׁבָּת, shabbāt, shabbes, "rest/inactivity" is the Weekly Sabbath However, most Karaites refrain from sexual relations on that day. Their prayer books are composed almost completely of biblical passages. Karaites often practice full prostration during prayers, while most other Jews only pray in this fashion on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. Rosh Hashanah (ראש השנה literally "head of the year" Biblical: ˈɾoʃ haʃːɔˈnɔh Israeli haʃaˈna Yiddish: hɑˈʃɔnə is a Jewish Yom Kippur (יוֹם כִּפּוּר ˈjɔm kiˈpur also known in English as the Day of Atonement, is the most solemn and important of the Jewish holidays Its
Unlike Rabbinic Jews, Karaites do not practice the ritual of lighting candles before Shabbat (lest one unintentionally violate the Shabbat, as kindling a fire is a prohibition on Shabbat). Shabbat or Shabbos ( Hebrew: שַׁבָּת, shabbāt, shabbes, "rest/inactivity" is the Weekly Sabbath This ritual may also have been instituted as anti-Karaite Rabbinic 'halachah' in the Middle Ages. [Ref: Jewish Book of Why V. 1] The written Torah does not contain the commandment, as the rabbis have decreed, to light Shabbat candles. Additionally, Karaites interpret the biblical prohibition against kindling a fire on the Shabbat as prohibiting a fire from continuing to burn that was lit prior to the Shabbat. Historically Karaites refrained from utilizing or deriving benefit from light until the Sabbath ends, but modernly Karaites use fluorescent light power hooked up to a battery which is turned on prior to Shabbat. Many observant Karaites either unplug their refrigerators on shabbat or turn off the circuit breakers. Purchasing electricity that is charged on an incremental basis during the Shabbat is viewed as a commercial transaction that the TaNaKh prohibits. Theoretically these practices are not universal, since different readings of the scriptural Sabbath prohibitions could yield a variety of points of view.
Tzitzit
Karaites wear tzitzit with blue threads in them. Tzitzit or tzitzis ( Hebrew: Biblical ציצת Modern ציצית) are "fringes" In contrast to Rabbinic Judaism, they believe that the techelet (the "blue"), does not refer to a specific dye. Tzitzit or tzitzis ( Hebrew: Biblical ציצת Modern ציצית) are "fringes" The traditions of Rabbinic Judaism used in the knotting of the tzitzit are not followed, so the appearance of Karaite tzitzit can be quite different from that of Rabbanite tzitzit. Contrary to some claims, Karaites do not hang tzitzit on their walls. [1]
Tefillin
Contrary to the beliefs of some, Karaites do not wear tefillin in any form. Tefillin, ( תפילין) also called phylacteries, are a pair of black leather boxes containing scrolls of parchment inscribed with biblical verses According to the World Karaite Movement, the Biblical passages cited for this practice are metaphorical, and mean to "remember the Torah always and treasure it. " This is because the commandment in scripture is "And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be upon thy heart"… "And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thy hand, and they shall be for frontlets between thine eyes. " (Deuteronomy 6:5,9) Since words cannot be on one's heart, or bound on one's hand, the entire passage is understood metaphorically. [1]
Mezuzot
Like Tefillin, Karaites interpret the scripture that mandates inscribing the Law on doorposts and city gates as a metaphorical admonition, specifically, to keep the Law at home and away. This is because the previous commandment in the same passage is the source for Tefillin for Rabbinic Judaism, and is understood metaphorically due to the language. As a result, the entire passage is understood as a metaphor. Therefore, they do not put up mezuzot, although many Karaites do have a small plaque with the Aseret haDibrot on their doorposts. A mezuzah (מזוזה "doorpost" (plural mezuzot (מזוזות is a piece of Parchment (usually contained in a decorative case The Ten Commandments, or Decalogue, are a list of religious and moral imperatives that according to Judeo-Christian tradition were authored by God and given In Israel, in an effort to make other Jews comfortable, many Karaites there do put up mezuzot.
History of Karaism
Karaism appears to be a combination from various Jewish groups in Mesopotamia, that rejected the Talmudic tradition as an innovation. The Old City (העיר העתיקה HaIr HaAtika, البلدة القديمة al-Balda al-Qadimah) is a 0 Some suggest that the major impetus for the formation of Karaism was a reaction to the rise of Islam,[4] which recognized Judaism as a fellow monotheistic faith, but claimed that it detracted from this monotheism by deferring to rabbinical authority. For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation.
In the 9th century CE Anan ben David and his followers absorbed sects such the Isawites (followers of Abu Isa al-Isfahani), Yudghanites and the remnants of the pre-talmudic Sadducees and Boethusians. Anan Ben David ( ענן בן דוד) is often considered to be the founder of the Karaite movement (a form of Judaism that split off from rabbinic Judaism due to its Abu Isa (also known as Ovadiah, Ishaq ibn Ya'qub al-Isfahani, Issac ibn Jacob al-Isfahani) was a self-proclaimed Jewish Prophet Abu Isa (also known as Ovadiah, Ishaq ibn Ya'qub al-Isfahani, Issac ibn Jacob al-Isfahani) was a self-proclaimed Jewish Prophet The Sadducees were members of a Jewish sect founded in the second century BC, possibly as a political party The Boethusians were a Jewish sect closely related to if not a development of the Sadducees. Anan led a polemic with the rabbinical establishment and later non-Ananist sects emerged, like the Ukbarites.
The dispute between rabbi Gaon Saadiah and the Karaites helped to consolidate the split between them.
Karaites, Sadducees, and Philo
Abraham Geiger posited a connection between the Karaites and the Sadducees based on comparison between Karaite and Sadducee halakha. Abraham Geiger (1810&ndash1874 was a German Rabbi and scholar who led in the foundation of Reform Judaism, seeking to remove all nationalistic elements However Dr. Bernard Revel in his dissertation on "Karaite Halacha" rejects many of Geiger's proofs. Rabbi Bernard (Dov Revel ( September 17 1885 -1940 was an Orthodox Rabbi and scholar Dr. Revel also points to the many correlations between Karaite halakha and theology and the interpretations of the Alexandrian philosopher Philo. Philo (20 BC - 50 AD) known also as Philo of Alexandria (gr Φίλων ὁ Ἀλεξανδρεύς Philo Judaeus, Philo Judaeus of Alexandria He also points to the writings of a 10th century Karaite who brings down the writings of Philo showing that the Karaites made use of Philo's writings in the development of their movement.
The Golden Age of Karaism
The "Golden Age of Karaism" was between 10th-11th centuries CE in which a large number of Karaitic works were produced in the central and eastern parts of the Muslim world. Karaite Jews were able to obtain autonomy from Rabbinical Judaism in the Muslim world and establish their own institutions, and even forced the yeshivas to move to Ramle. Karaites in the Muslim world also obtained high social positions such as tax collectors, doctors, and clerks, and even received special positions in the Egyptian courts. Karaite scholars were among the most conspicuous practitioners in the philosophical school known as Jewish Kalam. Jewish Kalam was an early-medieval style of Jewish philosophy that evolved in response to the Islamic Kalam, which in turn was a reaction against Aristotelian philosophy
According to historian Salo Wittmayer Baron, at one time the number of Jews affiliating with Karaism comprised as much as 10 percent of world Jewry, and debates between Rabbinic and Karaitic leaders were not uncommon. Salo Wittmayer Baron, Salo Baron ( May 26, 1895, Tarnów, Galicia - November 25, 1989, New York City
Most notable among the opposition to Karaitic thought and practice at this time are the writings of Rabbi Saadia Gaon (himself a practitioner of Jewish Kalam thought), which eventually led to a permanent split between some Karaitic and Rabbinic communities.
Russian Karaites
During the 18th century, Russian Karaites spread many myths externally which freed them from various anti-Semitic laws that affected other Jews. Antisemitism (alternatively spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism; also rarely known as judeophobia) is the Prejudice against or hostility Avraham Firkovich helped establish these ideas by referring to the tombstones in Crimea which bear inscriptions stating that those buried were descendants of the Lost Tribes of Israel. Abraham (Avraham ben Samuel Firkovich ( Hebrew אברהם בן שמואל - Avraham ben Shmuel; Crimean Karaim: Аврагъам Фиркович The phrase Ten Lost Tribes of Israel refers to the ancient Tribes of Israel that disappeared from the Biblical account after the Kingdom of Israel was destroyed Other deflections included claiming to be among those Jews with a Khazar origin, or claiming that Karaites were otherwise not strictly Jewish descended. "Kazar" redirects here for the Marvel Comics character see Ka-Zar; for the village in Azerbaijan see Xəzər. These actions were intended to convince the Russian Czar that Karaite ancestors could not have killed Jesus; that thus their descendants were free of familial guilt (which was an underlying reason or pretext given at that time for anti-Semitic laws). Tsar csar and tzar redirect here For other uses see Tsar (disambiguation. In 1897, the Russian census counted 12,894 Karaites in the Russian Empire. The Russian Empire ( Pre-reform Russian: Pоссійская Имперія Modern Russian: Российская Империя translit: Rossiyskaya [5]
Crimean and Lithuanian Karaites
The Karaim (Turkish Qaraylar) are a distinctive Karaite community from the Crimea. The Crimean Karaites (Crimean Karaim: sg къарай - qaray, pl Crimea (kraɪˈmiːə or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea (Крим Автономна Республіка Крим Avtonomna Respublika Krym; Крым Their Turkic language is called Karaim. The Turkic languages constitute a Language family of some thirty languages spoken by Turkic peoples across a vast area from Eastern Europe and the The Karaim language (Crimean dialect къарай тили Trakai dialect karaj tili is a Turkic language with Hebrew influences in a similar manner to According to a Karaite tradition several hundred Crimean Karaites were invited to Lithuania by Grand Duke Vytautas to settle in Trakai ca. Vytautas the Great ( Lithuanian:; Vitaŭt; Latin: Alexander Vitoldus; Witold Ruthenian: Vitovt; c Trakai is a historic city and lake resort in Lithuania. It lies 28 km west of Vilnius, capital of Lithuania 1397. A small community remains there to this day, which has preserved its language and distinctive customs, such as its traditional dish called "kibinai", a sort of meat pastry, and its houses with three windows, one for God, one for the family, and one for Grand Duke Vytautas. This community has access to two Kenessas.
Spanish Karaites
During the 10th and 11th Centuries, Karaite Jews in Spain had become "a force to be reckoned with. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. " In Castile, high-ranking Rabbinical Jews such as Joseph Ferrizuel persuaded the king to allow the persecution and expulsion of Karaite Jews. With royal assistance, Rabbi Todros Halevi and Joseph ibn Alfakhar successfully drove out a large portion of the surviving Karaite population.
The Karaites today
See also List of Karaite Jews
In the early 1950s, the Israeli Chief Rabbinate originally objected to the arrival of Karaite Jewish immigrants in the country and unsuccessfully tried to obstruct it. People associated with Karaite Judaism include Elijah Bashyazi, 15th century Hakham codified Karaite laws Anan ben David For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. Chief Rabbi is a title given in several countries to the recognized religious leader of that country's Jewish community or to a rabbinic leader appointed by the local secular
Moshe Marzouk, one of the Egyptian Jews executed in 1954 for planting bombs at Cairo in the service of Israeli Military Intelligence (the Lavon Affair) was a Karaite. Moshe Marzouk ( משה מרזוק; or Musa Lieto Marzuk موسى ليتو مرزوق; born 20 December Year 1954 ( MCMLIV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1954 Gregorian calendar) The Lavon Affair refers to the scandal over a failed Israeli Covert operation in Egypt known as Operation Susannah, in which Israeli military Branded a terrorist by the Egyptians, in Israel he was considered a hero and martyr; however, his Karaite identity was downplayed in official publications, which usually just described him as "an Egyptian Jew".
In Israel, the Karaite Jewish leadership is directed by a group called "Universal Karaite Judaism". Ashdod (אַשְׁדּוֹד اشدود إسدود Isdud) located in the South District of Israel, on the Mediterranean Sea coast Most of the members of its Board of Hakhams are of Egyptian Jewish descent.
There are about 2,000 Karaites living in the United States. Most live near Bnei Yisra'el, the only Karaite synagogue in the United States, located in Daly City, California. Bnei Yisra'el ( B'nai Israel) is the only Karaite Synagogue in the United States. Daly City is a city in San Mateo County, California, United States with a 2000 population of 103621 In the central USA, one will find Karaites-USA Organization.
On 1 August 2007, the Karaites reportedly converted their first new members in 500 years. At a ceremony in their Northern California synagogue, ten adults and four minors "swore fealty" to Karaite Judaism after completing a year of study. This conversion comes 15 years after the Karaite Council of Sages reversed its centuries-old ban on accepting converts. [6]
There are groups with legal recognition in Lithuania as well as in Poland[7] There are about 80 Karaites living in Istanbul, Turkey. The only synagogue in Turkey, the Kahal haKadosh be Sukra bene Mikra is still functional in the Hasköy neighbourhood in the European part of the city. The community also gave its name to another part of the city: Karaköy ("Village of the Karaites" in Turkish), which proves the existence of an important community at one time.
Karaite writings
Karaism has produced a vast library of commentaries and polemics, especially during its "Golden Age. " These writings prompted new and complete defenses of the Talmud and Mishna, the culmination of these in the writings of Saadia Gaon and his criticisms of Karaism. The Talmud ( Hebrew: he תַּלְמוּד is a record of Rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, customs and history The Mishnah or Mishna (he משנה "repetition" from the verb shanah he שנה or "to study and review" is a major work of Rabbinic Judaism Though he opposed Karaism, the Rabbinic commentator Abraham Ibn Ezra regularly quoted Karaite commentators, particularly Yefet ben Ali, to the degree that a legend exists among some Karaites that Ibn Ezra was ben Ali's student. Abraham ben Meir ibn Ezra ( Hebrew: אברהם אבן עזרא or ראב"ע, also known as Abenezra) (1092 or 1093–1167 was one of the Yefet ben Ali was perhaps the foremost Karaite commentator on the Bible during the "Golden Age of Karaism"
The most well-known Karaite polemic is Isaac Troki's Ḥizzuḳ Emunah (חיזוק אמונה) (Faith Strengthened),[8] a comprehensive Counter-Missionary polemic which was later translated into Latin by Wagenseil as part of a larger collection of Jewish anti-Christian polemics entitled Tela Ignea Satanæ, sive Arcani et Horribiles Judæorum Adversus Christum, Deum, et Christianam Religionem Libri (Altdorf, 1681) (translation: 'The Fiery Darts of Satan, or the Arcane and Horrible Books of the Jews Against Christ, God, and the Christian Religion'). Isaac ben Abraham of Troki, Karaite polemical writer (b Trakai, Grand Duchy of Lithuania, 1533 d Counter-missionary is a term used mainly but not exclusively to describe Jewish organizations who seek to prevent Jews from converting to Christianity as Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Johann Christoph Wagenseil (born Nuremberg, November 26[[ 633]] died Altdorf, October 9[[ 705]] was a German Christian Hebraist Many Counter-Missionary materials produced today are based upon or cover the same themes as this book. Counter-missionary is a term used mainly but not exclusively to describe Jewish organizations who seek to prevent Jews from converting to Christianity as
Scholarly studies of Karaite writings are still in their infancy.
References
- ^ a b c JOSHUA FREEMAN. "Laying down the (Oral) law".
- ^ Books of the wars of YHVH by Salmon ben Yeruham. 3 chapters translated into English
- ^ Rietti, Rabbi Jonathan. The Oral Law: The Heart of The Torah, [1]
- ^ Oesterley, W. O. E. & Box, G. H. (1920) A Short Survey of the Literature of Rabbinical and Mediæval Judaism, Burt Franklin:New York.
- ^ Results of the Russian Empire Census of 1897, Table XII (Religions)
- ^ Karaites hold first conversion in 500 years. 2 August 2007, JTA Breaking News.
- ^ approximately 250 persons organized in the Karaites Religious Organization of Poland [2]
- ^ a translation of which can be found at http://faithstrengthened.org/
Further reading
- Karaite Anthology (Leon Nemoy) ISBN 0-300-03929-8
- Karaite Jews of Egypt (Mourad el-Kodsi) (1987)
- Karaite Separatism in 19th Century Russia (Philip Miller)
- An Introduction to Karaite Judaism (Yaron, et al. ) ISBN 0-9700775-4-8
- Karaite Judaism and Historical Understanding (Fred Astren) ISBN 1-57003-518-0
- Just for the record in the history of the Karaite Jews of Egypt in modern times (Mourad el-Kodsi) (2002)
- The Dead Sea Scrolls in the Historiography and Self-Image of Contemporary Karaites (Daniel J. Lasker) Dead Sea Discoveries, Nov 2002, Vol. 9 Issue 3, p281, 14p-294; DOI: 10. 1163/156851702320917832; (AN 8688101)
- Karaites of Christendom--Karaites of Islam (W. M. Brinner) from "The Islamic World: Essays in Honor of Bernard Lewis" Princeton University Press 1989
- Heir to the Glimmering World (Cynthia Ozick) A fictional story about a historian of the Karaism. Cynthia Ozick (born April 17, 1928, New York City) is the daughter of William Ozick and Celia Regelson
- A History of the Jews in Christian Spain (Yitzhak Baer) Vol 1
- The Jews of Spain, A History of the Sephardic Experience (Jane S. Gerber)
- 'The Written' as the Vocation of Conceiving Jewishly (John W McGinley) ISBN 059540488X
- The History of the Jewish People: Volume II, the Early Middle Ages (Moses A. Shulvass)
- “Remarks on Avraham Firkowicz and the Hebrew Mejelis 'Document'. ” (Dan Shapira). Acta Orientalia Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 59:2 (2006): 131-180.
- Karaite Judaism: Introduction to Karaite Studies. Edited by M. Polliack. Leiden: Brill Publishers, 2004.
- Kizilov, Mikhail. “Faithful Unto Death: Language, Tradition, and the Disappearance of the East European Karaite Communities. ” East European Jewish Affairs 36:1 (2006): 73-93.
- Avraham Firkowicz in Istanbul (1830-1832). Paving the Way for Turkic Nationalism. (Shapira, Dan) . Ankara: KaraM, 2003.
- Karaites through the Travelers’ Eyes. Ethnic History, Traditional Culture and Everyday Life of the Crimean Karaites According to Descriptions of the Travelers (Kizilov, Mikhail). New York: al-Qirqisani, 2003.
See also
- Judah Hadassi
- Yoseif Yaron
- Benjamin Nahawandi
- Abraham Firkovich
- Aaron ben Moses ben Asher
- Anan ben David
- Letter of the Karaite elders of Ascalon
External links
- Karaite Insights Website
- Karaite Insights Blog
- http://www.cesnur.org/2003/vil2003_kizilov.htm
- http://www.berkovich-zametki.com/Nomer41/Kizilov1.htm
- http://www.berkovich-zametki.com/Nomer35/MN55.htm
- Karaite Jewish University
- Teachings of Hakham Meir Rekhavi
- Resources > Medieval Jewish History > Karaim The Jewish History Resource Center, Project of the Dinur Center for Research in Jewish History, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
- A Brief History of Jewish Sects
- www.karaim.net in Hebrew
- World Karaite Movement
- Karaite Jews of America (KJA) - Congregation Bnei Yisrael
- Karaite Judaism teachings in English
- Congregation Orah Saddiqim
- Radio Ezra, Karaite radio station
- Chizzuk Emunah (Faith Strengthened)
- Qumran Bet Community
- Karaites USA
- Encyclopaedia of the Orient : Karaism
- Museum of Tolerance The Simon Wiesenthal Center
- Karaim website Information about Turkic/Crimean Karaites
- FORUM Karaite judaism / Czech republic in Czech
- Karaimi Polscy in Polish
- karaitský judaismus in Czech
- karaite judaism in Polish
- A Wisdom Archive on Karaite Judaism
Spanish persecution of Karaites
Judah ben Elijah Hadassi (in Hebrew, Yehuda ben Eliyahu) was a Karaite Jewish scholar controversialist and liturgist Benjamin Nahawandi or Benjamin ben Moses or Benyamin ben Moshe al-Nahawendi was one of the greatest of the Karaite scholars of the early Middle Ages Abraham (Avraham ben Samuel Firkovich ( Hebrew אברהם בן שמואל - Avraham ben Shmuel; Crimean Karaim: Аврагъам Фиркович Aaron ben Moses ben Asher (in Hebrew אהרון בן משה בן אשר in Tiberian Hebrew ʾAhărôn ben Mōšeh benʾĀšēr ( 10th century, died circa Anan Ben David ( ענן בן דוד) is often considered to be the founder of the Karaite movement (a form of Judaism that split off from rabbinic Judaism due to its The Letter of the Karaite elders of Ascalon was a communication written by six elders of the Karaite Jewish community of Ascalon and sent to their coreligionists in
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