URashi—Umhlaziyi WeBhayibheli Onethonya

IYIPHI enye yezincwadi zokuqala ezanyatheliswa ngesiHeberu? Incwadi ehlaziya iPentateuch (izincwadi ezinhlanu zikaMose). Yanyatheliswa eReggio Calabria, e-Italy, ngo-1475. Kwakungubani umlobi wayo? Kwakuyindoda eyaziwa ngokuthi uRashi.

Kungani le ncwadi yayihlonishwa ngokukhetheke kangaka? Encwadini yakhe ethi Rashi—The Man and His World, u-Esra Shereshevsky uthi incwadi yokuhlaziya kaRashi “yaba incwadi eyinhloko ekhaya lomJuda nasendlini yokutadisha. Ayikho enye incwadi yamaJuda eyake yaziswa kangaka . . . Kunezincwadi zokuhlaziya ezingaphezu kuka-200 ezaziwayo ezikhuluma ngokuqondile ngencwadi kaRashi yokuhlaziya iPentateuch.”

Ingabe ngamaJuda kuphela aye athintwa incwadi yokuhlaziya kaRashi? Nakuba iningi lingakuqondi lokhu, incwadi kaRashi yokuhlaziya imiBhalo YesiHeberu iye yaba nethonya ezinguqulweni zeBhayibheli amakhulu eminyaka. Kodwa wayengubani uRashi, futhi waba kanjani nethonya elingako?

Wayengubani URashi?

URashi wazalelwa eTroyes, eFrance, ngonyaka ka-1040.a Eseyinsizwa, wafunda ezikoleni zenkolo zamaJuda eWorms naseMainz eRhineland. Lapho wafundiswa ezinye zezazi ezivelele zamaJuda eYurophu. Lapho eneminyaka engaba ngu-25 ubudala, izimo zakhe zenza kwadingeka abuyele eTroyes. Njengoba kakade ayesamukelwa njengesazi esivelele, uRashi washeshe waba umholi wenkolo womphakathi wamaJuda endawo futhi wasungula esakhe isikole senkolo. Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, lesi sikhungo esisha semfundo yobuJuda saba nethonya elikhulu kunezabafundisi bakaRashi baseJalimane.

Ngaleso sikhathi amaJuda aseFrance ayenokuthula nokuzwana nomakhelwane bawo ababezibiza ngamaKristu, okwenza uRashi wakwazi ukuphishekela imfundo yakhe yezazi ngokukhululekile. Nokho, wayengesona isazi esizigodlile. Nakuba ayenesikhundla esiphambili njengoba ayenguthisha nothisha-nhloko wesikole, uRashi wayeziphilisa ngokwenza iwayini. Lokhu kuyazi kahle imisebenzi evamile kwamenza wasondelana namaJuda avamile, kwamsiza ukuba awaqonde futhi azwelane nawo ezimweni zawo. Indawo iTroyes eyayikuyo nayo yaba nesandla ekuzuzeni kukaRashi ukuqonda. Njengoba leli dolobha lalisemzileni oyinhloko wezohwebo, laliyisikhungo sezizwe zonke, futhi lokhu kwenza uRashi wajwayelana nezindlela zokuziphatha namasiko ezizwe ezihlukahlukene.

Kungani Kwakudingeka Incwadi Yokuhlaziya?

AmaJuda ayaziwa ngokuthi abantu bencwadi. Kodwa leyo “ncwadi”—iBhayibheli—yayibhalwe ngesiHeberu, futhi “abantu” base bekhuluma isi-Arabhu, isiFulentshi, isiJalimane, iSpanishi nezinye izilimi eziningi. Nakuba amaJuda amaningi ayesafundiswa isiHeberu kusukela esemancane, kwakunezinkulumo eziningi zeBhayibheli ayengaziqondi. Ngaphezu kwalokho, phakathi namakhulu eminyaka kwaba noshintsho olunamandla ebuJudeni baworabi, olwenza abantu bayeka ukuhlola incazelo engokoqobo yombhalo weBhayibheli. Kwakunemifanekiso nemilando eminingi ephathelene namagama namavesi athile eBhayibheli. Okuningi kwalokho kanye nezindaba kwalotshwa kwaba imiqulu, eyabizwa ngokuthi iMidrash seyiyonke.b

Umzukulu kaRashi, uRabi Samuel ben Meir (uRashbam), naye wayeyisazi seBhayibheli. Emazwini akhe okuhlaziya uGenesise 37:2, wathi “abahlaziyi bakudala [bangaphambi kukaRashi] . . . babethambekele ekunikezeni izintshumayelo (derashot), ababezibheka njengeziwumgomo obaluleke kakhulu, [kodwa] babengajwayele ukufuna incazelo ejulile engokoqobo yombhalo weBhayibheli.” Ephawula ngalokhu kuthambekela, uDkt. A. Cohen (umhleli oyinhloko we-Soncino Books of the Bible) uyabhala: “Kuyiqiniso ukuthi oRabi babeka umthetho wokuthi akukho ncazelo engahambisani ne-peshat noma incazelo esobala yombhalo okwakufanele yamukelwe; kodwa lapho benza izinto babengawushayi mkhuba lo mthetho.” Esimweni esinjalo esingokwenkolo, umJuda ovamile wayezizwa engaqiniseki lapho ehlola umbhalo weBhayibheli, abese eba nomuzwa wokuthi udinga ithuluzi elichazayo.

Umgomo Nezindlela ZikaRashi

Umgomo uRashi ayenawo ekuphileni kwakhe wawuwukwenza imiBhalo YesiHeberu iqondakale kuwo wonke amaJuda. Ukuze afeze lokhu, waqala ukuqoqa izincwadi zamaphuzu aphathelene namagama kanye namavesi athile ayenomuzwa wokuthi ayezoba nzima kumfundi. Amaphuzu kaRashi ayephawula izincazelo zothisha bakhe futhi anikeze nolwazi lwakhe olubanzi olubonisa ukuqonda ngokuphelele izincwadi zorabi. URashi wahlola yonke imithombo eyayitholakala lapho ecwaninga ngolimi. Wanakekela indlela izimpawu zokuphimisela zamaMasorete ezithinta ngayo indlela umbhalo oqondwa ngayo. Ukuze ikhanyise incazelo yegama, incwadi yakhe ehlaziya iPentateuch ngokuvamile ibhekisela enguqulweni yesi-Aramu (iTargum ka-Onkelos). URashi wabonisa ukuguquguquka nokuhlakanipha lapho ehlola ezinye izindlela ezingakaze zihlolwe ezingase zisetshenziswe ekuchazeni imibekwa-phambili, izihlanganiso, izenzo kanye nezinye izici zokuhlelwa kolimi nokwamagama. Lokho kuhlaziya kwakhe kwaba usizo olubalulekile ekuqondeni ukuhlelwa kwamagama nokolimi olimini lwesiHeberu.

Ngokuphambene nesimo esasivamile ebuJudeni baworabi, uRashi wayefuna njalo ukuqokomisa incazelo elula nengokoqobo yombhalo. Kodwa zazingenakushaywa indiva nezinye izincwadi eziningi zeMidrash, ezazaziwa kakhulu amaJuda. Isici esikhangayo sencwadi yokuhlaziya kaRashi indlela abhekisela ngayo kuzo kanye lezi zincwadi zeMidrash ngokuvamile ezazisonte incazelo engokoqobo yombhalo weBhayibheli.

Lapho ephawula ngoGenesise 3:8, uRashi uyachaza: “Kunama-Midrash e-aggadahc amaningi iZazi zethu eseziwahlele ngokufanelekile kuyi-Bereshit Rabbah nakwamanye amaqoqo emibhalo yeMidrash. Nokho, mina ngikhathazeka ngokukhethekile ngencazelo eqondile (peshat) yevesi, nangama-aggadah anjengalawo achaza ukulandisa okungokomBhalo ngokomongo wako.” Ngokukhetha nokulungisa kuphela lawo maMidrash ngokombono wakhe asizayo ekucaciseni incazelo noma umongo wevesi, uRashi wakhipha, noma, akazange awafake, amaMidrash abangela ukuba kube nokuphikisana noma ukudideka. Ngenxa yalokho kulungisa, izizukulwane zamaJuda ezalandela zajwayela kakhulu iMidrash yezinga eliphezulu eyakhethwa uRashi.

Nakuba ayebatusa kakhulu othisha bakhe, uRashi wayengangabazi ukuphikisana nabo lapho enomuzwa wokuthi izincazelo zabo ziphikisana nomqondo osobala wombhalo. Lapho kunendinyana ayengayiqondi noma anomuzwa wokuthi ngaphambili wayeyichaze ngokungeyikho, wayezimisela ukukuvuma lokhu, aze asho nezenzakalo lapho abafundi bakhe basiza khona ekulungiseni indlela ayeqonda ngayo.

Wathonywa Isikhathi Ayephila Kuso

URashi wayehambisana kakhulu nesikhathi ayephila kuso. Omunye umlobi wakufingqa ngale ndlela: “Umnikelo omkhulu [uRashi] awenza ekuphileni kwamaJuda kwakuwukuchaza kabusha zonke izindinyana ezisemqoka ngolimi lwangesikhathi ayephila ngaso, ngolimi olucacile noluqondakalayo, ngemfudumalo nangozwela, ngekhono nangokuhlakanipha okungavamile, kangangokuthi izincwadi zakhe zokuhlaziya zahlonishwa njengemibhalo futhi zaba izincwadi ezithandwayo. URashi wabhala isiHeberu njengokungathi ubhala isiFulentshi, ebhala ngobuhlakani nangendlela ehloniphekile. Njalo lapho entula igama lesiHeberu eliqondile, wayesebenzisa igama lesiFulentshi, alibhale ngezinhlamvu zesiHeberu.” La magama abhalwe ngesiHeberu—uRashi asebenzisa angu-3 500 awo—aye aba umthombo owusizo kubafundi abatadisha ulimi lwesiFulentshi Sakudala nendlela esiphimiselwa ngayo.

Nakuba uRashi ekuqaleni ayephila ngaphansi kwesimo esinokuthula, eminyakeni yamuva yokuphila kwakhe kwanda izingxabano phakathi kwamaJuda nalabo ababethi bangamaKristu. Ngo-1096 iMpi Yokuqala Yenkolo yachitha imiphakathi yamaJuda aseRhineland, lapho uRashi ayefunde khona. Izinkulungwane zamaJuda zabulawa. Kubonakala sengathi izindaba eziphathelene nalokho kubulawa kwabantu zaba nomphumela empilweni kaRashi (eyaya ngokuya iwohloka kwaze kwaba sekufeni kwakhe ngo-1105). Kusukela ngaleso sikhathi kuqhubeke, kwaba noshintsho oluphawulekayo ezincwadini zakhe zokuhlaziya imiBhalo. Isibonelo esivelele ngesika-Isaya isahluko 53, okhuluma ngenceku kaJehova ehluphekayo. Ngaphambili, uRashi wayesebenzise lo mbhalo kuMesiya, njengoba kwenza iTalmud. Kodwa kubonakala sengathi ngemva kweZimpi Zenkolo, wacabanga ukuthi la mavesi ayebhekisela kumaJuda abhekana nokuhlupheka ngokungafanele. Kwaba yilapho lapho kwashintsha khona indlela yamaJuda yokuchaza le mibhalo.d Ngakho, ukuziphatha kweLobukholwa okungavumelani nobuKristu kwenza abaningi, kuhlanganise namaJuda, bafulathela iqiniso eliphathelene noJesu.—Mathewu 7:16-20; 2 Petru 2:1, 2.

Wakuthonya Kanjani Ukuhunyushwa KweBhayibheli?

Ngokushesha, ithonya likaRashi ladlulela ngalé kobuJuda. Umhlaziyi weBhayibheli ongumFulentshi wehlelo likaFrancis uNicholas KaLyra (1270-1349) wabhekisela ngokuphindaphindiwe emibonweni ‘kaRabi Solomon [uRashi]’ kangangokuthi wethiwa ngokuthi “uMlingisi KaSolomon.” Abahlaziyi abaningi nabahumushi babe sebethonywa uLyra, kuhlanganise nalabo abandulela abahumushi be-King James Version yesiNgisi nomshisekeli wezinguquko uMartin Luther, owashintsha ngokuphelele ukuhunyushwa kweBhayibheli eJalimane. ULuther wancika kakhulu kuLyra kangangokuthi kwaba nesisho esithi: “Ukube uLyra akazange ashaye ihabhu, ngabe uLuther akadansanga.”

URashi wathonywa kakhulu umcabango worabi ongavumelani neqiniso lobuKristu. Nokho, ngokuqonda kwakhe ngokujulile amagama esiHeberu aseBhayibhelini, ukuhlelwa kwamazwi nolimi, kanye nomzamo wakhe oqhubekayo wokuqonda incazelo esobala nengokoqobo yombhalo, uRashi unikeza abacwaningi nabahumushi beBhayibheli umthombo onengqondo wokuqhathanisa.

[Imibhalo yaphansi]

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 26]

Text: Per gentile concessione del Ministero dei Beni Culturali e Ambientali