the Week of Proper 28 / Ordinary 33
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Bible Encyclopedias
Eleazar B. Malai
The 1901 Jewish Encyclopedia
or Palestinian scholar of the fourth century, whose name is mentioned but once, in the Babylonian Talmud, and then only as the reporter of a homily of Simeon b. Laḳish, which reproves the wickedness of the courts with the following words: "'Your hands are defiled with blood' (Isaiah 59:3) refers to the judges, whose hands are ever open to receive bribes; 'your fingers with iniquity' (ibid.) refers to the judiciary's scribes, who write false or specious documents; 'your lips have spoken lies' refers to the lawyers, who misconstrue the law, or instruct their clients how to plead; 'your tongue hath muttered perverseness' refers to the litigants, who plead falsehood" (Shab. 139a; Rashi ad loc.). It is not certain, however, that "Malai" was Eleazar's real patronymic, some editions reading "Simlai" instead (see Rabbinowicz, "Diḳduḳe Soferim" to Shab. c.).
These files are public domain.
Singer, Isidore, Ph.D, Projector and Managing Editor. Entry for 'Eleazar B. Malai'. 1901 The Jewish Encyclopedia. https://www.studylight.org/encyclopedias/eng/tje/e/eleazar-b-malai.html. 1901.
