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I have heard a few times that there is a midrash (or other rabbinic source) that Paul, as some kind of "undercover pharisee" type situation, deliberately changed the sabbath to sunday in the christian faith to prevent non-Jews from keeping sabbath (as this is explicitly forbidden in halacha). Is there any rabbinic source for this? What are its origins or how reliable is it?

Rabbi Kaii
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    Here are the midrashim about Peter which include the undercover changes he introduced https://web.archive.org/web/20050407123047/http://www.bitethewaxtadpole.org/simon%20peter.htm but while it mentions other holidays, I don't think it mentions Shabbat. – rosends Jul 25 '23 at 15:04
  • @rosends thanks, this led me to this article: https://shulchanaruchharav.com/halacha/who-was-paul-and-peter/ which has a lot of sources. Looks like our Harel13 answering this question here too: https://www.religiousforums.com/threads/midrash-concerning-peter.227376/page-4 – Rabbi Kaii Jul 25 '23 at 15:12
  • The Rashi from A"Z does mention Paul but he isn't in the medrashim and Shabbat is not mentioned https://i.imgur.com/Bsc0vSD.jpg – rosends Jul 25 '23 at 15:57
  • See also https://www.kotzkblog.com/2016/11/102-did-st-peter-compose-nishmat-prayer.html – AKA Jul 25 '23 at 16:52
  • I admit my question is more broad and yours is more specific. But they overlap – robev Jul 25 '23 at 18:14

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Sounds like Toledoth Yeshu, which is not really an official Rabbinic text and not felt to be authorotative. Possibly a forgery or satire. I have heard but I can't find a source, that the impudent student who questions Rabbi Gamaliel in Gemara Shabbos 30B is Paul.

DavefromBaltimore
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  • Thanks, although this would probably be best made as a comment until you can find the sources. Did you see rosends' comment? Is that more likely to be the source than Toldot Yeshu, or are these midrashim linked? – Rabbi Kaii Jul 25 '23 at 15:08
  • Why do you call him "impudent"? His rejoinders were normal counterpoints. – Maurice Mizrahi Jul 25 '23 at 22:48