וּמִי כְּתָבָן מֹשֶׁה כָּתַב סִפְרוֹ וּפָרָשַׁת בִּלְעָם וְאִיּוֹב יְהוֹשֻׁעַ כָּתַב סִפְרוֹ וּשְׁמוֹנָה פְּסוּקִים שֶׁבַּתּוֹרָה....
And who wrote them [all the various books of Tanakh]? Moses wrote his own book, the portion of Bil'am [see Numbers, chapters 22-24], and the book of Job. Joshua wrote his own book and eight verses in the Torah [describing the death of Moses]....
אָמַר מָר יְהוֹשֻׁעַ כָּתַב סִפְרוֹ וּשְׁמוֹנָה פְּסוּקִים שֶׁבַּתּוֹרָה תַּנְיָא כְּמַאן דְּאָמַר שְׁמוֹנָה פְּסוּקִים שֶׁבַּתּוֹרָה יְהוֹשֻׁעַ כְּתָבָן דְּתַנְיָא וַיָּמׇת שָׁם מֹשֶׁה עֶבֶד ה׳ אֶפְשָׁר מֹשֶׁה מֵת וְכָתַב וַיָּמׇת שָׁם מֹשֶׁה אֶלָּא עַד כָּאן כָּתַב מֹשֶׁה מִכָּאן וְאֵילָךְ כָּתַב יְהוֹשֻׁעַ דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי יְהוּדָה וְאָמְרִי לַהּ רַבִּי נְחֶמְיָה
אָמַר לוֹ רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אֶפְשָׁר סֵפֶר תּוֹרָה חָסֵר אוֹת אַחַת וּכְתִיב לָקֹחַ אֵת סֵפֶר הַתּוֹרָה הַזֶּה אֶלָּא עַד כָּאן הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אוֹמֵר וּמֹשֶׁה אוֹמֵר וְכוֹתֵב מִכָּאן וְאֵילָךְ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אוֹמֵר וּמֹשֶׁה כּוֹתֵב בְּדֶמַע
The Tanna said: "Joshua wrote his own book and eight verses of the Torah." That baraita follows the opinion of the one who says [elsewhere] that Joshua wrote eight verses in the Torah--as it is taught in a [different] baraita: "And Moses the servant of the Lord died there” (Deut 34:5). Is it possible that Moses died and then wrote 'And Moses died there'?! Rather, until this point [in the Torah] Moses wrote; from this point on Joshua wrote--this is the view of Rabbi Yehudah, but some say it's Rabbi Neḥemyah's.
"Rabbi Shimon said to him: Is it possible that the Scroll of the Torah was missing [even] one letter and [yet] it was written [about it], 'Take this Scroll of the Torah [and place it beside the Ark of the Covenant of Adonai your God]' (Deut 31:26)?! Rather, until this point [in the Torah] the Holy One, who is blessed, spoke and Moses repeated it and wrote it down; from this point on the Holy One, who is blessed, spoke and Moses wrote it down while weeping."
Study Questions on Bava Batra 14b-15a
**Background: These texts come from a section of the Babylonian Talmud which discusses the order of the books in Tanakh and who wrote them.
Although our main focus on this sheet is the question of who wrote the last eight verses of Deuteronomy, the statement made about Moses writing "the portion of Bil'am" (not to mention the book of Job in the Writings!) is also fascinating. How and why would they single out that specific part of Numbers for Mosaic authorship, if Moses wrote the entire Torah (as many rabbis clearly believed)? An issue for further study down the road.**
1. In your own words, why does R. Yehudah (or R. Nechamyah) claim that Joshua wrote the Torah's last eight verses?
2. In your own words, why does R. Shimon claim that Moses wrote the Torah's last eight verses?
3. Do you think R. Nechamyah (or Rabbi Yehudah) believed that God told Joshua what to write? Explain your opinion.
4. Based on his 8th Principle in unit 2(G), which viewpoint here do you imagine Rambam agrees with? Explain your answer.
ויעל משה.
לפי דעתי כי מזה הפסוק כתב יהושע כי אחר שעלה משה לא כתב ובדרך נבואה כתבו והעד ויראהו ה' גם ויאמר ה' אליו גם ויקבור:
And Moses went up:
In my opinion, Joshua wrote from this verse (Deut 34:1) on. For after Moses went up [on Mount Nebo, where he would die and be buried] he did not write [anything else]. And Joshua wrote it by means of prophecy. And the evidence [that Moses did not write this chapter] is: "And the Lord showed him (v. 1); "And the Lord said to him" (v. 4); and "And he [God] buried him"(v. 6).
Study Questions on Ibn Ezra
**Background: Avraham ibn Ezra ("ibn" is Arabic for בן) lived in 12th century Spain, and later on in life traveled extensively. He wrote biblical commentary as well as works on science, grammar, astrology, and much Hebrew poetry, both religious and secular. There is a crater on the moon named for him ("Abenezra"). Along with Rashi and Nachmanides, he is one of the three most important line-by-line Torah commentators from the Middle Ages.**
1. How does Ibn Ezra (rather surprisingly) extend the idea of Rabbi Yehudah in Baba Batra 15a?
2. Explain the "evidence" he uses to support his theory about Joshua? Look at chapter 34 of Deut to help you.
3. What important point does Ibn Ezra add to the Talmud's words concerning the nature of Joshua's writing?
כְּמַאן אָזְלָא הָא דְּאָמַר רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בַּר אַבָּא אָמַר רַב גִּידֵּל אָמַר רַב שְׁמוֹנָה פְּסוּקִים שֶׁבַּתּוֹרָה יָחִיד קוֹרֵא אוֹתָן
לֵימָא רַבִּי יְהוּדָה הִיא וּדְלָא כְּרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אֲפִילּוּ תֵּימָא רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן הוֹאִיל וְאִשְׁתַּנּוֹ אִשְׁתַּנּוֹ:
The teaching of Rabbi Yehoshua, son of Abba, who spoke in the name of Rav Gidel, who spoke in the name of Rav, "One person reads the last eight verses in the Torah"--whose [earlier] opinion does it follow?
Should we say that it follows the opinion of Rabbi Yehudah, but not the opinion of Rabbi Shimon [in Bava Batra 15a, text #2 above]? You could even say it follows the opinion of Rabbi Shimon, since they [i.e., those verses] are different, they are [also] different [in how they may be read].
Study Questions on Bava Batra 15a
1. The ruling, "One person reads the last eight verses in the Torah" is not simple to understand and there are several different interpretations of it among commentators. What do you think it could mean--keeping in mind that normally "one person" reads every part of the Torah?
2. Whatever it means, why does it seem more likely at first that Rabbi Yehoshua would agree with the opinion of R. Yehudah and not R. Shimon?
3. The Talmud here asserts that even Rabbi Shimon agrees that the last eight verses are "different" from the rest of the Torah. But different in what way? Give your interpretation.
יחיד קורא אותן - כלומר אין מפסיקין בהן:
One person reads them [the last eight verses in the Torah]:
In other words, we do not interrupt them [by adding aliyot within that section].
Since they [i.e., those verses] are different":
From the rest of the Torah, since those [verses] Moses wrote while weeping.
The eight verses at the end of the Torah [Deut 34:5-12] may be read in the synagogue with less than ten Jews [a minyan] present. Even though it is all Torah, and Moses repeated them from the mouth of the Almighty, since they sound as if they were written after the death of Moses, they are different, and therefore it is permitted for an individual [without a minyan] to read them.
Study Questions on Rashi, Rabbeinu Gershom, and Mishneh Torah
**Background: As you know, Rashi (Rabbi Shlomo ben Yitzchak, 10th-11th cent., France) is one of the most important Jewish commentators, in part because he wrote explanations on all of Tanakh and Talmud. His commentary is also know for its simplicity and great clarity.
Rabbeinu Gershom preceded Rashi by about 100 years in France and also commented on the Talmud; he was a major authority in Jewish Law as well. Among many other things, R. G. made it forbidden to open other people's mail.
Reminder: "Mishneh Torah" is Rambam's epic code of Jewish Law.**
1. Rashi and Rambam disagree about the meaning of, "one person reads them." Restate what each of them thinks the phrase means for Jewish practice.
2. Rabbeinu Gershom and Rambam disagree about the meaning of, ""since they are different." Restate what each of them thinks the phrase means.
3. Which opinion does Rambam agree with, Rabbi Yehudah or Rabbi Shimon? How can we tell?