445
Bahtawi
THE JEWISH ENCYCLOPEDIA Bruna, Responsa, No. 203; Giidemann,
{Israel
J.e.
end he will
every comfort and adprivations and sufferings, his life is similar to that of the German Bahur of the fourteenth century. Such a one, probabty already developed into an expert Talmudist in his native to this
vantage.
p. 88).
The Bahurim circles of the fifteenth century contributed a peculiar form of literature, which received (he name of "Kobez" or "Likkutim" (Collection). Their poverty precluded the possession of anything an adequate supply of hooks for The Kobez. their studies; they would, therefore, remain until any hour of the night in their rabbi's library, copying into manuscript-books such portions of valuable manuscripts, lectures, and responsa as they needed, to which they added learned lemarks, gathered from all sources, and much of their own thought as well. Not a few yielded to this opportunity for plagiarism, and published their "Collections" as original; indeed, it even sometimes happened that when a rabbi availed himself of the services of some promising scholar as amanuensis, the latter covertly made a second copy of the work and proclaimed it as his own. The preceding details refer, of course, only to the like
early part of the fifteenth century. The invention printing gradually relieved the scarcity of books from the time of the Reformation the social life of
•of
the Jews became more stable and secure, though perhaps not much happier; and the itinerant life of the Bahur gradually ceased. From the middle of the sixteenth century, Talmudic study centered in Poland and there attained a development till then unequaled. The Jews in Poland were moderately prosperous as late as the Cossack persecutions (1648) and the Bahurim shared in the general happiness. In families having marriageable daughters, the poor but scholarly German Bahur became a welcome " eligible. " The annual fairs at Lemberg and Lublin, Jereslaw and Saslow were thronged by rabbis, with their most intellectually promising Bahurim, and by fathers of female candidates for matrimony and the greater the intellect on the one side, the greater the dower on the other. Nathan Hannover, an eyewitness of the Cossack persecutions, in his work "Yewen Mezulah," 11a (ed. Venice), gives the fol;
lowing description of the position of the Bahur in Poland in his time " In every congregation there are Bahurim, who receive weekly stipends to enable them to pursue their studies with the head of the yeshibah. Each Bahur took charge of two boys (just as the Christian students did in Germany), to whom they would impart instruction, and for these lads also the congregation provided meals. Nevertheless many wealthy members of the congregation considered it an honor to have the Bahur and his charges as guests at their table, although the congregation sufficiently provided for their
support." The cruel persecutions of the Polish Jews in the second half of the seventeenth century resulted in the emigration of the leading Talmudists of Poland to Germany, and with them went their Bahurim (see
Auerbach, " Gesch. der Israelitischen Gemeinde HalPoland berstadt," p. 64, concerning Hirsch Bialeh). still remained, however, the classic land for the study of the Talmud; and the Polish Bahur of 1902 can, therefore, look back upon four centuries of history in that country.
ideal of a Polish Bahur to-day is the same as of old namely, to become a thorough Talmudist, and
The
Baliurim sacrifice
As regards
town, travels to some yeshibah, or to a place where he can prosecute his studies, with others like himself, withBahur. out any teacher. In the former case he is restricted to the very limited maintenance afforded him by the 3'eshibah, the funds of which frequently barely suffice to furnish bread
The Modern
and water. Somewhat more favorable is the condition of a Bahur who settles in a town where there is no yeshibah, and who finds there many pious Jews willing to give him a " day " that is, a day's meals. This custom of feeding the Bahurim by billeting them daily upon the members of the community originated in Poland (see Nathan Hannover, I.e. 11a, and compare also W. Buchner, "Zebed ha-Melizah," la, toward the end), and spread to Germany. Through the influence of Elijah Wilna the system was abolished in most Lithuanian yeshibot, and today it is to be found only in certain towns where a few Bahurim dwell. Even in these places it is now considered a somewhat degrading mode of providing for the Bahurim (compare Bernstein, in " Ha-Shahar,
vi.
who
405, 406,
draws, however, too dark a pic-
the other hand, a man like Judah Lob Gordon can not withhold his admiration for the enthusiasm, frugality, and idealism of the yeshibah Bahur and in a truly poetical manner he compares the fate of the Babur with that of Israel in general
On
ture).
(Judah L5b Gordon, "Shire Jehudah," iii. 86, 87). In Germany, from the time of Mendelssohn, the yeshibot, with their Bahurim, rapidly grew fewer, and within the last fifty years they have entirely disappeared. Now the word "Bahur" denotes an awkward, helpless fellow who has not discarded the clumsy ways of the Ghetto. Borne calls Heine a Bahur because he "cracks jokes in a genuinely Jewish manner " while Varnhagen von Ense, in a letter to E. Gans, pays the same compliment to Bbrne in the words, " He is as genuine a Frankfort Bahur, with all the faults of one— possibly with all the virtues of one as there ever can be " (Karpeles, in the "Allg. Zeitung des Judenthums," lxv. 451, 452). Hungary contains to-day many yeshibot with their attendant Bahurim, many of whom every year enter the regular rabbinical seminaries. The proverb runs there and in other lands, " You can make anything out of a Bahur," thus indicating the fact that on leaving the yeshibah most Bahurim enter any of See the avenues of commerce or professional life. Education, Pilpul, Talmud Study, Yeshibah.
—
Bibliography: Abrahams, Jewish Life In the Middle Ages,' index; Berdyezewski, in Ha-Kcrem, pp. 70-77 Giidemann, Gesch. ies Erzielmmiswesens, iii. 58-88; idem, Qucllenzur Gesch. ties Unterriehtn.xxix. 94,105; Smolensky, Ha-TnPh be-Darke ha-Hayyim, pp. 20-39 Horowitz, Derek 'Ez ha-Hatniim Liebermann (pseudonym, A. Freeman), HaEiiiet j'SJ-ai; Pasrheles, Kroiipriltevtleiit mid Bather, bis Sippurim, v. 294-382; Low, Lehensalter, pp. 123, 124. L. G. g.
'
schriften.
m
BAHTJB, ELIJAH.
See Levita, Elijah.
Benjamin to which accompanied his wife Michal from Gallim, when she was being conducted to David at Hebron
BAHTJRIM A
Phaltiel
locality in
