Karaïsme

The karaïsme ( קראות qaraout ; can be also written caraïsme , qaraïsme or charaïsme ) is a Courant Judaism scripturalist, because founded on only Miqra , i.e. the Hebraic Bible and the refusal of the oral Loi. It is thus in opposition to the Judaïsme pharisee, more exactly with the rabbinical Judaïsme. Its members are called the karaïtes or the karaïmes (קראים qaraïm ), and sometimes called bnei or ba' alei will haMiqra (“wire” or “Masters of the Miqra ”).

In the beginning, the words “karaïte” and “karaïme” (two versions most often met in French to designate the followers) are interchangeable. As from the 19th century, however, the karaïtes residing in the Empire tzarist (and only them) were redefined mainly like people distinct from the Jewish people, Turkish ethnos group Tatare, practitioner a specific religion resulting from the Mosaïsme and having its own language. The practice rather was then largely spread to indicate holding them of this new approach by the term “Karaïme” or “ Qaraylar ”. The word “karaïte” is used henceforth rather to indicate the non-European karaïtes (which continue all to be defined as Juifs), but also like generic term to indicate the whole of the groups. However, these uses are not fully standardized, and that opposite uses can still be found.

The first karaïte group known, that of the Ananites, was founded at the 8th century, but it is possible that less important movements karaïtes preceded it. The karaïtes tend to them-even to make go up their mobility at the time of the Second Temple of Jerusalem, even with the First Temple. The Hakham Yaaqov Al-Qirqissani thus wrote at the 9th century that ananites and karaïtes were two separate groups. Certain historians also admit a pre-ananite origin of the karaïsme, without inevitably going up also far.

The karaïsme knew a golden age of the 9th century at the 11th century, being adopted according to certain sources by 40% of the world Jewish population, as well in Europe as in the Arab Monde. Its influence declined then gradually, and there would not be currently more but 30.000 karaïtes in the world, including 20 to 25.000 in Israel, mainly with Ramle, Ashdod and Beersheba.

Bases of the karaïsme

At the base of the karaïsme is adhesion with only the written religious law (Bible Hebraic), and not with the inherited oral tradition. The karaïtes do not reject so much the Talmud S (corpus consigning the Jewish oral tradition) and the Rabbin S only the nature revealed by God of the Talmud and the monopoly of the rabbis as regards Halakha and of Exégèse of the holy texts.

The version of the written religious law recognized by the karaïtes is strictly identical to that of the rabbanites: it is the Hebraic Tanakh as fixed by the Massorètes. As indicates it in French American Internet site of the association of the karaïtes ( Karaite jews off America ), “the karaïtes, like all the Juifs, recognize all the Tanakh , the Hebraic Bible, i.e. not only the Humash or Pentateuque, but also, the Books of the Prophets ( Nevi' im ), and the Books Hagiographal ( Ketuvim )”.

In other fields, like the Théologie, generally exist of strong similarities, even if certain European groups developed innovations.

Lastly, from the ritual details the two groups, but also the communities karaïtes between them separate. Indeed, have regard to the basic principle of the personal interpretation of the holy, principles and ritual texts of the karaïsme can vary from a group with another, even between people, at least to a certain extent. The karaïsme is thus a religious movement good less homogeneous than the rabbinical Judaïsme to which he is opposed, and it is this rejection of the rabbinism which federates it.

Rejection of the oral Torah

Arguments of the karaïtes against the oral Torah

See also: Controversies around the oral Torah

The karaïtes note that there does not exist only one undeniable mention of the oral Torah in the Peshat of the Miqra (the text of the Bible in its most obvious direction). On the contrary, the karaïtes consider that indices militate against the assumption of a oral Torah given by God at the same time as it gave the written Torah:

God expressly recommends in the Deutéronome anything to add nor to cut off with the Torah.
the book of the Exodus 24:12 mentions “the Torah and the Mitzva that I wrote ”.
the Second book of the Chronicles indicates that the Torah had been lost and that the people of Israel had found themselves without Torah fifty years during, and the Second book of the Kings 22: 8 qu ' a roller of the Torah was found. The karaïtes doubt that the oral Torah could be preserved whereas the written Torah itself had been lost.

In the same order of idea, the karaïtes consider that the oral Torah contradicted in many places the written Torah, which would be impossible if they resulted from the same divine source.

In a more indirect way, the karaïtes cannot admit that a received tradition of God can be the subject of so many variations and arguments. The many comments, sometimes divergent, that causes the oral Torah or its relationship with the written Torah seems to them an indication of imperfection, contradictory with the divine origin of the oral law.

Lastly, the oral Torah grows rich continuously by many comments, which are based on older comments, but not directly on the written Torah such as it was given. The man being error prone, the comments of the current Rabbin S could be based on errors, which would be then accumulating.

Personal interpretation

Corollary of the refusal of the oral law, the karaïtes reject the rabbinical principle of the Emounat Khakhamim “the faith in the wise ones”. According to this principle, each pious Jew must give itself a Rabbin, versed in the oral Torah and his interpretations, which will guide its life, at least religious. The terms of “wise”, “large of the Torah”, “luminaries” or “décisionnaires” designate the most important rabbis, who “have access to “supreme knowledge” see what will occur in the long run, on a higher level”. The authority of the rabbis, and more specifically of large “wise”, as regards interpretation of the Torah, can be called in question only by one of its pars. Therefore, one can dispute the opinion of wise of the former generation only with the proviso of being based on another wise former generation.

The karaïtes, if they reject neither the need for biblical interpretation, nor even the need for an oral tradition, refute this “sacralization” of the predecessors and the experts, and do not hesitate to move away from their lesson if they estimate to remain more faithful to the direction obviates (most obvious) of the verses in their biblical Exégèse, as well homiletic as legalistic.

With the base of the karaïsme is thus held personal interpretation. The late literature karaïte brings back this initiative to Annan Ben David, which would have told its disciples “to seek well in the Torah, and not to rest opinion in ON position”. However, the Sefer hamitzvot of Annan does not comprise this injunction, and the researchers think that this regulation was invented centuries later. This principle gives to any private individual the possibility of commenting on the Torah by itself, while being based on its own study, and while trying to interpret it way that God had meant with his first readers.

From this principle also comprehension rises that the determination of the religious practice to be adopted is also with the discretion of each one. However, far from being an exhortation with the personal choice, it is about one call to personal liabilities, as the Hakham Sahl Ben Matzliah HaCohen states it, “will know, Enfants of Israel that each one is responsible for its heart, and that our God will not hear the words of that which is justified while saying: " thus taught me my maîtres" ”.
The Hakham Daniel Ben Moshe Al-Qumisi still declares way more distinct: “That which rests on the lesson of the exile, without seeking well by its own wisdom, is like a idolâtre”. Daniel Al-Qumisi also enjoignait to base his religious practice only on the words of God, and not on other sources, which would cause to move away the man from God.

In spite of this absence of absolute interpretative standard, the movements karaïtes could avoid anarchy. The Hakham im , if they did not have a Community role as dominating as that of the Rabbin S, in spite of were very regarded as important authority failing to be final, and this as regards interpretation, of Halakha and tradition, and individual interpretations tended to conform to the leurs.
In addition, the karaïtes adopted the ha' ataqa , the principle of the majority in the field of interpretation, choosing interpretations which convince the greatest number (minority interpretations are not relegated for as much, on the condition of being based on the Peshat ).
Dans its Aderet Eliyahou , the Hakham Eliyahou Bashiyatzi (1420-1490) written that the hakhamim of a generation have the possibility of enacting decrees that all the community must observe

The karaïtes however refuse any former interpretation like final, including that of the hakhamim , although they strongly hold account of it. The last Hakham Al-Akbar (1934-1956) of the community of Cairo, Touvia Levi Babovich, Russian Egyptian of origin, answered the objection according to which the karaïsme works out a code just like the rabbanism, while supporting on the not-final character of the decrees of the hakhamim : “Many researchers established the difference between the bases of faith of the karaïtes and those of the rabbanites, in what the karaïsme rests on each generation on the Torah written, and in the possibility of the hakhamim of the generation of modifying the habits and laws according to the time without deviating on the right nor on the left of the Letter, whereas the rabbinical Judaïsme is based on the words of the wise , which have precedence of the words of the Torah”.

Pillars of the halakha karaïte

The karaïsme is pressed on three exegetic pillars in order to determine the Halakha (religious laws and regulations):

The most important first and is the Miqra itself, i.e. the whole of the Mitzvot (commands, regulations), positive and negative, that Moïse accepted on the the Sinai, and consigned in the Torah written (the Hebraic Bible, more specifically the Pentateuque). Although the karaïtes support its interpretation according to the simple direction of the verses, they refute the name of “literalistic”, being regarded more as “contextualists”.
The Miqra has value of absolute standard and no law or interpretation can be enacted which would contradict its apparent direction. Within this limit, interpretation is left with the free appreciation of each faithful. The version of the Tanakh used by the karaïtes is identical to that of the rabbanites. All trust the Texte massoretic. The oldest known specimens of the text massoretic, the Codex of Alep, of Leningrad or of Cairo belonged at communities karaïtes, and those consider that the Massorètes were themselves of the karaïtes, this point being discussed.

The second is the Heqesh (Deduction or logical interpretation), i.e. the Herméneutique karaïte, similar to the Midrash halakha rabbanite. He is used by the Posqim (décisionnaires) karaïtes to fix the Halakha (religious law) in the described cases in a way insufficiently detailed in the Torah. These deductions can be linguistic or logical. Annan Ben David used the 13 principles of Rabbi Ishmaël, to which he recognized a logical but not revealed value.

The third is the Sevel HaYerousha (Burden of the Heritage), a whole of rules and habits, like the Brit mila (circumcision) or the Shehita (ritual slaughter of the animals), transmitted orally from generation to generation, sometimes even supposed prédater the gift of the Torah with Brace (the Circoncision goes up according to the Bible with Abraham, and thus preexists to Moïse). Within sight of the mistrust of the karaïtes towards the not-written sources, one understands that the recourse to the Sevel Hayerousha is restricted with the practices explicitly evoked but not described in the Hebraic Bible. These rules are observed, with the proviso of not contradicting the written Torah and of being the prolongation of this one (for example, the shehita is based on prohibition to consume blood). Often rather similar to the rites described in the Talmud, the karaïtes do not confer however on these traditions the statute of mitzvot of divine origin, contrary to the rabbanites.

Theological principles

Whereas karaïtes and rabbanites bitterly discussed points of law ( Mitzvot ) and of practice, they were rather largely in agreement on theology.

Preceding one century the formulation of Brace Maïmonide, the Hakham Yehouda Ben Eliya Hadassi exposes to Constantinople the principles of faith in its Eshkol ha-Kofer (1148):

God is the Creator of all the beings created.
God is transcendent and neither equal nor associated.
the entire universe was created.
God called Moïse and the other Prophets of the biblical gun.
the Law of Brace alone is true.
Connaître the language of the Bible (the Hebrew ) is a religious duty.
the Temple of Jerusalem is the palate of the Master of the world.
Belief in resurrection, contemporary of the arrival of the Messiah wire of David.
final Judgment.
Remuneration.

These principles are thus rather similar to the thirteen principles of Maïmonide, except for articles 5 and 6, which put the epigraph on the rejection of the oral Law and the obligation to know Hebrew.

The karaïtes adhere to the eschatologic belief in the arrival of the Messie and in the Résurrection of dead the, and are based for that on various biblical sources. In this field, the karaïtes thus have a belief completely similar to that of the Jews rabbanites, but diverge basically from with the Sadducéens (which did not believe in it), other running Scripturaliste (based on the writing), of which some karaïtes however consider that they are the heirs. The members with this thesis try to solve the paradox by postulating the existence of several currents Sadducéens on the one hand, and of a possible former belief of this current in the resurrection of dead on the other hand.

Rites and habits karaïtes

“The lifestyle karaïte, very quickly regarded as heretic by the orthodoxe Judaism, was characterized by an application much more rigorous from the Law”, but also by different ritual practices.

Offices of prayer and places of worship karaïtes

The karaïtes request three times per day in reference to the Livre of Daniel. Their liturgy is more restricted than that of the rabbanites, and comprises mainly the reading of verses of the Torah. The ritual could have been subject to the influence of the Islam, the Prosternation being practiced definitely than at the rabbanites, which do it only with Yom Kippour. But the karaïtes dispute this Moslem influence, and are based on biblical sources, as the Livre of Daniel”.

The month of the ripening of the grains of Orge in Ground of Israel is the sign of L “Aviv , which fall normally during the month from Nissan , and marks the beginning of the New Year's Day. Pessa' H (Passover) is celebrated at the 14th day of this month. The karaïtes celebrate it like the rabbanites by a Seder , and read the Haggada of which they have their own version. However, within sight of the difference in nature of the calendars, it happens that the 14 of the month of the Aviv do not correspond to the 14 of the month of Nissan , and that the karaïtes do not celebrate Pessa' H at the same date as the rabbanites.

The calculation of the 'omer is one of the differences most characteristic between holding of the only Writing, of which karaïtes and the Samaritains, and those of the oral Torah, because of their interpretation of Lévitique 23:15 - 21. The biblical regulation requires to count “since the shortly after the shabbat”, since the day of the offering of the omer , seven weeks whole, until the “shortly after the seventh shabbat”.
The rabbanites read “since the shortly after the day of rest until the shortly after the seventh week”, whereas the karaïtes read “since the shortly after the sabbath until the shortly after the seventh sabbath”. Their calculation thus does not begin systematically the 15 Aviv , but “always Sunday”, and finishes one Sunday, seven weeks later.

נימוקנוסףשהקראיםמביאיםלחיזוקעמדתםהואשחגהשבועותהואהחגהיחידשלאנקבעלובתורהתאריךקבוע, והדרךלחישובמועדהחגהיאבאמצעותספירה. לפישיטתהרבנייםישלחגתאריךקבוע, וגםאםלאהיהלותאריךקבוע, במידהוסופריםמהיוםהראשוןשלחגהמצותיכולהיהלהיותמצבשבויהיו 8 שבתותביןפסחלשבועות, דברהסותראתכוונתהתורהבאמרה " שַׁבָּתוֹתתְּמִימֹתתִּהְיֶינָה ". --> The karaïtes do not observe the second feastday , because it is not made there mention nowhere in the Torah. In the same way, they do not recognize the yoma arikhta of Rosh Hashana, and thus do not celebrate the yom teroua (which is the name of the celebrated festival the " first day of the seventh mois" in the Torah) that only one day.

The karaïtes are unaware of just like “the Falashas , the festival of Hanouka (the festival of the lights), which is post-biblical” that the close relations of the woman became family member of the man, and by the m^me unsuitable with the marriage with close relations of the man and vice versa (taboo of the Inceste). This interpretation, known as rikouv be' arayot (mixture of the relationships), was not long in posing problems for the communities karaïtes of restricted number. The Hakham im later thus repealed this interpretation, asserting which she “added to the remarks of the Torah”. However, under the terms of a heiqesh on chapter 18 of Lévitique, the karaïtes continue to prohibit the marriages between maternal cousins, governors or, whereas that is allowed at the rabbanites.

The karaïtes are particularly severe as regards ritual purity. The impure people, men or women, must eat separate, maintain a difference between them and the community and are interdicts of access to the kenessa (although in Israel, this last is very difficult to obtain in practice).

The statute of Nidda (impurity of the woman after its rules) lasts, contrary to the rabbanites, only 7 days ( Vayiqra 15:19), the karaïtes cash those starting from the beginning of the menstruations, whereas for the rabbanites, the ritual impurity starts at the beginning of the rules to finish 7 days after their ends.

The period of impurity of a parturient is seven days if it is confined of a boy, 14 if it is about a girl, to which is added one period known as “days of purity”, 33 days for a boy, 66 days for a girl, as he is known as in the Parasha Tazria (). The maintenance of the rules of purity present of the so strong analogies with those of the Beta Israel (Jewish Ethiopian), that contacts between the communities were suggested. However, the current karaïtes allot this resemblance to the fact that the ancestors of the Jews of Ethiopia would have migrated before the appearance of the oral Torah and would have been isolated since from the rabbinical influence.

The karaïtes do not accept the rabbinical use of the purification in a Mikveh . They estimate that it is possible to purify in any running water, including a douche.
For them, the Mikveh is a late invention. In fact, the use to purify in a river seems to have enjoys such a popularity in the circles rabbanites of the past which one did not have less than one decree of the Rambam to prohibit it.

Statute of the woman

In the approach karaïte, the women are considered to be equal to the men, and the hakhamim karaïtes are expressed in positive terms with respect to them. This approach, which undoubtedly varied according to the times and the communities, is at the origin of additional differences between the habits karaïtes and rabbanites:

the men karaïtes do not recite the Berakha (blessing) shelo “assani isha (“which did not make me woman”); men and women karaïtes bless habor' I betzelem Enosh (“That Which created me with the image of Enosh”),
the women are not exempted Mitzvot whose time is given; the karaïtes explain that when the Torah limits a mitzva to the only men or the only women, the Text indicates it clearly, and that in the other cases, the regulations must be carried out same manner, for the men as for the women,
the testimony of a woman is worth that of a man,
the women karaïtes can theoretically exert functions of leading, including at the times prémodernes. Thus, in Spain of the 11th century, after the death of the leader karaïte Sidi ibn Al-Tared, it is its wife, Al-Mou' alima (“the Teaching one”) which took again the function of hakham . In practice, this type of situation is seldom met.
the karaïtes consider the equal men and women in front of the Divorce. It is certe the man who must give the Guett (document of divorce) to his wife, but it was ruled at the 19th century that a Beth DIN (court) karaïte can replace if the husband refuses. The statute of agouna (“forsaken”: woman not being able remarier because her husband, although separated from did not grant it, him the guett ) thus does not exist in the karaïsme.
It is not interdict with a woman of speaking or singing in the kenessa . If men and women are separated there, as at the rabbanites, the official reason is not the fight against the temptation or the distraction of the men during the prayer (vision rabbanite), but the will to protect decency from the women during prostration.

In spite of this statute theoretically rather favorable, the weight of the traditional companies was always important, and the communities karaïtes had daily practices which cannot be qualified “feminists”. The Israeli karaïtes thus do not have as a practice to let a woman go up to make the reading of the Torah to the synagog.

Shabbat

The observance of the Shabbat, in particular the lighting of the candles and fire, was one of the markers of the rupture between karaïtes and rabbanites. Indeed, “the karaïtes did not let fire be consumed during the Shabbat, unlike the traditional Jews, for which the interdict relates only to the act (to light fire), and not on the fact (to let burn a flame).

Installations appeared as of the eleventh century, following interpretations of Benjamin Al-Nahawendi, which found justifications to admit rabbinical interpretations within the framework of the karaïsme: thus it is Pikkoua' H nefesh , which dictates to pass in addition to the shabbat in the event of vital threat, or of the you houm shabbat (sabbatical field), according to which it is allowed to move in a certain perimeter around its dwelling. Some karaïtes judged also tolerable to let spontaneously die out the candles lit before the shabbat, and thus to let them burn part of this one. The Israeli hakhamim also authorize to consume dishes whose heat was maintained in a thermos flask.

In spite of these some easings, close to the practices rabbanites, the celebration of the shabbat karaïtes remains overall more severe: the karaïtes do not accept the idea of Erouv (exceptions to the shabbat) and thus carry never of loads during this one. They do not authorize the practice rabbanite more consisting in making work a Gentil the Shabbat, was this indirectly or on a purely free basis. While being based on the prohibition of any work, including that “to cultivate”, the karaïtes enacted a prohibition of the sexual relations during the shabbat, always into force.

Others practical

the karaïtes carry Tzitzit (fringes of clothing and shawls of prayer, and composed of chalk lines intermingled white and blue) different from the rabbanites. The karaïtes do not subscribe to rabbinical interpretation according to which the color Tekhelet would be a particular pigment, and accept any nuance of blue.
the karaïtes do not consider that the shawls of prayer are a religious obligation, and thus do not use them historically, even if some karaïtes Israeli adopt them recently.
the karaïtes interpret the Loi of retaliation in a literal way. They do not put it into practice however, legal fault of weight.
the karaïtes practice the circumcision in a way overall similar to the rabbanites, but without peri' has (taken foreskin in the fingers of the Mohel ) nor metzitza (aspiration of blood), which they do not consider to be “necessary”.
the karaïtes do not accept the matrilinearity (the Judaism rabbanite is transmitted by the mother). Some regard the Jewish ascent as acquired by the father, but of others are even more strict and require judaïté of the two parents. Such a vision is rather close to that of the Samaritains, another group Scripturaliste.
If the karaïtes accept like Cachère S only the meats of shot down animals ritually (like the rabbanites), they authorize the flesh-colored/lacteous mixtures (contrary to the rabbanites), in so far as milk and meat come from two different species. Consequently, there exists with Ramle, important Israeli center karaïte, of the restaurants posting a certificate of cacheroute karaïte which do not satisfy the rabbanites criteria.
the karaïtes, even practitioners, move head discovered (without Kipa), except with the kenessa and when they read the holy texts.

Practical current

Contrary to the previous times, where Wise the karaïtes had as a practice to enact halakhot (rules) more constraining than their counterparts rabbanites, and to adopt habit S appreciably different in order to of distancier, the Wise current ones tend to interpret the Torah in a way more reconciling and adopted manners more similar to those of the rabbanites. Thus, although the karaïtes interpret in an allegorical way the passage whose rabbanites deduced the use of the Tefillin (phylactères) and of the Mezouzot (cases on the lintels of the doors), the karaïtes of Israel apply plates carrying the Ten commands, even of the mezouzot rabbanites to the lintels of their doors in order not to shock their neighbors rabbanites. They also adopted the Bar mitzva , whereas the former Hakhamim condemned this practice, judging that maturity was specific to each one and did not depend on the age.

With the return of the karaïtes in Ground of Israel, the institutional executives of the community weakened, and it is the same for the statute of the hakhamim .

Religious evolutions

The karaïsme appears, as of its entry on the scene of the History, like extremely diversified, because of its will of personal interpretation. Although the respect of the authority of the hakhamim and the principle of the ha' ataqa (decision in the majority of the hakhamim ) reduced thereafter this pluralism, several schools of interpretation, width and duration unequal, are made competition and generate currents like the Ananisme, the Benjaminisme or the Ashérisme.

In a general way, the karaïtes not Europeans preserve principles close if not identical to those of the rabbinical Judaïsme, with specific interpretations due to the refusal of the Talmud, while certain European currents, for reasons partially dependant on historical circumstances, leave the framework of the traditional Judaism clearly for the benefit of a not-Jewish redefinition of the Eastern-European karaïmes as from the 19th century.

At the origins of the movement

At the time of its polemics with the karaïtes at the 9th century, Saadia Gaon shows this movement to be of recent origin, and moved by the only desires of revenge of Annan Ben David. Its adversary karaïte Solomon Ben Yerouham, regarded as a serious historian, does not refute the recent character of the karaïtes.

However, less than one century after Saadia Gaon, the Hakham Yaaqov Al-Qiriqissani writes in its Kitab Al-Anwar that Annan founded only the ananites and that those were integrated into the karaïtes only ultérieurement.
The author karaïte Egyptian contemporary Mourad el-Kodsi gives a report on an Egyptian document stamp by Amru Ben Al-Have, the first Islamic governor, the Twenty after the Hégire (641) where the karaïtes would be mentioned by this name. This document would have however disappeared in the neighborhoods from the beginning from the twentieth century. The origin of the karaïsme cannot thus be dated with certainty, the majority of the karaïtes (like certain historians, of which Moshe Gil) estimating that Annan Ben David, if it were the first leading one of scale to be opposed to the rabbinism, was not the creator of the movement karaïte.

In general, the karaïtes tend to make go up their movement with highest antiquity. Thus, at the 18th century, the Hakham Mordecai Ben Nissan, taking up the ideas of Caleb Afendopolo and Eliyahou Bashiatzi, makes go up their existence with Juda Ben Tabbaï, a contemporary of Shimon Ben Shetah (before the Christian era).

According to others, the karaïtes would go down from the sect of the tzaddiqim (“right”), not to confuse with the tzedouqim , the sadducéens.

At the 19th century, Avraham Firkovich defended the idea that “the ancestors of Karaïtes the Crimea had come in the Crimea at the seventh century before the Christian era”.

Some karaïtes are also defended the thesis according to which they descended from the most famous Jewish school Scripturaliste (thus opposed to the oral law) of the Antiquité, the Sadducéens. This supposed fastening, which was used later by Karaïmes of Eastern Europe in order to be cleared of the charge of Peuple deicide, had been condemned to the 12th century by the Hakham Juda Hadassi, which showed their many theological dissensions, of which belief in the resurrection of dead (refused by Sadducéens). It had been supported however by the medieval rabbis, of which Juda Halevi, Abraham ibn Ezra, Abraham ibn Dawd and Moïse Maïmonide, but this opinion could also be only the reflection of a will to discredit the sect by presenting it like the remanence of the sect of the second Temple, hedge by the rabbanites. The modern Karaïme author Simon Szyszman thus defends an origin essénienne of the religious doctrines karaïte.

Whatever their version of the origins, the karaïtes are not perceived like innovators, but quite to the contrary like the legitimate continuators of the original currents of the Judaism, whose Judaism talmudic (or rabbinical) would have moved away.

It is however particularly in the case of to note that the karaïsme, if it is opposed to the rabbinical Judaism, is not dissociated any completely, Annan Ben David, which did not hesitate to use methods of hermeneutics pharisiennes (Thirteen principles of Rabbi Ishmaël) or to take up on its account ideas expressed by Pharisiens then rejected by them, like the asceticism in remembering the destruction of the Temple. He moreover, according to certain versions, would have protested to be the agent of a revelation made by the Prophète Élie, allotting to this one a role of intercessor closer to the tradition pharisienne than of the biblical reading.

Annan Ben David

Influence Islam

The coincidence of the rise of the Islam and that of the karaïsme was recorded by certain authors, and, in an older way and more polemic, in the mediums of the Judaïsme rabbanite, where one showed the karaïtes to be imitateurs of Islam.

There exist indeed certain resemblances of practices (prostration at the time of the prayer, which is made exposed feet, abstention from wine, etc…) and of approaches (relationship direct between the faithful one and god, the faithful one and the crowned text).

But beyond these practices, the exact weight of Islam in the birth of the karaïsme remains unknown.

The rabbi Bernard Revel even denies that the karaïsme can be only one Jewish consequence of the rise of the Islam, and the Chiisme in particular.

Evolutions in IXe century - Persia and Babylonia

(At the 9th centuries), that is to say during a little more than one century, it is of the Babylonian monks or Persians which are shown most influential, which was coherent with the zone of appearance of the karaïsme, and it center of gravity of the Jewish world of the time (the rabbinical Judaism is also dominated by Babylonian monks, the Gueonim ).

Such an amount of interpretations which the methodology of Annan start to be criticized at the 9th century by these Persian monks and Babylonian them-even.

Towards 830-860 EC., Benjamin Al-Nahawendi, originating, as its name indicates it Nehavend, in Iran, moves away from certain methods of interpretation of Annan (perhaps marked by the Hanafisme). He trusts the allegories of the old school judéo-alexandrine, and seems strongly influenced by the writings esséniens.
He is the first, according to Yaaqov Al-Qirqissani, with really formatting the doctrines karaïte.

At the beginning of the 11th century Joseph Ben Abraham Hacohen ha-ro' E (“the indicator”) “polemic against the gaon Saadia, and contributes to the diffusion of the karaïsme original religious thinkers after the 11th century. The doctrines appear from now on as fixed, and more on the defensive vis-a-vis a rabbanism which takes again the advantage gradually. But the end of the innovation does not mean only the literary production karaïte cease.

Yehouda Ben Eliya Hadassi writes thus with Constantinople in 1148 its Eshkol ha-kofer , “nap of theology karaïte, and undoubtedly Hebrew work karaïte most important ever written in . These populations will be established in particular in and around the capital of Vytautas the Large one: Trakai (or Troki). The Large Duke grants an official statute of recognized religious community to them. Karaïmes of north will make a success of their establishment, while preserving their Turkish source language, at least for a religious use.

“ In front of the repeated threats external of the Horde of Gold and Knights Teutoniques, added to the risks of interior treasons, Vytautas Large the obtains a device of défense ” or are integrated Karaïmes troops. “ In exchange the soldiers karaïmes receive grounds what enables them in certain cases to claim with titles of nobility. In parallel a middle-class karaïme develops which is devoted to the trade and the tenant farming of the customs. This community enjoys an exceptional statute, near to that of the nobility and which is connected with the privileges granted to the cities by the charter of Magdeburg. They maintain excellent relationships to the communities karaïmes of the Crimea while enjoying a perfect integration locale ” public in 1593 its treaty against Christian theology will make, “ Reinforcement of the foi ”, which will draw later the benevolent attention of Voltaire.

After this time of blooming, the territories karaïmes are the seat of wars, invasions, epidemics, famines which weaken the position of Karaïmes.

In 1783, Russia conquers the the Crimea on the Ottoman Empire.

After the third division of Poland in 1795, which attaches the Lithuania to the Russian empire, the major part of the population karaïme of Eastern Europe (Lithuania, Ukraine, the Crimea) finds in the Russian Empire. Only exception: small communities, in Galicie, which are since 1772 in the Empire of Austria, empire which will concede a particular status in 1775 to them.

Rupture with the Judaism of the karaïmes

The communities karaïtes of the Russian empire deeply modified the definition even of the karaïte term, since Karaïtes Europeans have with the XIXe century chooses to be redefined like a ethno-monk group completely independent of the Judaism, there or at all times the karaïtes were car-definite like Juifs.

The anti-Jewish laws of the Russian empire weighed indeed heavily on the subjected Jewish populations, and the question inevitably arose statute of the populations karaïtes lately attached (between 1783 and 1795) to the empire. The problems were not theoretical: it was about the wellbeing of the very whole community in deeply anti-Jewish Russia.

The population karaïte also profited from a social status and economic rather favoured compared to that of the Jewish populations rabbanites: tradesmen, traders, often of notable integrated socially well, and this as well in Lithuania/Poland as in the Crimea, two great centers of Karaïme population of the time.

Upon the departure, the Russian domination was announced under good omens: in 1795, a delegation of three persons in charge karaïmes near Catherine II of Russia (the large Catherine), obtained a particular recognition from which the Jews did not profit. Karaïmes of the Crimea were indeed exonerated from the double tax which weighed on the Jews, exemption then extended to other Karaïmes of the Empire.

Karaïmes were then exempted of military conscription in 1827, then recognized like a community enjoying religious autonomy in 1837 and obtained same the rights as the Russian citizens in 1863.

This construction of a statute largely higher than that of the Jews was done on three generations, and generated an intesive work of Karaïmes to justify non-judaïté to them.

In the Judaism, the concepts of Jewish Peuple and Jewish Religion traditionally are very confused (still that not completely: according to the Halakha , a Jew converts with another religion remains member of the People). In the new step which is essential on the 19th century in Eastern Europe, the concepts of religion and people is found completely separate. Karaïmes Eastern-European thus consider to belong to the same religious community as the karaïtes of the Arab countries (which are however regarded as Juifs), but they also consider that they belong to different people, of Turkish origin, as much different from the Jews in general than of the other Jewish communities karaïtes in particular.

In 1917, Karaïmes representatives adopt a declaration which makes the synthesis of this new step: “ Karaites are the indigenous people of the the Crimea, linked by the community of ascent, language and traditions, which ethniquement regard as specific, dependant on to them-even others Peuples Turkish, having an original culture and an independent religion. They feel attached to the Crimea as a their fatherland historique ”.

A modern karaïme author writes thus into 1980 karaïtes that they “rejected the idea to be presented in the form of only one a Peuple elected, the feeling of membership at the same ethnic community”.
The author does not hide besides his criticism of the karaïtes being defined as Jews, shown to be “not very trustful in their force”, nor his hostility with the Sionisme whose “leaders have vainly sought to choke for more than two thousand years” the ideas karaïtes. The term Sionisme covering two thousand years indicates here obviously the Jewish communities in general. The Jews rabbanites, always indicated by the only term of “Jews”, are also regularly shown by the author, for example “to have ruined materially” the karaïtes of Poland and Lithuania.

Beyond the ethnic will of rupture, Karaïmes had the will to maintain the idea of religious community karaïte. Karaïmes of the Crimea thus will establish religious bonds with the Egyptian karaïtes, and those will often take religious leaders of European origin.

Theological rupture

Since the beginning of the 19th century, the Eastern-European karaïmes essayayent to separate ethniquement from the Jews, but the religious definition of the karaïsme had remained unchanged. This situation will change in the first years of the 20th century.

In 1910, in order to still reinforce their differentiation of with the Jewish in a context or the Pogroms became regular, “the congress of the Hakhamim and the Hazzanim of the Russian empire decided not to more authorize the marriages between Rabbanites and Karaites, or the acceptance of Rabbanites wishing to become Karaites”.

In 1911, Sheraya Szapszal is elected the Hakham as a chief of the Karaites communities of the Crimea. The community of Poland which it directs summarizes in 1938 its vision: “Karaïtes see the Christ and Mohamed like prophets”. At this stage, it is not only any more one ethnic rupture with the Juifs (but also with the Jewish karaïtes of the East) which is sought, it is a rupture with the principles even Judaism, as well as Scripturalisme karaïte (the strict interpretation of the Hebraic Bible). This radical rupture would have raised besides certain oppositions at the time in the Karaïmes mediums. In addition to the possible religious convictions of Szapszal, this evolution seems to have had three advantages:

to accentuate the divergence with the Jews, in a Russia tsarist or the Pogrom S became very numerous.
To make the religion karaïme more acceptable to the eyes of the orthodoxe Christian by accepting Jesus partially.
To very mainly return the Karaïmes religion more acceptable to the eyes of the Turks, Moslem, by accepting Mahomet partially. Sheraya Szapszal was indeed a sympathizer of the nationalist movements Turkish at the time in full boiling (movement of the Jeunes Turks).

Karaïtes and Shoah

(To be supplemented) It seems that the karaïtes were not victims of the Shoah perpetrated by the Nazis. The karaïtes of Eastern Europe not proclaiming itself like Jews, they were not categorized either as Jewish by the Nazi regime which regarded them as related with the people of Central Asia. It seems that the myth of the Khazars played a part in the classification operated by the Nazis: their classification would have indicated them like being people of Central Asia but having adopted Jewish practices and habits. From this point of view they were thus not Jewish as well as the rabbanites although being all the same a " race inférieure" as the being the people originating in Central Asia could.

See article: Karaïsme and Shoah.

Assimilation

After the Russian revolution, the karaïsme of Eastern Europe started a decline which seems deep. The populations karaïmes do not have any more important centers of population, and are largely acculturées with their environment. The religious rupture with the Jewish karaïtes makes even difficult to support a religious rebirth on the Israeli karaïtes, whose community, originating in Egypt, is numerically most numerous today.

The development then regression of the karaïsme

The karaïsme knows 8th century at the 10th centuries its golden age. Based on the simple direction of the text, in agreement with what the reason dictates, in opposition to the Talmud which appears often inaccessible, abscon, and truffle of superstitions Persians, the new interpretation of the Judaism is spread quickly through all the Jewish communities, and gained even Khanat of the Khazars at the 10th century, on northern bank of the Black Sea.

The authors think that between 10 and 40 % of Jews would have adhered to the karaïsme towards and the 10th century. Although this type of estimate is to be taken with prudence, the censuses of population to the modern direction of the not existing term at the time, it seems indubitable that the ideas karaïtes had penetrated in-depth the Jewish communities of the East like occident.

The descendants of Annan Ben David reign with Jerusalem as princes, and undertake intense a missionary activity attached to the Jewish communities. “The communities karaïtes ensure their protection thanks to eminent members of the sect, character in sight at the court of the powerful ones. Directed by nessi' im (princes) affirming itself readily going down from the House of David, they were enorgueillissent of many scientist which make authority in their disciplines: biblical Interpretation Hebrew Right, , Philosophie… the effort intellectuals of the karaïtes aims at proving the errors of the Judaism talmudic. The method criticizes that they develop and their excellent knowledge of the doctrines and the rabbinical habits give an account of the undeniable quality of the religious polemic. But social criticism is not less sour: the karaïtes are caught some hard to the chief of the rabbinical Judaism, Exilarques, Ghe' onim and dignitaries of their entourage.
The influence of Al-Qumisi on the later karaïsme is strong, and shows that contrary to the rabbinical Judaism, unified by talmudic interpretation, the karaïsme of the time, just like the current karaïsme, is a movement more diversified, prolonging the plurality of biblical interpretations specific to the sects of the period of the Second Temple of Jerusalem.

Palestine (and 11th centuries): it is Al-Qumisi which would have developed the karaïsme in Palestine towards the end of the 9th century.

As from the end of the 18th century, the Eastern-European karaïtes start to cease any religious work. The 19th century especially will be devoted in the search of a better integration at the Russian company, and beyond to Western “modernity”. The last think tanks religious disappear for the laic benefit of the studies, and the assimilation starts to threaten the small firm of the Eastern-European karaïmes.

Certain innovations however seem to appear at the time, perhaps in relation to this will of integration. Thus, a current European current claiming Annan Ben David itself does not hesitate to indicate “ The teaching of Annan were an new approach of the belief and religion based on the complete tolerance and the personal conviction of each believer, in condition quil believes in single God, the life after death and identifies Moïse, Jesus the Christ and Mahomet like prophètes ”. “ The religion of Karaites recognizes the Old Testament with the Ten commands and sees Jesus-Christ and Mahomet like large prophètesest Sheraya Szapszal, elected in 1911 person in charge of the karaïtes of the Russian empire, then become responsible for the karaïtes of Poland between the two wars. In 1936, he declares “Christ is for us a large prophet but not the Messiah”. The community of Poland which it directs summarizes in 1938 its vision: “Karaïtes see the Christ and Mohamed like prophets”.

This approach is not found among founders of the karaïsme, like Annan Ben David, not more than in more recent texts, since Karaïme Isaac de Troki written in 1593 in its book strengthening of the faith : “ we see many undeniable evidence in support of our conviction according to which Jesus was by no means the Messiah. We must consider the promises contained in the words of the prophets, who were not accomplished at the time of Jesus, but will have to be realized in the future, per hour of Messie truth; ”. Concerning Mahomet, the Karaïme author declares “ even you, Christian, be appropriate that Islam is not anything else that a false system introduced by their alleged prophet Mahomet ”.

Mary Holderness also pays in 1816 “the Jews karaïtes do not receive Jesus as the promised Messiah consider that they are not to in no case concerned by his death.

Rabbinical reactions

The rabbinical Judaism (or rabbanite) reacted very negatively to the karaïsme, and rejected Karaïtes outside the community, as a Hérétique S.

As from the 10th century, the projection of the karaïsme seems stopped, and it begins an initially slow decline, then more marked. With Fayyoum, in Egypt, Saadia Ben Joseph Gaon, Rabbin and philosopher (892-942), starts a polemic against Karaïtes enjoying such a repercussion that he is regarded so much by the rabbanites than the karaïtes as one of more influential craftsmen of this backward flow. “Leader authoritative, polemist scholar and incisive, Saadia” used as much the weapon of the interpretation, affirming “which talmudic interpretation was by no means contrary with the requirements of the reason” but that of the polemic, sometimes very aggressive, turning into to karaïtes heretics marked by Islam.

At the 11th century, the catch of Jerusalem by the Turks Seldjoukides in 1071 then by the cross in 1099 deeply weakened the principal spiritual center karaïte, which undoubtedly contributed to the decline. Thus, at the time of the catch of Jerusalem, the Croisés throw karaïtes and rabbanites in a Synagog, and burn them sharp. Those, in return, will not have of cease to carry charges on its alleged conversion to the Islam.

The fight will continue through the generations. Its great-grandson, Avraham Maïmonide II, would have made turn over a great community karaïte in the bosom of the Judaism rabbanite in one day.

The conflict, spread out over centuries, was marked by very hard confrontations, sometimes heinous. “This sect had made run of so serious danger to the unit of Israel, that the rabbis pronounced against it most serious excommunications. Made without precedent, they prohibited the rehabilitation of the caraïtes within the official Judaism. And the memory of the anathemas of antan remained long-lived. But they ended all up disappearing, except essential for those of Eastern Europe, and that of Egypt.

In North Africa and Middle East

Concerning the communities of the Arab countries, gradually reduced to the only Egyptian community, the language and the culture were Arab, not very different in fact from the culture of the Jews rabbanites of the Arab countries.

In fact, the reports/ratios show a social and cultural differentiation limited between the various Jewish communities of the zone (karaïtes or rabbanites).

Gradually, these communities will be reduced, to survive only the Cairo, in Egypt.

The Moroccan community disappears at the 18th century.

The community of Damas, one of the last to survive, disappeared towards 1860 following massacres, and the survivors mixed with the Egyptian community, even at the small Turkish community.

In Western Europe

There existed with the Moyen-Âge communities karaïtes in Western Europe, but they rather quickly disappeared.

Most important seems to have been the community of Spain, which offers specificity to have besides a time seen a woman playing there an important religious part by a woman ( Al-Maa' filed , woman of Al-Tared).

Although located in Western Europe, it should be recalled that the Iberian peninsula of the time could be regarded culturally and religieusement as a prolongation at least partial of the world Musulman.

The communities are particularly flourishing in Castille, but also in Tolède, Talavera or Carrion

See too

Internal bonds

Maïmonide
Judaism
Karaïmes
Ananisme
Benjaminisme
Ashérisme
biblical Talmidisme
Interpretation
History of the karaïsme

External bonds

Karaism and Karaites of the Jewish Encyclopedia
“ Empire of Khazars - the Thirteenth tribe of Israel? ”, article published the 2/26/2002, Glances , re-examined Jewish Laic Community center of Belgium.
“ Testimony of Hakham Yakubowski, new representing of Karaïsme in France ”, article of the 11/2/2006, on Judéocité.
Jean-François FAÜ and Frederic ABECASSIS, “ Karaïtes, a community inhabitant of Cairo per hour of the state-nation ”, Center of French Studies, Cairo.
Caraïmes of the Crimea and Eastern Europe. Compilation of articles of various origins.
the faith Jew: basic concepts.
Nathan Schur, “ Karaims off Crimea (Ukraine) ”, The Karaite Encyclopedia , Frankfurt, 1995.
Dr. Yaakov To freeze, “ Parashat Emor 5760/2000 "From the Day after the Sabbath You Shall Count… " (Lev. 23:15) The Karaites, to their Calendar and Customs ”, Center for BASIC Studies in Judaism , Bar-Ilan University' S Parashat Hashavua Center Study, 2000.
'' Karaïte jewish University ''.
'' Karaite jewish congregation orah Saddiqim ''

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