[Avodah] Chanukah and the Jews Living in Bavel

[Joseph Kaplan]

Prof. Levine posted the following quote about the Jews who went to Bavel in the time of the Hasmoneans in Areivim 37/102 (I’m replying here in Avodah because the moderators told me my comment is sufficiently Torah related):

"While it seemed like tragedy at the time, these brilliant men, Torah scholars all, immediately established a Jewish infrastructure upon arrival in Babylon. A dozen years later when the Temple was destroyed, the Jews who were exiled to Babylon found there yeshivas, synagogues, kosher butchers, etc., all the essentials for maintaining a Jewish life. (See Part 23<https://www.simpletoremember.com/articles/a/babylonian_exile/>)“

Prof. Levine’s question arising from the quote was the following:

“ However,  I have never heard that the Jews living in Bavel offered any assistance to the Jews in EY during the 30 years of the fighting.   Surely the Jews in Bavel must have become aware of what was going on in EY during this 30 year period.  I can only wonder why they did not come to the assistance of the Jews living in EY.  Does anyone have any information about this?”

I’m not particularly interested in that question. What I do wonder about is the quote. More specifically, I wonder how the person who wrote it knows what he appears to say are historical facts. I looked at the linked article and the link in that article but I really didn’t find any historical sources supporting “Torah scholars all, yeshivas, synagogues, kosher butchers.”

Joseph


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