Rabbi is the term in Judaism for a religious teacher. The word rabbi derives from the Hebrew root word , rav, which in biblical Hebrew means ‘great’ in many senses, including "revered." The word comes from the Semitic root R-B-B, and is cognate to Arabic ربّ rabb, meaning "lord" Rabbi ' onMouseout='HidePop("61034")' href="http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Torah">Torah
The term "Torah" , refers either to the Five Books of Moses or to the entirety of Judaism's founding legal and ethical religious texts...
and
TalmudThe Talmud is a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, customs, and history. It is a central text of mainstream Judaism....
commentator and a
poetPoetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
.
Biography
Zerachiah was born into a
RabbinicRabbinic may refer to:* Rabbinic literature, Rabbinic texts, writings, and works* Rabbinics or rabbinic traditions - see Oral Torah* Rabbinic Judaism, Rabbinics , Rabbinic Jews, or Rabbinic beliefs...
family called Yitzhari of Girona. His father was Isaac Ha-Levi, a Talmudic scholar in
ProvenceProvence is a region of southeastern France on the Mediterranean adjacent to Italy. It is part of the administrative région of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur...
, and the son of Zerachiah Ha-Levi, his namesake. The elder Zerachiah was a son of Shem Tov Ha-Levi, one of the greatest Talmudic scholars in Provence, who claimed direct descent of the prophet Samuel, who according to Jewish tradition was a direct descendant of
YitzharAccording to the Torah, Izhar was the father of Korah, Nepheg, and Zichri, and was a son of Kohath and grandson of Levi, consequently being the brother of Amram and uncle of Aaron, Miriam, and Moses...
(hence the family name "Ha-Yitzhari"), son of
KehathAccording to the Torah, Kohath was one of the sons of Levi, and the patriarchal founder of the Kohathites, one of the four main divisions among the Levites in Biblical times; in some apocryphal texts such as the Testament of Levi, and the Book of Jubilees, Levi's wife, Kohath's mother, is named as...
, son of
LeviLevi was, according to the Book of Genesis, the third son of Jacob and Leah, and the founder of the Israelite tribe of Levi .-Biblical account:...
, son of
JacobJacob , also known as Israel , was the third Biblical patriarch and ancestor of the twelve tribes of Israel, named after ten of his twelve sons, as well as the two sons of his son Joseph.The Bible says...
.
In his youth, Zerachiah moved to
ProvenceProvence is a region of southeastern France on the Mediterranean adjacent to Italy. It is part of the administrative région of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur...
and studied with the Talmudic scholars of
NarbonneNarbonne is a commune in southern France in the Languedoc-Roussillon région. It lies from Paris in the Aude département, of which it is a sous-préfecture. Once a prosperous port, it is now located about from the shores of the Mediterranean Sea...
(one of them was the famous Moshe ben Yosef). At the age of 19 he wrote a
piyyutA piyyut is a Jewish liturgical poem, usually designated to be sung, chanted, or recited during religious services. Piyyutim have been written since Temple times...
in Aramaic and devoted himself to
halakhicHalakha — also transliterated Halocho and Halacha — is the collective body of Jewish religious law, including biblical law and later talmudic and rabbinic law, as well as customs and traditions....
problems. For many years thereafter he lived in Lunel (studying with
Meshullam of LunelRabbeinu Meshullam son of Jacob also known as Rabbeinu Meshullam hagodol was a Franco-Jewish Talmudist of the twelfth century CE...
), but the conflicts, disputes and quarrels constantly splitting the community forced him to leave.
Zerachiah was not only a thorough Talmudist of great erudition, with an analytic and synthetic mind, but he was also deeply versed in Arabic literature, in philosophy,and in astronomy, and was, above all, a gifted poet, combining elegance of style with elevation of sentiment.
Judah Ben Saul Ibn TibbonJudah ben Saul ibn Tibbon was a translator and physician.Born in Granada, he left Spain in 1150, probably on account persecution by the Almohades, and went to Lunel in southern France. Benjamin of Tudela mentions him as a physician there in 1160...
said of Zerachiah: "he was unique in his generation and wiser than I", and praised him for his elaborate style of writing. Jehudah Ibn Tibbon sent his son Samuel ibn Tibbon to study with Zerachiah.
Sefer Ha-Maor
Zerachiah knew Arabic well and quickly absorbed the disciplines studied in Provence, but from his writings one could easily feel the tension that existed between him and his surroundings. Fame of a scholar and expert on halakhic problems came to him thanks to his book
Sefer Ha-Maor which was begun when he was 19 years old, and was completed in the 1180s.
The book is divided into two parts:
Ha-Maor Ha-Gadol (the great light) and
Ha-Maor Ha-Katan (the small light). In the first part the issues connected to
TalmudThe Talmud is a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, customs, and history. It is a central text of mainstream Judaism....
ic tractates
"BerachotBerakhot is the first masekhet of Seder Zeraim of the Mishnah, the first major text of Jewish law. It primarily addresses the rules regarding the Shema, the Amidah, Birkat Hamazon , Kiddush , Havdalah and other blessings and prayers...
",
"Mo'edMoed is the second Order of the Mishnah, the first written recording of the Oral Torah of the Jewish people . Of the six orders of the Mishna, Moed is the third shortest. The order of Moed consists of 12 tractates:# Shabbat: deals with the 39 prohibitions of "work" on the Shabbat...
" and
"Chullin" are discussed, and in the second part -
"NashimNashim is the third order of the Mishnah , containing the laws related to women and family life...
" and
"NezikinFor Jewish law on damages, see Damages Nezikin or Seder Nezikin is the fourth Order of the Mishna...
". In this book the
ReZaH consistently and critically objects to the
RifIsaac ben Jacob Alfasi ha-Cohen - also known as the Alfasi or by his Hebrew acronym Rif , was a Talmudist and posek . He is best known for his work of halakha, the legal code Sefer Ha-halachot, considered the first fundamental work in halakhic literature...
's views, but at the same time holds him and his works in high esteem.
These writings belong to a special kind of Rabbinical literature - so-called "objections" raised by the scholars of Provence against attempts by the scholars from "Eretz Islam" to force the adoption of their halakhot and commentaries. From this point of view, Zerachiah stands together with
Abraham ben DavidRabbeinu Abraham ben David was a Provençal rabbi, a great commentator on the Talmud, Sefer Halachot of rabbi Yitzhak Alfasi and Mishne Torah of Maimonides, and is regarded as a father of Kabbalah and one of the key and important links in the chain of Jewish mystics...
of Posquieres, known because of his objections to
MaimonidesMoses Maimonides, also known as Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon or the acronym the Rambam , was born in Cordoba, Spain on March 30, 1135, and died in Egypt on December 13, 1204....
, though even between them there was sufficient difference of opinion. Zerachiah, in many cases, prefers the variants of commentaries supplemented by
RashiShlomo Yitzhaki, better known by the acronym Rashi , , was a medieval French rabbi famed as the author of the first comprehensive commentary on the Talmud, as well as a comprehensive commentary on the Tanakh .Acclaimed for his ability to present the basic meaning of the text in a...
, and, to a great extent, he relies upon the methods of the scholars of
FranceFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
in commentaries on
GemaraThe Gemara is the part of the Talmud that contains rabbinical commentaries and analysis of the Mishnah. After the Mishnah was published by Rabbi Judah the Prince The Gemara (also transliterated Gemora or, less commonly, Gemorra) (from Aramaic גמרא gamar; literally, "[to] study" or "learning by...
. From this point of view, the works of Zerachiah reflect a mingling of the school of
halakha and the
drashDrash may refer to:* Midrash, a Hebrew word referring to a method of exegesis of a Biblical text.* Deployable rapid assembly shelter...
a of the scholars of Spain and France not uncommon in Provence.
Zerachiah's independence also displeased the conservatives, however, and refutations of his criticisms were written by
NahmanidesNahmanides, also known as Rabbi Moses ben Nachman Girondi, Bonastruc ça Porta and by his acronym Ramban, , was a Catalan rabbi, philosopher, physician, kabbalist, and biblical commentator.-Name:...
under the title
Milḥamot hashem, and by
Abraham ben DavidRabbeinu Abraham ben David was a Provençal rabbi, a great commentator on the Talmud, Sefer Halachot of rabbi Yitzhak Alfasi and Mishne Torah of Maimonides, and is regarded as a father of Kabbalah and one of the key and important links in the chain of Jewish mystics...
of Posquières, who alluded in his harsh fashion to Zerahiah as an immature youth who had had the audacity to criticize his master, and even accused him of having appropriated some of his (Abraham's) own interpretations without mentioning the author. A justification of Zerahiah's critique was written by
Ezra MalkiEzra Malki was rabbi of Rhodes in the seventeenth century; he was brother-in-law of Hezekiah de Silva, the author of "Peri Ḥadash."Malki was the author of "Malki ba-Ḳodesh"...
under the title
Shemen la-Ma'or, and since 1552 the
Sefer ha-Ma'or has always been printed together with Alfasi.
Sefer Ha-Tsava
Additionally, Zerachiah wrote the book
Sefer Ha-Tsava, which explained 13 principles of
drasha used in Gemarah and composed various halakhoth related to
shechitaShechita is the ritual slaughter of mammals and birds according to Jewish dietary laws. The act is performed by cutting the animal's throat by drawing a very sharp knife horizontally across it and allowing the blood to drain out....
and
NiddahNiddah is a Hebrew term which literally means separation, and generally refers to separation from ritual impurity; The term niddah is overwhelmingly used in Judaism to refer to the rules of Jewish law concerning menstruation...
, etc. At the same time endeavored to show that Alfasi had not observed the principles laid down in the Talmud for halakic interpretation.
This work, like its predecessor, was criticized by Naḥmanides, who justified Alfasi. Major differences in opinion also emerged between Zerachiah and the Ravad III who wrote objections to the
Sefer Ha-Maor. Zerachiah replied in kind, writing objections to the Ravad's work
Baalei Ha-Nefesh which were full of sarcasm and personal attacks. Both the
Sefer Ha-Tsava and the criticism of Naḥmanides were inserted in the
Sefer Temim De'im (§§ 225, 226, Venice, 1622), and were also published separately at Shklov in 1803.
Other Works
Zerachya was likewise the author of the following works:
Hilkot Sheḥiṭah u-Bediḳah, mentioned in the
Sefer ha-Ma'or at the end of the first chapter on the treatise Ḥullin;
Hassagot 'al Ba'ale ha-Nefesh, a critique of RABaD's treatise on the laws relating to women, published in part with the
Ba'ale ha-Nefesh (Venice, 1741; Berlin, 1762);
Dibre Ribot, a controversy with RABaD on civil jurisprudence, mentioned in the
Sefer ha-Ma'or on Baba Meẓi'a and cited in part by Bezaleel Ashkenazi in his
Shiṭṭah Meḳubbeẓet on Baba Meẓi'a, p. 98a;
Sela' ha-Maḥaloḳot, mentioned in the
Sefer ha-Ma'or at the end of the first chapter of Shebu'ot;
Pitḥe Niddah, quoted by the author's grandson in his
Bedeḳ ha-Bayit (vii. 3); a dissertation on the Mishnah Kinnim, published at Constantinople in 1795; and responsa, mentioned in the "Sefer ha-Ma'or" at the end of the second chapter of Giṭṭin and quoted in the "Sefer ha-Terumot" (xlv. 1).
Zerachya was the author of numerous liturgical poems, eighteen of which are found in the Sephardic Maḥzor. His poetry is included in various liturgical rites and was published in a critical edition by B. Bar-Tikva.
Legacy
Zerachia Halevi influenced greatly the following generations of rabbis and scholars, and some of them wrote responsa in his defense, among them
NahmanidesNahmanides, also known as Rabbi Moses ben Nachman Girondi, Bonastruc ça Porta and by his acronym Ramban, , was a Catalan rabbi, philosopher, physician, kabbalist, and biblical commentator.-Name:...
, who previously had been his irreconcilable critic. Even Ravad, who outlived his friend and rival by 13 years, softened his tone after Zerachiah's death and wrote about him with great respect, criticizing him only on the substance of issues under consideration.
Jewish Encyclopedia bibliography
- Leopold Zunz
Leopold Zunz was a German Reform rabbi and writer, the founder of what has been termed the "Science of Judaism" , the critical investigation of Jewish literature, hymnology and ritual...
, Z. G. p. 476;
- idem, in Allg. Zeit. des Jud. iii. 679;
- Sachs, Religiöse Poesie, p. 257;
- Dukes, in Orient, Lit. ix. 760;
- Leser Landshuth
Leser Landshuth was a German Jewish liturgiologist.He went to Berlin as a youth to study Jewish theology, and there he became acquainted with Leopold Zunz and Abraham Geiger, the latter of whom was then staying in that city in order to become naturalized in Prussia...
, 'Ammude ha-'Abodah, p. 63;
- Reifmann, Toledot R. Zeraḥyah ha-Lewi, Prague, 1853;
- Eliakim Carmoly
Eliakim Carmoly was a French-Jewish scholar. He was born at Sulz, then in the French department of the Upper Rhine. His real name was Goschel David Behr ; the name Carmoly, borne by his family in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, was adopted by him when quite young...
, La France Israélite, p. 107;
- Moritz Steinschneider
Moritz Steinschneider was a Bohemian bibliographer and Orientalist. He received his early instruction in Hebrew from his father, Jacob Steinschneider , who was not only an expert Talmudist, but was also well versed in secular science...
, Cat. Bodl. cols. 2589-2593;
- Fuenn, Keneset Yisrael, p. 570;
- Henri Gross, Gallia Judaica, pp. 255, 282;
- Michael, Or ha-Ḥayyim, p. 367, No. 826