English: Halachot Shabbat of Beta Israel according to Te'ezaza Sanbat, Ph.D. Thesis of Dr. Yosi Ziv, Department of Talmud, Bar-Ilan University, November 2008.

Abstract:

The following document serves a double purpose: 1. To describe and categorize the Shabbat laws of Beta Israel as they appear in the book Te'ezaza Sanbat and are practiced by the community, starting from the middle of the nineteenth century till their immigration to Israel.

2. To suggest various proposals as to the source of the Shabbat laws of the community and to point out those that are the most plausible.

There are three likely explanations, individually or in various combinations as regards the source for their customs.

1. Beta Israel organized their Shabbat laws from holy scripts in their posession - The Bible, the Apocrypha and the Te'ezaza Sanbat.

2. Ancient Jewish traditions that preceded written rabbinic literature determined the Shabbat Laws of the community.

3. Their practices of Shabbat laws were acquired from their neighboring communities, primarily from Ethiopian Christians who have many laws similar to those found in Judaism, and who were the dominant religion in Ethiopia beginning with the Fourth Century.

The Beta Israel literature on the topic of Shabbat is extremely limited. The topic is dealt with primarily in the tenth chapter of the book Te'ezaza Sanbat and this seems to be either a copy from or a reconstruction of the Book of Jubilees 6-13. We are also in possession of travel diaries of missionaries, Jewish researchers and emissaries and limited amounts of biased materials. Furthermore, in-depth interviews with well-versed authorities of the community play a major part in this study.

This research is organized according to the 22 verses of chapter ten of Te'ezaza Sanbat. Each chapter deals with one of the laws of Shabbat, analyzing its performance in the following manner: the Scriptures and its translations, literature from the second commonwealth period, writings from the Mishna and the Talmud, with emphasis on hints regarding early practices, Geonic writings, Karaitic literature, Samarian customs, customs of the Ethiopian church and the customs of Beta Israel.

The eighth chapter of this research is dedicated to summaries and conclusions. It briefly describes the development of each of the Shabbat laws dealt with in the Te'ezaza Sanbat, the practice of the community and a reasonable source for their custom. The chapter is summarized in table form.

From the summary table it is clearly evident that the Shabbat practices, as observed by the Beta Israel since the mid Nineteenth Century till the time of their immigration to the State of Israel toward the end of the Twentieth Century, display a distinct tie to The Holy Scriptures in their possession, to early Jewish practices and a partial bond to the customs of Ethiopian Christianity.