Sid Zalman Leiman on the Status of the Book of Sirach in Talmudic Literature

  

Status of the Book of Ben Sira.

 

The following passages bear directly on the status of the Book of Ben Sira in talmudic literature. They are here presented in the probable chronological order of their formulation.

 

Passage 72                                       תוספתא ידיים ב:יג

הגליונים וספרי המינין אינן מטמאין את הידים. ספרי,

בן סירא וכל ספרים שנכתבו מכאן ואילך  אינן מטמאין את הידים

 

Tosefta Yadayim 2:13

 

The Gospels and heretical books do not defile the hands. The books of Ben Sira and all other books written from then on, do not defile the hands.

 

Passage 69                                   28a          ירושלמי סנהדרין

ר' עקיבא אומר את הקורא בספרים החיצונים כגון ספרי בן

סירא וספרי בן לועז אבל ספרי המירס וכל ספרים שנכתבו מכן

והילך הקורא בהן כקורא באיגרת מאי טעמא ויותר מהמה בני הזהר

וגו' להגיון ניתן ולא ליגיעה לא נתנו.

 

J. Sanhedrin 28a

 

R. Akiba (110-135) adds: one who reads the outside books such as the books of Ben Sira and the books of Ben La'aga. But he who reads the books of Homer and all other books that were written from then on, is considered like one who is reading a secular document, for it is written: And furthermore, my son, beware of making many books, and much study of them is a weariness of flesh (Eccl.12:12). Hence casual reading is permissible but intensive study (Sid Zalman Leiman, “The Talmudic and Midrashic Evidence for the Canonization of Hebrew Scripture” [PhD Dissertation; University of Pennsylvania, 1970], 193-95)

 

 On the use of the singular vs. plural for book/scroll (ספר), we read the following note:

 

It is noteworthy that here and in passage 69, the rabbis speak of the Books of Ben Sira (ספרי בן סירא). All the other references to Ben Sira in rabbinic literature refer to the Book of Ben Sira (ספר בן סירא) or to Ben Sira himself (e.g. אמר בן סירא). M. H. Segal, ספר בן סירא השלם, p. 15, adduces evidence that the Book of Ben Sira originally consisted of two separate works by Ben Sira. He suggests that this would account for the plural form. More likely, the plural form is an allusion to the numerous recensions of the Book of Ben Sira . . . (Ibid., 194 n. 142)