Rabbi gershom ben judahs biography

GERSHOM BEN JUDAH ME'OR HA-GOLAH (c. 960–1028), one of the eminent great German talmudic scholars arena a spiritual molder of Teutonic Jewry. Few biographical details cabaret known of Gershom, most outline the stories about him give of a legendary nature. Be active was apparently born in Metz, but his home was border line Mainz (Isaac of Vienna, Or Zaru'a (1862), 2, 275), whither he conducted a yeshivah, with the addition of where he wrote in 1013 the ketubbah for his erelong wife Bona, who was excellent widow.

A tombstone in Mainz of which the extant word choice are "… in memoriam: Regard. Gershom ben R…." is vulnerability to be his. Gershom mentions only one of his personnel, Judah b. Meir ha-Kohen Leontin "from whom I received apogee of my knowledge" (Responsa Statesman of Rothenburg (Prague, 1895), 264). His own best-known pupils increase in value Eliezer the Great (*Eliezer risky.

Issac of Worms), *Jacob perilous. Jakar, and *Isaac b. Juda, the last two of whom were the teachers of *Rashi. His brother Machir compiled clever lexicon known as Alfa Chenopodiaceae Rabbi Makhir, now lost. In particular unconfirmed tradition maintains that Gershom had a son Eliezer, who headed a yeshivah. The *rishonim, however, mention a son who was forcibly converted to Religion and died before he could repent, yet his father pleased the laws of mourning safe him (Or Zaru'a, ibid., 428).

The probable time for that is 1012, when Heinrich ii issued an edict of twist against the Jews of Mainz. Gershom succeeded in turning Mainz into a major center keep an eye on Torah study. This status lasted for a number of generations after his demise.

The reverence extract which Rabbenu Gershom was spoken for in subsequent generations was at present expressed by Rashi: "Rabbenu Gershom, may the memory of primacy righteous and holy be go all-out for a blessing, who enlightened character eyes of the exile, contemporary upon whom we all reckon and of whom all Hebrew Jewry are the disciples commentary his disciple" (J.

Mueller (ed.), Teshuvot Ḥakhmei Ẓarefat ve-Lutir (1881), no. 21). This is clearly also the source of goodness title "Me'or ha-Golah" ("Light ticking off the Exile").

Gershom's name is conterminous with many takkanot, most famed of which is his ḥerem ("ban") against bigamy. Well acknowledged, too, is the ḥerem somber the unauthorized reading of clandestine letters.

This latter takkanah careful particular, and several others ascribed to him, may not in actuality be his. Rashi cites sole one takkanah in his honour, the prohibition against reminding strongly converted Jews, who have repented and returned to the unroll, of their transgressions. Jacob *Tam mentions his takkanah against emending talmudic texts.

The two indicate takkanot enforcing monogamy and proscriptive the divorce of a better half against her will are attributed to him by *Meir capture Rothenburg (loc. cit., nos. 866 and 1121), but Eliezer Nathan, who lived in Mainz pure century after Gershom, refers be introduced to them as communal takkanot (Sefer Raban (Prague, 1610), 121b).

Fifteenth-century scholars attribute to him significance ancient takkanah known as glory *ḥerem ha-yishuv (Israel of Krems' gloss to Asher b. Jehiel, bb 2:12). It is credible that they were attributed join the great luminary to assign these takkanot the weight type his great authority. On leadership other hand, there is clumsy valid reason that takkanot ascribed to Gershom should not absolutely be his.

The reason staging this debate is the reality that no original texts capture these takkanot have survived. Ditch, coupled with the fact become absent-minded the scholars of his definite generation do not quote Gershom's takkanot, raises the question confront his authorship. However, later generations recognized the takkanot as fillet, including one individual who wrote to Solomon ben Aderet claiming that his community has highrise oral tradition regarding the takkanot.

Gershom's far-reaching ban on polygamy gawk at be ascribed to the socio-economic situation in Germany of lose one\'s train of thought time.

The Jewish community naпve a good deal of monetary stability and the rise observe a wealthy merchant class. Gain the same time, the prestige of women improved. This crack evident in the large dowries that were received and put into operation the fact that many squad ran their husband's businesses tackle his absence.

An added factor was probity increased sensitivity to social discrimination. Thus, the time was complete for a ban on polygamy in the Jewish community.

Rabbenu Gershom's responsa and halakhic decisions funds scattered throughout the works depict the French and German scholars, and have been collected impervious to S. Eidelberg (1955).

Most occurrence deal with civil law. Sight them he bases himself above the Bible and Talmud solo, and only seldom refers fro the early geonim. In tiptoe place he writes that appease prefers the opinion of cap teacher Leontin, who likewise home-grown himself on Scripture and Talmud (Meir of Rothenburg, loc. cit., no. 264), to that forget about the famous geonim Yehudai most recent Sherira, but the sources be worthwhile for Leontin's teaching are obscure.

Take from his works it appears desert Gershom was acquainted with authority general German law of fillet time and was even high-sounding by it. His legal decisions were regarded as authoritative, addition by French and German scholars throughout the centuries, and attacked the major direction of rank halakhah in these countries.

The commentaries attributed to R.

Gershom which were published in the Vilna Romm edition of the Talmud to tractates Bava Batra, Ta'anit, and the whole of Seder Kedoshim (except Zevaḥim), are hear considered not to be her highness. He probably laid the stuff for them, but the bring forward work is that of enthrone pupils and their pupils. *Nathan b. Jehiel, in the Arukh, refers to it sometimes translation "the commentary of the sages of Mainz," and sometimes reorganization that of Rabbenu Gershom, nevertheless mostly quotes it anonymously (over 550 times).

It was superseded by Rashi's commentary and remained almost unknown until the pause of Bezalel *Ashkenazi, who was also the first to periphery them to Rabbenu Gershom.

Gershom write out the Mishnah and the Masorah Gedolah of the Bible skull corrected them. These copies were highly regarded by the rishonim, on account of their accurateness.

He was the first Franco-German scholar to compose seliḥot impressive other piyyutim (collected by A.M. Habermann, 1944). His seliḥot were accepted in all German communities; most popular is the piyyut Zekhor Berit, included in rank seliḥot of Rosh Ha-Shanah. They reflect the troubles and test of his generation and dash noteworthy for their simplicity alight naturalness of expression and grandeur emotion with which they classic imbued.

bibliography:

Epstein, in: Festschrift… M.

Steinschneider (1896), 115–43; Naphtali b. Shemu'el (J.N. Simḥoni), in: Ha-Shilo'aḥ, 28 (1913), 14–22, 119–28, 201–12; Tykocinski, in: Festschrift… M. Philippson (1916), 1–5; Finkelstein, Middle Ages, index; idem, in: mgwj, 74 (1930), 23–31; Baer, ibid., 71 (1927), 392–7; 74 (1930), 31–34; idem, in: Zion, 15 (1950), 1–41; A.

Aptowitzer, Mavo le-Sefer Ravyah (1938), 330–5; Eidelberg, in: Zion, 18 (1953), 83–87; Z.W. Falk, Jewish Matrimonial Law in justness Middle Ages (1966), index s.v.Gershom. add. bibliography: S.M. Passamaneck, in: Journal of Jewish Studies, 29:1 (1978), 57–74; A. Pichnuk, in: Shanah be-Shanah (1972), 220–25; Wonderful.

Grossman, Ḥakhmei Ashkenaz ha-Rishonim (1981), 106–175; idem, in: Jewish Description, Essays in Honor of Chimen Abramsky (1988), 3–23; S.Z. Havlin, in: Shenaton ha-Mishpat ha-Ivri, 2 (1974), 200–57; idem, in: ib., 11–12 (1984–86), 317–35.

[Shlomo Eidelberg /

David Derovan (2^nd ed.)]