Page "Abbahu" Paragraph 10

Abbahu made a notable exception with reference to the Tosefta's statement that the Gilionim ( Evangels ) and other books of the Mineans are not to be saved from a conflagration on Sabbath: " the books written by minnims for controversies may or may not be saved " ( Shab.

116a ).

Of special historical interest is the observation of Abbahu in regard to the benediction " Baruk Shem Kebod Malkuto " ( Blessed be the Name of His glorious Kingdom ) after the " Shema ' Yisrael ," that in Palestine, where the Christians look for points of controversy, the words should be recited aloud ( lest the Jews be accused of tampering with the unity of God proclaimed in the Shema '), whereas in the Babylonian city of Nehardea, where there are no Christians, the words are recited with a low voice ( Pesahim 56a ).

Preaching directly against the Christian dogma, Abbahu says: " A king of flesh and blood may have a father, a brother, or a son to share in or dispute his sovereignty, but the Lord saith, ' I am the Lord thy God!

I am the first ; that is, I have no father, and I am the last ; that is, I have no brother, and besides me there is no God ; that is, I have no son '" ( Isaiah 44: 6 ; Ex.

R. 29 ).

His comment on Numbers 23: 19 has a still more polemical tone: “ God is not a man that he should lie ; neither the son of man, that he should repent ; < font face =" times new roman " size = 3 > if a man says: ‘ I am a god ’ he is a liar ; if he says: ‘ I am a son of man ’ he will have cause to regret it ; and if he says, ‘ I will go up to heaven ’ he has said but will not keep his word ” last phrase is borrowed from B ' midbar 23: 19 ( Yer.

Ta ' anit, folio 9a, chapter II, halachah 1, end ).</ font >