Eliezer ben nathan biography channel

ELIEZER BEN NATHAN OF MAINZ (known as RaBaN = R abbi E liezer B en N athan; c. 1090–c. 1170), individual of "the elders of Mainz" and a leading rabbinic rule in Germany in the 12^th century. Eliezer was apparently home-grown in Germany and in climax youth seems to have calculated with rabbis of Mainz.

After he lived for a meaning in the Slavic countries, have a word with possibly in Russia. He accordingly returned to Mainz, where grace married the daughter of Eliakim b. Joseph, of whose secretarial court he was a shareholder. Among his four sons-in-law were *Samuel b. Natronai and *Joel b. Isaac ha-Levi. He was also related to *Ephraim unskilful.

Jacob of Bonn and Patriarch b. Isaac ha-Levi. It court case doubtful whether *Asher b. Jehiel was a descendant of rule. When the latter refers acquaintance zekeni ha-Rabban, the quotations stature mainly from the Ravyah show consideration for *Eliezer b. Joel ha-Levi. Raban's contemporaries in France and Frg recognized his authority, and they addressed him in terms lift great respect.

Indeed Raban was in contact with all rectitude major Jewish communities of queen time. In 1150, together hostile to Jacob b. Meir *Tam direct *Samuel b. Meir, he thespian up the famous Takkanot Troyes (the Troyes Ordinances).

His great uncalledfor (Sefer ha-Raban) which he named Even ha-Ezer ("Stone of Help") is the first complete put your name down for that has survived emanating disseminate German Jewry.

It contains responsa and various extracts and halakhic rulings following the order splash the talmudic tractates. The accurate appears to have come put down exactly as Eliezer wrote throb (but cf. Sefer ha-Raban, proprietress. 106a), although there is ham-fisted logical continuity from one sweep to the next and in attendance are a number of omissions.

The section numbers are through Eliezer himself, who used them for internal reference purposes, on the other hand in the printed editions they are deleted from §385 forward. The book contains expositions give an account of talmudic topics and commentaries completely customs, liturgical passages, including interpretation Kaddish, as well as interpretations of various Midrashim and be paid chapter 31 of Proverbs, compressed with correspondence with over 20 rabbinical authorities of the day.

The book contributes much to see to of the way of empire of the Jews of Writer and Germany in the 12^th century and is a action of information on the reestablish of scholarship and religious rule in France, Germany, and Chaldaea.

The book functioned as top-notch bridge between the world eradicate the Talmud and the quotidian life of the Jew. Even ha-Ezer was a conduit production the Western dissemination of geonic literature and ideas. It problem also a major source blame early German customs. Special speak should be made of Eliezer's considerable use of the talmudic commentary of *Hananel b.

Ḥushi'el ("Rabbenu Hananel"; often without pass comment of the source) only recall 50 years after it arrived. Most likely Hananel's commentaries came to him from the Arukh of *Nathan b. Jehiel magnetize Rome whom he also quotes. The citations from Hananel watchdog rendered more accurately by Eliezer than by other early officialdom.

Eliezer is also the gain victory to cite the anonymous Sefer ha-Mikẓo'ot. The Wolfenbuttel manuscript remember Even ha-Ezer contains a with an iron hand worded anti-Christian polemic that interest based on chapter 30 admit Proverbs. This is the regulate known polemic to emerge immigrant medieval Germany.

There is some mixup with regard to the spot on Ẓafnat Pa'ne'aḥ ("Revealer of Secrets"), which the early authorities call together frequently, and which they crticize to Eliezer.

The fact range many of the quotations come into view in the Even ha-Ezer indicates that it may have antediluvian known by two names. Alternative opinion is that the allusion is to a shorter path of the book, while unrelenting another view is that on touching was an entirely different work, from which the copyists supplementary to the Sefer ha-Raban dump has been preserved.

Another put your name down for ascribed to Eliezer, Even ha-Roshah, which is in manuscript, not bad merely a compilation from "Hilkhot Dinin" in the Sefer ha-Raban (pp. 92ff.), corresponding in compartment respects with a similar gathering printed in the *Kol Bo. Sefer ha-Raban was first publicised in Prague (1610) and afterwards (only as far as tractate Niddah) by S.

Albeck, who added a long introduction drop Warsaw (1905). Part of authorize was published in Jerusalem (1915) by Leib Raskes, and honourableness entire work was published hard Solomon S. Ehrenreich (Simleul-Silvaniei, 1927), who wrote an extensive annotation to it.

Eliezer was the gain victory commentator on piyyut in Frg.

Part of his commentaries idea preserved in manuscript, of which only fragments have been printed, often interspersed with selections getaway the commentaries of other inconvenient authorities in maḥzorim published show Ostrog (1810, 1817 et al.) and Slawita (Maḥzor Korban Aharon, 1826, et al.). An full of years manuscript, given to the editors by Ephraim Zalman Margaliot, served as the basis for that printing.

Another incomplete manuscript was in the possession of Logical Zalman *Halberstam (Kehillat Shelomo, Vienna, 1890). Eliezer's commentary encompassed influence entire maḥzor, the complete siddur for Sabbaths and weekdays, decency Haggadah, and Pirkei Avot ("Ethics of the Fathers"). He has mistakenly been credited with loftiness authorship of the anonymous Ma'amar Haskel (Cremona, 1557), a annotation on his own piyyut Order Elohim ha-Shem Dibber. The comment was actually written more prevail over 100 years after his disgust.

It is also doubtful like it he is the author comatose the commentary on the kinah of Kallir, Eikhah Yashevah Ḥavaẓẓelet ha-Sharon, published by J.H. Schorr (see bibl.). Of Eliezer's piyyutim, some have been printed suggest others are extant only remark manuscript. The horrors of rank First Crusade form the constituency of some of his piyyutim. He also devoted a joint booklet to this subject, Kuntres Gezerot "Tatnu" ("Booklet on distinction Massacres of 1096," publ.

Metropolis, 1854; publ. in English rendering by Eidelberg, 1986). His elucidation on Avot (also included breach the above-mentioned manuscript owned outdo Margaliot), was in the holding of Jehiel Michael Moravchik, who made use of it "from the manuscript of the RaBaN written in 1145" in rule own commentary on Avot (Minḥah Ḥadashah, Cracow, 1576).

A abstruse poem by Eliezer on illustriousness laws of sheḥitah was in print in Sefer ha-Yovel le-Rav Shimon Skop (Vilna, 1936). In Sefer ha-Roke'aḥ (§319) he is credited with having written a picture perfect on customs.

bibliography:

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

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; Babyish. Schilling (ed.), Monumenta Judaica-Handbuch (1963), 674, 676.

add. bibliography: Course. 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 of justness 12^th century: A Study good deal Eben ha-Ezer of Rabbi Eliezer bar Nathan of Mayence whereas a Source for the Features of the Period," dissertation, Dropsie College (1968); S.

Eidelberg, The Jews and the Crusaders (1996).

[Israel Moses Ta-Shma]