Wednesday, December 8, 2021

The Singular Throne of the “Ancient of Days” being Used as a Proof-Text against the “Minnim” (Christians) in the Babylonian Talmud

In the Babylonian Talmud (VOLUME VIII. (XVI.)--TRACT SANHEDRIN. PART II.--(HAGGADA.) Chapter XI) we read the following, where the singular throne of the “Ancient of Days” (taken to be God) is used against the “Minnim” (heretics [here, Christians]):

 

Said R. Johanan: Every place where the Minnim gave their wrong interpretation, the answer of annulling it is to be found in the same place--e.g., they claim from [Gen. i. 26]: "Let us make man." Hence it is in plural. However, in [ibid. 271 it reads: "And God created man in his image" (singular). [Ibid. xi. 7]: "Let us go down" (plural); however, [ibid., ibid. 5]: "And the Lord came down" (singular). [Ibid. xxxv. 7]: "And there God appeared" (the term in Hebrew is plural); however [ibid., ibid. 3]: "Unto the Lord who answered me" (singular). [Deut. iv. 7]: "For what great nation is there that hath gods so nigh unto it?" However, it reads farther on, "as is the Lord our God every time we call upon him." [II Lam. vii. 23]: "Which God went?" (the term in Hebrew is plural). However [Dan. vii. 9]: "I was looking down until chairs were set down, and the Ancient of days seated himself" (singular). But why are all the above-mentioned written in plural? This is in accordance with R. Johanan, who said elsewhere that the Holy One, blessed be He, does not do anything until he consults the heavenly household, as it reads [ibid. iv. 14]: "Through the resolve of the angels is this decree, and by the order of the holy ones is this decision." However, this answer is for all the plurals mentioned, except the last one, "the chairs." Why are they in plural? One for Him and one for David. So R. Aqiba in a Boraitha. Said R. Elazar b. Azaryah to him: Aqiba, how do you dare to make the Shekhina common? It means one chair for judgment and one for mercy. Did Aqiba accept this, or not? Come and hear the following Boraitha: One for judgment and one for mercy. So R. Aqiba. Said R. Elazar b. Azaryah to him: Aqiba, what hast thou to do with Haggada? Give thy attention to Negain and Ohaloth. It means one for a chair to sit upon and one for a footstool. (Michael L. Rodkinson, New Edition of the Babylonian Talmud: Original Text, Edited, Corrected, Formulated and Translated into English [Boston: The Talmud Society, 1918], Tract Sanhedrin Volumes VII and VIII. (XV and XVI.), 370-71)