Kallah
Encyclopedia
Yarchei Kallah is the name of a teachers' convention that was held twice a year in Babylonian Academies, by the Jews then in captivity in Bablon, after the beginning of the amoraic period, in the two months Adar
and Elul
. http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=60&letter=K&search=kallah.
For each year's convention of the Kallah, a treatise of the Mishnah
was written forming the subject of explanation and discussion at the convention, according to Ta'an. 10b (see R. Hananeel in Kohut, l.c. iv. 227b). cites opinions attributing authorship to either Jehudai Gaon (8th century) or to Eliezer ben Hyrcanus (c.100 CE) with later additions and redaction.
The regular Kallah conventions concerned issues related to marriage, chastity, and moral purity. The subject matter was largely taken from the Babylonian Talmud
In the land of Israel
there was no Kallah. A. Schwarz (Jahrbuch für Jüdische Gesch. und Litteratur, 1899, ii. 102) claims that this cannot be asserted with certainty, but available historical records show that the Kallah was purely an institution practiced during the Babylonian captivity.
The word Kallah is always written with ה as in כלה, the Hebrew word for "bride"; but the manner in which this meaning has been connected with a convention of teachers (Levy, Neuhebr. Wörterbuch, ii. 321) has not been satisfactorily explained. Perhaps the word is merely another form of the Aramaic כללא = "totality," although this word never occurs in traditional literature as a designation for a collection or assembly of people. It may be connected also with the Aramaic כלילא = "garland," the assembly of teachers being thought of as a garland adorning the academy (comp. "Ḥazi ha-Goren" and "Kerem" as designations of the circle which the Sanhedrin formed). In Latin, also, "corona" means "circle," "assembly." Kohut (Aruch Completum, iv. 428a) has a similar explanation, although he adds an incorrect comparison with a Persian
word.
The importance of the Kallah Convention (referred to under another name) is extolled in the Midrash Tanḥuma (Noaḥ
, § 3): "God has appointed the two academies ["yeshibot"] for the good of Israel. In them day and night are devoted to the study of the Torah
; and thither come the scholars from all places twice a year, in Adar
and Elul
, and associate with one another in discussions on the Torah." The greater the attendance at the convention, the greater was the renown of the academy. Hence Abaye
says (Ber.
6b): "The most important part of the Kallah is a crowd." There was a saying in Babylonia
that whoever dreamed of going into a forest would become president of the Kallah (the Kallah being likened to a forest).
Adar
Adar is the sixth month of the civil year and the twelfth month of the ecclesiastical year on the Hebrew calendar. It is a winter month of 29 days...
and Elul
Elul
Elul is the twelfth month of the Jewish civil year and the sixth month of the ecclesiastical year on the Hebrew calendar. It is a summer month of 29 days...
. http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=60&letter=K&search=kallah.
For each year's convention of the Kallah, a treatise of the Mishnah
Mishnah
The Mishnah or Mishna is the first major written redaction of the Jewish oral traditions called the "Oral Torah". It is also the first major work of Rabbinic Judaism. It was redacted c...
was written forming the subject of explanation and discussion at the convention, according to Ta'an. 10b (see R. Hananeel in Kohut, l.c. iv. 227b). cites opinions attributing authorship to either Jehudai Gaon (8th century) or to Eliezer ben Hyrcanus (c.100 CE) with later additions and redaction.
The regular Kallah conventions concerned issues related to marriage, chastity, and moral purity. The subject matter was largely taken from the Babylonian Talmud
In the land of Israel
Land of Israel
The Land of Israel is the Biblical name for the territory roughly corresponding to the area encompassed by the Southern Levant, also known as Canaan and Palestine, Promised Land and Holy Land. The belief that the area is a God-given homeland of the Jewish people is based on the narrative of the...
there was no Kallah. A. Schwarz (Jahrbuch für Jüdische Gesch. und Litteratur, 1899, ii. 102) claims that this cannot be asserted with certainty, but available historical records show that the Kallah was purely an institution practiced during the Babylonian captivity.
Origins of Yarchei Kallah
The Mishnaic Hebrew word Yarchei (sing. Yareiach) means "months." The word literally is translated as "moons." The source for this common Mishnaic term is the fact that Jewish months are based on the lunar cycle.The word Kallah is always written with ה as in כלה, the Hebrew word for "bride"; but the manner in which this meaning has been connected with a convention of teachers (Levy, Neuhebr. Wörterbuch, ii. 321) has not been satisfactorily explained. Perhaps the word is merely another form of the Aramaic כללא = "totality," although this word never occurs in traditional literature as a designation for a collection or assembly of people. It may be connected also with the Aramaic כלילא = "garland," the assembly of teachers being thought of as a garland adorning the academy (comp. "Ḥazi ha-Goren" and "Kerem" as designations of the circle which the Sanhedrin formed). In Latin, also, "corona" means "circle," "assembly." Kohut (Aruch Completum, iv. 428a) has a similar explanation, although he adds an incorrect comparison with a Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
word.
The importance of the Kallah Convention (referred to under another name) is extolled in the Midrash Tanḥuma (Noaḥ
Noach (parsha)
Noach or Noah is the second weekly Torah portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading. It constitutes Genesis . Jews read it on the second Sabbath after Simchat Torah, generally in October or November....
, § 3): "God has appointed the two academies ["yeshibot"] for the good of Israel. In them day and night are devoted to the study of the Torah
Torah
Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five books of the bible—Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers and Deuteronomy Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five...
; and thither come the scholars from all places twice a year, in Adar
Adar
Adar is the sixth month of the civil year and the twelfth month of the ecclesiastical year on the Hebrew calendar. It is a winter month of 29 days...
and Elul
Elul
Elul is the twelfth month of the Jewish civil year and the sixth month of the ecclesiastical year on the Hebrew calendar. It is a summer month of 29 days...
, and associate with one another in discussions on the Torah." The greater the attendance at the convention, the greater was the renown of the academy. Hence Abaye
Abaye
Abaye was a rabbi of the Jewish Talmud who lived in Babylonia [בבל], known as an amora [אמורא] born about the close of the third century; died 339 . His father, Kaylil, was the brother of Rabbah bar Nachmani, a teacher at the Academy of Pumbedita. Abaye's real name was Nachmani, after his...
says (Ber.
Berakhot (Talmud)
Berachot is the first tractate of Seder Zeraim, a collection of the Mishnah that primarily deals with laws relating to plants and farming...
6b): "The most important part of the Kallah is a crowd." There was a saying in Babylonia
Babylonia
Babylonia was an ancient cultural region in central-southern Mesopotamia , with Babylon as its capital. Babylonia emerged as a major power when Hammurabi Babylonia was an ancient cultural region in central-southern Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq), with Babylon as its capital. Babylonia emerged as...
that whoever dreamed of going into a forest would become president of the Kallah (the Kallah being likened to a forest).
External links
- Jewish Encyclopedia article on Kallah, by Richard Gottheil and Wilhelm BacherWilhelm BacherWilhelm Bacher was a Jewish Hungarian scholar, rabbi, Orientalist and linguist, born in Liptó-Szent-Miklós, Hungary to the Hebrew writer Simon Bacher. Wilhelm was himself an incredibly prolific writer, authoring or co-authoring approximately 750 works in an unfortunately short life...
.