by hadassah | Apr 15, 2008 | Giant Figures
R. Isaac ben Judah Abrabanel, EJ 2:103-109. ABRABANEL, ISAAC BEN JUDAH (1437–1508), statesman, biblical exegete, and theologian. Offshoot of a distinguished Ibero-Jewish family, Abrabanel (the family namealso appears as Abravanel, Abarbanel, Bravanel, etc.)...
by hadassah | Apr 15, 2008 | Giant Figures
R. Moses ben Nahman (Nahmanides- Ramban), EJ 12:774-782. NAHMANIDES (Moses b. Nahman, also known as Nahamani and RaMBaN– an acronym of Rabbi Moses Ben Nahman; 1194–1270), Spanish rabbi and scholar and one of the leading authors of talmudic literature in the...
by hadassah | Apr 15, 2008 | Giant Figures
R. David Kimhi (Radak), EJ 10:1001-1004. KIMHI, DAVID (known as Radak from the acronym of Rabbi David Kimhi; Maistre Petit; 1160?–1235?), grammarian and exegete of Narbonne, Provence. The son of Joseph Kimhi and brother and pupil of Moses Kimhi, David was a...
by hadassah | Apr 15, 2008 | Giant Figures
R. Jacob ben Meir (Rabbeinu Tam), EJ 15:779-781. TAM, JACOB BEN MEIR (Rabbenu; c. 1100–1171), tosafist and leading French scholar of the 12 th century. Rabbenu Tam was the grandson of Rashi and the son of Meir b. Samuel, Rashi’s son-in-law. His teachers...
by hadassah | Apr 15, 2008 | Giant Figures
Giant Figures The difficult circumstances of Jewish life in medieval Europe required the creation of cohesive Jewish communities, which the Jews of Europe successfully fashioned. These communities in turn needed inspired leadership, which in fact emerged. All...
by hadassah | Feb 19, 2008 | Giant Figures
R. Meir ben Baruch of Rothenberg (Maharam), EJ 11-1247-1252. MEIR BEN BARUCH OF ROTHENBURG (c. 1215–1293), teacher, scholar, tosafist, and supreme arbiter in ritual, legal, and community matters in Germany. He was born in Worms into a family of scholars, many...
