Abtalion
Tin:
Abu Ali
JEWISH ENCYCLOPEDIA
—
asiiyiiis l»iw<lf"i J", xxxi. 1. "Abstain lusts of the tlcsli ami the world" Didiichc," All tho .Mosjiic laws conccriiing diet arc dei. 4). clared by Hall to have for their purpose the puritication of Isniel (Lev. H, 13) to train the Jew in self-
(Hul. 44A)
f
from
—
ilisei|)line.
Accordingly there were those that taught and practised abstinence for the purpose of self-consecration. Such were the followers of the Hecliabitcs (Jer. xx.w. 2) among the Esscnes, "llie waterdrinkers " (-^ek., Yithro, Anialek 2). A revival of their principles was attempted in Pcnsia byAnu IsA .i.-Isi'.ii.Ni in the eighth century, who added to the prohiliilion of wine also thatof meat. Willi this may be comiiarcd the vegetarianism of the modern sect of H.sii)ir. The tendency to mysticism induced moral philosophers of the Middle Ages like Bahya ibn Pakuda to favor abstinence as a mode of moral self-elevation (see "llobol ha-l^eliabot." i.. 5, xi. 6).
The
however, according to golden age of innocence (Gen. from eating the tiesli of animals, i. 29), abstained while after the Hood, in an age of decline, the eating of meat, with the exeeiition of the blood, was permitted (Gen. ix. 2 itwj.). is in striking accord with Greek or Aryan tradition (Plato, " l)e Legibus," vi. 782; Plutarch," iSyniposion." viii. 83; Porphyrins, " De Abstinentia," iii. 25, 2(); Diogenes Laertius, viii. 2(t; Spiegel, "Eranische Altertlu'imer," i. 455). As a rule, however, Jewish opinion has been against total abstinence, and is best represented by Maimonides, who advocates the "golden middle way" of moderation ("Yad ha-Hazakah. Ililkot Biblical
which man,
De'ot."
narrative,
in the
i.-iii.).
ABTALION,
K.
PTOLLION
POLLION, or A leader of the Pharisees in the mi<ldle of the lirst century n.c. and by tradition vice-president of the great Sanhedrin of Jerusalem. He was of heathen descent (Bab. Yonui, 71//; 'Eduy. v. 6; Git- 574; Yer. M. K. iii. 814; see Weiss, " Dor Dor we-Dorshaw," i. Despite this fad, Abtalion, 1, and Landau, p. 319). as well as his colleague, Sheniaiali, the president of the Sanhedrin, was one of the most influential and beloved men of his time. Once, when tlie high jiriest was being escorted home from the Temple by the people, at the close of a Day of .Vtonement, the Talmud (Yonia. 714) relates that the crowd deserted hiiu upon the approach of .hlalionand his colleague and followed them. Abtalion usid his inllueuce with the people in persuading the men of Jerusalem, in the year 37 li.c, to open the gates of their city to Herod. The king was not ungrateful and rewarded Abtalion, or, as Josephus calls him. "Pollion," with great honors (Josephus, " Ant." xv. 1, S; 1). Although there is no doubt that, in this jiassage of Josephus, Abtalion is meant Uy this name Pollion (the original form of the n;ime is ])resumably " Ptollion." which exjilains both the prelixcd -1 in the Talmud and the omission of the t in Josephus), in another place ("Ant." XV. 10. % 4), where this name recurs, it is doubtful whether Abtalion is intended or not. Josephus relates there how Herod exacted the oath of allegiance under penalty of death, and continues"He desired also tocomiiel Pollion. the Pharisee, and Sanieas, together with the many w ho followed them, to take this oath; they, however, refused to do this, but nevertheless were not punished as were others who had refused to take it, and this indeed out of consideration for Pollion." Since this episode took place in the eighteenth year of Herod's reign (20 or 19 n.c), this Pollion can not have been Abtalion, who died long before, as we learn from authorita:
136
Talmudic sources, according to which Hillel, the ]iupil and successor of Abtalion, was the leader of the Pharisees about 30 n.c. It is probable, therefore, that Joseiihus was misled by thi^similarity of the names Sheniaiah and Shammai. and so wrote " Pollion and Sameas" instead of "Hillel and Shanunai." Very little is known concerning ilie lilV of Abtalion. He was a pu])il of Judah ben Tabbai and Simon tive
ben SiK'tah. and probably lived for some time in Alexandria, Egypt, where he and also his teacher Judah took retuge when Alexander Jaunieus cruelly persecuted the Pharisees. This gives iierlinenee to his well-known maxim (Ah. i. 12), "Ye wi.se men, be careful of your words, lest ye draw upon yourselves the punishment of exile and be banished to a ))lace of ba<l water (dangerous doctrine), and your discijilcs, who come after yon, drink thereof and die, and the name of the Holy One thereby be profaned." He cautions the rabbis herein a.gainst participation in polities (compare the maxim of his colleague) as well as against emigration to Egypt, where Greek ideas threatened danger to Judaism. Abtalion and his colleague Sheniaiah are the lirst to bear the title durnlnui (I'es. ~i)ii). and it was probalily by no mere chance that their pupil Hillel was the lirst to lay down hcrmeneulic rules for the interpretation of the Jlidrash; he may have been indebted to his teachers for the tendency toward haggad ic interpretation. These two scholars are the tirst whose sayings are recorded in the Haggadah (Mck., Besliallah.
of
riis/i
ill
talion silion
iii.
3(i.
ed.
The new method
Weiss.).
introduced by Ab-
(Bil)lical interpretation)
and Sheniaiah seems
among
evoked o]ipoComjiare also where a title is
to liave
the Pharisees (Pes. 704.
Josephus, l.r., U'l/./jui' 6 liui/iinaioc. probably inteniled). Abtalion and Sheniaiah are also
whose Ilalakot (legal decisions) are handed to later times. them is the important one that the paschal lamb must be ofTered even if Pa.ssover fall on a Sabbath (Pes. GUii). Abtalion 's academy was not free to every one, but those who sought entrance paid daily a small admission fee of one and a half tiopaika; that is, about twelve cents (Yonia. 3.54). This was no doubt to prevent overcrowding by the people, or for some reasons Stated the
tirst
Among
down
by the Shammailes (Ab. K. N.
iii.
[iv.] 1).
Bini.Kic.RArnv: Mnnalnschrift. I. lis- 121); Griitz. Grurh.il. J Willi, ai ed., iii. 1K7 et .w/.. 'ilT-«1S; Landau, in Mimat»svhrifl,
vil, .317-;i39;
Herzfeld,
Uiiil.
ill.
- K7;
lilein, (lisi-h.
d.
IsrafU
ii. 1Sj3; DerenlKninr. Kxsiii, jip. llfi, 117. U9, Dor. 1. 148 ct neq.. l.W. ISi Brull. Mclm. pp, iVST Hamluirjrer, B. li. T. il„ s.v. Si maun, Lihniaii, in Iti i: it,
Fn//fcjt
4tl3
Wels.s,
Jnivi-s, xxlv. 1)8-81.
y
p
ABTALION (OTTAVIANO), SONOFMOBDECAI (MARCO) OF MODENA Italian He:
brew scholar; born
Jlodena
died in Eerrara From the fact that Azaiiah de Hossi in his in Kill. ".Meor 'Eiiayim," ]i. 9S4, refers to lihii as nj'lID C'K ("a man of .Modena"), it isassuiiie<l that he was a iialiveof that city. The mere family name De Modena, when not imidying actual birth or residence, is Cxpres.sed in Hebrew'by nniDD ("of Moch'iia"). The descendants of this family now bear the simple name " Modena. " The family originated in France, whence it emigrated to Italy during one of tlii^ expulsions of the Jews. Mordeeai. the father of Abtalion, was a very learned rabbi and distinguished physician in liologiia. Abtalion, the youngest of four sons, removed to Ferrara. where he distinguished him.self through his knowledge of Hebrew and his secular attainments. Both he and his father seem to have written nnicli, though nothing has been printed. Abtalion is remembered chietly because of his intercession with Pope Gregory XIII., who in 1581 in
in 15211;
