AmaKaraite Nokufuna Kwawo Inyaniso

“PHANDA ngokucokisekileyo [eZibhalweni] uze ungathembeli kuluvo lwam.” Loo mazwi ayethethwa yinkokeli yamaKaraite yenkulungwane yesibhozo kwiXesha lethu Eliqhelekileyo. Ayengoobani amaKaraite? Ngaba kukhona okuxabisekileyo esinokukufunda kumzekelo wawo? Ukuze siphendule le mibuzo, masibuyele embalini kwimbambano ekudala ikho neyakhokelela kubukho beqela lamaKaraite.

Yaqala Njani Le Mbambano?

Kwiinkulungwane zokugqibela ngaphambi kweXesha lethu Eliqhelekileyo, kwavela intanda-bulumko entsha phakathi kobuYuda. Yayiyingcamango yokuba uThixo wanikela iMithetho emibini eNtabeni yeSinayi, omnye wawubhaliwe kwaye omnye wawudlulisela ngomlomo.a Ngenkulungwane yokuqala kwiXesha lethu Eliqhelekileyo, kwakukho iimpikiswano ezishushu phakathi kwabo babexhasa le mfundiso intsha nabo babeyichasa. AbaFarisi babeyixhasa, logama abaSadusi namaEssene ayephakathi kwabo babeyichasile.

Isephakathi le mbambano, kwavela uYesu waseNazarete njengoMesiya othenjisiweyo. (Daniyeli 9:24, 25; Mateyu 2:1-6, 22, 23) UYesu wajamelana nawo onke loo maqela amaYuda awayechasene. Xa wayeqiqa nawo, wakugweba ukwenza kwawo ilizwi likaThixo lingaxabiseki ngenxa yesithethe sawo. (Mateyu 15:3-9) Kwakhona uYesu wafundisa iinyaniso ezingokomoya kanye ngendlela ebinokusetyenziswa nguMesiya kuphela. (Yohane 7:45, 46) Ngaphezu koko, ngabalandeli bakaYesu bokwenyaniso kuphela ababonakala ukuba babexhaswa nguThixo. Baziwa njengamaKristu.—IZenzo 11:26.

Xa itempile yaseYerusalem yatshatyalaliswayo ngowama-70 C.E., abaFarisi babekuphela kwehlelo elasindayo. Ngoku sele bungasekho ububingeleli, amadini, netempile, abaFarisi abangamaYuda babenokuvelisa izinto ezazinokuthabathel’ indawo uMthetho obhaliweyo. Oku kwavulela ithuba lokuba kubhalwe ezintsha “iincwadi ezingcwele.” Okokuqala kwafika iMishnah, kunye nezihlomelo neengcaciso zomthetho wabo odluliselwe ngomlomo. Kamva, kongezwa ezinye iingqokelela zemibhalo zaza zabizwa ngokuba yiTalmud. Kwangaxeshanye, amaKristu awexukileyo aqalisa ukufundisa ngokunxamnye neemfundiso zikaYesu. Omabini loo mahlelo avelisa iinkqubo ezinamandla zonqulo—igunya loorabhi kwelinye icala negunya lecawa kwelinye.

Ngenxa yembambano yamaYuda kunye neRoma yobuhedeni kwaye kamva neRoma “yobuKristu,” isazulu sobuYuda ekugqibeleni safuduselwa eBhabhiloni. Kwakulapho eyathi imibhalo yeTalmud yashicilelwa ngolona hlobo lwayo lupheleleyo. Nangona oorabhi babebanga ukuba iTalmud yayityhila intando kaThixo ngokuphelele ngakumbi, amaYuda amaninzi ayiva impembelelo eyandayo yegunya loorabhi aza alangazelela ilizwi likaThixo eladluliselwa kuwo ngoMoses nangabaprofeti.

Kamva kwisiqingatha senkulungwane yesibhozo kwiXesha lethu Eliqhelekileyo, amaYuda aseBhabhiloni awachasa igunya loorabhi nenkolelo kumthetho wabo odluliselwe ngomlomo axhasa inkokeli efundileyo egama linguAnan ben David. Wavakalisa ilungelo lomYuda ngamnye lokufunda ngokungenakuthintelwa iZibhalo zesiHebhere njengokuphela komthombo wonqulo lokwenyaniso, ngaphandle kokunikela ingqalelo kwingcaciso yoorabhi okanye iTalmud. Imfundiso ka-Anan yayisithi: “Phanda ngokucokisekileyo kwiTorah [umthetho obhaliweyo kaThixo] uze ungathembeli kuluvo lwam.” Ngenxa yoku kugxininisa eSibhalweni, abalandeli baka-Anan baziwa njengamaQa·ra·ʼimʹ, igama lesiHebhere elithetha “abafundi.”

AmaKaraite nooRabhi Bayangqubana

Yiyiphi eminye imizekelo yeemfundiso zamaKaraite ezawadidayo amahlelo oorabhi? Oorabhi bakwalela ukutyiwa kwenyama nobisi ngaxeshanye. Oku bakwazisa njengengcaciso yomthetho odluliselwe ngomlomo okwiEksodus 23:19, ethi: “Uze ungalipheki itakane ngobisi lonina.” Kwelinye icala, amaKaraite afundisa ukuba le ndinyana yayithetha nje oko kuphela—kanye njengokuba kuchaziwe. Bema ngelithi imiqathango yoorabhi iveliswe ngumntu.

Ngokuvisisana nendlela abayicacisa ngayo iDuteronomi 6:8, 9, oorabhi babambelela ekubeni amadoda angamaYuda kwakumele athandaze enxibe amaqhaga ezikhumbuzo, yaye umsongo wesikhumba ekwakubhalwe kuwo imithetho kaMoses wawumele uxhonywe emgubasini ngamnye.b AmaKaraite azijonga ezi ndinyana kuphela njengezinentsingiselo efuziselayo yaye ngoko ke egatya loo mimiselo yoorabhi.

Kweminye imibandela amaKaraite ayengqongqo gqitha kunoorabhi. Ngokomzekelo, qwalasela imbono yawo nge-Eksodus 35:3, efundeka ngolu hlobo: “Ize ningaphembi mlilo ezindlwini zenu zonke ngomhla wesabatha.” AmaKaraite akwalela ukushiywa kwesibane okanye isikhanyiso sivutha nokuba besikhanyiswe ngaphambi kweSabatha.

Ngokukodwa emva kokufa kuka-Anan, iinkokeli zamaKaraite ngokufuthi zazingavumelani ngomkhamo wokuthotyelwa kwemimiselo ethile nohlobo emele ithotyelwe ngalo, kwaye isigidimi sazo sasingasoloko sicacile. AmaKaraite ayeswele ubunye ngenxa yokuba ayengamkeli nabani na njengenkokeli yawo kodwa agxininisa ekuzifundeleni nasekucaciseni iZibhalo, ngokuchasene nendlela oorabhi ababelisebenzisa ngayo igunya. Noko ke, phezu kwako nje oku, iqela lamaKaraite lakhula ekuthandweni ngabantu nasekubeni nempembelelo eyadlulela nangaphaya kwebutho lamaYuda aseBhabhiloni yaza yanwenwa ukutyhubela uMbindi Mpuma. Isazulu esiyintloko samaKaraite samiselwa eYerusalem.

Ngenkulungwane yesithoba neyeshumi kwiXesha lethu Eliqhelekileyo, abaphengululi abangamaKaraite bagqwesa ekufundisiseni okuhlaziyiweyo kolwimi lwesiHebhere yaye baba nexesha lolonwabo olukhulu nempumelelo. Bawugqala umbhalo obhaliweyo weSibhalo sesiHebhere njengongcwele, ingezizo izithethe ezidluliselwe ngomlomo. Wambi amaKaraite aba ngabakhupheli abanenyameko beZibhalo zesiHebhere. Enyanisweni, yayilucelomngeni lwamaKaraite olwakhuthaza isifundo seZibhalo zamaMasorete phakathi kwamaYuda, luqinisekisa umbhalo weBhayibhile ogcinwe uchane ngakumbi namhlanje.

Ebudeni beli xesha lenkqubela ekhawulezileyo, amaKaraite angamaYuda ngokukhululekileyo azixakekisa kumsebenzi wobuvangeli phakathi kwamanye amaYuda. Oku ngokucacileyo kwezisa isisongelo kumaYuda angoorabhi.

Basabela Njani OoRabhi?

Uhlaselo loorabhi lokuziphindezelela lwaba yimfazwe eshushu yamazwi, enobubhetyebhetye bamaqhinga, nokuguqulwa kweemfundiso ukuze bafikelele usukelo lwabo. Ngenkulungwane elandela uhlaselo luka-Anan, amaYuda angoorabhi amkela uthotho lweendlela zamaKaraite. Oorabhi baba nobuchule obungakumbi ekucaphuleni iZibhalo, bebandakanya inkqubo nendlela yamaKaraite kubuciko babo.

Inkokeli eyaziwayo yalo mlo wamazwi namaKaraite yayinguSaʽadia ben Joseph, owaba yinkokeli yebutho lamaYuda eBhabhiloni kwisiqingatha sokuqala senkulungwane yeshumi kwiXesha lethu Eliqhelekileyo. Incwadi eyayiphambili kaSaʽadia, ethi The Book of Beliefs and Opinions, yaguqulelwa esiNgesini nguSamuel Rosenblatt, owathi kwintshayelelo yayo: “Nakubeni . . . wayengumakhwekhwetha kwiTalmud ngeemini zakhe, [uSaʽadia] ngokwentelekiso wawusebenzisa kancinane lo mthombo wesithethe samaYuda, ngokucacileyo ngenxa yokuba yayingumnqweno wakhe ukuba oyise amaKaraite ngezixhobo zawo awayesamkela uMthetho Obhaliweyo njengokuphela kosemthethweni.

Elandela emanyathelweni kaSaʽadia, ekugqibeleni amaYuda angoorabhi oyisa. Bakufeza oku ngokuziqhelanisa nje ngokwaneleyo noMthetho Obhaliweyo kangangokuba bakwazi ukuzisingela phantsi iingxoxo zamaKaraite. Isithonga sokugqibela sakhutshwa nguMoses Maimonides, umphengululi owaziwayo weTalmud wenkulungwane ye-12. Ekubeni wayekwazi ukuwanyamezela amaKaraite awayehlala nawo eYiputa, nangenxa yendlela yakhe eyeyisayo yokwenza izinto njengomntu ofundileyo, wathandwa ngawo waza wenza buthathaka iinkokeli zawo.

Iqela LamaKaraite Alisenayo Impembelelo

Ngoku liswele umanyano nolungelelwano emanyathelweni elawathabathayo, iqela lamaKaraite laphulukana nabalandeli kunye nokuba nempembelelo. Ekuhambeni kwexesha, amaKaraite aziphucula izimvo nemigaqo yawo. uLeon Nemoy, umbhali kwiqela lamaKaraite, ubhala athi: “Nakuba iTalmud yabonakala ngathi ayisasetyenziswa, umbandela omninzi weTalmud ngokungabonakaliyo wanyebeleziswa kumthetho nesiko lamaKaraite.” Ngokusisiseko, amaKaraite aphulukana nenjongo yawo yokuqala aza amkela okuninzi okuvela koorabhi abangamaYuda.

Kusekho amaKaraite amalunga nama-25 000 kwaSirayeli. Amawaka ambalwa ngakumbi asafumaneka nakwezinye iindawo, ingakumbi eRashiya naseUnited States. Noko ke, nangona enezithethe zawo ezidluliselwe ngomlomo, ahlukile kumaKaraite okuqala.

Yintoni esinokuyifunda kwimbali yamaKaraite? Kukuba kuyimpazamo enzulu ‘ukuwuphanga igunya umthetho kaThixo ngenxa yesithethe.’ (Mateyu 15:6) Ukuze sikhululeke kwizithethe zabantu ezingumthwalo kufuneka sibe nolwazi oluchanileyo lweZibhalo. (Yohane 8:31, 32; 2 Timoti 3:16, 17) Ewe, abo bafuna ukwazi uThixo baze benze ukuthanda kwakhe abakholosi ngezithethe zabantu. Kunoko, ngenyameko baphengulula iBhayibhile baze basebenzise umyalelo oyingenelo weLizwi likaThixo eliphefumlelweyo.

[Imibhalo esemazantsi]

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 30]

Iqela lamaKaraite

[Inkcazelo]

From the book The Jewish Encyclopedia, 1910