Mordechai Ben Hillel
Rabbi Mordechai ben Hillel Hillel ben is a rabbi German of the thirteenth century , died a martyr at Nuremberg (c. 1250 - August 1, 1298).
Disciple of Meir of Rothenburg , the last of Tosafists, Mordechai Ben Hillel is one of the first and most important rabbinical decision of his time. His great work, the Mordechai, a commentary on the Talmud , is one of the sources of the Shulchan Aruch , the standard textbook on Halacha (Jewish law).
Summary |
Biographical Elements
Mordechai Ben Hillel belongs to one of the most prominent Jewish families in Germany, his grandfather Hillel descended on his mother Eliezer ben Yoel HaLevi, who is himself the grand-son of Eliezer ben Nathan (the RaAVeN), a leading tossafists , which also descends Asher ben Yehiel (the Rosh) Works The great work of his Sefer Mordechai haMordekai is more generally called Mordechai Mordechai or hagadol (Grand Mordechai, that is to say long version of Mordecai), to distinguish it from Mordechai haqaton (also called Mordechai Kitzour) Rabbi Samuel Schlettstadt. Although presented in most editions as a comment or an appendix to the Halachot Ri "f (Rabbi Isaac Alfasi), it is only an external resemblance: Mordechai uses the phrase, sometimes of one word to introduce the material on the issue in the Jerusalem Talmud , the literature Tosafists France and Germany, up to and including the Maharam of Rothenburg , and various collections. The extent of the literature cited Mordechai is in considerable, taking the responsibility of the wise from the oldest, sometimes going back to Gershom Rabbeinu and Kalonymus bin Meshullam of Mainz until the mid- thirteenth century. As regards the authors of Ashkenaz, the author not only knows all the books still in circulation today, but also many missing works, which is the only source, and remained oral teachings. Moreover, given the importance of his book, many sages who gathered after him responsible have not edited in a separate book, but have added to Mordecai, who has become a major collection of responsa sages of Ashkenaz. The need for such compilation halakhic was particularly important at the time of its composition: when the period ends Tosafists with the masters of the author, the condition of Jews in Germany deteriorated, and many of them are forced into a life of wandering, with the risk of losing the ancient teachings that entails. The Mordechai is not a mere compilation, however, the author has probably had the intention and ability to present in a clear and systematic in the way of a coder, the results of extensive discussions . The fact that most of it is not organized in this way is because the author died before he could complete his task, and the organization of the material he had collected was left to his disciples. Between the two reviews, the distribution of material is different, whole passages are found in sections, or treaties, different. Rhine manifest version also has a tendency to brevity, only a third of the volume of the Austrian version, and greater rigor, briefly mentioning or omitting passages having any opinion softer or disagree with the practice of time. It emphasizes more on their non-normative, while the Austrian version frankly exposes these passages in all their details. It also includes quotes and excerpts from compilations Tossefot different absent from the printed version. Rhenish version was circulated in the Middle Ages not only in the Rhine valley but also in Germany, France, Italy and Spain. The Austrian version, a copy is preserved in the libraries of Budapest and Vienna, was in turn followed by communities in Austria, Moravia, Bohemia, Styria, Hungary and neighboring provinces which German Saxony. About sixty years after the death of Mordechai ben Hillel ben Samuel Aaron Schlettstadt written Haggahot Mordekai (Mordechai notes), his commentaries are mostly extracted from the Austrian version to supplement version Rhine. Is frequently confounded by subsequent copyists with the text itself, they will cause a corruption of the text. In addition, some of the printed version haggahot no longer any connection with Mordechai. Finally, Halachot Ketanot (small Halachot) presented as part of Mordechai are the work of Samuel de Schlettstadt, and Mordechai on Mo'ed Katan includes exterior additions, including a complete treatise of the Maharam of Rothenburg. As a result of persecution carried out against Jews in Germany during the fourteenth century , and the decline of Talmudic study that followed, the Mordechai quickly became very influential. Besides the work of Samuel Schlettstadt, that comment on or follow his model, he was quoted by leading rabbinical authorities of German fifteenth century , including the Mahari "l , Israel of Krems , Israel Isserlein , the Mahari "v and Israel in Brno , and by Joseph Trabotto Colon , the largest Italian Talmudist of this century. Consideration enjoyed by Mordechai earned him further included in the first printed version of the Talmud ( Soncino , 1482) along with the comments of Rashi , the Tosafists , and Moses Maimonides. Mordechai Ben Hillel has an interest in the Hebrew grammar , whose study was still rare in Germany. He wrote a treatise in verse on the examination of carcasses of animals slaughtered ritually and permitted and prohibited foods, published under the title Hilkhot shehita oubediqa vehilkhot issur veheiter (Venice, 1550?), And several poems. A piyyout (liturgical poem) on the martyrdom of a proselyte, and a poem on the Hebrew vowels were published by Samuel Kohn . He wrote another poem massortico-teaching grammar, where the rules established by Hayyuj mentioned . Mordechai Ben Hillel also wrote that responsibility does not seem to have been preserved. Samuel Kohn also assigns no compelling argument, the Hagahot Maimouni. This article incorporates text from the Jewish Encyclopedia of 1901-1906, article "MORDECAI B. HILLEL B. HILLEL " , a publication now in the public domain. The Mordechai
This also explains why, two generations after the death of the author, two completely different versions of the book were outstanding, the rabbinical authorities of the XV century designating them by the names of versions "Rhine" and "Austrian. "The printed editions of Mordechai are largely based on the first, but it seems that the second is closer to the original or the form that the author wanted to give to his work.
Both versions still stand by the quotes they are the authorities, the French and Rhenish occupying a prominent place in the Rhineland version when they are absent from the Austrian version, it often refers to Isaac Golden Zarou , Avigdor HaCohen , and his stepfather, Hayyim ben Moses.
The Mordechai is one of the few Ashkenazic authorities cited in the Shulchan Aruch of Joseph Caro. It is even more in the Mappa Moses Isserlis , the latter devoting many responsible students and friends about difficult passages of the book.
Italy and Poland, where Mordechai was especially studied, it gave rise to genuine literature, including many indexes and comments still preserved to this day. The most important are the index developed by Joseph Ottolenghi, Mordechai of the Guedoulat Baruch ben David and commentary Mordechai Benet. Other
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