From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Zerachiah ha-Levi of Girona
Zerachiah ha-Levi of Girona
Zerachiah ben Isaac Ha-Levi Gerondi (Hebrew: ,)זרחיה הלוי tates "Berachot", "Mo’ed" and "Chullin" are discussed, and
called the ReZaH RaZBI or Baal Ha-Maor (author of the
ReZaH, in the second part - "Nashim" and "Nezikin". In this book
book Ha-Maor) was born about 1125 in the town of Girona, the ReZaH consistently and critically objects to the Rif’s
Spain – hence the name Gerondi – and died after 1186 in views, but at the same time holds him and his works in
Lunel. He was a famous rabbi, Torah and Talmud com- high esteem.
mentator and a poet. These writings belong to a special kind of Rabbinical
literature - so-called "objections" raised by the scholars
Biography of Provence against attempts by the scholars from "Eretz
Islam" to force the adoption of their halakhot and com-
Zerachiah was born into a Rabbinic family called Yitzhari mentaries. From this point of view, Zerachiah stands to-
of Girona. His father was Isaac Ha-Levi, a Talmudic schol- gether with Abraham ben David of Posquieres, known be-
ar in Provence, and the son of Zerachiah Ha-Levi, his cause of his objections to Maimonides , though even be-
namesake. The elder Zerachiah was a son of Shem Tov tween them there was sufficient difference of opinion.
Ha-Levi, one of the greatest Talmudic scholars in Zerachiah, in many cases, prefers the variants of com-
Provence, who claimed direct descent of the prophet Sa- mentaries supplemented by Rashi, and, to a great extent,
muel, who according to Jewish tradition was a direct de- he relies upon the methods of the scholars of France in
scendant of Yitzhar (hence the family name "Ha- commentaries on Gemara. From this point of view, the
Yitzhari"), son of Kehath, son of Levi, son of Jacob. works of Zerachiah reflect a mingling of the school of ha-
In his youth, Zerachiah moved to Provence and stud- lakha and the drasha of the scholars of Spain and France
ied with the Talmudic scholars of Narbonne (one of them not uncommon in Provence.
was the famous Moshe ben Yosef). At the age of 19 he Zerachiah’s independence also displeased the conser-
wrote a piyyut in Aramaic and devoted himself to ha- vatives, however, and refutations of his criticisms were
lakhic problems. For many years thereafter he lived in written by Nahmanides under the title Milḥamot hashem,
Lunel (studying with Meshullam of Lunel), but the con- and by Abraham ben David of Posquières, who alluded in
flicts, disputes and quarrels constantly splitting the com- his harsh fashion to Zerahiah as an immature youth who
munity forced him to leave. had had the audacity to criticize his master, and even
Zerachiah was not only a thorough Talmudist of great accused him of having appropriated some of his (Abra-
erudition, with an analytic and synthetic mind, but he ham’s) own interpretations without mentioning the au-
was also deeply versed in Arabic literature, in philoso- thor. A justification of Zerahiah’s critique was written by
phy,and in astronomy, and was, also, a gifted poet, com- Ezra Malki under the title Shemen la-Ma’or, and since 1552
bining elegance of style with elevation of sentiment. Ju- the Sefer ha-Ma’or has always been printed together with
dah Ben Saul Ibn Tibbon said of Zerachiah: "he was Alfasi.
unique in his generation and wiser than I", and praised
him for his elaborate style of writing. Jehudah Ibn Tibbon Sefer Ha-Tsava
sent his son Samuel ibn Tibbon to study with Zerachiah. Additionally, Zerachiah wrote the book Sefer Ha-Tsava,
which explained 13 principles of drasha used in Gemarah
Works and composed various halakhoth related to shechita and
Niddah, etc. At the same time endeavored to show that
Sefer Ha-Maor Alfasi had not observed the principles laid down in the
Talmud for halakic interpretation.
Zerachiah knew Arabic well and quickly absorbed the dis-
This work, like its predecessor, was criticized by Naḥ-
ciplines studied in Provence, but from his writings one
manides, who justified Alfasi. Major differences in opin-
could easily feel the tension that existed between him
ion also emerged between Zerachiah and the Ravad III
and his surroundings. Fame of a scholar and expert on
who wrote objections to the Sefer Ha-Maor. Zerachiah
halakhic problems came to him thanks to his book Sefer
replied in kind, writing objections to the Ravad’s work
Ha-Maor which was begun when he was 19 years old, and
Baalei Ha-Nefesh which were full of sarcasm and personal
was completed in the 1180s.
attacks. Both the Sefer Ha-Tsava and the criticism of Naḥ-
The book is divided into two parts: Ha-Maor Ha-Gadol
manides were inserted in the Sefer Temim De’im (§§ 225,
(the great light) and Ha-Maor Ha-Katan (the small light).
In the first part the issues connected to Talmudic trac-
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Zerachiah ha-Levi of Girona
226, Venice, 1622), and were also published separately at
Shklov in 1803.
See also
• Hachmei Provence
Other Works
Zerachya was likewise the author of the following works: Jewish Encyclopedia bibliogra-
Hilkot Sheḥiṭah u-Bediḳah, mentioned in the Sefer ha-Ma’or
at the end of the first chapter on the treatise Ḥullin; Has- phy
sagot ’al Ba’ale ha-Nefesh, a critique of RABaD’s treatise on • Leopold Zunz, Z. G. p. 476;
the laws relating to women, published in part with the • idem, in Allg. Zeit. des Jud. iii. 679;
Ba’ale ha-Nefesh (Venice, 1741; Berlin, 1762); Dibre Ribot, • Sachs, Religiöse Poesie, p. 257;
a controversy with RABaD on civil jurisprudence, men- • Dukes, in Orient, Lit. ix. 760;
tioned in the Sefer ha-Ma’or on Baba Meẓi’a and cited in • Leser Landshuth, ’Ammude ha-’Abodah, p. 63;
part by Bezaleel Ashkenazi in his Shiṭṭah Meḳubbeẓet on • Reifmann, Toledot R. Zeraḥyah ha-Lewi, Prague,
Baba Meẓi’a, p. 98a; Sela’ ha-Maḥaloḳot, mentioned in the 1853;
Sefer ha-Ma’or at the end of the first chapter of Shebu’ot; • Eliakim Carmoly, La France Israélite, p. 107;
Pitḥe Niddah, quoted by the author’s grandson in his Bedeḳ • Moritz Steinschneider, Cat. Bodl. cols. 2589-2593;
ha-Bayit (vii. 3); a dissertation on the Mishnah Kinnim, • Fuenn, Keneset Yisrael, p. 570;
published at Constantinople in 1795; and responsa, men- • Henri Gross, Gallia Judaica, pp. 255, 282;
tioned in the "Sefer ha-Ma’or" at the end of the second • Michael, Or ha-Ḥayyim, p. 367, No. 826
chapter of Giṭṭin and quoted in the "Sefer ha-Terumot" • This article incorporates text from a publication
(xlv. 1). now in the public domain: Jewish Encyclopedia.
Zerachya was the author of numerous liturgical po- 1901–1906.
ems, eighteen of which are found in the Sephardic Maḥ-
Persondata
zor. His poetry is included in various liturgical rites and
was published in a critical edition by B. Bar-Tikva. Name Zerachiah Ha-Levi
Alternative names
Legacy Short description Spanish rabbi
Date of birth 1125
Zerachia Halevi influenced greatly the following gener-
ations of rabbis and scholars, and some of them wrote Place of birth
responsa in his defense, among them Nahmanides, who Date of death
previously had been his irreconcilable critic. Even Ravad,
Place of death
who outlived his friend and rival by 13 years, softened his
tone after Zerachiah’s death and wrote about him with
great respect, criticizing him only on the substance of is-
sues under consideration.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Zerachiah_ha-Levi_of_Girona&oldid=472494298"
Categories:
• 12th-century rabbis
• 12th-century Spanish people
• Jewish poets
• People from Girona
• Provençal Jews
• Levites
• Rishonim
• 1125 births
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