Zemah ben Hayyim
Encyclopedia
Zemah ben Hayyim was Gaon
of Sura
from 889 to 895. He was the stepbrother and successor of Nahshon ben Zadok
, and has become known especially through the reply which he made to the inquiry of the Kairwanites regarding Eldad ha-Dani
. This responsum, which appeared in part in the first edition of the Shalshelet ha-Ḳabbalah (Venice, 1480), was republished as completely as possible by A. Epstein in Vienna in his Eldad ha-Dani. It embraces nine points and concludes with an apology for Eldad's forgetfulness. According to Epstein, only one other responsum by Ẓemaḥ has been published; it is given in the Constantinople edition of the Pardes, and ends with the same words as does the first-mentioned responsum: לנטות ימין ושמאל. I.H. Weiss, however, ascribes to this gaon also the authorship of responsa in Sha'are Ẓedeḳ (iv., No. 14) and in the compilation Ḥemdah Genuzah (Nos. 58-61, 111-131). Nothing is known of the gaon's personal career.
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
A sura is a division of the Qur'an, often referred to as a chapter. The term chapter is sometimes avoided, as the suras are of unequal length; the shortest sura has only three ayat while the longest contains 286 ayat...
from 889 to 895. He was the stepbrother and successor of Nahshon ben Zadok
Nahshon ben Zadok
Nahshon ben Zadok Gaon was head of the Academy of Sura from 874 to 882, in succession to Mar Amram ben Sheshna. He wrote explanations to difficult words in the Talmud, not in alphabetical order, as did his contemporary Gaon Ẓemaḥ ben Paltoi of Pumbedita, but in the order of the tractates...
, and has become known especially through the reply which he made to the inquiry of the Kairwanites regarding Eldad ha-Dani
Eldad ha-Dani
Eldad ha-Dani or Eldad HaDani or Eldad ben Mahli ha-Dani was a Jewish, Hebrew-writing merchant and traveler of the ninth century. He professed to have been a citizen of an "independent Jewish state" in eastern Africa, probably in the Gihon region, inhabited by people claiming descent from the...
. This responsum, which appeared in part in the first edition of the Shalshelet ha-Ḳabbalah (Venice, 1480), was republished as completely as possible by A. Epstein in Vienna in his Eldad ha-Dani. It embraces nine points and concludes with an apology for Eldad's forgetfulness. According to Epstein, only one other responsum by Ẓemaḥ has been published; it is given in the Constantinople edition of the Pardes, and ends with the same words as does the first-mentioned responsum: לנטות ימין ושמאל. I.H. Weiss, however, ascribes to this gaon also the authorship of responsa in Sha'are Ẓedeḳ (iv., No. 14) and in the compilation Ḥemdah Genuzah (Nos. 58-61, 111-131). Nothing is known of the gaon's personal career.
Jewish Encyclopedia bibliography
- A. Epstein, Eldad ha-Dani, pp. 6–10, Presburg, 1891;
- Reifmann, in Ha-Karmel, viii., No. 32;
- Monatsschrift, 1874, p. 553;
- Z. Frankel, ib. 1878, p. 423;
- Grätz, Gesch. v. 243-245;
- Weiss, Dor, iv. 124, 264.
External links
- Jewish Encyclopedia article for Zemah ben Hayyim, by Joseph JacobsJoseph JacobsJoseph Jacobs was a folklorist, literary critic and historian. His works included contributions to the Jewish Encyclopaedia, translations of European works, and critical editions of early English literature...
and Schulim Ochser.