TAḲḲANOT ʻEZRA
By Solomon Zeitlin, Dropsie College.
An ancient Baraita in the Talmud[1] ascribes to Ezra ten taḳḳanot. These, as explained by the compilers of the Talmud, are not definitely clear to us. In fact, for a long time many have been astonished by the Baraita's ascribing them to Ezra. Moreover, when we investigate Rabbinic sources, we find that to the editors of the Talmud the taḳḳanot presented difficulties, as some of these taḳḳanot had been considered as already contained in the Torah. However, it is evident that the sources of these taḳḳanot were unknown to the Rabbis,[2] and also the underlying causes and reasons. As we investigate these taḳḳanot carefully and thoroughly we realize their significance in Jewish religious life. The Pharisees, who, animated by the general purpose to harmonize religion and life, brought about reforms in religious life, e.g. the laws of Erub that made the Sabbath less burdensome,[3] also made important reforms in the laws of clean and unclean, that were extremely burdensome to Israel if literally construed and enforced according to the Torah. For example, such as were suddenly affected by bodily impurity (noctis pollutio, קרי) or defiled by contact with a corpse would, by literal interpretation of the Torah,
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