Torah & Judaism For Today's World
CURIOUS ANECDOTE - Discovered in an Ancient Yemenite Prayer Book
CURIOUS ANECDOTE
We owe a great deal of respect and thanks for Rabbi Yehiya Bashiri who brought down this extraordinary and curious excerpt in his Baladi-rite Prayer Book.
From that ancient testimony found written in Yehiya Bashiri's Yemenite Baladi-rite Siddur (Prayer Book) (towards end of Microfilm # 26787 at the Hebrew University, or Microfilm # 1219 at the Ben Tzvi Institute), Simon Peter had forsaken the Christian religion at some time following Jesus' death, and he went off to live in Babylon. However, when he returned on a visit to the land of Israel, he was compelled by the local gentile inhabitants (those who were Christians and who controlled access to the Temple Mount) to remain amongst them in their own country, and not to return to Babylon. They had threatened him by saying that they would prevent Jews from entering the Temple Mount if he would refuse to do so.
The excerpt is here copied down as it appears in that handwritten manuscript. A translation follows:
והיה בבבל חכם גדול וראש סנהדרין ושמו שמעון כיפה. ולמה נקרא שמו שמעון כיפה שהיה עומד על האבן שנתנבא עליה יחזקאל והוא בנהר כבר והיתה האבן רועשת וצד האבן נענה ואומר בת קול נענה מן השמים לשמעון כיפה כיון ששמעו נצרים כך בבית המקדש ששמעון כיפה משתמש בבת קול ויש בו חכמה עד אין חקר ואין מספר והיו מתקנאין בישראל שאין בישראל כמותו. הכניס הקב"ה בלבו של שמעון כיפה עצה שיעלה לירושלם. כיון שעלה לירושלם והתפלל שם בחג הסכות נתקבצו אגמוטס והישיש הגדול של נצרים ובאו אצל שמעון כיפה להר הזיתים ביום הושענא. כיון שראו חכמתו אמרו נתיעץ ביחד ולא נניח כמות זה שיהיה בישראל. החזיקו בידו ואמרו לו לא נניחך שתחזור לבבל ותהיה עם היהודים אלא חזור עמנו ותהיה נצרי כמותינו ואנחנו נעשך ראש לכל הנצרים. אמר להם לא אניח דין ישראל. אמרו לו אם לא תחזור לדין נצרים אנו נהרוג אותך ונהרוג כל יהודי שיכנס למקדש. כשראו כך נתקבצו ונתחננו לו ואמרו לו אין עליך בזה הדבר כלום אשמה ועון. חזור עמהן ותהיה לישראל מושיע ותעשה ברוב חכמתך. כיון שראה שהגזירה קשה על ישראל חזר עם הנצרים ואמר להם אני חוזר לדינכם על מנת שלא תכו ולא תהרגו יהודי הבא בבית המקדש ולא תמנעום מן הזיתים. קבל הישיש עם שאר הנצרים אלו התנאים ושלא ימנעו יהודי מבית המקדש. ועוד התנה עליהם שיבנו לו מגדל גבוה ויכנס בתוכו ולא יאכל בעולם לא בשר ולא דבר אחר אלא לחם ומים לבד ואני אהיה מוריד (לרם) [לכם] קופה בחבל ותנו לי לחם בתוכה וכל כך עשה שלא יטמא במאכלם ולא ישתחוה לצלם. לאחר כך עשה סדור תפלות קרובוצות לכל השנה ויוצרות ומוספין על שמו כשם שעשה ר' אליעזר ביר' קילר. ושלח וקיבץ זקני ישראל וא"ל בבקשה מכם שתקחו ממני זה הסידור ותשלחוהו לבבל לראשי ישיבות אם ייטב בעיניהם ילמדוהו לחזנים ויתפללו בו כדי שיזכר שמי עמהם. שלחו אותו לר' נתן דצוציתא שהיה ראש גלות והראהו לראשי ישיבות ולסנהדרין ואמרו טוב הוא. ואמרו לזקנים קחו אותו ולמדוהו כל מי שרוצה יתפלל בו עד היום הזה. והיו מתפללין בו כל שבת וזה שמעון כיפה הוא שקורין אותו הנשטורין פטרוס. זה השלמת מעשה ישו. של ישו בן פנדירא דכפר באלהא רבא ואטעי עלמא בתרוי.
[Translation]:
"…Now there was in Babylon a great wise man and the head of the Sanhedrin, and his name was Simon Caipha. Now why was he called Simon Caipha? Because he used to stand upon the rock which Ezekiel prophesied upon when he was on the River Chabar, and the stone would shake [as if there was an earth quake] and one side of the stone would answer [him] and they would say the 'bath kol' (a heavenly voice) had answered Simon Caipha out of heaven. When the Nazoraeans heard this in the Temple precincts that Simon Peter (lit. Caipha) had recourse to the 'bath kol' (a heavenly voice), and that he was endowed with wisdom beyond compare, they became jealous of Israel, for there was no one in Israel like unto him. The Holy One, blessed be He, had put within the heart of Simon Caipha counsel to go up to Jerusalem. When he had come up to Jerusalem and prayed there on the Feast of Tabernacles (Heb. Hag Hasukkoth), there came together Agmost and the great elder of the Nazoraeans, and went unto Simon Caipha to the Mount of Olives during [the last day of the feast, known as] Hoshanna. When they had seen his wisdom, they said unto him: Let us take counsel together, for we will not let aught that is like unto this remain amongst [the people of] Israel [which live abroad]. They held fast his hand and said to him: We will not let you return to Babylon and to be with the Jews [there]. Rather, come back unto us and be a Nazoraean like us, and we will make you the chief of all the Nazoraeans. He said unto them: I shall not leave the religion of Israel. They said to him: If you do not return to the religion of the Nazoraeans, we will kill you and will kill every Jew that enters the Temple precincts. When they [of Israel] saw that things came to that, they gathered themselves together and pleaded with him, saying: You have nothing to fear about this matter, neither guilt nor iniquity. Go back to them and be for Israel as a saver of life, and do according to thy abundant wisdom. When he saw that the decree was hard upon Israel, he went back to the Nazoraeans and said to them: I am coming back to your religion on the condition that you do not smite or kill a single Jew that comes to the Temple precincts, neither hold-back from them their olives. The elder accepted of his conditions, as well as the other Nazoraeans, that they not prevent a Jew from entering the Temple precincts. He also made with them another stipulation that they should build for him a high tower, into which he would go, and that he would not eat in this world flesh or anything else besides bread and water alone, [saying] that I will lower down for you a basket by a rope and put therein for me bread. Now he did all this so that he might not be defiled by their foods, neither bow down to a graven image.
Afterwards, he made a Prayer Book (siddur tefillloth) of liturgies for the entire year, as well as the 'yotzer' verses and 'Musaf' prayers, under [the acrostics] of his name, just as Eleazar the son of Rabbi Killir did, and sent and gathered together the elders of Israel and said to them: I beseech thee that you take from me this Prayer Book (Siddur), and send it to Babylon, to the heads of the academies there. If it should be pleasing in their sight, let them teach it to their [synagogue] cantors, and pray in it, so that my name might be remembered amongst them. They then sent it to Rabbi Nathan of Susitha, who was the Exilarch [at that time], and he showed it to the heads of the academies and to the Sanhedrin (the council or assembly of judges), and they said that it was good. They then said to the elders: Take it and learn it. Anyone who wishes let him pray in it. [And thus we have it] to this very day. Now they would pray in it each Sabbath day. Now this Simon Caipha, he it is that is called by the Nestorians 'Peter' (Petros)…"
This extraordinary excerpt explains why Rabbi Simcha (a disciple of RASHI's), in his "Mahzor Vitri" (Section on the Passover Haggadah where he writes about "Birkas Hashir") mentions a common belief in his days that Simon Peter had written the liturgy known as "Nishmath Kol Hai" (The Breath of Every Living Thing), read by us each Sabbath morning in the synagogues. He, thinking that Simon Peter had never abdicated from that religion which is built upon falsehoods, derides Simon Peter in harsh terms by calling him "Peter Hamor" – which is a play on words. Peter, in Greek, means "rock." "Peter Hamor," in Hebrew, means "the firstborn of a donkey." Rabbi Simcha goes on to say that anyone who says that Simon Peter wrote "Nishmath Kol Hai" will, when the Temple is rebuilt, have to bring for his atonement a fat sin-offering!
What he failed to realize was that Simon Peter was no longer a deceived Christian, but rather a law-abiding Jew following the teachings and practices of Israel.
David
We owe a great deal of respect and thanks for Rabbi Yehiya Bashiri who brought down this extraordinary and curious excerpt in his Baladi-rite Prayer Book.
From that ancient testimony found written in Yehiya Bashiri's Yemenite Baladi-rite Siddur (Prayer Book) (towards end of Microfilm # 26787 at the Hebrew University, or Microfilm # 1219 at the Ben Tzvi Institute), Simon Peter had forsaken the Christian religion at some time following Jesus' death, and he went off to live in Babylon. However, when he returned on a visit to the land of Israel, he was compelled by the local gentile inhabitants (those who were Christians and who controlled access to the Temple Mount) to remain amongst them in their own country, and not to return to Babylon. They had threatened him by saying that they would prevent Jews from entering the Temple Mount if he would refuse to do so.
The excerpt is here copied down as it appears in that handwritten manuscript. A translation follows:
והיה בבבל חכם גדול וראש סנהדרין ושמו שמעון כיפה. ולמה נקרא שמו שמעון כיפה שהיה עומד על האבן שנתנבא עליה יחזקאל והוא בנהר כבר והיתה האבן רועשת וצד האבן נענה ואומר בת קול נענה מן השמים לשמעון כיפה כיון ששמעו נצרים כך בבית המקדש ששמעון כיפה משתמש בבת קול ויש בו חכמה עד אין חקר ואין מספר והיו מתקנאין בישראל שאין בישראל כמותו. הכניס הקב"ה בלבו של שמעון כיפה עצה שיעלה לירושלם. כיון שעלה לירושלם והתפלל שם בחג הסכות נתקבצו אגמוטס והישיש הגדול של נצרים ובאו אצל שמעון כיפה להר הזיתים ביום הושענא. כיון שראו חכמתו אמרו נתיעץ ביחד ולא נניח כמות זה שיהיה בישראל. החזיקו בידו ואמרו לו לא נניחך שתחזור לבבל ותהיה עם היהודים אלא חזור עמנו ותהיה נצרי כמותינו ואנחנו נעשך ראש לכל הנצרים. אמר להם לא אניח דין ישראל. אמרו לו אם לא תחזור לדין נצרים אנו נהרוג אותך ונהרוג כל יהודי שיכנס למקדש. כשראו כך נתקבצו ונתחננו לו ואמרו לו אין עליך בזה הדבר כלום אשמה ועון. חזור עמהן ותהיה לישראל מושיע ותעשה ברוב חכמתך. כיון שראה שהגזירה קשה על ישראל חזר עם הנצרים ואמר להם אני חוזר לדינכם על מנת שלא תכו ולא תהרגו יהודי הבא בבית המקדש ולא תמנעום מן הזיתים. קבל הישיש עם שאר הנצרים אלו התנאים ושלא ימנעו יהודי מבית המקדש. ועוד התנה עליהם שיבנו לו מגדל גבוה ויכנס בתוכו ולא יאכל בעולם לא בשר ולא דבר אחר אלא לחם ומים לבד ואני אהיה מוריד (לרם) [לכם] קופה בחבל ותנו לי לחם בתוכה וכל כך עשה שלא יטמא במאכלם ולא ישתחוה לצלם. לאחר כך עשה סדור תפלות קרובוצות לכל השנה ויוצרות ומוספין על שמו כשם שעשה ר' אליעזר ביר' קילר. ושלח וקיבץ זקני ישראל וא"ל בבקשה מכם שתקחו ממני זה הסידור ותשלחוהו לבבל לראשי ישיבות אם ייטב בעיניהם ילמדוהו לחזנים ויתפללו בו כדי שיזכר שמי עמהם. שלחו אותו לר' נתן דצוציתא שהיה ראש גלות והראהו לראשי ישיבות ולסנהדרין ואמרו טוב הוא. ואמרו לזקנים קחו אותו ולמדוהו כל מי שרוצה יתפלל בו עד היום הזה. והיו מתפללין בו כל שבת וזה שמעון כיפה הוא שקורין אותו הנשטורין פטרוס. זה השלמת מעשה ישו. של ישו בן פנדירא דכפר באלהא רבא ואטעי עלמא בתרוי.
[Translation]:
"…Now there was in Babylon a great wise man and the head of the Sanhedrin, and his name was Simon Caipha. Now why was he called Simon Caipha? Because he used to stand upon the rock which Ezekiel prophesied upon when he was on the River Chabar, and the stone would shake [as if there was an earth quake] and one side of the stone would answer [him] and they would say the 'bath kol' (a heavenly voice) had answered Simon Caipha out of heaven. When the Nazoraeans heard this in the Temple precincts that Simon Peter (lit. Caipha) had recourse to the 'bath kol' (a heavenly voice), and that he was endowed with wisdom beyond compare, they became jealous of Israel, for there was no one in Israel like unto him. The Holy One, blessed be He, had put within the heart of Simon Caipha counsel to go up to Jerusalem. When he had come up to Jerusalem and prayed there on the Feast of Tabernacles (Heb. Hag Hasukkoth), there came together Agmost and the great elder of the Nazoraeans, and went unto Simon Caipha to the Mount of Olives during [the last day of the feast, known as] Hoshanna. When they had seen his wisdom, they said unto him: Let us take counsel together, for we will not let aught that is like unto this remain amongst [the people of] Israel [which live abroad]. They held fast his hand and said to him: We will not let you return to Babylon and to be with the Jews [there]. Rather, come back unto us and be a Nazoraean like us, and we will make you the chief of all the Nazoraeans. He said unto them: I shall not leave the religion of Israel. They said to him: If you do not return to the religion of the Nazoraeans, we will kill you and will kill every Jew that enters the Temple precincts. When they [of Israel] saw that things came to that, they gathered themselves together and pleaded with him, saying: You have nothing to fear about this matter, neither guilt nor iniquity. Go back to them and be for Israel as a saver of life, and do according to thy abundant wisdom. When he saw that the decree was hard upon Israel, he went back to the Nazoraeans and said to them: I am coming back to your religion on the condition that you do not smite or kill a single Jew that comes to the Temple precincts, neither hold-back from them their olives. The elder accepted of his conditions, as well as the other Nazoraeans, that they not prevent a Jew from entering the Temple precincts. He also made with them another stipulation that they should build for him a high tower, into which he would go, and that he would not eat in this world flesh or anything else besides bread and water alone, [saying] that I will lower down for you a basket by a rope and put therein for me bread. Now he did all this so that he might not be defiled by their foods, neither bow down to a graven image.
Afterwards, he made a Prayer Book (siddur tefillloth) of liturgies for the entire year, as well as the 'yotzer' verses and 'Musaf' prayers, under [the acrostics] of his name, just as Eleazar the son of Rabbi Killir did, and sent and gathered together the elders of Israel and said to them: I beseech thee that you take from me this Prayer Book (Siddur), and send it to Babylon, to the heads of the academies there. If it should be pleasing in their sight, let them teach it to their [synagogue] cantors, and pray in it, so that my name might be remembered amongst them. They then sent it to Rabbi Nathan of Susitha, who was the Exilarch [at that time], and he showed it to the heads of the academies and to the Sanhedrin (the council or assembly of judges), and they said that it was good. They then said to the elders: Take it and learn it. Anyone who wishes let him pray in it. [And thus we have it] to this very day. Now they would pray in it each Sabbath day. Now this Simon Caipha, he it is that is called by the Nestorians 'Peter' (Petros)…"
This extraordinary excerpt explains why Rabbi Simcha (a disciple of RASHI's), in his "Mahzor Vitri" (Section on the Passover Haggadah where he writes about "Birkas Hashir") mentions a common belief in his days that Simon Peter had written the liturgy known as "Nishmath Kol Hai" (The Breath of Every Living Thing), read by us each Sabbath morning in the synagogues. He, thinking that Simon Peter had never abdicated from that religion which is built upon falsehoods, derides Simon Peter in harsh terms by calling him "Peter Hamor" – which is a play on words. Peter, in Greek, means "rock." "Peter Hamor," in Hebrew, means "the firstborn of a donkey." Rabbi Simcha goes on to say that anyone who says that Simon Peter wrote "Nishmath Kol Hai" will, when the Temple is rebuilt, have to bring for his atonement a fat sin-offering!
What he failed to realize was that Simon Peter was no longer a deceived Christian, but rather a law-abiding Jew following the teachings and practices of Israel.
David
Tags: christians, nishmas-kol-chai, nishmat-kol-chai, nishmat-kol-hai, simon-peter
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Nishmath Kol Hai – The Breath of Every Living Thing
נִשְׁמַת כָּל חַי תְּבָרֵךְ אֶת שִׁמְךָ יְיָ' אֱלֹהֵינוּ וְרוּחַ כָּל בָּשָׂר לְךָ תְפָאֵר וּתְרוֹמֵם אֶת זִכְרְךָ מַלְכֵּינוּ תָּמִיד. לְדוֹר וָדוֹר מֵעוֹלָם וְעַד עוֹלָם אַתָּה הוּא הָאֵל. וּמִבַּלְעָדֶיךָ אֵין אֱלֹהִים. וְאֵין לָנוּ מֶלֶךְ גּוֹאֵל וּמוֹשִׁיעַ בְּכָל עֵת צָרָה וְצוּקָה אֵלָא אָתָּה. פּוֹדֶה וּמַצִּיל. מְפַרְנֵיס וּמְרַחֵם. אֱלוֹהַּ כָּל הַבְּרִיּוֹת. אֲדוֹן הַתּוֹלָדוֹת. הַמְּהוּלָּל בַּתּוּשְׁבָּחוֹת. הַמַּנְהִיג עוֹלָמוֹ בְּחֶסֶד וּבִרְיוֹתָיו בְּרַחֲמִים רַבִּים. וַיְיָ' אֱלֹהִים אֶמֶת לֹא יָנוּם וְלֹא יִישָׁן. הַמְּעוֹרֵר יְשֵׁנִים הַמֵּקִיץ רְדוּמִים. סוֹמֵךְ נוֹפְלִים וְרוֹפֵא חוֹלִים. וּמַתִּיר אֲסוּרִים. וּלְךָ אֲנַחְנוּ מוֹדִים. וְאִלּוּ פִינוּ מָלֵא שִׁירָה כַיָּם וּלְשׁוֹנֵינוּ רִנָּה כַּהֲמוֹן גַּלָּיו וְשִׂפְתוֹתֵינוּ שְׁבָח כְּמֶרְחֲבֵי הָרָקִיעַ וְעֵינֵינוּ מְאִירוֹת כַּשֶּׁמֶשׁ וְכַיָּרֵחַ. וְיָדֵינוּ פְרוּשׂוֹת כְּנִשְׁרֵי שָׁמָיִם וְרַגְלֵינוּ קַלּוֹת כָּאַיָּלוֹת, אֵין אָנוּ מַסְפִּיקִין לְהוֹדוֹת לְךּ יְיָ' אֱלֹהֵינוּ וּלְבָרֵךְ אֶת שִׁמְךָ מַלְכֵּינוּ עַל אַחַת מֵאֶלֶף אַלְפֵי אֲלָפִים וְרוֹב רִיבֵּי רְבָבוֹת פְּעָמִים הַטּוֹבוֹת שֶׁעָשִׂיתָ עִמָּנוּ וְעִם אֲבוֹתֵינוּ מִלְּפָנִים. מִמִּצְרַיִם גְּאַלְתָּנוּ יְיָ' אֱלֹהֵינוּ. מִבֵּית עֲבָדִים פְּדִיתָנוּ. בָּרָעָב זַנְתָּנוּ. וּבְשָׂבָע כִלְכַּלְתָּנוּ. וּמֵחֶרֶב הִצַּלְתָּנוּ. וּמִדֶּבֶר מִלַּטְתָּנוּ. וּמֵחֳלָאִים רָעִים רַבִּים דִּלִּיתָנוּ מַלְכֵּינוּ. וְעַד הֵנָּה עֲזָרוּנוּ רַחֲמֶיךָ יְיָ' אֱלֹהֵינוּ וְלֹא עֲזָבוּנוּ חֲסָדֶיךָ. עַל כֵּן אֵיבָרִים שֶׁפִּלַּגְתָּ בָּנוּ וְרוּחַ וּנְשָׁמָה שֶׁנָּפַחְתָּ בְּאַפֵּינוּ וְלָשׁוֹן אֲשֶׁר שַׂמְתָּ בְּפִינוּ, הֵן הֶן בְּרִנָּה יוֹדוּ לְךָ וִיבָרְכוּ אֶת שִׁמְךָ יְיָ' אֱלֹהֵינוּ עַל רוֹב נִסֵּי פְלָאֶיךָ כִּי כָל פֶּה לְךָ יוֹדֶה. וְכָל לָשׁוֹן לְךָ תְשַׁבֵּחַ. וְכָל עַיִן אֵלֶיךָ תְצַפֶּה. וְכָל בֶּרֶךְ לְךָ תִכְרַע. וְכָל קוֹמָה לְפָנֶיךָ תִשְׁתַּחֲוֶה. וְכָל הַלְּבָבוֹת יִירָאוּךָ. וְהַקְּרָבִִים וְהַכְּלָיוֹת יְזַמְּרוּ לִשְׁמֶיךָ. כְּדָבָר שֶׁנֶּאֱמָר כָּל עַצְמוֹתַי תֹּאמַרְנָה יְיָ' מִי כָמוֹךָ מַצִּיל עָנִי מֵחָזָק מִמֶּנּוּ וְעָנִי וְאֶבְיוֹן מִגּוֹזְלוֹ. וְנֶאֱמָר רַנְּנוּ צַדִּיקִים בַּיְיָ' לַיְשָׁרִים נָאְוָה תְהִלָּה. בְּפִי יְשָׁרִים תִּתְרוֹמַם. וּבְדִבְרֵי צַדִּיקִים תִּתְבָּרַךְ. וּבִלְשׁוֹן כָּל חֲסִידִים תִּתְקַדָּשׁ. וּבְקֶרֶב קְדוֹשִׁים תִּתְהַלָּל. וּבְמִקְהֲלוֹת רִבְבוֹת עַמְּךָ כָל בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל יִתְפָּאַר שִׁמְךָ יְיָ' אֱלֹהֵינוּ. שֶׁכֵּן חוֹבַת כָּל הַיְצוּרִים לְפָנֶיךָ יְיָ' אֱלֹהֵינוּ. לְהוֹדוֹת לְהַלֵּל לְשַׁבֵּחַ לְפָאֶר לְרוֹמֶם לְגַדֶּל וּלְהַדֶּר. עַל כָּל דִּבְרֵי זְמִירוֹת תּוּשְׁבְּחוֹת דָּוִד בֶּן יִשַׁי עַבְדְּךּ מְשִׁיחֶךָ.
[Translation]:
The breath of every living thing shall bless Thy name, O Lord our G-d! And the spirit of all flesh shall ever glorify and extol Thy memory, O our King! For generation after generation, from everlasting unto everlasting, Thou art G-d! But for Thee, there is no G-d; neither do we have any King, Redeemer or Deliverer in all times of trouble and distress but Thee! He that redeems and rescues; He that gives sustenance and shows mercy, even the G-d of all living creatures, the Lord of all generations that were ever born! Thou art He that is extolled by their praises! He that rules His world with loving kindness and His creatures with manifold tender mercies; Now the Lord G-d is the truth, He does not slumber, neither does He sleep. Thou art He that arouses those that sleep, and awakenest those that slumber; He that upholds those that fall, who heals the sick, who loosens those that are bound; it is to Thee that we give thanks.
Were our mouths filled with song as the sea, our tongues with joyful praise as the multitude of its waves, and our lips with adoration as the spacious firmament; were our eyes radiant as the sun and the moon, and our hands spread forth like the eagles of the sky, and our feet swift as hinds, we would still be unable to thank Thee, O Lord our G-d, or to bless Thy name, our King, [as becometh Thee], be it for one measure of the thousands upon thousands, and the abundant myriads upon myriads of times which Thou hast done good unto us and unto our fathers in ages past!
From Egypt Thou didst redeem us, O Lord our G-d! From the house of bondage Thou didst ransom us! During famine Thou didst feed us, and in time of plenty Thou didst sustain us! From the sword Thou didst save us, and from pestilence Thou hast caused us to escape, and from many sore ailments Thou hast lifted us up, O our King! Hitherto, Thy tender mercies have helped us, O Lord our G-d, whilst Thy loving-kindness hast not forsaken us!
Therefore, the limbs which Thou hast fashioned in us, and the spirit and soul which Thou hast breathed into our nasals, and the tongue which Thou hast set in our mouth, lo, they, by joyous singing, shall thank Thee and shall bless Thy name, O Lord our G-d, over the abundance of Thy miraculous wonders! For every mouth shall to Thee give thanks, and every tongue shall to Thee give praise, and every eye unto Thee shall look, whilst every knee unto Thee shall bend, and all that standeth shall bow down before Thee. All hearts shall then revere Thee, and [man's] inmost being and reins shall sing to Thy name, as it is written: 'All my bones shall say: O Lord, who is like unto Thee, which deliverest the poor from him that is too strong for him, yea, the poor and the needy from him that spoileth him?' (Ps. 35:10). And it is written: 'Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright.' (Ps. 33:1).
By the mouth of the upright, be Thou exalted! By the words of the righteous, be Thou blest! By the tongue of all pious men, be Thou sanctified! And in the midst of the holy, be Thou praised! Whilst in the assemblies of the multitudes of Thy people, even the whole house of Israel, may Thy name be glorified, O Lord our G-d. For such is the duty of all creatures towards Thee, O Lord our G-d, to give thanks, to laud, to praise, to glorify, to exalt, to magnify and to honour, even beyond all the words of song and praise uttered by David, the son of Jesse, Thine anointed!
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In copying this liturgy (Nishmath Kol Hai), I have selected the most ancient of the Yemenite Prayer Books for this purpose. The Prayer Book contains Babylonian supralinear punctuation, which attests to its antiquity. While I have no doubt that Simon Peter wrote this famous liturgy, by the end of the 18th century CE, it was largely unknown by the commentators who had actually wrote the piece. Maharitz (Rabbi Yehiya Saleh), the great Yemenite exponent of Jewish law, in his commentary on the Baladi-rite Prayer Book 'Etz Hayyim,' speculated that it was perhaps Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai who wrote it, or else Rabbi Shimon the son of Pazi.
However, if we were to look in the annals of history, Epiphanius (Anacephalaiosis 15:1) wrote about the "Periodoi of Peter," or what can be translated in Aramaic as "Mahzora de Caipha," saying that it was Simon Peter who compiled the book. As we all know, Simon Peter was one of the disciples of that man who caused the world to err, yet was the "Mahzor" or "Periodoi," according to Epiphanius, used by the men of Israel in the 1st century CE. Rabbi Yohanan, disciple of Rebbe who compiled the Mishna in 189 CE, says in Pesahim 118a that the "Nishmath Kol Hai" (the famous liturgy said to be the work of the said Simon) is the "Birkas Hashir" with which we conclude the reading of the Hallel during the night of the Passover ritual.
By the way, someone pointed out to me that there is an epistle letter written to Jewish Christians, those obviously misled, living in Modern Turkey and Greece by Peter in the mid first century CE shows evidence that Simon Peter was indeed in Babylon when he wrote the letter. That epistle reads: "By Silvanus, a faithful brother as I regard him, I have written briefly to you, ... She who is at BABYLON, who is likewise chosen, sends you greetings, and so does Mark, my son."
David
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Permalink Reply by Aryeh Shore on
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Looks like a citation from Toldot Yeshu which was probably written down in the 4th century. We only have very corrupted versions. I believe the details about the Nazerenes threatening to kill Jews is probably a novel observation. Also seems dubious as such activiity was typical of later Chistians not the Jewish Christians.
You can add Rabbi Yehuda HaChasid to Rabbeinu Tam who felt that Peter was a Zadik. Rabbi Simcha is criticizing some heavy opponents.
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Beit Medresh Hagadol (collection of midrashim) has a fuller version of the story and the narrative starts with the Christians killing Jews during his time.
http://hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=2585&st=&pgnum=285
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I guess we should mention that Midrash HaGadol is a Temini collection of midrashim.
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Thanks, Aryeh, for your observations. They add to the whole picture.
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Permalink Reply by Ovadia Ben Eliahu on -
The "Nishmat Kol Chai" is mentioned in the Mishna -Pesachim 10, 7 as Birkat Hashir that in accordance to R. Ovadia Mibarteura refers to the "Nishmat Kol Chai".
This proves the antiquity of the Nishmat, is the Baladi Siddur as old as the Mishnah?
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Ovadia, Shalom!
The copy that I looked at seems to have been dated somewhere back in the early 1600's, but its liturgies and prayers attest to an old tradition. They bear the Babylonian supralinear punctuation, formerly used in Babylon, and until very recently, also in Yemen. The author of that Baladi-rite Prayer Book was Rabbi Yehiya Bashiri, who died ca. 1640 CE.
David
Ovadia Ben Eliahu said:The "Nishmat Kol Chai" is mentioned in the Mishna -Pesachim 10, 7 as Birkat Hashir that in accordance to R. Ovadia Mibarteura refers to the "Nishmat Kol Chai".
This proves the antiquity of the Nishmat, is the Baladi Siddur as old as the Mishnah?
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Permalink Reply by Ovadia Ben Eliahu on
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The Misnah colected our old traditions since Sinai, and it was recopilated much before 1600, and if the Nismat is mentioned in the Mishna -Pesachim 10:7- and Simon Peter lived after, there is logically no way that he could authored the Nishmat. By his time the Nishmat already existed.
David Ben-Abraham said:Ovadia, Shalom!
The copy that I looked at seems to have been dated somewhere back in the early 1600's, but its liturgies and prayers attest to an old tradition. They bear the Babylonian supralinear punctuation, formerly used in Babylon, and until very recently, also in Yemen. The author of that Baladi-rite Prayer Book was Rabbi Yehiya Bashiri, who died ca. 1640 CE.
David
Ovadia Ben Eliahu said:The "Nishmat Kol Chai" is mentioned in the Mishna -Pesachim 10, 7 as Birkat Hashir that in accordance to R. Ovadia Mibarteura refers to the "Nishmat Kol Chai".
This proves the antiquity of the Nishmat, is the Baladi Siddur as old as the Mishnah?
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Permalink Reply by Ovadia Ben Eliahu on
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I got to add that the mishna was recolected by the 70 CE and Simon Peter was the first Pope of the Catolic church from 30 to 64 of CE, so apparently it looks that both are parallel, but the Mishnah is a recomplitation of our old tradiitions that certainly go much before the recompliation date of the Simon Peter Pope's period this is way say that by that the time of Simon Peter and his "Maasim" as the first Catolic Pope could not originated the Nishmat.
Besides, does not appear logic that Rabenu Ha Kadosh, would look any of the Christian sources as part of our tradition.
Ovadia Ben Eliahu said:The Misnah colected our old traditions since Sinai, and it was recopilated much before 1600, and if the Nismat is mentioned in the Mishna -Pesachim 10:7- and Simon Peter lived after, there is logically no way that he could authored the Nishmat. By his time the Nishmat already existed.
David Ben-Abraham said:Ovadia, Shalom!
The copy that I looked at seems to have been dated somewhere back in the early 1600's, but its liturgies and prayers attest to an old tradition. They bear the Babylonian supralinear punctuation, formerly used in Babylon, and until very recently, also in Yemen. The author of that Baladi-rite Prayer Book was Rabbi Yehiya Bashiri, who died ca. 1640 CE.
David
Ovadia Ben Eliahu said:The "Nishmat Kol Chai" is mentioned in the Mishna -Pesachim 10, 7 as Birkat Hashir that in accordance to R. Ovadia Mibarteura refers to the "Nishmat Kol Chai".
This proves the antiquity of the Nishmat, is the Baladi Siddur as old as the Mishnah?
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Ovadia, Shalom
Rebbe Yehuda Hanassi compiled our Mishna only in the year 500 of the Seleucid Era (Year of Alexander), which same year corresponds with 189 CE. So writes Rabbi Avraham Ben-David (the RAVAD) in his Sefer Hakabbalah. In this regard, Simon Keipha (Peter) lived much earlier. He could have very well been the author of certain liturgies which found their way into our Prayer Books. This is what that Yemenite Rabbi purported.
Of course, much of what is contained in the Mishna dates back to a time of earlier traditions and teachings, some going as far back as Moshe Rabbeinu. But, again, not all of the Mishnaic teachings date back that far. Some are only enactments made by Rabbi Yohanan Ben-Zakkai after the destruction of the Temple in 68 CE.
Sincerely,
David
Ovadia Ben Eliahu said:I got to add that the mishna was recolected by the 70 CE and Simon Peter was the first Pope of the Catolic church from 30 to 64 of CE, so apparently it looks that both are parallel, but the Mishnah is a recomplitation of our old tradiitions that certainly go much before the recompliation date of the Simon Peter Pope's period this is way say that by that the time of Simon Peter and his "Maasim" as the first Catolic Pope could not originated the Nishmat.
Besides, does not appear logic that Rabenu Ha Kadosh, would look any of the Christian sources as part of our tradition.
Ovadia Ben Eliahu said:The Misnah colected our old traditions since Sinai, and it was recopilated much before 1600, and if the Nismat is mentioned in the Mishna -Pesachim 10:7- and Simon Peter lived after, there is logically no way that he could authored the Nishmat. By his time the Nishmat already existed.
David Ben-Abraham said:Ovadia, Shalom!
The copy that I looked at seems to have been dated somewhere back in the early 1600's, but its liturgies and prayers attest to an old tradition. They bear the Babylonian supralinear punctuation, formerly used in Babylon, and until very recently, also in Yemen. The author of that Baladi-rite Prayer Book was Rabbi Yehiya Bashiri, who died ca. 1640 CE.
David
Ovadia Ben Eliahu said:The "Nishmat Kol Chai" is mentioned in the Mishna -Pesachim 10, 7 as Birkat Hashir that in accordance to R. Ovadia Mibarteura refers to the "Nishmat Kol Chai".
This proves the antiquity of the Nishmat, is the Baladi Siddur as old as the Mishnah?
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Permalink Reply by Ovadia Ben Eliahu on
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Shalom David.
The RAAVAD assertion that Rabbi Yehuda Hanasi finished compiling the Mishna in the year 189 CE , has to be correct. -Rabbenu Ha Kadosh was born in 135 CE and died in 219 CE- There are conflicting views as to the exact date of his death, though.
But I respectfully disagree with your Statement that Simon Peter lived much earlier. Due to the fact that I don’t have any sources to check about Simon Keipha Peter; I have to look for Internet Sources –About.com- and this is what I found:
The years of Peter’s birth and death are unknown, but Christian tradition filled in the blanks for theological purposes. Christians believe Peter died in Rome during the persecution of Christians around 64 CE under Emperor Nero.
So from this we see that Simon peter died 70 or so years before Rabenu HaKadosh birth.
Is very well known the environment that surrounded the life of Rabbi Yehuda Ha Nasi, with Romans, Helenists, Nazarites etc. all of them with not precisely, a friendly attitude toward us.
My Question is then: Would Rabenu Hakadosh, include in the compilation of the Mishna a reference (Pesachim 10, 7) to a very principal liturgical Jewish prayer –The Nishmat - that in accordance to your source, was authored by Saint Peter, the first Christian Pope that died 70 or so years before Rabenu Ha Kadosh?
Appears to be very improbable, the lapse of time was not so long between them, to favor the possibility that Rabenu HaKadosh ignored the authorship.
And certainly because of what I have read from Christian internet sources, Peter Simon was not, by any stretch of the imagination, a repented convert to Christianity.
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