Samuel ben Hofni
Encyclopedia
Samuel ben Hofni was the last gaon
of Sura
. His father was a Talmudic scholar and chief judge ("ab bet din," probably of Fez
), one of whose responsa are extant (see Zunz
, Ritus, p. 191; Steinschneider, Hebr. Bibl. xx. 132), and on whose death Samuel wrote an elegy. Samuel was the father-in-law of Hai ben Sherira Gaon, who is authority for the statement that Samuel, like many of his contemporaries, zealously pursued the study of non-Jewish literature. Beyond these few data, nothing is known of the events of Samuel's life.
, Samuel ben Ḥofni composed but few of these. This was because the Academy of Sura had for a century occupied a less prominent position than that of Pumbedita
, and that, especially in the time of Hai ben Sherira, information was preferably sought at the latter institution.
A genizah fragment of the Taylor-Schechter collection, containing a letter to Shemariah ben Elhanan
written, according to Schechter's opinion, by Samuel ben Ḥofni, and another letter of Samuel's to Kairwan, show the great efforts which at this time the last representative of the Babylonian schools had to make to maintain the ancient seats of learning in Babylonia. Samuel's responsa, written in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Arabic
(those written in the last-named tongue were translated into Hebrew), treat of "tefillin
" and "ẓiẓit," the Sabbath
and holy days, forbidden and permitted food (kashrut
), women, priests, servants, property rights, and other questions of civil law. They consist chiefly of explanations of the Talmud
and include some very short halakic decisions, from which fact it is surmised that they are taken from his Talmud treatise Sha'are Berakot. With the intellectual independence peculiar to him, he occasionally declares a Talmudic law to be without Biblical foundation, and when an explanation in the Talmud seems inadequate, he adds one of his own which is satisfactory.
Samuel wrote Madkhal ila 'al-Talmud (Hebrew title, "Mebo ha-Talmud"), an Arabic introduction to the Talmud which is known only through citations from it made by Abu al-Walid, Joseph ibn 'Aḳnin, and Abraham Zacuto
. His treatise concerning the hermeneutic rules in the Talmud is known only by name.
The above-mentioned catalogue (see J. Q. R. xiii. 60, 62) contains in addition the following titles of works by Samuel on the same subjects of Talmudic law:
The catalogue (l.c. p. 59, No. 56) ascribes to Samuel ben Ḥofni likewise a commentary on the tractate Yebamot. Moreover, Schechter's genizah fragments contain the beginning of an Arabic commentary by Samuel on a Hebrew "reshut" of Saadia
's (Saadyana, pp. 43, 54, where further writings of his previously unknown are mentioned; see also Samuel Poznanski in Zeit. für Hebr Bibl. vii. 109).
"), and Ibn Ezra
, although finding fault with his verbosity, placed him in the front rank of Bible commentators of the geonic period (see Bacher, Abraham ibn Ezra's Einleitung zu Seinem Pentateuch-Commentar, etc., p. 18). In modern times his significance as a Bible exegete has been given proper appreciation through Harkavy's studies of the manuscripts in the St. Petersburg Library (see Berliner's Magazin, v. 14 et seq., 57 et seq.; Harkavy, l.c. i., iii.; Steinschneider, Hebr. Bibl. xx. 132 et seq.).
s, and perhaps a commentary on Ecclesiastes
(see Harkavy, l.c. iii. 24, note 59; Poznanski, l.c. ii. 55, note 5). M. I. Israelsohn (Samuelis b. Hofni Trium Sectionum Posteriorum Libri Genesis Versio Arabica cum Commentario, St. Petersburg, 1886) has published a portion of Samuel's Pentateuch translation (Gen. xli.-l.) with commentary. The deficiencies in these edited fragments might be supplied by the citations in Abraham Maimonides
' commentary on Genesis and Exodus (Neubauer, Cat. Bodl. Hebr. MSS. No. 276). The German translation of a specimen of these fragments is given in Winter and Wünsche (l.c. ii. 254). The fragments show that Samuel's translation of the Pentateuch was dependent upon, though it was more literal than, that of Saadia
, which had been written almost one hundred years earlier. In contrast to Saadia, Samuel gives Hebrew proper names in their original form. Grammatical notes occupy a remarkably small space in his verbose commentary, and his grammatical point of view was that taken by scholars before the time of Ḥayyuj. On the other hand, he gives careful consideration to the chronology of Bible accounts, and in explaining a word he gives all its various meanings besides references to its occurrence elsewhere. His source is the midrashic and Talmudic literature, though he specifically mentions only the Seder Olam
and the Targum Onḳelos
(see Bacher in R. E. J. xv. 277, xvi. 106 et seq.).
and Muḳammaṣ as a polemical writer (Steinschneider, Jewish Literature, p. 319); an anti-Karaite work entitled Arayot, on the degrees of relationship, is ascribed to him (Fürst, Gesch. des Karäert. ii. 153), but whether correctly or incorrectly is not certain (see the above-mentioned catalogue, Nos. 58-59). Kabalists have assigned to him a Sefer ha-Yashar (Zunz
, S. P. p. 146), and a request directed to Saadia for his decision on oaths.
and everything that reason denies. He deliberately placed himself in opposition to Saadia, who had held fast to the belief that the witch of En-dor had brought Samuel to life again, that the serpent had spoken to Eve
, and the ass to Balaam
, even though he felt himself compelled to explain the wonders by supplying the intermediary agency of angels. Samuel denied these and similar miracles, and, with an irony reminiscent of Ḥiwi al-Balkhi
, he put the question, "Why, if they were able to do so at one time, do serpents not speak at present?"
According to his conception, God changes the natural order of things only when He wishes to verify before all people the words of a prophet (Teshubot ha-Ge'onim, ed. Lyck, No. 99). This view was opposed by his son-in-law Hai Gaon
. That in later times he was not termed a heretic, although disparaging criticism was not lacking, was due to his position as gaon
(see Weiss, l.c. iv. 198; Menahem Me'iri, Bet ha-Beḥirah, in Adolf Neubauer
, M. J. C. ii. 225).
Gaon (Hebrew)
Gaon originally referred in Ancient Hebrew to arrogance and haughty pride . Later became known as pride in general: whether good or bad . Today it may refer to:...
of Sura
Sura (city)
Sura was a city in the southern part of ancient Babylonia, located west of the Euphrates River. It was well-known for its agricultural produce, which included grapes, wheat, and barley...
. His father was a Talmudic scholar and chief judge ("ab bet din," probably of Fez
Fes, Morocco
Fes or Fez is the second largest city of Morocco, after Casablanca, with a population of approximately 1 million . It is the capital of the Fès-Boulemane region....
), one of whose responsa are extant (see Zunz
Zunz
Zunz, Zuntz is a Yiddish surname: , Belgian pharmacologist* Leopold Zunz , German Reform rabbi* Gerhard Jack Zunz , British civil engineer- Zuntz :* Nathan Zuntz , German physiologist...
, Ritus, p. 191; Steinschneider, Hebr. Bibl. xx. 132), and on whose death Samuel wrote an elegy. Samuel was the father-in-law of Hai ben Sherira Gaon, who is authority for the statement that Samuel, like many of his contemporaries, zealously pursued the study of non-Jewish literature. Beyond these few data, nothing is known of the events of Samuel's life.
His responsa
Although, as a rule, geonic literature consists mainly of responsaResponsa
Responsa comprise a body of written decisions and rulings given by legal scholars in response to questions addressed to them.-In the Roman Empire:Roman law recognised responsa prudentium, i.e...
, Samuel ben Ḥofni composed but few of these. This was because the Academy of Sura had for a century occupied a less prominent position than that of Pumbedita
Pumbedita
Pumbedita was the name of a city in ancient Babylonia close to the modern-day city of Fallujah....
, and that, especially in the time of Hai ben Sherira, information was preferably sought at the latter institution.
A genizah fragment of the Taylor-Schechter collection, containing a letter to Shemariah ben Elhanan
Shemariah ben Elhanan
Shemariah ben Elhanan was head of the yeshivah of Cairo, Egypt, about the end of the 10th century. Abraham ibn Daud Shemariah ben Elhanan was head of the yeshivah of Cairo, Egypt, about the end of the 10th century. Abraham ibn Daud Shemariah ben Elhanan was head of the yeshivah of Cairo, Egypt,...
written, according to Schechter's opinion, by Samuel ben Ḥofni, and another letter of Samuel's to Kairwan, show the great efforts which at this time the last representative of the Babylonian schools had to make to maintain the ancient seats of learning in Babylonia. Samuel's responsa, written in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
(those written in the last-named tongue were translated into Hebrew), treat of "tefillin
Tefillin
Tefillin also called phylacteries are a set of small black leather boxes containing scrolls of parchment inscribed with verses from the Torah, which are worn by observant Jews during weekday morning prayers. Although "tefillin" is technically the plural form , it is loosely used as a singular as...
" and "ẓiẓit," the Sabbath
Shabbat
Shabbat is the seventh day of the Jewish week and a day of rest in Judaism. Shabbat is observed from a few minutes before sunset on Friday evening until a few minutes after when one would expect to be able to see three stars in the sky on Saturday night. The exact times, therefore, differ from...
and holy days, forbidden and permitted food (kashrut
Kashrut
Kashrut is the set of Jewish dietary laws. Food in accord with halakha is termed kosher in English, from the Ashkenazi pronunciation of the Hebrew term kashér , meaning "fit" Kashrut (also kashruth or kashrus) is the set of Jewish dietary laws. Food in accord with halakha (Jewish law) is termed...
), women, priests, servants, property rights, and other questions of civil law. They consist chiefly of explanations of the Talmud
Talmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
and include some very short halakic decisions, from which fact it is surmised that they are taken from his Talmud treatise Sha'are Berakot. With the intellectual independence peculiar to him, he occasionally declares a Talmudic law to be without Biblical foundation, and when an explanation in the Talmud seems inadequate, he adds one of his own which is satisfactory.
Samuel wrote Madkhal ila 'al-Talmud (Hebrew title, "Mebo ha-Talmud"), an Arabic introduction to the Talmud which is known only through citations from it made by Abu al-Walid, Joseph ibn 'Aḳnin, and Abraham Zacuto
Abraham Zacuto
Abraham Zacuto was a Sephardi Jewish astronomer, astrologer, mathematician and historian who served as Royal Astronomer in the 15th century to King John II of Portugal. The crater Zagut on the Moon is named after him....
. His treatise concerning the hermeneutic rules in the Talmud is known only by name.
Treatises
Samuel's systematic treatises on many portions of the Talmudic law surpassed in number those of his predecessors. They were composed in Arabic, although some bore corresponding familiar Hebrew titles. They are:- Aḥkam Shar' al-Ẓiẓit, ten chapters, on rules concerning fringes (tzitzitTzitzitThe Hebrew noun tzitzit is the name for specially knotted ritual fringes worn by observant Jews. Tzitzit are attached to the four corners of the tallit and tallit katan.-Etymology:The word may derive from the semitic root N-TZ-H...
) (Harkavy, Studien und Mittheilungen, iii. 31, note 77) - Lawazim al-Aḥkam, known from a citation (Harkavy, l.c. p. 35, note 93), from the catalogue of a book-dealer of the twelfth century (this catalogue was found among the genizahGenizahA genizah is the store-room or depository in a Jewish synagogue , usually specifically for worn-out Hebrew-language books and papers on religious topics that were stored there before they could receive a proper cemetery burial, it being forbidden to throw away writings...
fragments of FostatFostatFustat , was the first capital of Egypt under Arab rule...
, and was published by E. N. Adler and I. Broydé in J. Q. R. xiii. 52 et seq.), and from fragments recently (1906) discovered and published by Schechter (l.c. p. 114) - Al-Bulugh wal-Idrak, in six chapters, on the attainment of one's majority (bar mitzvah) (Harkavy, l.c. p. 31, note 77)
- Fi al-Ṭalaḳ (appears in the above-mentioned catalogue under the title Kitab al-Ṭalaḳ), on divorce
- Naskh al-Shar' wa-Uṣul al-Din wa-Furu'ha (i.e., "Abrogation of the Law and Foundations of Religion and Its Branches"), cited by Judah ibn Balaam and Moses ibn EzraMoses ibn EzraRabbi Moses ben Jacob ibn Ezra, known as ha-Sallah was a Jewish, Spanish philosopher, linguist, and poet. He was born at Granada about 1055 – 1060, and died after 1138. Ezra is Jewish by religion but is also considered a great influence in the Arabic world in regards to his works...
(Steinschneider, Cat. Bodl. cols. 880, 2164; idem, Polemische und Apologetische Litteratur, p. 102; Harkavy, l.c. p. 40, notes 112-114) - Fi al-Nafaḳat, concerning taxes (Harkavy, l.c. p. 34, note 90)
- Al-Shuf'a, twenty chapters, concerning boundary disputes (Harkavy, l.c. p. 30, note 60)
- Risalah al-Shakiriyyah (= Hebrew, שכירות, mentioned by Moses ibn EzraMoses ibn EzraRabbi Moses ben Jacob ibn Ezra, known as ha-Sallah was a Jewish, Spanish philosopher, linguist, and poet. He was born at Granada about 1055 – 1060, and died after 1138. Ezra is Jewish by religion but is also considered a great influence in the Arabic world in regards to his works...
; see Schreiner in R. E. J. xxii. 69), probably concerning the hiring of persons - Al-Shara'i', concerning commandments (see Schechter, l.c. p. 43); divided into "gates" or chapters ("she'arim") with separate titles, e.g., Sha'are Sheḥiṭut; Sha'ar shel Bediḳut ha-Basar min ha-Ḥeleb; Sha'are Berakot. The last-mentioned part has been edited in Hebrew by I. H. Weiss in Bet Talmud, ii. 377, and partially translated into GermanGerman languageGerman is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
in Winter and Wünsche, Die Jüdische Litteratur, ii. 49. - Shuruṭ, concerning contracts (see Œuvres de Saadia, ix., p. xxxviii.)
- Ha-Mattanah, concerning gifts (Harkavy, l.c. p. 36, notes 97, 98)
- Ha-Shuttafut, concerning partnership (Harkavy, l.c. note 96; for further references see Steinschneider, Die Arabische Literatur, pp. 108 et seq.)
The above-mentioned catalogue (see J. Q. R. xiii. 60, 62) contains in addition the following titles of works by Samuel on the same subjects of Talmudic law:
- Kitab Aḥkam al-Piḳḳadon, concerning deposits
- Kitab al-Mujawara, concerning neighborhood
- Al-Kitab [sic!] al-Bai," concerning sales
The catalogue (l.c. p. 59, No. 56) ascribes to Samuel ben Ḥofni likewise a commentary on the tractate Yebamot. Moreover, Schechter's genizah fragments contain the beginning of an Arabic commentary by Samuel on a Hebrew "reshut" of Saadia
Saadia
Saadia is a Jewish name and Arabic name. it can refer to several people:*Saadia Gaon - Ninth century rabbi, philosopher, and exegete of the Geonic period.*Saadia Afzaal - Pakistani journalist and television news anchor....
's (Saadyana, pp. 43, 54, where further writings of his previously unknown are mentioned; see also Samuel Poznanski in Zeit. für Hebr Bibl. vii. 109).
As Bible Exegete
The most important work of Samuel, however, was in Bible exegesis. As early a writer as Abu al-Walid (Kitab al-Luma, p. 15) called him a leading advocate of simple, temperate explanation ("peshaṭPeshat
Peshat is one of four classical methods of Jewish biblical exegesis used by Rabbis and Jewish bible scholars in reading the Hebrew Bible, also known as the Tanakh. Peshat is part of a group of exegetical methods known together as Pardes...
"), and Ibn Ezra
Ibn Ezra
Ibn Ezra was a prominent Jewish family from Spain spanning many centuries.The name ibn Ezra may refer to:* Abraham ibn Ezra , a Rabbi who lived in the eleventh and twelfth centuries...
, although finding fault with his verbosity, placed him in the front rank of Bible commentators of the geonic period (see Bacher, Abraham ibn Ezra's Einleitung zu Seinem Pentateuch-Commentar, etc., p. 18). In modern times his significance as a Bible exegete has been given proper appreciation through Harkavy's studies of the manuscripts in the St. Petersburg Library (see Berliner's Magazin, v. 14 et seq., 57 et seq.; Harkavy, l.c. i., iii.; Steinschneider, Hebr. Bibl. xx. 132 et seq.).
Translations of the Bible
Samuel ben Ḥofni wrote, besides, an Arabic translation of the Pentateuch with a commentary, a commentary on some of the ProphetProphet
In religion, a prophet, from the Greek word προφήτης profitis meaning "foreteller", is an individual who is claimed to have been contacted by the supernatural or the divine, and serves as an intermediary with humanity, delivering this newfound knowledge from the supernatural entity to other people...
s, and perhaps a commentary on Ecclesiastes
Ecclesiastes
The Book of Ecclesiastes, called , is a book of the Hebrew Bible. The English name derives from the Greek translation of the Hebrew title.The main speaker in the book, identified by the name or title Qoheleth , introduces himself as "son of David, king in Jerusalem." The work consists of personal...
(see Harkavy, l.c. iii. 24, note 59; Poznanski, l.c. ii. 55, note 5). M. I. Israelsohn (Samuelis b. Hofni Trium Sectionum Posteriorum Libri Genesis Versio Arabica cum Commentario, St. Petersburg, 1886) has published a portion of Samuel's Pentateuch translation (Gen. xli.-l.) with commentary. The deficiencies in these edited fragments might be supplied by the citations in Abraham Maimonides
Avraham son of Rambam
Abraham ben Moses ben Maimon was the son of Maimonides who succeeded his father as Nagid of the Egyptian Jewish community....
' commentary on Genesis and Exodus (Neubauer, Cat. Bodl. Hebr. MSS. No. 276). The German translation of a specimen of these fragments is given in Winter and Wünsche (l.c. ii. 254). The fragments show that Samuel's translation of the Pentateuch was dependent upon, though it was more literal than, that of Saadia
Saadia
Saadia is a Jewish name and Arabic name. it can refer to several people:*Saadia Gaon - Ninth century rabbi, philosopher, and exegete of the Geonic period.*Saadia Afzaal - Pakistani journalist and television news anchor....
, which had been written almost one hundred years earlier. In contrast to Saadia, Samuel gives Hebrew proper names in their original form. Grammatical notes occupy a remarkably small space in his verbose commentary, and his grammatical point of view was that taken by scholars before the time of Ḥayyuj. On the other hand, he gives careful consideration to the chronology of Bible accounts, and in explaining a word he gives all its various meanings besides references to its occurrence elsewhere. His source is the midrashic and Talmudic literature, though he specifically mentions only the Seder Olam
Seder Olam
Seder Olam is the name of two works of early rabbinical literature dealing largely with religious chronology. The two works are:* Seder Olam Rabbah, the earlier and larger work* Seder Olam Zutta, the smaller work...
and the Targum Onḳelos
Targum Onkelos
right|thumb|Interlinear text of [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]] [[Book of Numbers|Numbers]] 6.3–10 with [[Aramaic language|Aramaic]] Targum Onkelos from the [[British Library]]....
(see Bacher in R. E. J. xv. 277, xvi. 106 et seq.).
Polemical Writings
Samuel ben Ḥofni is mentioned in connection with SaadiaSaadia
Saadia is a Jewish name and Arabic name. it can refer to several people:*Saadia Gaon - Ninth century rabbi, philosopher, and exegete of the Geonic period.*Saadia Afzaal - Pakistani journalist and television news anchor....
and Muḳammaṣ as a polemical writer (Steinschneider, Jewish Literature, p. 319); an anti-Karaite work entitled Arayot, on the degrees of relationship, is ascribed to him (Fürst, Gesch. des Karäert. ii. 153), but whether correctly or incorrectly is not certain (see the above-mentioned catalogue, Nos. 58-59). Kabalists have assigned to him a Sefer ha-Yashar (Zunz
Zunz
Zunz, Zuntz is a Yiddish surname: , Belgian pharmacologist* Leopold Zunz , German Reform rabbi* Gerhard Jack Zunz , British civil engineer- Zuntz :* Nathan Zuntz , German physiologist...
, S. P. p. 146), and a request directed to Saadia for his decision on oaths.
Theological views
Samuel ben Ḥofni is justly called a rationalist (Schreiner, in Monatsschrift, 1886, pp. 315 et seq.). In religious matters he considered reason higher than tradition (Harkavy, l.c. note 34). Holding to a belief in the creation of the world out of nothing, he rejected astrologyAstrology
Astrology consists of a number of belief systems which hold that there is a relationship between astronomical phenomena and events in the human world...
and everything that reason denies. He deliberately placed himself in opposition to Saadia, who had held fast to the belief that the witch of En-dor had brought Samuel to life again, that the serpent had spoken to Eve
Eve (Bible)
Eve was, according to the creation of Abrahamic religions, the first woman created by God...
, and the ass to Balaam
Balaam
Balaam is a diviner in the Torah, his story occurring towards the end of the Book of Numbers. The etymology of his name is uncertain, and discussed below. Every ancient reference to Balaam considers him a non-Israelite, a prophet, and the son of Beor, though Beor is not so clearly identified...
, even though he felt himself compelled to explain the wonders by supplying the intermediary agency of angels. Samuel denied these and similar miracles, and, with an irony reminiscent of Ḥiwi al-Balkhi
Hiwi al-Balkhi
Hiwi al-Balkhi was an exegete and Biblical critic of the last quarter of the ninth century, born at Balkh, Khorasan . It is not entirely clear whether Hiwi was a Jew, as suggested by , or whether he was perhaps a member of a gnostic Christian sect...
, he put the question, "Why, if they were able to do so at one time, do serpents not speak at present?"
According to his conception, God changes the natural order of things only when He wishes to verify before all people the words of a prophet (Teshubot ha-Ge'onim, ed. Lyck, No. 99). This view was opposed by his son-in-law Hai Gaon
Hai Gaon
Hai ben Sherira , was a medieval Jewish theologian, rabbi and scholar who served as Gaon of the Talmudic academy of Pumbedita during the early 11th century. He was born in 939 and died on March 28, 1038...
. That in later times he was not termed a heretic, although disparaging criticism was not lacking, was due to his position as gaon
Geonim
Geonim were the presidents of the two great Babylonian, Talmudic Academies of Sura and Pumbedita, in the Abbasid Caliphate, and were the generally accepted spiritual leaders of the Jewish community world wide in the early medieval era, in contrast to the Resh Galuta who wielded secular authority...
(see Weiss, l.c. iv. 198; Menahem Me'iri, Bet ha-Beḥirah, in Adolf Neubauer
Adolf Neubauer
Adolf Neubauer was sublibrarian at the Bodleian Library and reader in Rabbinic Hebrew at Oxford University....
, M. J. C. ii. 225).
Jewish Encyclopedia bibliography
- SAMUEL BEN ḤOFNI, jewishencyclopedia.com;Article
- In addition to the references given above see
- ZunzZunzZunz, Zuntz is a Yiddish surname: , Belgian pharmacologist* Leopold Zunz , German Reform rabbi* Gerhard Jack Zunz , British civil engineer- Zuntz :* Nathan Zuntz , German physiologist...
, Ritus, p. 191; - G. Margoliouth, in J. Q. R. xiv. 311.
- Zunz