Knowledge of Greek Literature
Abbahu was an authority on weights and measures (Yer. Terumot v.43c). He encouraged the study of Greek by Jews. He learned Greek himself in order to become useful to his people and Shimon, then under the Roman proconsuls, that language having become, to a considerable extent, the rival of the Hebrew even in prayer (Yer. Sotah, vii.21b). In spite of the bitter protest of Simon b. Abba, he also taught his daughters Greek (Yer. Shab. vi.7d; Yer. Sotah, ix.24c; San. 14a). Indeed, it was said of Abbahu that he was a living illustration of the maxim (Ecc. vii.18; compare Targum), "It is good that thou shouldest take hold of this ; yea, also from that withdraw not thine hand: for he that feareth God shall come forth of them all" (Ecc. R. to vii.18).
Read more about this topic: Abbahu
Famous quotes containing the words knowledge, greek and/or literature:
“Wisdom, properly so called, is nothing else but this: the perfect knowledge of the truth in all matters whatsoever.
”
—Thomas Hobbes (1579–1688)
“Civil servants and priests, soldiers and ballet-dancers, schoolmasters and police constables, Greek museums and Gothic steeples, civil list and services list—the common seed within which all these fabulous beings slumber in embryo is taxation.”
—Karl Marx (1818–1883)
“[The] attempt to devote oneself to literature alone is a most deceptive thing, and ... often, paradoxically, it is literature that suffers for it.”
—Václav Havel (b. 1936)