Addenda and corrigenda to our publication - Responsa of Rabbi Isaac ben Samuel of Dampierre: A Cr... more Addenda and corrigenda to our publication - Responsa of Rabbi Isaac ben Samuel of Dampierre: A Critical Edition (Jerusalem: Mekize Nirdamim, 2019)
Jewish communities existed across the county of Provence throughout the Middle Ages. In This Land... more Jewish communities existed across the county of Provence throughout the Middle Ages. In This Land reveals the changes that those communities underwent during the late-thirteenth and fourteenth centuries and the social and cultural tensions that shaped their identity. Legal responsa and other genres of rabbinic literature produced in Provence during this period-many of them previously unpublished-provide access to aspects of the past that have long gone unno-ticed. Engagement with legal culture played a central role in the formation of medieval communal identity, providing both a language and a forum for the airing of grievances and the demarcation of social legitimacy. Relations among different ethnic and religious groups, warring spouses, legists and local power brokers were negotiated through the intricacies of Jewish law or Halakhah. Through a close and historically contextualized reading of rabbinic sources, this book provides a startlingly vivid portrait of Jewish life in southern France during the later Middle Ages.
Isaac ben Samuel of Dampierre, often known as Ri ha-Zaken, was a leading figure in the Tosafist m... more Isaac ben Samuel of Dampierre, often known as Ri ha-Zaken, was a leading figure in the Tosafist movement. The Tosafists were active in Northern France during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. Their dialectical approach to interpretation of the Talmud and other classic rabbinic texts created a revolution in Jewish intellectual life. This volume gathers, for the first time, 140 responsa written by Isaac of Dampierre in response to questions of practical law and legal interpretation. Each responsum was edited according to the most accurate manuscripts, with a critical apparatus and extensive historical and textual notes. The introduction explores Isaac of Dampierre’s life and thought as they emerge from the responsa.
Analysis of a legal ruling by Yehiel of Paris (d. ca. 1260) in a rental dispute between two Jewis... more Analysis of a legal ruling by Yehiel of Paris (d. ca. 1260) in a rental dispute between two Jewish men sheds light on aspects of Jewish life in a major medieval European city. Two Jews rented an apartment from a Christian owner, and a dispute arose when one of the tenants left mid-term and his replacement, also a Jewish man, tried to renew the lease directly with the landlord. The original tenant claimed the exclusive right to renew the lease and that he was unwilling to share the apartment with the new tenant as this would impinge on his privacy in use of the lavatory. This article attempts to unravel the legal and cultural dimensions of the dispute and the demographic and architectural realities underpinning it. The article maintains that the disputants’ legal arguments drew upon both Jewish legal tradition and the legal norms of the rental market in Paris. The legal and cultural significance of privacy in the medieval urban context also plays an important role in the case.
Since antiquity, many people have believed that the length of human gestation is variable, rangin... more Since antiquity, many people have believed that the length of human gestation is variable, ranging from seven months to ten or even twelve months. The significance of this belief is not confined to the medical sphere, since it has important legal ramifications. If pregnancy could last for an extended period, a mother could claim that her offspring was legitimately conceived from her husband even if she had not had physical contact with her husband for more than nine months prior to the birth. After surveying the history of the belief in prolonged pregnancy in ancient Greek and Talmudic literature, this article presents a new rabbinic discussion of the topic from medieval Languedoc, a hitherto unknown passage from Rabbi Meir ben Simeon ha-Meʿili’s work Sefer ha-Meʾorot.
Very few Hebrew poems are known to have survived from medieval England. A newly discovered poem f... more Very few Hebrew poems are known to have survived from medieval England. A newly discovered poem found in Vatican City, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, MS Ebr. 402 and attributed to a Jew from Saltwharf, a London street on the north shore of the Thames, is published and discussed here. The verses belong to the genre of debate poem. They describe an argument between the components of a candle, the wick and the tallow, each claiming the prestige of the candle's flame. Linguistic hints and the historical and ritual uses of tallow in medieval Europe suggest that this poem is a metaphorical critique of Jewish religious authenticity.
Gersonides' Afterlife: Studies on the Reception of Levi ben Gerson's Philosophical, Halakhic and Scientific Oeuvre in the 14th through 20th Centuries, ed. Ofer Elior, Gad Freudenthal and David Wirmer (Leiden: Brill, 2020), 2020
Fragments of a Hebrew manuscript in thirteenth-century Sephardic script were recently discovered ... more Fragments of a Hebrew manuscript in thirteenth-century Sephardic script were recently discovered in the binding of a fourteenth-century notarial manual in Perpignan. These fragments are identified here as originating in a copy of Tosafot redacted by a disciple of Isaac ben Samuel of Dampierre. It is suggested that the redactor was Samson ben Abraham of Sens. This find is doubly significant—for the study of Tosafot, and for the intellectual history of medieval Perpignan Jewry.
Oqimta: Studies in Talmudic and Rabbinic Literature, 2019
Moses Botarel, who was active in Avignon during the fourteenth and
early fifteenth centuries, is ... more Moses Botarel, who was active in Avignon during the fourteenth and early fifteenth centuries, is remembered mostly for his commentary on Sefer Yezirah. In that commentary, Botarel cited many literary works that never existed. Several decades ago, additional writings by Botarel were published. Those writings relate to Jewish law, and they too contain numerous quotations from imaginary books. This article publishes, for the first time, a legal responsum written by Botarel, found in a manuscript held by the Bodleian Library in Oxford. The responsum does not contain any explicit mention of fictional titles, but philological analysis reveals the ways in which Botarel reworked and obscured his sources.
Very little is known about the internal life of the Jewish community in Provence and the Comtat V... more Very little is known about the internal life of the Jewish community in Provence and the Comtat Venaissin during the fifteenth century. Most of the community came to an end with the expulsion from the county of Provence in 1501. One of the few rabbinic scholars from this period whose name has been preserved is Mordechai Nathan, a physician and scholar from Avignon. Nathan is known as the owner of several monumental Hebrew manuscripts, and Rabbi Joseph Colon (Maharik) referred to him respectfully. This article analyzes for the first time a trove of responsa from fifteenth-century Provence, some of which were written by Mordechai Nathan and others that were sent to him. The responsa shed light on several aspects of Jewish life during this period, including the Hebrew vocabulary used by Provençal Jews, donations of Torah scrolls to the synagogue, private ownership of seats in the synagogue, communal charity for orphan brides, levirate marriage and divorce. An edition of the newly discovered responsa appears at the end of the article.
Responsa literature from southern France provides detailed information about the production of an... more Responsa literature from southern France provides detailed information about the production of and commerce in kosher wine. Because the cases in medieval rabbinic sources were recorded for its legal significance rather than their economic importance, they can shed light on aspects of medieval life that escape the reach of historians working with notarial or municipal documents. For example, piquette (pressed grapes mixed with water) was considered a low quality beverage, and is not mentioned in commercial records from the Middle Ages as much as wine is. However, Provençal rabbis devoted many discussions to the status of piquette in Jewish law. The responsa preserve detailed information about the ways in which kosher wine was produced on a commercial scale, and how it was marketed to kosher consumers in local and international markets. Read critically, these sources also demonstrate that the Jewish laity in medieval Provence and Languedoc were more conscientious in upholding the laws of kosher wine than is often assumed
Responsa literature from southern France provides detailed information about the production of an... more Responsa literature from southern France provides detailed information about the production of and commerce in kosher wine. Because the cases in medieval rabbinic sources were recorded for its legal significance rather than their economic importance, they can shed light on aspects of medieval life that escape the reach of historians working with notarial or municipal documents. For example, piquette (pressed grapes mixed with water) was considered a low quality beverage, and is not mentioned in commercial records from the Middle Ages as much as wine is. However, Provençal rabbis devoted many discussions to the status of piquette in Jewish law. The responsa preserve detailed information about the ways in which kosher wine was produced on a commercial scale, and how it was marketed to kosher consumers in local and international markets. Read critically, these sources also demonstrate that the Jewish laity in medieval Provence and Languedoc were more conscientious in upholding the laws of kosher wine than is often assumed
This paper discusses the use and confusion of two Hebrew words, rdom
and drom, that denote geogra... more This paper discusses the use and confusion of two Hebrew words, rdom and drom, that denote geographical locations in a 13th-century poem and a late 12-century letter. My conclusion, in regard to these two specific texts, is that they refer to Rouen, and that the correct reading is Radom, as previously proposed by other scholars, but that the word was also meant to be read – at the same time, as a kind of wordplay – as Darom.
Addenda and corrigenda to our publication - Responsa of Rabbi Isaac ben Samuel of Dampierre: A Cr... more Addenda and corrigenda to our publication - Responsa of Rabbi Isaac ben Samuel of Dampierre: A Critical Edition (Jerusalem: Mekize Nirdamim, 2019)
Jewish communities existed across the county of Provence throughout the Middle Ages. In This Land... more Jewish communities existed across the county of Provence throughout the Middle Ages. In This Land reveals the changes that those communities underwent during the late-thirteenth and fourteenth centuries and the social and cultural tensions that shaped their identity. Legal responsa and other genres of rabbinic literature produced in Provence during this period-many of them previously unpublished-provide access to aspects of the past that have long gone unno-ticed. Engagement with legal culture played a central role in the formation of medieval communal identity, providing both a language and a forum for the airing of grievances and the demarcation of social legitimacy. Relations among different ethnic and religious groups, warring spouses, legists and local power brokers were negotiated through the intricacies of Jewish law or Halakhah. Through a close and historically contextualized reading of rabbinic sources, this book provides a startlingly vivid portrait of Jewish life in southern France during the later Middle Ages.
Isaac ben Samuel of Dampierre, often known as Ri ha-Zaken, was a leading figure in the Tosafist m... more Isaac ben Samuel of Dampierre, often known as Ri ha-Zaken, was a leading figure in the Tosafist movement. The Tosafists were active in Northern France during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. Their dialectical approach to interpretation of the Talmud and other classic rabbinic texts created a revolution in Jewish intellectual life. This volume gathers, for the first time, 140 responsa written by Isaac of Dampierre in response to questions of practical law and legal interpretation. Each responsum was edited according to the most accurate manuscripts, with a critical apparatus and extensive historical and textual notes. The introduction explores Isaac of Dampierre’s life and thought as they emerge from the responsa.
Analysis of a legal ruling by Yehiel of Paris (d. ca. 1260) in a rental dispute between two Jewis... more Analysis of a legal ruling by Yehiel of Paris (d. ca. 1260) in a rental dispute between two Jewish men sheds light on aspects of Jewish life in a major medieval European city. Two Jews rented an apartment from a Christian owner, and a dispute arose when one of the tenants left mid-term and his replacement, also a Jewish man, tried to renew the lease directly with the landlord. The original tenant claimed the exclusive right to renew the lease and that he was unwilling to share the apartment with the new tenant as this would impinge on his privacy in use of the lavatory. This article attempts to unravel the legal and cultural dimensions of the dispute and the demographic and architectural realities underpinning it. The article maintains that the disputants’ legal arguments drew upon both Jewish legal tradition and the legal norms of the rental market in Paris. The legal and cultural significance of privacy in the medieval urban context also plays an important role in the case.
Since antiquity, many people have believed that the length of human gestation is variable, rangin... more Since antiquity, many people have believed that the length of human gestation is variable, ranging from seven months to ten or even twelve months. The significance of this belief is not confined to the medical sphere, since it has important legal ramifications. If pregnancy could last for an extended period, a mother could claim that her offspring was legitimately conceived from her husband even if she had not had physical contact with her husband for more than nine months prior to the birth. After surveying the history of the belief in prolonged pregnancy in ancient Greek and Talmudic literature, this article presents a new rabbinic discussion of the topic from medieval Languedoc, a hitherto unknown passage from Rabbi Meir ben Simeon ha-Meʿili’s work Sefer ha-Meʾorot.
Very few Hebrew poems are known to have survived from medieval England. A newly discovered poem f... more Very few Hebrew poems are known to have survived from medieval England. A newly discovered poem found in Vatican City, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, MS Ebr. 402 and attributed to a Jew from Saltwharf, a London street on the north shore of the Thames, is published and discussed here. The verses belong to the genre of debate poem. They describe an argument between the components of a candle, the wick and the tallow, each claiming the prestige of the candle's flame. Linguistic hints and the historical and ritual uses of tallow in medieval Europe suggest that this poem is a metaphorical critique of Jewish religious authenticity.
Gersonides' Afterlife: Studies on the Reception of Levi ben Gerson's Philosophical, Halakhic and Scientific Oeuvre in the 14th through 20th Centuries, ed. Ofer Elior, Gad Freudenthal and David Wirmer (Leiden: Brill, 2020), 2020
Fragments of a Hebrew manuscript in thirteenth-century Sephardic script were recently discovered ... more Fragments of a Hebrew manuscript in thirteenth-century Sephardic script were recently discovered in the binding of a fourteenth-century notarial manual in Perpignan. These fragments are identified here as originating in a copy of Tosafot redacted by a disciple of Isaac ben Samuel of Dampierre. It is suggested that the redactor was Samson ben Abraham of Sens. This find is doubly significant—for the study of Tosafot, and for the intellectual history of medieval Perpignan Jewry.
Oqimta: Studies in Talmudic and Rabbinic Literature, 2019
Moses Botarel, who was active in Avignon during the fourteenth and
early fifteenth centuries, is ... more Moses Botarel, who was active in Avignon during the fourteenth and early fifteenth centuries, is remembered mostly for his commentary on Sefer Yezirah. In that commentary, Botarel cited many literary works that never existed. Several decades ago, additional writings by Botarel were published. Those writings relate to Jewish law, and they too contain numerous quotations from imaginary books. This article publishes, for the first time, a legal responsum written by Botarel, found in a manuscript held by the Bodleian Library in Oxford. The responsum does not contain any explicit mention of fictional titles, but philological analysis reveals the ways in which Botarel reworked and obscured his sources.
Very little is known about the internal life of the Jewish community in Provence and the Comtat V... more Very little is known about the internal life of the Jewish community in Provence and the Comtat Venaissin during the fifteenth century. Most of the community came to an end with the expulsion from the county of Provence in 1501. One of the few rabbinic scholars from this period whose name has been preserved is Mordechai Nathan, a physician and scholar from Avignon. Nathan is known as the owner of several monumental Hebrew manuscripts, and Rabbi Joseph Colon (Maharik) referred to him respectfully. This article analyzes for the first time a trove of responsa from fifteenth-century Provence, some of which were written by Mordechai Nathan and others that were sent to him. The responsa shed light on several aspects of Jewish life during this period, including the Hebrew vocabulary used by Provençal Jews, donations of Torah scrolls to the synagogue, private ownership of seats in the synagogue, communal charity for orphan brides, levirate marriage and divorce. An edition of the newly discovered responsa appears at the end of the article.
Responsa literature from southern France provides detailed information about the production of an... more Responsa literature from southern France provides detailed information about the production of and commerce in kosher wine. Because the cases in medieval rabbinic sources were recorded for its legal significance rather than their economic importance, they can shed light on aspects of medieval life that escape the reach of historians working with notarial or municipal documents. For example, piquette (pressed grapes mixed with water) was considered a low quality beverage, and is not mentioned in commercial records from the Middle Ages as much as wine is. However, Provençal rabbis devoted many discussions to the status of piquette in Jewish law. The responsa preserve detailed information about the ways in which kosher wine was produced on a commercial scale, and how it was marketed to kosher consumers in local and international markets. Read critically, these sources also demonstrate that the Jewish laity in medieval Provence and Languedoc were more conscientious in upholding the laws of kosher wine than is often assumed
Responsa literature from southern France provides detailed information about the production of an... more Responsa literature from southern France provides detailed information about the production of and commerce in kosher wine. Because the cases in medieval rabbinic sources were recorded for its legal significance rather than their economic importance, they can shed light on aspects of medieval life that escape the reach of historians working with notarial or municipal documents. For example, piquette (pressed grapes mixed with water) was considered a low quality beverage, and is not mentioned in commercial records from the Middle Ages as much as wine is. However, Provençal rabbis devoted many discussions to the status of piquette in Jewish law. The responsa preserve detailed information about the ways in which kosher wine was produced on a commercial scale, and how it was marketed to kosher consumers in local and international markets. Read critically, these sources also demonstrate that the Jewish laity in medieval Provence and Languedoc were more conscientious in upholding the laws of kosher wine than is often assumed
This paper discusses the use and confusion of two Hebrew words, rdom
and drom, that denote geogra... more This paper discusses the use and confusion of two Hebrew words, rdom and drom, that denote geographical locations in a 13th-century poem and a late 12-century letter. My conclusion, in regard to these two specific texts, is that they refer to Rouen, and that the correct reading is Radom, as previously proposed by other scholars, but that the word was also meant to be read – at the same time, as a kind of wordplay – as Darom.
A short survey of rabbis and rabbinic literature from medieval Normandy and Norman England, for t... more A short survey of rabbis and rabbinic literature from medieval Normandy and Norman England, for the catalogue accompanying an exhibition in Rouen about the medieval Jews of northern Europe.
English abstract - full Hebrew version will be available online in one year.
The article describ... more English abstract - full Hebrew version will be available online in one year.
The article describes a religious-legal (halakhic) controversy that erupted within the Jewish community of 14th-century Avignon. The controversy concerned the question of whether sturgeon is a kosher fish permitted for Jewish consumption, but the roots of the controversy lie in larger issues of religious philosophy. The article is based upon a description of the controversy penned by one of its participants, Astrug Moses d’Milhau. His description found in the National Library of Israel, ms. 28˚2033 appears here as an appendix to the article.
Book event in honour of Ephraim Kanarfogel, Brothers From Afar: Rabbinic Approaches to Apostasy a... more Book event in honour of Ephraim Kanarfogel, Brothers From Afar: Rabbinic Approaches to Apostasy and Reversion in Medieval Europe (Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 2021), Center for the Study of Conversion and Inter-Religious Encounters, Ben-Gurion University, 2 June 2021 (online).
Book event in honour of Avraham (Rami) Reiner, Rabbenu Tam: Interpretation, Halakhah, Controversy... more Book event in honour of Avraham (Rami) Reiner, Rabbenu Tam: Interpretation, Halakhah, Controversy. Ben-Gurion University, 31 May 2021
With Dr. Pinchas Roth discussing Medieval Jewry of Provence (South France).
We discuss the commu... more With Dr. Pinchas Roth discussing Medieval Jewry of Provence (South France).
We discuss the communities history, its overall "hashkafa", famous Provencial Rabbinic figures like: Ra'avad, Ibn Tibbon's, Kimhi's (Radak, etc.), Meiri, Ralbag, and more. We also discuss his new book, " In This Land: Jewish Life and Legal Culture in Late Medieval Provence".
Jews, Credit and Usury in Medieval and Early Modern Times: What's New in the Field?
Workshop, Ce... more Jews, Credit and Usury in Medieval and Early Modern Times: What's New in the Field? Workshop, Centre de Recherche Francais a Jerusalem, May 23 2019
Talk at book launch for Ram Ben-Shalom, The Jews of Provence and Languedoc : renaissance in the s... more Talk at book launch for Ram Ben-Shalom, The Jews of Provence and Languedoc : renaissance in the shadow of the Church (Hebrew; Raanana: Open University, 2018)
Lecture delivered at: Transitions: An International Conference of the Department of Talmud, Bar-I... more Lecture delivered at: Transitions: An International Conference of the Department of Talmud, Bar-Ilan University, 13 March 2018
A keynote lecture at: Making Early Middle English: An International Conference on English Literat... more A keynote lecture at: Making Early Middle English: An International Conference on English Literature and its Contexts, ca. 1100-1350, University of Victoria, Victoria BC Canada, 23 September 2016
Short lecture analyzing one responsum by Rabbi Isaac of Dampierre (Ri ha-Zaken). The responsum de... more Short lecture analyzing one responsum by Rabbi Isaac of Dampierre (Ri ha-Zaken). The responsum deals with the laws of kosher wine, and provides a glimpse of the famous Tosafist's attitude towards his teacher, Rabenu Tam, and towards popular custom (minhag).
Departmental seminar, Goldstein-Goren Department of Jewish Thought, Ben Gurion University, 25 Mar... more Departmental seminar, Goldstein-Goren Department of Jewish Thought, Ben Gurion University, 25 March 2015
A lecture delivered at a conference on Jewish Thought in Late Medieval Provence, Beer Sheva, 19 N... more A lecture delivered at a conference on Jewish Thought in Late Medieval Provence, Beer Sheva, 19 November 2014
Johns Hopkins University's Stulman Program in Jewish Studies External Link has organized a virtu... more Johns Hopkins University's Stulman Program in Jewish Studies External Link has organized a virtual Book Symposium on a recent PIMS publication, Pinchas Roth's In This Land: Jewish Life and Legal Culture in Late Medieval Provence. The symposium will take place on Sunday 31 October via Zoom.
The symposium will begin on 31 October at 11:30 AM EST (17:30 Israel time).
Panelists:
Rebecca Winer (Villanova University)
Ram Ben-Shalom (Hebrew University of Jerusalem)
David Katz (Johns Hopkins University)
Moshe Chechik (Hebrew University of Jerusalem)
For more information, please email Yitzhak Melamed at ymelame1@jhu.edu.
https://pims.ca/news-item/roth-book-symposium/
on other correspondence emanating from Da Pisa lends the analysis added interpretive depth (26)(2... more on other correspondence emanating from Da Pisa lends the analysis added interpretive depth (26)(27)(28)(29)(30). Only somebody fully conversant with the relevant primary and secondary Portuguese and Italian sources could unpack these sides of the correspondence so impeccably. (By contrast, one can quibble with the odd comment regarding Jewish intellectual context, such as the overstated observation that Abarbanel mentions Profiat Duran "often" [57 n. 355].)
on other correspondence emanating from Da Pisa lends the analysis added interpretive depth (26)(2... more on other correspondence emanating from Da Pisa lends the analysis added interpretive depth (26)(27)(28)(29)(30). Only somebody fully conversant with the relevant primary and secondary Portuguese and Italian sources could unpack these sides of the correspondence so impeccably. (By contrast, one can quibble with the odd comment regarding Jewish intellectual context, such as the overstated observation that Abarbanel mentions Profiat Duran "often" [57 n. 355].)
This is the second workshop in a series that will culminate in a collected volume entitled A Jewi... more This is the second workshop in a series that will culminate in a collected volume entitled A Jewish Model of Devolution? The Inheritance in the Medieval and Modern Jewish Societies. After a first workshop at the University of Paris-Est - Créteil-Val-de-Marne on February 13, 2017, we continue our reflection on inheritance and devolution in Western Jewish societies, now focusing on the relationship between norms and practices. While much attention has been paid over the past two decades to the history of the Jewish family, patrimonial devolution has never been systematically studied. Because of the complexity and multiplicity of its dimensions (legal, socio-economic, cultural, religious, anthropological), inheritance can be considered a key to our understanding of the phenomena of social reproduction and of the functioning of Jewish societies. The multiplicity of Jewish origins and identities has probably had a significant impact on the practices of patrimonial devolution, which we propose to study from different angles and in different contexts over the long term.
ראשיתו של ספר זה בשנת תשנ"ג ) 1993 ( בעת שמורנו פרופ' ישראל תא־שמע
ז"ל קיבל מענק מחקר מטעם הקרן ... more ראשיתו של ספר זה בשנת תשנ"ג ) 1993 ( בעת שמורנו פרופ' ישראל תא־שמע ז"ל קיבל מענק מחקר מטעם הקרן הלאומית למדע )מספר: 176.93 ( שכותרו היה: 'איסוף וההדרה של תשובות רבנו יעקב תם, רשב"ם ור"י הזקן מן הדפוסים ומכתבי היד לסוגיהם'. במשך שנים ארוכות נקראו חיבורי הראשונים וממשיכיהם בספרי הדפוס ובכתבי היד וכך לוקטו התשובות המוצגות בספר על עדי הנוסח שלהן. שפתותיו של מורנו דובבות בקברו עם השלמתו של כרך זה. עם תום מלאכת איסוף עדי הנוסח של התשובות, התחלנו בשנת תשע"ב ללמוד יחדיו את התשובות, להחליט על נוסחן המיטבי, להציג את שינויי הנוסח כמו גם לכתוב את ההערות ואת המבוא לכל תשובה. חלק מעבודתנו נעשה במחלקה למחשבת ישראל שבאוניברסיטת בן גוריון בנגב וזאת בתמיכת מרכז גולדשטיין־גורן למחשבת ישראל שבאוניברסיטה זו. במהלך השנים זכה הפרויקט לתמיכה גם מ'הקדש לסלי וורה קלר, קרן לטיפוח המורשת היהודית', ומקרן ולכל ,)Memorial Foundation for Jewish Culture( הזיכרון לתרבות יהודית הקרנות הללו אנו מבקשים להודות. חברת מקיצי נרדמים, המקום הטבעי ביותר לפרסום ספרנו, ניאותה לפרסמו ואף הזמינה את קרן הרב רוזן לתמוך בהפקתו. תודתנו לפועלים בגופים יקרים אלו, לפרופ' שולמית אליצור, פרופ' חגי בן־שמאי, פרופ' שמחה עמנואל, ד"ר צבי שטמפפר ומר יצחק )צ'יקו( גילה שסייעו בידינו כל אחד ואחת בדרכו/ה. מורינו וחברינו מנחם בטלר, עדיאל ברויאר, ד"ר יהודא גלינסקי, ד"ר יוסף מרדכי דובאוויק, ד"ר גבריאל וסרמן, פרופ' חיים סולוביצ'יק, ד"ר קריסטוף קלוזה, הרבנית ג'ני רוזנפלד, הרב יהושע )שוקי( רייך, הרב דוד שפירא ופרופ' עדיאל 8388 · Riner Rot Book draft 12.indb 9 29/10/2019 10:51:10 AM שרמר סייעו בידינו בהערות, הארות ותשובות לשאלות שונות. פרופ' ברכיהו ליפשיץ עבר על חלק ניכר מהספר, והערותיו חידדו נקודות עמומות. תודה מיוחדת לפרופ' שמחה עמנואל, שעבר על הספר בקפידה פעם אחר פעם. היכרותו הייחודית עם כתבי היד של ספרות הראשונים, ניסיונו העשיר בההדרת חיבורים הלכתיים ועצותיו הטובות העשירו את הספר הזה מכל בחינה אפשרית. ד"ר שרה כהן ומר אביחי גמדני ערכו בקפידה את לשון הספר, את קיצוריו הביבליוגרפיים ואת המפתחות. טובי עין הם יבורכו.
Today, 4 Tammuz (June 14), marks the 850th yahrzeit of Rabbenu Tam. This review draws our attenti... more Today, 4 Tammuz (June 14), marks the 850th yahrzeit of Rabbenu Tam. This review draws our attention to an important new work on the interpretation, halakhic legacy, and controversies of a monumental figure whose rulings and readings continue to impact Jewish law until the present day.
Uploads
Books by Pinchas Roth
Papers by Pinchas Roth
early fifteenth centuries, is remembered mostly for his commentary on
Sefer Yezirah. In that commentary, Botarel cited many literary works
that never existed. Several decades ago, additional writings by Botarel
were published. Those writings relate to Jewish law, and they too contain numerous quotations from imaginary books. This article publishes, for the first time, a legal responsum written by Botarel, found in a manuscript held by the Bodleian Library in Oxford. The responsum does not contain any explicit mention of fictional titles, but philological
analysis reveals the ways in which Botarel reworked and obscured his
sources.
and drom, that denote geographical locations in a 13th-century poem and a late 12-century letter. My conclusion, in regard to these two specific texts, is that they refer to Rouen, and that the correct reading is Radom, as previously proposed by other scholars, but that the word was also meant to be read – at the same time, as a kind of wordplay – as Darom.
early fifteenth centuries, is remembered mostly for his commentary on
Sefer Yezirah. In that commentary, Botarel cited many literary works
that never existed. Several decades ago, additional writings by Botarel
were published. Those writings relate to Jewish law, and they too contain numerous quotations from imaginary books. This article publishes, for the first time, a legal responsum written by Botarel, found in a manuscript held by the Bodleian Library in Oxford. The responsum does not contain any explicit mention of fictional titles, but philological
analysis reveals the ways in which Botarel reworked and obscured his
sources.
and drom, that denote geographical locations in a 13th-century poem and a late 12-century letter. My conclusion, in regard to these two specific texts, is that they refer to Rouen, and that the correct reading is Radom, as previously proposed by other scholars, but that the word was also meant to be read – at the same time, as a kind of wordplay – as Darom.
The article describes a religious-legal (halakhic) controversy that erupted within the Jewish community of 14th-century Avignon. The controversy concerned the question of whether sturgeon is a kosher fish permitted for Jewish consumption, but the roots of the controversy lie in larger issues of religious philosophy. The article is based upon a description of the controversy penned by one of its participants, Astrug Moses
d’Milhau. His description found in the National Library of Israel, ms. 28˚2033 appears here as an appendix to the article.
We discuss the communities history, its overall "hashkafa", famous Provencial Rabbinic figures like: Ra'avad, Ibn Tibbon's, Kimhi's (Radak, etc.), Meiri, Ralbag, and more.
We also discuss his new book, " In This Land: Jewish Life and Legal Culture in Late Medieval Provence".
To order the book and get 25% off, use code SC21 (valid until 4/30/21) via email: utpbooks@utpress.utoronto.ca.
Workshop, Centre de Recherche Francais a Jerusalem, May 23 2019
http://beyond-the-elite.huji.ac.il/book/sefer-hassidim-conference-19-2203
The symposium will begin on 31 October at 11:30 AM EST (17:30 Israel time).
Panelists:
Rebecca Winer (Villanova University)
Ram Ben-Shalom (Hebrew University of Jerusalem)
David Katz (Johns Hopkins University)
Moshe Chechik (Hebrew University of Jerusalem)
For more information, please email Yitzhak Melamed at ymelame1@jhu.edu.
https://pims.ca/news-item/roth-book-symposium/
While much attention has been paid over the past two decades to the history of the Jewish family, patrimonial devolution has never been systematically studied. Because of the complexity and multiplicity of its dimensions (legal, socio-economic, cultural, religious, anthropological), inheritance can be considered a key to our understanding of the phenomena of social reproduction and of the functioning of Jewish societies. The multiplicity of Jewish origins and identities has probably had a significant impact on the practices of patrimonial devolution, which we propose to study from different angles and in different contexts over the long term.
ז"ל קיבל מענק מחקר מטעם הקרן הלאומית למדע )מספר: 176.93 ( שכותרו
היה: 'איסוף וההדרה של תשובות רבנו יעקב תם, רשב"ם ור"י הזקן מן הדפוסים
ומכתבי היד לסוגיהם'. במשך שנים ארוכות נקראו חיבורי הראשונים וממשיכיהם
בספרי הדפוס ובכתבי היד וכך לוקטו התשובות המוצגות בספר על עדי הנוסח
שלהן. שפתותיו של מורנו דובבות בקברו עם השלמתו של כרך זה.
עם תום מלאכת איסוף עדי הנוסח של התשובות, התחלנו בשנת תשע"ב
ללמוד יחדיו את התשובות, להחליט על נוסחן המיטבי, להציג את שינויי הנוסח
כמו גם לכתוב את ההערות ואת המבוא לכל תשובה. חלק מעבודתנו נעשה
במחלקה למחשבת ישראל שבאוניברסיטת בן גוריון בנגב וזאת בתמיכת מרכז
גולדשטיין־גורן למחשבת ישראל שבאוניברסיטה זו. במהלך השנים זכה הפרויקט
לתמיכה גם מ'הקדש לסלי וורה קלר, קרן לטיפוח המורשת היהודית', ומקרן
ולכל ,)Memorial Foundation for Jewish Culture( הזיכרון לתרבות יהודית
הקרנות הללו אנו מבקשים להודות.
חברת מקיצי נרדמים, המקום הטבעי ביותר לפרסום ספרנו, ניאותה לפרסמו
ואף הזמינה את קרן הרב רוזן לתמוך בהפקתו. תודתנו לפועלים בגופים יקרים
אלו, לפרופ' שולמית אליצור, פרופ' חגי בן־שמאי, פרופ' שמחה עמנואל, ד"ר
צבי שטמפפר ומר יצחק )צ'יקו( גילה שסייעו בידינו כל אחד ואחת בדרכו/ה.
מורינו וחברינו מנחם בטלר, עדיאל ברויאר, ד"ר יהודא גלינסקי, ד"ר יוסף
מרדכי דובאוויק, ד"ר גבריאל וסרמן, פרופ' חיים סולוביצ'יק, ד"ר קריסטוף קלוזה,
הרבנית ג'ני רוזנפלד, הרב יהושע )שוקי( רייך, הרב דוד שפירא ופרופ' עדיאל
8388 · Riner Rot Book draft 12.indb 9 29/10/2019 10:51:10 AM
שרמר סייעו בידינו בהערות, הארות ותשובות לשאלות שונות. פרופ' ברכיהו
ליפשיץ עבר על חלק ניכר מהספר, והערותיו חידדו נקודות עמומות.
תודה מיוחדת לפרופ' שמחה עמנואל, שעבר על הספר בקפידה פעם אחר
פעם. היכרותו הייחודית עם כתבי היד של ספרות הראשונים, ניסיונו העשיר
בההדרת חיבורים הלכתיים ועצותיו הטובות העשירו את הספר הזה מכל בחינה
אפשרית.
ד"ר שרה כהן ומר אביחי גמדני ערכו בקפידה את לשון הספר, את קיצוריו
הביבליוגרפיים ואת המפתחות. טובי עין הם יבורכו.