Ezra • Ezra the Priest
Ezra the Scribe
Men of the Great AssemblyEzra the Scribe was a priest and a skilled scribe in the Torah of Moses. He ascended from Babylon to Jerusalem, restored the people to Torah observance, enacted important ordinances, and led the Men of the Great Assembly.
Biography
Ezra the Scribe was a priest and a skilled scribe in the Torah of Moses. He ascended from Babylon to Jerusalem, restored the people to Torah observance, enacted important ordinances, and led the Men of the Great Assembly.
Life Story
Childhood
He was born in Babylon to a priestly family, descended from Eleazar son of Aaron.
Teachers
He studied Torah under the sages of Babylon.
Students
The Men of the Great Assembly, foremost among them Shimon HaTzaddik.
Family
A great priest.
Key Events
He ascended to Jerusalem with the authorization of the king of Persia, conducted the public reading of the Torah, corrected the matter of those who had intermarried with foreign women, and established communal ordinances.
Miracles
The way was made possible for him through the favor of the king and of his God.
Influence
He restored the Torah to its proper place among Israel and spread Torah publicly among the people.
Death
He passed away in Jerusalem and was buried near the tomb of King David.
Writings
Book of Ezra
Prophetic book and chronicle
An account of the return from Babylon and the building of the Second Temple.
I and II Chronicles
Chronicle
According to tradition, these were written by Ezra.
His Way and Views
Torah Study
He prepared his heart to expound and teach Torah, and spread it throughout all Israel.
Halacha
He enacted many ordinances, such as the public reading of the Torah on Mondays and Thursdays.
Faith
Faith in God, who preserves His covenant with Israel.
Ethics
He separated the people from foreign women in order to preserve holiness.
Customs
He instituted the Assyrian script and the order of prayer.
Character
Humble, God-fearing, and devoted.
Public Role
A leader who established a public Torah framework.
Famous Quotes
"For Ezra had prepared his heart to study the Torah of the Lord, to fulfill it, and to teach statute and law in Israel."
Famous Stories
Ezra wept and prayed over the sin of those who had intermarried with foreign women, until a great multitude of Israel gathered around him in tears, and they undertook to send away the foreign women.
Students
Teachers
Grave Site
Timeline
Birth in Babylon
Ascent to Jerusalem
Public reading of the Torah
Passing