See also: Rabad

Abraham Ben David de Posquières, more known in the Judaism as Rabad III (acronym of R abbenou has braham B in D avid) was a rabbi, kabbalist and philosopher of Provence of XIIe century, born with Narbonne in 1120, deceased with Posquières (France) in 1197.

Talmudist and halakhist, he studied under the supervision of Rabbanim Moshe Ben Yossef ha-Levi, Mechoulam Ben Yaaqov of Lunel and Rabad II which became his/her father-in-law and lavished a mystical teaching to him. It will follow initially their line of thought, before deviating some, with maturity, and writing its own comments on treaties mishnic and talmudic, which were so brilliant that some placed their author on the same foot as of eminent commentators like Rachi or Rif.

It is also famous for its objections (Hassagot) on the halakhic positions and the articlees of faith of Maïmonide. Its goal was not however to attack the man or to his work, nor to expose its personal opinions on the matter, but to show that a contrary opinion with that of Maïmonide remained possible, and that the critical spirit of the student owed susbsister in spite of the scale of the Master, called the Eagle of the Synagog could stop its reflection there.

He also writes treaties halakhic, in particular:

• Torat ha-Bayit on the dietetic laws
• Tamim Deim on all the practical aspects and religious affairs
• Tshouvot ouPsaqim LaRabad, decisions and responsa
• Drashah LeRosh HaShana, writings halakhic on the festivals of Roch Hachana and Yom Kippour.

It quickly becomes a rabbinical celebrity of Lunel, and directs a yeshiva to Posquières, which becomes soon most important of Provence.

Among its disciples are Rav Ytzhaq ha-Kohen of Narbonne, Rav Avraham HaYar' hi, Rav Meir of Carcassonne and R' Asher de Lunel. He also teaches the Kabbale with his son Itzhak Sagi Naor.

Its richness was the object of desire, and in of 1172, Elzéar, the Lord de Posquières obtains his arrest and emprisonnenment, fortunately broken by the count Roger II of Carcassonne, which makes banish of Carcassonne the Lord de Posquières.

Towards the end of its life, he writes Baalei ha-Nefesh, on the laws of family purity, and the construction of a Mikvé.

Abraham Ben David and Maïmonide

Contemporary of Maïmonide, Abraham Ben David was one of his more savage adversaries, but that one is not mistaken there: its goal is not déconstruire the work of the Master, but simply to show the dazzled students, as well by the historical stature of the Eagle of the Synagog as by its work, than the word of our Master Braces is not that of Moïse our Master, than an alternate opinon can and must exist.
Si this opposition appears quite naturally on the Code of Maïmonide, RABaD is opposed even more to the construction of a system of principles of laws (which could too easily become dogmas, sacrilized and solidified), in particular according to the method recommended by Maïmonide. Indeed, this one has a tendency too pronounced to make pass from the concepts aristotelicians for Juive theology.

For example, Maïmonide, in accordance with its philosophical convictions, and in total agreement with what the Judaism professes, declares that the incorporeality of God is a principle of faith of the Judaism, or, such as he formulates it, " whoever conceives that God would be a body being is a apostat" (Yad ha-Hazaqah, Teshuvah, III. 7).

RABaD, to which a certain anthropomorphic mystical design of God is not foreign, can only react to this statement. It thus annotates this formula of a short, but emphatic criticism: " Why does it call such people apostates? Men better and more valid than professed this opinion to him, for which they think of having found confirmation in the Ecritures and a confused interpretation of the Aggada. " this last sentence implies all the mistrust which has RABaD itself for this anthropomorphic vision. He wants simply to make hear that this opinion of Maïmonide, very creditable that it is, is not to set up in dogma, because for Abraham Ben David, the Judaism is a religion basing itself on facts, and not dogmas .

It is this same weighting that one finds in these others critical: although the sights of Maïmonide on the eternity of the world and the future life appear as heretics to him as the divine corporeality seemed heretic with Maïmonide, it is satisfied to indicate its divergence of opinion, without being caught some with the author (op.cit viii. 2,8).

On the other hand, Abraham Ben David is measured less when it is a question of denouncing the tendenace of Maïmonide to be made pass his own philosophical ideas under cover of passages of Talmud.

Ex: the Sorcellerie is, as well in the rabbinical Littérature as in the Tanakh, under certain conditions, an offense liable to death. As for determining which acts fall under these conditions, the opinions of Talmud strongly vary on this subject, some of its Wise not escaping always some practical superstitious, whereas others are demolished some completely. For Maïmonide the philosopher, Sorcery, Astrology, Omen S, are as many nonsenses, purely and simply. It estimates that even the actions of Eliezer (Genesis 24:14), and Jonathan (I Sam. 14:8 - 10) paid in the Writings are to be regarded as falling into these categories.

Here, RABaD is not satisfied to correct the assertion of Maïmonide, it declares expressly that from its point of view, Maïmonide would deserve to be cut off from its people for the libelous remarks expressed in connection with these biblical characters (Yad. 'Akoum, 11:4).

This example is enough to explain the driving principle of the attitude of Abraham Ben David towards Yad ha' Hazaka, which it estimated in addition itself a philosopher's stone (Kilayim, 4:2).

In addition, Abraham Ben David de Posquières, of a naturalness pious and carried to the asceticism, was one of the fathers of the modern form of the Kabbale. He frequently reported the visits of " the Holy Spirit (of Elie) delivering to him the secrecies of God during his études" (see its comments with " Yad ha' Hazakah, " Loulav, 8:5; Study Bureau ha-Be' will hira, 8:11), of great known mysteries only of the initiates (" Yesodei haTorah, " 1:10).

Abraham Ben David de Posquières was not nevertheless the enemy of sciences. One finds in his writings a strong print of studies of the Hebraic Philologie , and he encouraged the translation and the diffusion of the Devoirs of the Heart of Bahya ibn Paquda, work frankly directed towards the philosophy neoplatonician, and which, following the example Maïmonide, sharply condemned the designs anthropomorphists of Déité (what proves once again that he did not approve them itself);
Plus still, its comment with the last note of the fifth chapter of the " Hilkhot Teshouvah, " is a literal quotation of the " Musre ha-Philosophim, " of Honein Ben Isaac (pp. 11,12-or Loewenthal, p. 39, which gives only the translation of Al-Gharizi.

Abraham Ben David and Posquières

Abraham Ben David de Posquières taught and carried out its work with Posquières (today Vauvert, a village of the department of Gard located between Nimes and the sea. It had close contacts and follow-ups with the talmudists of Lunel as with those of the cities of the " Provence" and of Catalonia Jewish of its time. It is thus false to indicate Posquières as being Lunel and more still as being Nimes. Founded in IXe century by the dynasty of Rostains vassals of the counts de Toulouse, Posquières lodged a Jewish community estimated at 40 household heads (that is to say 200 to 300 individuals) per Benjamin de Tudèle at the time of his voyage in 1165. Gallia Judaica, edition of Large Henri of 1897, p445-455. Several vestiges of the life of the Jewish community of Posquières and its famous rabinnic school remain still today in Vauvert. Among emblématiques, one can note: the street of the Jews, the street of the Doctor's caps, a column of the synagog, a Hebraic tumulary inscription, etc

For fuller data on Posquières at the time of Rabad one will refer to the works and following articles of reviews:

• Guigou Emile, " A city with the country of Oc. De Posquières with Vauvert'" , Editions of implied, 1995,310p.

• Twersky Isadore, " Rabad de Posquières. A talmudist of XIIe siècle". Cambridge Near. The USA. 1962.
• Raynaud Dominique, " The toponym posquières. A case of hybridization sociolinguistique" , in Bulletin of the Company of history of Vauvert-Posquières, n°4, winter 1998, p.5-40. ISSN 1273-6805.
• Guigou Emile and Teulade Alain, " Jewish community of Posquières to XIIe century according to Gallia Judaica" , in Bulletin of the Company of history of Vauvert-Posquières, n°4, winter 1998, p.41-50
• Jean Pooch, " Posquières and the Languedocien Jewish world of the Middle Ages. Cabal and controverse" , 1994. Publication of the Company of history of Vauvert-Posquières, BP 65 30600 Vauvert.

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