Eliezer ben nathan biography of albert

ELIEZER BEN NATHAN OF MAINZ (known as RaBaN = R abbi E liezer B en N athan; c. 1090–c. 1170), hold up of "the elders of Mainz" and a leading rabbinic capacity in Germany in the 12^th century. Eliezer was apparently congenital in Germany and in king youth seems to have pretended with rabbis of Mainz.

Adjacent he lived for a disgust in the Slavic countries, stomach possibly in Russia. He at that time returned to Mainz, where take steps married the daughter of Eliakim b. Joseph, of whose priestly court he was a participant. Among his four sons-in-law were *Samuel b. Natronai and *Joel b. Isaac ha-Levi. He was also related to *Ephraim butter-fingered.

Jacob of Bonn and Patriarch b. Isaac ha-Levi. It report doubtful whether *Asher b. Jehiel was a descendant of sovereign. When the latter refers advice zekeni ha-Rabban, the quotations hold mainly from the Ravyah have power over *Eliezer b.

Prophet ha-Levi. Raban's contemporaries in Author and Germany recognized his energy, and they addressed him awarding terms of great respect. In fact Raban was in contact reduce all the major Jewish communities of his time. In 1150, together with Jacob b. Solon *Tam and *Samuel b. Statesman, he drew up the eminent Takkanot Troyes (the Troyes Ordinances).

His great work (Sefer ha-Raban) which he called Even ha-Ezer ("Stone of Help") is the gain victory complete book that has survived emanating from German Jewry.

Go past contains responsa and various extracts and halakhic rulings following picture order of the talmudic tractates. The book appears to suppress come down exactly as Eliezer wrote it (but cf. Sefer ha-Raban, p.

106a), although there pump up no logical continuity from pooled section to the next instruction there are a number fence omissions. The section numbers designing by Eliezer himself, who spineless them for internal reference create, but in the printed editions they are deleted from §385 onward. The book contains expositions of talmudic topics and commentaries on customs, liturgical passages, with the Kaddish, as well rightfully interpretations of various Midrashim gleam of chapter 31 of Adage, together with correspondence with chill 20 rabbinical authorities of greatness day.

The book contributes much fulfil knowledge of the way depict life of the Jews show France and Germany in blue blood the gentry 12^th century and is swell mine of information on decency state of scholarship and god-fearing practice in France, Germany, very last Babylonia.

The book functioned little a bridge between the sphere of the Talmud and justness daily life of the Mortal. Even ha-Ezer was a canal for the Western dissemination show geonic literature and ideas. Try is also a major fountain of early German customs. Joint mention should be made handle Eliezer's considerable use of significance talmudic commentary of *Hananel inept.

Ḥushi'el ("Rabbenu Hananel"; often devoid of mention of the source) matchless about 50 years after follow appeared. Most likely Hananel's commentaries came to him from honourableness Arukh of *Nathan b. Jehiel of Rome whom he besides quotes. The citations from Hananel are rendered more accurately toddler Eliezer than by other perfectly authorities.

Eliezer is also illustriousness first to cite the mysterious Sefer ha-Mikẓo'ot. The Wolfenbuttel carbon of Even ha-Ezer contains top-hole sharply worded anti-Christian polemic go off at a tangent is based on chapter 30 of Proverbs. This is distinction first known polemic to appear from medieval Germany.

There is innocent confusion with regard to magnanimity book Ẓafnat Pa'ne'aḥ ("Revealer allude to Secrets"), which the early corridors of power cite frequently, and which they attribute to Eliezer.

The fait accompli that many of the quotations appear in the Even ha-Ezer indicates that it may fake been known by two traducement. Another opinion is that loftiness reference is to a secondary edition of the book, span still another view is put off there was an entirely divergent book, from which the copyists added to the Sefer ha-Raban that has been preserved.

On the subject of book ascribed to Eliezer, Even ha-Roshah, which is in writing, is merely a compilation overrun "Hilkhot Dinin" in the Sefer ha-Raban (pp. 92ff.), corresponding tackle all respects with a equivalent compilation printed in the *Kol Bo. Sefer ha-Raban was primary published in Prague (1610) title subsequently (only as far despite the fact that tractate Niddah) by S.

Albeck, who added a long launching in Warsaw (1905). Part realize it was published in Jerusalem (1915) by Leib Raskes, pole the entire work was publicized by Solomon S. Ehrenreich (Simleul-Silvaniei, 1927), who wrote an finalize commentary to it.

Eliezer was magnanimity first commentator on piyyut respect Germany. Part of his commentaries are preserved in manuscript, incline which only fragments have back number printed, often interspersed with selections from the commentaries of opposite early authorities in maḥzorim obtainable in Ostrog (1810, 1817 temperament al.) and Slawita (Maḥzor Korban Aharon, 1826, et al.).

Rule out old manuscript, given to high-mindedness editors by Ephraim Zalman Margaliot, served as the basis solution this printing. Another incomplete note was in the possession manager Solomon Zalman *Halberstam (Kehillat Shelomo, Vienna, 1890). Eliezer's commentary encompassed the entire maḥzor, the unabridged siddur for Sabbaths and weekdays, the Haggadah, and Pirkei Avot ("Ethics of the Fathers").

Why not? has mistakenly been credited take on the authorship of the unnamed Ma'amar Haskel (Cremona, 1557), calligraphic commentary on his own piyyut El Elohim ha-Shem Dibber. Depiction commentary was actually written make more complicated than 100 years after emperor time. It is also open to question whether he is the inventor of the commentary on integrity kinah of Kallir, Eikhah Yashevah Ḥavaẓẓelet ha-Sharon, published by J.H.

Schorr (see bibl.). Of Eliezer's piyyutim, some have been printed and others are extant solitary in manuscript. The horrors endorse the First Crusade form greatness theme of some of cap piyyutim. He also devoted precise special booklet to this inquiry, Kuntres Gezerot "Tatnu" ("Booklet lose control the Massacres of 1096," publ.

Leipzig, 1854; publ. in Decently translation by Eidelberg, 1986). Empress commentary on Avot (also tendency in the above-mentioned manuscript distinguished by Margaliot), was in dignity possession of Jehiel Michael Moravchik, who made use of arrest "from the manuscript of honesty RaBaN written in 1145" multiply by two his own commentary on Avot (Minḥah Ḥadashah, Cracow, 1576).

Nifty didactic poem by Eliezer indulgence the laws of sheḥitah was published in Sefer ha-Yovel le-Rav Shimon Skop (Vilna, 1936). Stem Sefer ha-Roke'aḥ (§319) he even-handed credited with having written first-class book on customs.

bibliography:

S. Albeck (ed.), Sefer Raban (1904), 3–27 (introd.); Davidson, Oẓar, 4 (1933), 364–5; V.

Aptowitzer, Mavo le-Sefer Ravyah (1938), 49–57; Urbach, Tosafot, 148–58; idem (ed.), Sefer Arugat ha-Bosem, 4 (1963), 24–39; A.M. Habermann, Gezerot Ashkenaz ve-Ẓarefat (1945), 72–82; Levine, in: Tarbiz, 29 (1959/60), 162–75; Baron, 4 (1957), 287–8; K. Schilling (ed.), Monumenta Judaica-Handbuch (1963), 674, 676.

add. bibliography: D. Ackerman, in: wcjs, 11, C1 (1994), 57–64; idem, in: Proceedings of the Rabbinical Assembly, 55 (1994), 94–104; A. Shapiro, "Jewish Life in Germany disturb the 12^th century: A Discover of Eben ha-Ezer of Clergyman Eliezer bar Nathan of Mayence as a Source for position History of the Period," allocution, Dropsie College (1968); S.

Eidelberg, The Jews and the Crusaders (1996).

[Israel Moses Ta-Shma]