Abstinence in Judaism
Encyclopedia
Abstinence
is the refraining from enjoyments which are lawful in themselves. Abstinence in general can be considered a virtue only when it serves the purpose of consecrating a life to a higher purpose. The saints, or adherents of religious and philosophical systems that teach the mortification of the flesh
, practice asceticism
only with the view of perfecting the soul for the higher state of bliss for which they believe it to be destined.
in Yer. Kid. iv., at the end: "Man in the life to come will have to account for every enjoyment offered him that was refused without sufficient cause."
, or abstinence as a principle, condemned in the Talmud
. "Why must the Nazarite bring a sin-offering at the end of his term? (Num. vi. 13, 14). Because he sinned against his own person by his vow of abstaining from wine," says Eliezer ha-Kappar (Sifra
, ad loc., and Ned. 10a), drawing his conclusion from this Biblical passage: "Whosoever undergoes fasting and other penances for no special reason commits a wrong." "Is the number of things forbidden by the Law not enough that you venture to add of your own accord by your inconsiderate vow?" says R. Isaac (Yer. Ned. ix. 41b). See Maimonides
, Yad ha-chazakah, De'ot, iii. 1, where the monastic principle of abstinence, whether in regard to marriage or to eating of meat and drinking of wine, or to any other personal comfort, is most emphatically condemned as antagonistic to the spirit of Judaism
.
, 4b). In this sense abstinence is supposed to have a positive value, as a training in self-control. Consequently the law: "Be holy!" was interpreted: Exercise abstinence in order to arrive at the state of purity and holiness (Ab. Zarah, 20b; Sifra
, Kedoshim, beginning).
Excessive indulgence in wine or in any form of enjoyment being harmful (Prov. xxiii. 20), man must learn self-restraint in due time. "Haste!" people say to the Nazarite. "Pass quickly around the vineyard, come not too near the grape" (B. M. 92a) became the proverbial warning. "Make a fence around the Law" (Ab. i. 1; Ab. R. N. ii.). "Abstain from everything evil and from whatsoever is like unto it," a rule found alike in the Didache
, iii. 1, and in the Talmud (Hul. 44b)—a saying based on Book of Job
, xxxi. 1. "Abstain from lusts of the flesh and the world" (Didache, i. 4). All the Mosaic laws concerning diet are declared by Rav
to have for their purpose the purification of Israel (Lev. R. 13)—to train the Jew in self-discipline.
Accordingly there were those that taught and practised abstinence for the purpose of self-consecration. Such were the followers of the Rechabites (Jer. xxxv. 2) among the Essenes
, "the water-drinkers" (Mek., Yithro, Amalek 2). A revival of their principles was attempted in Persia by Abu Isa al-Ispahani in the 8th century, who added to the prohibition of wine also that of meat. With this may be compared the vegetarianism
of the modern sect of Hasidim
. The tendency to mysticism induced moral philosophers of the Middle Ages like Bahya ibn Paquda
to favor abstinence as a mode of moral self-elevation (see Chobot ha-Lebabot, ix. 5, xi. 6).
The Biblical narrative, however, according to which man, in the golden age of innocence (Gen. i. 29), abstained from eating the flesh of animals, while after the flood, in an age of decline, the eating of meat, with the exception of the blood, was permitted (Gen. ix. 2 et seq.), is in striking accord with Greek
or Aryan
tradition (Plato
, De Legibus, vi. 782; Plutarch
, Symposion, viii. 83; Porphyrius
, De Abstinentia, iii. 25, 26; Diogenes Laertius
, viii. 20; Spiegel, Eranische Alterthümer, i. 455).
, who advocates the "golden middle way" of moderation (Yad ha-Chazakah, Hilkot De'ot, i.-iii.).
Abstinence
Abstinence is a voluntary restraint from indulging in bodily activities that are widely experienced as giving pleasure. Most frequently, the term refers to sexual abstinence, or abstention from alcohol or food. The practice can arise from religious prohibitions or practical...
is the refraining from enjoyments which are lawful in themselves. Abstinence in general can be considered a virtue only when it serves the purpose of consecrating a life to a higher purpose. The saints, or adherents of religious and philosophical systems that teach the mortification of the flesh
Mortification of the flesh
Mortification of the flesh literally means "putting the flesh to death". The term is primarily used in religious and spiritual contexts. The institutional and traditional terminology of this practice in Catholicism is corporal mortification....
, practice asceticism
Asceticism
Asceticism describes a lifestyle characterized by abstinence from various sorts of worldly pleasures often with the aim of pursuing religious and spiritual goals...
only with the view of perfecting the soul for the higher state of bliss for which they believe it to be destined.
Disapproved of in the Prophets
The Jewish religion, having for its fundamental ethical principle the law of holiness: "Ye shall be holy: for I the Lord your God am holy" (Lev. xix. 2), accentuates the perfectibility of the whole man, while demanding the sanctification of all that pertains to human existence. "The Lord did not create the world for desolation; he formed it for human habitation" (Isa. xlv. 18) is the principle emphasized by the rabbis (Pes. 88b). In the ideal state of things nothing should be profane. "In that day there shall be [inscribed] upon the bells of the horses: Holiness unto the Lord! And the pots in the Lord's house shall be like the bowls before the altar" (Zech. xiv. 20, 21). This view is expressed in no uncertain terms by RabAbba Arika
Abba Arika was a Jewish Talmudist who lived in Babylonia, known as an amora of the 3rd century who established at Sura the systematic study of the rabbinic traditions, which, using the Mishnah as text, led to the compilation of the Talmud...
in Yer. Kid. iv., at the end: "Man in the life to come will have to account for every enjoyment offered him that was refused without sufficient cause."
Disapproved of in the Talmud
Accordingly we find asceticismAsceticism in Judaism
Asceticism is a term derived from the Greek verb ἀσκέω, meaning "to practise strenuously," "to exercise." Athletes were therefore said to go through ascetic training, and to be ascetics....
, or abstinence as a principle, condemned in the Talmud
Talmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
. "Why must the Nazarite bring a sin-offering at the end of his term? (Num. vi. 13, 14). Because he sinned against his own person by his vow of abstaining from wine," says Eliezer ha-Kappar (Sifra
Sifra
Sifra is the Halakic midrash to Leviticus. It is frequently quoted in the Talmud, and the study of it followed that of the Mishnah, as appears from Tanḥuma, quoted in Or Zarua, i. 7b. Like Leviticus itself, the midrash is occasionally called "Torat Kohanim" , and in two passages also "Sifra debe...
, ad loc., and Ned. 10a), drawing his conclusion from this Biblical passage: "Whosoever undergoes fasting and other penances for no special reason commits a wrong." "Is the number of things forbidden by the Law not enough that you venture to add of your own accord by your inconsiderate vow?" says R. Isaac (Yer. Ned. ix. 41b). See Maimonides
Maimonides
Moses ben-Maimon, called Maimonides and also known as Mūsā ibn Maymūn in Arabic, or Rambam , was a preeminent medieval Jewish philosopher and one of the greatest Torah scholars and physicians of the Middle Ages...
, Yad ha-chazakah, De'ot, iii. 1, where the monastic principle of abstinence, whether in regard to marriage or to eating of meat and drinking of wine, or to any other personal comfort, is most emphatically condemned as antagonistic to the spirit of Judaism
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
.
Tolerated in the Talmud
Still abstinence is frequently considered meritorious, if not actually necessary, as a means of self-discipline. Simon the Just said: "I partook of a Nazarite meal only once, when I met with a handsome youth from the South who had taken the vow. When I asked him the reason, he said: 'I saw the Evil Spirit pursue me as I beheld my face reflected in the water, and I swore that these long curls shall be cut off and offered as a sacrifice to the Lord.' Whereupon I kissed him upon his forehead and blessed him, saying: 'May there be many Nazarites like thee in Israel!'" (NazirNazir (Talmud)
Nazir is a treatise of the Mishnah and the Tosefta and in both Talmuds, devoted chiefly to a discussion of the laws of the Nazirite laid down in Numbers 6:1-21. In the Tosefta its title is Nezirut...
, 4b). In this sense abstinence is supposed to have a positive value, as a training in self-control. Consequently the law: "Be holy!" was interpreted: Exercise abstinence in order to arrive at the state of purity and holiness (Ab. Zarah, 20b; Sifra
Sifra
Sifra is the Halakic midrash to Leviticus. It is frequently quoted in the Talmud, and the study of it followed that of the Mishnah, as appears from Tanḥuma, quoted in Or Zarua, i. 7b. Like Leviticus itself, the midrash is occasionally called "Torat Kohanim" , and in two passages also "Sifra debe...
, Kedoshim, beginning).
Excessive indulgence in wine or in any form of enjoyment being harmful (Prov. xxiii. 20), man must learn self-restraint in due time. "Haste!" people say to the Nazarite. "Pass quickly around the vineyard, come not too near the grape" (B. M. 92a) became the proverbial warning. "Make a fence around the Law" (Ab. i. 1; Ab. R. N. ii.). "Abstain from everything evil and from whatsoever is like unto it," a rule found alike in the Didache
Didache
The Didache or The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles is a brief early Christian treatise, dated by most scholars to the late first or early 2nd century...
, iii. 1, and in the Talmud (Hul. 44b)—a saying based on Book of Job
Book of Job
The Book of Job , commonly referred to simply as Job, is one of the books of the Hebrew Bible. It relates the story of Job, his trials at the hands of Satan, his discussions with friends on the origins and nature of his suffering, his challenge to God, and finally a response from God. The book is a...
, xxxi. 1. "Abstain from lusts of the flesh and the world" (Didache, i. 4). All the Mosaic laws concerning diet are declared by Rav
Abba Arika
Abba Arika was a Jewish Talmudist who lived in Babylonia, known as an amora of the 3rd century who established at Sura the systematic study of the rabbinic traditions, which, using the Mishnah as text, led to the compilation of the Talmud...
to have for their purpose the purification of Israel (Lev. R. 13)—to train the Jew in self-discipline.
Accordingly there were those that taught and practised abstinence for the purpose of self-consecration. Such were the followers of the Rechabites (Jer. xxxv. 2) among the Essenes
Essenes
The Essenes were a Jewish sect that flourished from the 2nd century BCE to the 1st century CE which some scholars claim seceded from the Zadokite priests...
, "the water-drinkers" (Mek., Yithro, Amalek 2). A revival of their principles was attempted in Persia by Abu Isa al-Ispahani in the 8th century, who added to the prohibition of wine also that of meat. With this may be compared the vegetarianism
Vegetarianism
Vegetarianism encompasses the practice of following plant-based diets , with or without the inclusion of dairy products or eggs, and with the exclusion of meat...
of the modern sect of Hasidim
Hasidic Judaism
Hasidic Judaism or Hasidism, from the Hebrew —Ḥasidut in Sephardi, Chasidus in Ashkenazi, meaning "piety" , is a branch of Orthodox Judaism that promotes spirituality and joy through the popularisation and internalisation of Jewish mysticism as the fundamental aspects of the Jewish faith...
. The tendency to mysticism induced moral philosophers of the Middle Ages like Bahya ibn Paquda
Bahya ibn Paquda
Bahya ben Joseph ibn Paquda was a Jewish philosopher and rabbi who lived at Zaragoza, Spain, in the first half of the eleventh century...
to favor abstinence as a mode of moral self-elevation (see Chobot ha-Lebabot, ix. 5, xi. 6).
The Biblical narrative, however, according to which man, in the golden age of innocence (Gen. i. 29), abstained from eating the flesh of animals, while after the flood, in an age of decline, the eating of meat, with the exception of the blood, was permitted (Gen. ix. 2 et seq.), is in striking accord with Greek
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek is the stage of the Greek language in the periods spanning the times c. 9th–6th centuries BC, , c. 5th–4th centuries BC , and the c. 3rd century BC – 6th century AD of ancient Greece and the ancient world; being predated in the 2nd millennium BC by Mycenaean Greek...
or Aryan
Aryan
Aryan is an English language loanword derived from Sanskrit ārya and denoting variously*In scholarly usage:**Indo-Iranian languages *in dated usage:**the Indo-European languages more generally and their speakers...
tradition (Plato
Plato
Plato , was a Classical Greek philosopher, mathematician, student of Socrates, writer of philosophical dialogues, and founder of the Academy in Athens, the first institution of higher learning in the Western world. Along with his mentor, Socrates, and his student, Aristotle, Plato helped to lay the...
, De Legibus, vi. 782; Plutarch
Plutarch
Plutarch then named, on his becoming a Roman citizen, Lucius Mestrius Plutarchus , c. 46 – 120 AD, was a Greek historian, biographer, essayist, and Middle Platonist known primarily for his Parallel Lives and Moralia...
, Symposion, viii. 83; Porphyrius
Porphyry (philosopher)
Porphyry of Tyre , Porphyrios, AD 234–c. 305) was a Neoplatonic philosopher who was born in Tyre. He edited and published the Enneads, the only collection of the work of his teacher Plotinus. He also wrote many works himself on a wide variety of topics...
, De Abstinentia, iii. 25, 26; Diogenes Laertius
Diogenes Laertius
Diogenes Laertius was a biographer of the Greek philosophers. Nothing is known about his life, but his surviving Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers is one of the principal surviving sources for the history of Greek philosophy.-Life:Nothing is definitively known about his life...
, viii. 20; Spiegel, Eranische Alterthümer, i. 455).
The rule
As a rule, however, Jewish opinion has been against total abstinence, and is best represented by MaimonidesMaimonides
Moses ben-Maimon, called Maimonides and also known as Mūsā ibn Maymūn in Arabic, or Rambam , was a preeminent medieval Jewish philosopher and one of the greatest Torah scholars and physicians of the Middle Ages...
, who advocates the "golden middle way" of moderation (Yad ha-Chazakah, Hilkot De'ot, i.-iii.).
External links
- Jewish Encyclopedia article for Abstinence by Kaufmann KohlerKaufmann KohlerKaufmann Kohler was a German-born U.S. reform rabbi and theologian.-Life and work:Kaufmann Kohler was born into a family of rabbis...