Thumbnail Biographies of Rabbis Mentioned in Brit-Am Writings
List is roughly in Alphabetic Order.
ABARBANEL, Abravanel. Isaac ben Judah Abarbanel (1437-1508), commonly referred to as Abarbanel, also spelled Abravanel, Avravanel or Abrabanel, a Portuguese Jewish statesman, philosopher, Bible commentator, and financier. Wrote an extensive verbose commentary on the entire Bible, along with philosophic works. Don Isaac Abarbanel says that his forebears were descended from King David. King Afonso-5 of Portugal employed him as Treasurer. When Alfonso died Abarbanel fled to Castile (Spain) in 1483. He was employed by Queen Isabella as financier. He left Spain in 1492 when the Jews were expelled. Abarbanel went to Naples, Italy, died in Venice in 1508. Abarbanel writes often about the Ten Tribes. He says that belief that the Ten Tribes are now in Exile but will return and re-unite with Judah. This, he declares, is one of the Principles of Belief in the Bible. He also emphasizes the presence of descendants of Israel being among the English.
AKEDAT YITSCHAK. Isaac ben Moses Arama c. 1420-1494, a Spanish rabbi and author. Upon the expulsion of the Jews in 1492, Arama settled in Naples, where he died in 1494.
"Aim HaBanim Semeicha" was written by Rabbi Yisachar Shlomo Teichtal (1885-1945), and published in 1943 in Budapest, Hungary. From a former opponent of Zionism the author became a supporter of it for religious reasons due to his experiences in World War 2. The work is important in Israeli National Religious Jewish Ideology.
ALTER see Beis Yisroel.
ARUK. Nathan ben Jehiel of Rome, 1035-1106, was a Jewish Italian lexicographer, i.e. writer of dictionaries. His major work is known as "Safer Ha-Aruk" or just "Aruk."
ARUCH HASHALEM. Alexander KOHUT, 1842-1894, Rabbi and Orientalist. Born in Hungary and died in the USA. He spent 25 years of his life writing "Aruk ha-Shalem." This a kind of encyclopedic reference work giving the contemporary (in his time) academic understanding of entries in the Aruk of Nathan ben Jehiel as well as additional information on numerous other subjects. His work was accepted by Orthodox Jews and is still valuable even though on many points the information he used (often from non-Jewish secular sources) is now outdated.
ASHLAG. Rabbi Yehuda Ashlag (1885-1954) also known as the Baal Ha-Sulam was an orthodox rabbi and kabbalist born in Congress Poland, Russian Empire, to a family of scholars connected to the Hasidic courts of Porisov and Belz. Rabbi Ashlag lived in the Holy Land from 1922 until his death in 1954 (except for two years in England). In addition to his Sulam commentary on the Zohar, his other primary work, Talmud Eser Sefirot is regarded (by some) as the central textbook for students of Kabbalah. Ashlag systematically interpreted the wisdom and promoted its wide dissemination. In line with his directives, many contemporary adherents of Ashlag's teachings strive to spread Kabbalah to the masses (source. Wikipedia).
BACHYA, RABEINU. Rabbi Bahya ben Asher ibn Halawa 1255-1340) a Spanish Rabbi and scholar of Judaism. He was a commentator on the Torah. He was one of two people now known as Rabbeinu Behaye, the other being philosopher Bahya ibn Paquda.
BEIS YISROEL. Rabbi Yisroel Alter of Gur (Ger), (1895-1977), also known as the "Beit Yisrael," was the fifth Rebbe of the Hasidic dynasty of Ger, a position he held from 1948 until 1977. He escaped from Poland during the Holocaust, and settled in Palestine during 1940. In 1945, he learned that the Nazi regime had murdered his wife, daughter, son, and grandchildren. He remarried, but had no children. He helped revive Hasidei Gur in the Land of Israel. He also wrote a commentary on the Torah in which he speaks of the Lost Ten Tribes and of the task of Joseph and has insights of great value and confirmation to us. Yair Davidiy, of Brit-Am, met the "Beis Yisroel" in Jerusalem in 1974, Pesach, 5734.
BNEI YISSACHAR . Rabbi Tzvi Elimelech Shapira, of Dinov, 1784-184: A prolific writer, he stubbornly fought against the Jewish Reform-type Haskalah ("Enlightenment") Movement. The traditions of Zvi Elimelech Spira from Dinov continue with his descendants and rabbis in Brooklyn. His grave in Poland became a place of pilgrimage for the Hasidim. His understanding of the blessing to Ephraim and Manasseh is of value since he brings additional proof that Ephraim will become great before Manasseh does, as happened with Britain and America. The "BNEI ISSACHAR" analyzed the way the hands of Jacob were placed on the two sons (Genesis ch.48). Manasseh was to the right of Jacob but Jacob crossed his arms and put his left arm on the head of Manasseh. The "Bnei Issachar," said that Manasseh remaining on the right hand side meant that Manasseh would be the greater in some respects but at a later date due to the left arm being generally weaker and slower.
BEN ISRAEL, Rabbi MANASSEH (1604-1657), [source: Wikipedia] was born in Madeira, Portugal, to a Marrano family. The family moved to the Netherlands in 1610, returned to Judaism. The Netherlands was in the middle of a process of religious revolt against Catholic Spanish rule throughout the Eighty Years' War (1568-1648). Amsterdam was an important center of Jewish life in Europe at this time. The family's arrival in 1610 was during the Twelve Years' Truce mediated by France and England at The Hague. Manasseh rose to eminence not only as a rabbi and an author, but also as a printer. He established the first Hebrew press in Holland. One of his earliest works, "The Conciliator," published in 1632, was an attempt to reconcile apparent discrepancies in various parts of the Hebrew Bible. In 1644, Manasseh met Antonio de Montezinos, a Portuguese traveler and Marrano Sephardic Jew who had been in the New World. Montezinos convinced him of his conclusion that the South America Andes' Indians were the descendants of the Lost Ten Tribes of Israel. This purported discovery gave a new impulse to Manasseh's Messianic hopes, as the settlement of Jews throughout the world was supposed to be a sign that the Messiah would come. Filled with this idea, he turned his attention to England, whence the Jews had been expelled since 1290. He worked to get them permission to settle there again and thus hasten the Messiah's coming. Messianic and other mystic hopes were then current in England. His book, "The Hope of Israel," was first published in Amsterdam in Latin in 1650. In addition to reporting Montezinos accounts of Jews in the Americas, the book also expressed the hope that the Jews would return to England as a way of hastening the coming of the messiah. [He also reports a Hebrew inscription having been found in the Orkneys, Scotland, and the Ten Tribes having once been in Scythia]. Manasseh also stresses his kinship with parliament, and explains himself as driven by amity for England rather than financial gain. In 1652 “The Hope of Israel” was translated from Latin into English. His account of descendants of the Lost Tribes being found in the New World deeply impressed public opinion and stirred up many polemics in English literature.
Manasseh characterizes the condition of Jewry at the time by saying:
# Hence it may be seen that God hath not left us; for if one persecutes us, another receives us civilly and courteously; and if this prince treats us ill, another treats us well; if one banisheth us out of his country, another invites us with a thousand privileges; as divers princes of Italy have done, the most eminent King of Denmark, and the mighty Duke of Savoy in Nissa. And do we not see that those Republiques do flourish and much increase in trade who admit the Israelites? #
Manasseh made contact with Oliver Cromwell who was sympathetic to the Jewish cause, partly because of his tolerant leanings but chiefly because he foresaw the importance for English commerce of the participation of the Jewish merchant princes, some of whom had already made their way to London. Manasseh corresponded with John Saddler who believed the English were descended from the Lost Ten Tribes and said so in a Parliamentary address and in his book, "The Rights of the Kingdom."
Steven Nadler ("Menasseh ben Israel, Rabbi of Amsterdam," 2018) concluded:
"They [the sundry European Gentile Millenarians that were in contact with Manasseh] especially valued [Manasseh] as the Jewish expositor of a common [Jewish-Christian] Messianic vision, wherein the worldly empires will be swept away by a "Fifth Kingdom" [or Fifth Monarchy] ruled by a savior sent by God."
In November 1655, Manasseh arrived in London. Manasseh published his “Humble Addresses to the Lord Protector” (Cromwell), asking that the Jews be re-admitted to England, but its effect was weakened by William Prynne's publication of “Short Demurrer.” Meanwhile in Amsterdam his student, Baruch Spinoza, the famous philosopher was excommunicated for his disbelieving notions by the Rabbis. In England it was concluded that no law actually existed forbidding Jews to enter the country so there was no need to make a new one allowing them to do so. The Jews could come as they liked. In February 1657 Cromwell granted Manasseh a state pension of 100 pounds (estimated at ca. $23,000), but he died before enjoying it, at Middelburg in the Netherlands in the winter of 1657. His major work "Nishmat Hayim" (Soul of Life) is a treatise in Hebrew on the Jewish concept of reincarnation of souls.
BRASLAV, Rabbi Nachman of. (1772 1810), was the founder of the Breslov Hasidic movement. He was a great-grandson of the Baal Shem Tov, revived the Hasidic movement by combining the esoteric secrets of Judaism (the Kabbalah) with in-depth Torah scholarship. Rabbi Nachman attracted thousands of followers during his lifetime, and his influence continues today through his Hasidic teachings. Reb Nachman's religious philosophy revolved around closeness to God and speaking to God in normal conversation "as you would with a best friend." He emphasized the importance of solitary contemplation and prayer in isolated natural surroundings. His most important follower was RABBI NATHAN Sternhartz ("Reb Nosan") who also wrote on the Tribes of Israel.
CARLEBACH, Rabbi Shlomoh. Author of "Maskil Le-Shlomoh" (“Reflections of Shlomoh”) al Shivtei Yishurun (Concerning the Tribes of Yishurun). The House of Rachel" by Shlomoh Carlebach (1986). Shlomo Carlebach (born 1925) is an American Haredi Rabbi and scholar. Carlebach is a cousin of the composer and musician Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach (1925-1994) who bore the same name as he has. The author is a Holocaust survivor. The parents of Carlebach and his sisters Ruth, Noemi and Sara were killed in a forest near Riga, Latvia, in 1942. He served as a spiritual supervisor of different Yeshivot. He has written a biography of his father (who was an illustrious Rabbi), as well as a Commentary on the Torah which has been well received. The work we quote from concerning the Tribes "Maskil Lishlomo al Shivtei Yishurun" is considered part of his Torah commentary. Carlebach says the book is based on a series of lessons on the Torah that he gave to students at the Yeshivah “Zicron Melek” in Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, NY, USA, when he was a Spiritual Supervisor there. The approbations of several Rabbis at the beginning of the book confirm this. At all events his work is of value and interest to our researches.
CHACHAM (also spelt "Hakham"), Chacham (also spelt "Hakham"), Amos ,1921-2012, winner of the first International Bible Contest in 1958. Lived in Shaarei Chesed in Jerusalem. Wrote important commentaries on the Bible that were published as part of the "Daat Mikra" commentaries. His writings are a synthesis of scholarship and faithfulness to Jewish tradition.
CHATAM (CHASAM) SOFER: Moses Schreiber (1762-1839), one of the leading Orthodox Rabbis of European Jewry in the 1800s. Sofer established a yeshiva in Pozsony (Pressburg in German; today Bratislava, Slovakia), the Pressburg Yeshiva, which became the most influential yeshiva in Central Europe, producing hundreds of future leaders of Hungarian Jewry. This yeshiva continued to function until World War-2; afterward, it was relocated to Jerusalem, under the leadership of Rabbi Akiva Sofer (the "Daas Sofer") great-grandson of the Chasam Sofer. The Chasam Sofer was an authority who is quoted many times in Orthodox Jewish scholarship. His descendants included the "Katav Sofer" and others who have been quoted in Brit-Am articles at some time or other.Amongst other matters he opined that Britain, and parts of Western Europe in the Messianic Era will be considered as parts of the Land of Israel. The Chatam Sofer gave his support to Rabbi Shimshon (Samson) Raphael Hirsch in Germany.
CHIZKUNI. Hezekiah ben Manoah, a French Rabbi in the 1200s, wrote a commentary on the Pentateuch, ca. 1240. It was printed at Venice in 1524.
CHOFETZ CHAIM ("He who Desires Life" : Psalms 34.
cf. Psalms (TCT Tanakh) 34:
13 WHO IS THE MAN WHO DESIRES LIFE, WHO LOVES DAYS TO SEE GOODNESS?
14 GUARD YOUR TONGUE FROM EVIL AND YOUR LIPS FROM SPEAKING DECEITFULLY.
Rabbi Yisrael Meir ha-Kohen Kagan (1838 - 1933), "Kagan" means "Cohen." He was an influential Lithuanian Jewish rabbi, Halakhist, posek, and ethicist whose works continue to be widely influential in Orthodox Jewish life. He was known popularly as the "Chofetz Chaim," after his book against slander and harmful gossip. He was also well known for the Mishna Berurah ("Law Clarified") , his book on ritual law.
DAAT MIKRA. Commentaries to the Bible. [Wikipedia tells us] # The Daat Miqra (Hebrew: literally, ''Knowledge of Scripture'') is a series of volumes of Hebrew-language Biblical Commentary published by the Jerusalem-based Mossad Harav Kook and constitutes a cornerstone of contemporary Israeli Orthodox Bible scholarship. The project was headed by Yehuda Kiel, who received the Israel Prize for his part in the enterprise. The singularity of Daat Miqra lies in its combination of a traditional outlook and the findings of modern research. ... an interpretation based primarily upon Peshat [i.e. simple meaning] the direct, literal reading of the text ...incorporating geographic references, archaeological findings and textual analysis, presenting a clear link between the commentary's traditional approach and contemporary methodology. ... Daat Miqra’s dualistic approach reflects an underlying polemic against Biblical Criticism, ...via a commentary aimed at debunking their methodology. The commentary includes clarifications of difficult words and etymological references... Editors of the series included Yehuda Elitzur of Bar-Ilan University, the International Bible Contest champion and Bible scholar Amos Hakham, Shaul Yisraeli and Mordechai Breuer. [and others].
DAAT SOFRIM. Rabbi Chaim Dov RABINOWITZ, 1909-2001, was a Lithuanian born rabbi who authored a monumental commentary on the Hebrew Bible (Daat Soferim) and a history of the Jewish people (From Nechemia to the Present). In 1937 he moved to Tel Aviv. He worked in education. His commentary is highly regarded and received commendations from most of the leading Haredi rabbis of his time including: Yaakov Kamenetsky, Moshe Feinstein, the Lubavitcher Rebbe and many others.
DESSLER, Rabbi Eliyahu Eliezer Dessler (1892--1953) was an Orthodox rabbi, Talmudic scholar, and Jewish philosopher. He became the mashgiach ruchani ("spiritual counselor") of the Ponevitch Yeshiva in Bnei Brak, Israel. This was then probably the world leading institution of its kind. Important collections of his writings were published posthumously by his pupils. He was born in Gomel (Belarus). In the early 1940s, he headed the newly formed Gateshead kollel, at Tyne and Weir in northeast England. A Kollel is framework for married Rabbinical Students to continue their studies. An early student of his was Rabbi Aryeh Carmell, who became one of the main disseminators of Dessler's ideas after his death. After that he moved to Ponevitch in Israel. His writings were collated in the work "Michtav me-Eliyahu" ("Letter from Elijah"). He is said to have been influenced mainly by the Maharal and Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav. He combines mystical and rational approaches treating them as virtually two aspects of the same foundations.
Eidah HaChareidis
The Charedi Council of Jerusalem (IEidah HaChareidis) has several thousands affiliated households and is chaired by the Gaon Convenor (Ga'avad). The Council provides religious facilities and services.
JThe Edah HaChareidis was founded by Rabbi Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld and Rabbi Yitzchok Yerucham Diskin (son of Rabbi Yehoshua Leib Diskin) in 1921, prior to the establishment of the Chief Rabbinate by the Zionist movement under British auspices
The Edah HaChareidis, which was, and still is, strongly anti-Zionist, resisted these moves, and opposed the new British-created Zionist Chief Rabbinate.
Rabbi Sonnenfeld was succeeded by
Rabbi Yosef Tzvi Dushinsky, who was succeeded by
Rabbi Zelig Reuven Bengis, who was succeeded by the
Satmar Rebbe, Grand Rabbi Joel Teitelbaum.
Rabbi Teitelbaum emigrated to the United States, but retained his position as chief of the OCJ. Teitelbaum's nephew, the late Grand Rabbi
Moshe Teitelbaum of Satmar, was given the title of President upon Rabbi Joel Teitelbaum's death
Meanwhile, in 1945, the Edah parted ways with Agudat Yisrael.
The anti-Zionist stance of the Edah HaChareidis is ideologically derived from the book "VaYoel Moshe," written by its former President and Chief Rabbi, Joel Teitelbaum, which is regarded as the standard, and by which all issues relating to the modern State of Israel are determined.
EMDEN. Rabbi Jacob, (1697-1776), born in Altona (near Hamburg) in the summer of 1697. His father Rabbi Tzevi Ashkenazi (known as the Chacham Tzevi) was then Chief Rabbi of the German three sister communities of Altona, Hamburg and Wandsbeck, which at that time were ruled by Denmark. Rabbi Emden was known for his fierce opposition to those he diagreed with, suspecting some of Heresy. These included Rabbi Jonathan Eybeschutz of Metz. Emden is now considered to have been an important scholar in his own right but overduly zealous in some cases. He is known for his revolutionary views concerning Christianity and Paul of Tarsus. These are discussed in our article, "Karaite Fifth Column? The Sages, Other Groups, and Nehemiah Gordon."
https://hebrewnations.com/articles/18/fifth.html
ELIYAHU from Vilna, see VILNA GAON.
GEIGER. Abraham Geiger 1810 - 1874) was a German rabbi and scholar who is considered the founding father of Reform Judaism. # Geiger sought to demonstrate Judaism's central influence on Christianity and Islam. He believed that neither movement possessed religious originality, but were simply a vehicle to transmit the Jewish monotheistic belief to the pagan world. #
Geiger tried to reform Judaism, make it more rational in his opinion and and similar to German Bourgeois Protestant practices. He had a liberal approach and was opposed to study of the Talmud and to the Shulchan Aruch, see below. Geiger was accused of having Karaite leanings.
GERSONIDES see RALBAG.
GOREN, Rabbi Shlomoh. 1917-1994. A foremost rabbinical legal authority on matters of Jewish religious law. First head of the Military Rabbinate of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), 1948-1968. Chief Rabbi of Tel Aviv-Jaffa 1968-1972 election. Chief Rabbi of Israel 1972-1983.
HALEVI, Yehuda (c. 1075-1141) was a Spanish Jewish physician, poet and philosopher. He died shortly after arriving in the Holy Land in 1141, after being trampled by an Arab horseman in Jerusalem. He is best known for his work "Ha-Khuzari" describing a hypothetical debate and discussion before the King of Khazaria with the attendance of Jewish, Christian, Muslim, and Greek, Philosophers.
HA-NATZIV (also spelt "Netziv"), Rabbi Naftali Zvi Yehuda Berlin, (1816- 1893) was an Orthodox Rabbi, and dean of the Volozhin Yeshiva which became very important at the time. This was the first present-day type Yeshiva. Before then different frameworks and arrangements existed to support Torah Learning.Rabbi Chaim Soloveitchik married his grand-daughter and worked alongside him in running the Yeshivah. HaNatziv had a traditionalist approach to Torah study that was at odds with the highly analytical style of Soloveitchik known as the "Brisker Method." These developments latter had importance in the Yeshivah world. The Yeshivah was eventually closed due to the insistence of the Russian authorities that most of the curriculm deal with secular subjects. Ha-Natziv wrote a commentary on the Torah, "Ha-Emek Davar," and other works. He stresses matters of importance to us such as the uniquely individual character of each Israelite Tribe; the inter-action of the Tribe of Judah with that of Manasseh; the different tribal traits of Levi as compared to Judah; etc. The Netziv favored Jewish settlement of the Land of Israel (Eretz Yisrael), then under the control of the Ottoman Empire, and he was a member of the "Chovevei Tzion" ("Lovers of Zion") movement. "Chovevei Tzion" was founded in 1881 in response to anti-Jewish pogroms in the Russian Empire. It was officially constituted as a group at a conference led by Leon Pinsker in 1884. It consisted of both Jewish Religious groups and non-Religious ones. There was fiction between the two. The organizations comprising Chovevei Tzion are now considered the forerunners and foundation-builders of modern Zionism. Many of the first groups were established in Eastern European countries in the early 1880s with the aim of promoting Jewish immigration to Palestine, and advance Jewish settlement there, particularly agricultural. Most of them stayed away from politics. They had the backing of Baron Edmond James de Rothschild. Rabbi Baruch HaLevi Epstein, the author of the "Torah Temima" (which we sometimes quote, and who died in the HOLOCAUST) ) was his nephew.
HIRSCH, Rabbi Samson Raphael (1808-1888): Rabbinical Philosopher and Commentator. His philosophy occasionally termed neo-Orthodoxy, together with that of Azriel Hildesheimer, has had a considerable influence on the development of Orthodox Judaism. He wrote a number of influential books. Hirsch was a vocal opponent of Reform Judaism, and similarly opposed early forms of Conservative Judaism. He wrote a philosophic work "Horeb" discussing the symbolic importance of the Commandments as well as commentaries to the Torah, to Psalms, and to the "Siddur" (Jewish Prayer Book). His work is important for its contents and also for its etymology of Hebrew words. Rabbi Hirsch wrote his works in German. All the other Rabbis mentioned here wrote in Hebrew apart from Rabbi Saadia who wrote in Arabic; and Yehudah Ha-Levi who also wrote in Arabic; and Maimonides a few of his whose works were also in Arabic. Rabbi Hirsch explained the name “Manasseh” to have virtually the same meaning as “Responsible Representation.” This helps confirm our identification of the Tribe of Manasseh with the USA.
HOROWITZ (SHELOH), Rabbi Isaiah Halevi Horowitz, c.1555-1630, was born in Prague. He is also known as the "Sheloh Hakodosh" (the saintly Shelo) because of his great work, Shnei Luehos Habris. He moved to Jerusalem in 1621 and became the Chief Rabbi of the Ashkenazic Community. From there he moved to Tsfat, and Tiberius.
https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/112346/jewish/Rabbi-Isaiah-Halevi-Horowitz-The-Sheloh.htm
IBEN EZRA, Rabbi Abraham ben Meir Ibn Ezra (1089 -1167) was one of the most distinguished Jewish Biblical commentators and philosophers of the Middle Ages. He was born in Tudela in northern Spain, may have died in England. He travelled widely mentioning sights in Egypt and India, was a close friend of Judah Halevi; had a son who converted to Islam.
Iben Ezra identifies the Canaanites of Obadiah 1:18 with Germany. Since they are said to be neighboring the Lost Ten Tribes this helps us locate them.
JOSEPHUS FLAVIUS. (37 CE -100 CE) wrote in Greek and is known for his historical works, "The Jewish War," "Jewish Antiquities," and "Against Apion." Josephus reported that the Kings of Israel and Judah had established colonies along the shores of the Black Sea even before the Ten Tribes were exiled.
Josephus in his paraphrase of the Prophecy of Balaam (Numbers 24:7), gives the prophecy as saying:
# The multitude of your posterity also shall live as well in the islands as on the continent, and that more in number than are the stars of heaven.#
Flavius Josephus: Antiquities of the Jews - Book IV ch.4 s.6. The reference to islands would be a reference to the British Isles.
KAPLAN, Rabbi Aryeh Moshe Eliyahu (1934-1983) was an American Orthodox rabbi, author, and translator known for his knowledge of physics and kabbalah. He is most known for his translations of the Torah, writings on Fundamentals of Judaism, Kabbalah, and introductory works and articles to Jewish beliefs and philosophy. He was the author of "The Living Torah," which is a new original translation of the Pentateuch with foot-notes of great value. Among his numerous other works we find "A Handbook of Jewish Thought," Israel, 1992.
KARLIN. Yitzchak of Karlin, Rabbi Yitzhak Minkowski president of the rabbinical court of Karlin, author of the book "Keren Ora" (b. 1788 - d ... ).
KLI YAKAR. Rabbi Shlomo Ephraim ben Aaron Luntschitz (1550-1619), a Rabbi and Torah commentator, served as the Rabbi of Prague from 1604-1619.
KOL HATOR. "The Voice of the Turtledove", from Song of Songs 2:12, is a book of Jewish thought written by Rabbi Hillel Rivlin of Shklov, a disciple of the VILNA GAON (see Entry), and alleged to be teachings of his. Kol HaTor was first published in Hebrew in 1968 by Rabbi Menachem Mendel Kasher, to whom the book had been passed down over the generations. According to Rabbi Pinchas Winston,
"The original text of Kol HaTor was kept in the manuscript by the Rivlin family, descendants of Rabbi Hillel Rivlin, for over 200 years."
The original text included a great deal of technical Kabbalistic terminology. The version we now have was edited and abridged in 1947, by Rabbi Shlomo Rivlin. Rabbi Moshe Shternbuch, who is a direct descendant of the Vilna Gaon, claims on theological and linguistic grounds that the work cannot reflect that of the Vilna Gaon.
KOOK, Rabbi Abraham Isaac, HaRaAYaH (1865-1935), was an Orthodox rabbi, and the first Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of British Mandatory Palestine in the Land of Israel. He is considered to be one of the fathers of Religious Zionism, and is known for founding the Mercaz HaRav Yeshiva. He was born in Courland in what is now Latvia but then belonged to Russia. In 1904 he moved to Jaffa in the Holy Land then under Turkish rule. In WW-1 he was in Switzerland and London. In 1919, he was appointed the Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem, and first Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Palestine in 1921. He worked to bring non-Religious Jews closer to Judaism. Rabbi Kook wrote numerous books on Halacha and Jewish Philosophy. Rabbi Kook and his followers helped lay the ideological basis for National Religious Zionism. The son of Rabbi Kook, RABBI ZVI YEHUDA KOOK (1891-1982) followed in the footsteps of his father, helped publish and promote the books of his father, amplified and added to his teaching, and inspired National Religious Activism and the Israeli settler movement. Some of the ideas of Rabbi Kook have been used in Brit-Am writings. Rabbi Kook, for instance, described the future Messiah son of Joseph as representing the assimilated Jew who reforms Gentile society from within. Other sources describe the Messiah son of Joseph as heading the Lost Ten Tribes. We deduced from authorities such as Rabbi Kook, “Pri Tsadik,” and others that descending to the level of the Gentiles, becoming part of them, and then elevating themselves and others with them was the task of the Lost Ten Tribes in general. This is not an original notion and may be found pre-adumbrated elsewhere.
MAEL, Rabbi Fishel of Baltimore wrote a book in Hebrew, "Sefer Shivtei Israel," 5757 (1997). The official title in English (as shown on the back page) is:
“SHIVTEI YISRAEL.” The Twelve Tribes of Israel. An Anthology and Novellae Based on Biblical, Talmudic, and Midrashic Sources. Fishel Mael, Baltimore, MD, 5757/1997.
According to our understanding Rabbi Fishel Mael, Ph.D., is also a qualified psychologist and works in Counseling and Coaching.
MAHARAL. Rabbi Judah Loew ben Bezalel (between 1512 and 1526 -1609) also known as Rabbi Loew (alt. Low, Loewe, Lowe or Levai), the Maharal of Prague - an important Talmudic scholar, Jewish mystic, mathematician, astronomer, and philosopher who, for most of his life, served as a leading rabbi in the cities of Mikulov in Moravia and Prague in Bohemia. Had an audience with Emperor Rudolf-2 (1576-1612). He was in contact with Queen Elizabeth-1 of England through her astronomer, sceintific advisor, and religious counsellor, John Dee.
MAHARSHA. Shmuel Eidels (1555-1631) born in Krakow in Poland. A renowned Rabbi and Talmudist famous for his commentary on the Talmud. The Maharsha also wrote an extensive commentary on the aggadot (legends) of the Talmud known as the Chiddushei Aggadot reflecting a wide knowledge of philosophy and Kabbalah.
MAIMONIDES, Rabbi Moses ben Maimon (1138-1204), aka Rambam. He was a medieval Sephardic Jewish philosopher who became one of the most prolific and influential Torah scholars of all time. He was also a preeminent astronomer and physician, serving as the personal physician of Saladin. Born in Spain he died in Egypt, whence his body was taken to the lower Galilee and buried in Tiberias, in Israel. Maimonides at a young age wrote a commentary on the Mishah that is still very much in use. He wrote a philosophical work, "Guide to the Perplexed" which among other matters explains difficult passages and expressions in the Torah. He also compiled his "Mishneh Torah" (also known as "Yad Hazakah") systematically codifying Rabbinical Law. His opinions on medical matters are still sometimes consulted. Maimonides wrote Responsa of lasting importance.
Maimonides brings as a legal principle the declaration that the future Messiah will inform each Israelite which Tribe they pertain to, and that the members of the Tribe of Levi will be identified first. See Maimonides, Mishneh Torah, The Laws of Kings, ch. 12, no.3 based on the Talmud, Kiddushin 70;a.
On the other hand, EISEMANN (on the Book of Ezekiel, p.579, quotes from a Midrashic source (Pirkei Heichalos 39:1) that due to the Messiah son of Joseph,
“all of Israel will be identified by their correct families.”
MEIRI (Mairi). Rabbi Menachem Meiri (or “HaMeiri”) b.1249 discovered 1920. a famous Catalan (Spanish) Talmudic commentator and Maimonidian philosopher. He considered all people, who sincerely profess an ethical religion, to be part of a greater "spiritual Israel". He explicitly included Christians and Muslims in this category. Meiri rejected all Talmudic laws that discriminate between the Jews and non-Jews, claiming that they only apply to the ancient idolators, who had no sense of morality. The only exceptions are a few laws related directly or indirectly to intermarriage, which Meiri did recognize. Meiri applied his idea of "spiritual Israel" to the Talmudic statements about unique qualities of the Jewish people. Meiri believed that the famous saying that Israel is above astrological predestination (Ein Mazal le-Israel) also applied to the followers of other ethical faiths. He also considered countries, inhabited by decent moral non-Jews, such as Languedoc (the present province of Occitaine in Southern France), as a spiritual part of the Holy Land.44 see:
44. Gregg Stern. Philosophy and Rabbinic Culture: Jewish Interpretation and Controversy in Medieval Languedoc. Routledge Jewish Studies Series. See: Jews as the Chosen People. According to J. David Bleich, "the Christianity presented so favorably by Meiri was not an orthodox Trinitarian one. Others disagree.
MALBIM, Meir Leibush ben Yehiel Michel Wisser (1809-1879). The Malbim was born in Volhynia, West Ukraine. He had a considerable knowledge of secular sciences and history. In 1859, Malbim became chief rabbi of Bucharest, Romania. Malbim wrote a commentary on all books of the Bible. Building on methods initiated by Rabbi Yaakov Mecklenberg Malbim formulated 613 grammatical principles to justify Rabbinic halakhic exegesis. He speaks often of the 10 Lost Tribes. The Malbim says that in the End times the Ten Tribes will be led by the Messiah son of Joseph whereas the Jews of Judah will headed by the Messiah son of David. Rabbi Tsadok Hacohen of Lublin 1823-1900, "Pri Tsadik," and other authorities say the same.
ME'AM LOAEZ was originally ethico-homiletical Bible commentary in *Ladino, the outstanding work of Judeo-Spanish literature. The commentary, conceived on an encyclopedic scale, was begun by Jacob *Culi in the 1700s. Culi died in 1731 having managed to publish a commentary on part of the Chumash (i.e. Pentateuch, first five books of the Bible), referred to as "Torah." it was not an original work but rather a compendium of previous commentaries. It was well received but incomplete. Culi had left in manuscript form writings on other Biblical Books. Later writers completed what had been left undone working into the 1900s. In 1967-1979 a Hebrew-translation was published, then an English-language one ( prepared by Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan). Me'am Loaez in principle gives the source for works quoted but sometimes this is not clear so quoted Me'am Loaez as the source itself.
see: Me'Am Lo'ez. https://www.encyclopedia.com/religion/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/me-am-loez
MENASSEH Ben ISRAEL (1604-1657), born Manoel Dias Soeiro, also known with the Hebrew acronym, MB"Y or MBI, was a Portuguese rabbi, kabbalist, writer, diplomat, printer, publisher, and founder of the first Hebrew printing press in Amsterdam in 1626. authored The Conciliator, 1632, an attempt to reconcile apparent discrepancies in various parts of the Hebrew Bible. In 1644, Menasseh met Antonio de Montezinos, a Portuguese traveler and Marrano Sephardic Jew who had been in the New World. Montezinos convinced him of his conclusion that the South America Andes' Indians were the descendants of the lost ten tribes of Israel. This purported discovery gave a new impulse to Menasseh's Messianic hopes, as the settlement of Jews throughout the world was supposed to be a sign that the Messiah would come. Filled with this idea, he turned his attention to England, whence the Jews had been expelled since 1290. He worked to get them permission to settle there again and thus hasten the Messiah's coming. His book, The Hope of Israel, was first published in Amsterdam in Latin (Spes Israelis) and in Spanish in 1650 The book was written in response to a 1648 letter from John Dury enquiring about Montezinos' claims. In addition to reporting Montezinos' accounts of Jews in the Americas, the book also expressed the hope that the Jews would return to England as a way of hastening the coming of the messiah. Menasseh also stresses his kinship with parliament, and explains himself as driven by amity for England rather than financial gain.Oliver Cromwell was sympathetic to the Jewish cause, partly because of his tolerant leanings but chiefly because he foresaw the importance for English commerce of the participation of the Jewish merchant princes, some of whom had already made their way to London. When Prynne and others attacked the Jews, Menasseh wrote his major work, Vindiciae judaeorum (1656), in response. In February 1657 Cromwell granted ben Israel a state pension of #100 (ca. $39,000), but he died before enjoying it.
MENDELSSOHN. Moses Mendelssohn (1729 1786, the following notes are mostly adapted from Wikipedia) was a Jewish philosopher and theologian. His writings and ideas on Jews and the Jewish religion and identity were a central element in the development of the Haskalah, or 'Jewish Enlightenment' of the 1700s and 1800s.
He was born in Central Germany. Through his writings on philosophy and religion he came to be regarded as a leading cultural figure of his time by both Christian and Jewish inhabitants of German-speaking Europe and beyond. His involvement in the Berlin textile industry formed the foundation of his family's wealth.
Mendelssohn was befriended by the German philosopher Gotthold Ephraim Lessing in 1754. In October 1763 the King of Prussia granted Mendelssohn, but not his wife or children, the privilege of Protected Jew (Schutzjude), which assured his right to undisturbed residence in Berlin.
He translated the Pentateuch and other Biblical books into German. This included a commentary that was thoroughly rabbinic, quoting mainly from medieval exegetes but also from Talmud-era midrashim. It was written in elegant High German and thus facilitated Yiddish speaking Jews in mastering the German tongue.
in 1775 Mendelsson asked an acquaintance, the Christian Theologian Johann Kaspar Lavater, to intervene on behalf of the Jews in German parts of Switzerland and thus saved them from expulsion. He helped create the first public school for Jewish boys in Berlin in 1778.
Mendelsson was acquainted with all kinds of Gentile VIPs and intellectual big-wigs and did much to further Jewish rights and basic interests. This came at a price. Out of his 6 children only one was to remain Jewish. Mendelssohn tried to better the Jews' situation in general by furthering their rights and acceptance.
He encouraged Jews to take a lovey-dovey attitude towards Christianity which under the conditions of that time led to many of them becoming Christians with others joining the Reform Movement.
MESHECH CHOCHMA. Rabbi Simcha Meir of Dvinsk (1843-1926) also known as "Rabbi Meir Simcha ha-Kohen." Authored "Ohr Somayach," on the Talmud and "Meshech Chochma," a commentary on the Torah. In the Talmud there is an opinion that the Jews are forbidden to take the Land of Israel without permission of the Gentiles and other matters. These are known as the "Three Oaths."
After the Balfour Declaration, Rabbi Simcha Meir was of the opinion that the Three Oaths were no longer in effect.
METSUDAT DAVID. Rabbi David Altschuler of Prague (1687-1769) saw the need for simple and clear explanations of Biblical passages, expressions, and words. His work was based on the commentary of RADAK, but includes ideas from many others. See below, METZUDAT TZION.
METSUDAT TZION. Rabbi Yechiel Hillel Altschuler was the son of METSUDAT DAVID mentioned above. He finished the work of his father and then divided it into two: "METZUDAT DAVID" explaining the meaning of the verses, and "METZUDAT TZION" which explains individual words and phrases. The two works are always published one alongside the others and are referred to collectively as the METSUDOT.
Midrash, a mode of biblical interpretation prominent in the Talmudic literature. The term is also used to refer to a separate body of commentaries on Scripture that use this interpretative mode (Encyc. Brittanica).
MILLER, Rabbi Avigdor HaKohen (1908-2001) was an American Haredi Rabbi, author, and lecturer. He served simultaneously as a community Rabbi, the Spiritual Director of a leading Yeshiva, and as a teacher in an Ultra-Orthodox girls college. He was born in Baltimore, Maryland, USA, but supplemented his Rabbinical education with a stay in Europe just before WW2. He was a Cohen, i.e. an hereditary priest descended from Aharon the brother of Moses. His rabbinical training and early experience had put more emphasis on moral spiritual and ethical considerations (known collectively in Judaism as "Musar," i.e. Reproval) than was usual at the time.
# Miller was outspoken in his belief that the Holocaust was a divine response to Jewish cultural assimilation in Europe. He wrote:
“Hitler was not only sent by Heaven, but was sent as a kindness from Heaven... Because assimilation and intermarriage are worse than death ... and the German Jews and others ignored the Torah-teachers and refused to desist from their mad race into assimilation, the Nazis were sent to prevent them and rescue them before they were swallowed up by the nations. “ #
Rabbi Miller was a staunch opponent of Zionism, in both its religious and secular forms. Some of his arguments would not be acceptable among many of his peers in our time. He was an opponent of the Theory of Evolution. Rabbi Miller was controversial. He was never really considered a great Rabbi but rather someone of importance. He had a great influence on those he came across and helped strengthen the faith of many Jewish young people who otherwise may not have turned out as well as they did. His works were intended for young American Jewish students and were written in English. Translations in Hebrew are now available. His vehement opposition to the Theory of Evolution is shown at length in several of his books. His arguments are scientific and almost identical to those used by Christian Creationists whose material he may have adapted. Rabbi Miller was quote knowledgeable and in his works often refers to scientific and historical facts of interest. Here is the description of a Jewish intellectual woman of a point made by him:
cf.
Confessions of a Creationist
https://www.aish.com/sp/ph/48918137.html
by Sara Yoheved Rigler
# Rabbi Avigdor Miller, in his book "The Universe Testifies," discusses the humble peach pit.
Could the micro-organisms in the soil know that the peach tree was "evolving" its cement-like sealant?
# Pointing out that the peach pit is so hard that no animal can bite into it and harm the delicate seed within, he informs the reader that the cement-like substance which holds the two halves of the peach pit together cannot be dissolved by anything -- except a solvent excreted by micro-organisms in the soil.
# In the exact right place where the seed needs to be released, Voila! there's the chemical solvent needed to release it. Could the micro-organisms in the soil know that the peach tree was "evolving" its cement-like sealant? Yet without the soil solvent, the first generation of peach trees would have been the last.
He wrote important works against the Theory of Evolution which he considered a serious threat to Judaism and belief in God.
Over a span of 50 years, more than 2,500 lectures by Miller in English were published as cassette tapes. While also covering Torah-oriented concepts that might have been heard in more typical Orthodox lectures, Miller regularly delivered his own unique take on political and societal themes. Miller was a supporter of police brutality against criminals. Before the 1976 elections he said, "We need more police brutality. And although innocent people might suffer sometimes, it pays." Miller was outspoken in his belief that the Holocaust was a Divine response to Jewish cultural assimilation in Europe. Miller was a staunch opponent of Zionism to an exaggerated degree. Despite its numerous faults Zionism has established a settlement of Jews in the Land of Israel. This now includes what may be the largest concentration of Torah-true Jews ever known! It has also helped resist assimilation.
See Also: Reply to Rabbi M. Rabbi Avigdor HaKohen Miller and the Lost Ten Tribes.
MISHNA see TALMUD.
NACHMANIDES, Rabbi Moses ben Nahman (1194-1270), aka Ramban. [Note Nachmanides in Hebrew is often referred to as RAMBAN with an "N" end whereas Maimondies is called "RAMBAM" with an "M."] medieval Jewish scholar, Sephardic Rabbi, philosopher, physician, kabbalist, and biblical commentator. Nachmanides, became the Chief Rabbi of Catalonia, Spain. In 1263, he was forced to participate in a public religious disputation against a Jewish Apostate named Pablo Christiani. The Dominican monks had induced the King, James-1 of Aragon, to order Nachmanides to reply to claims made. Nachmanides was successful in his defense of Judaism and in appreciation received 300 gold pieces from the king. The Dominicans however succeed in having Nachmanides banished from the Kingdom. Three years later in 1267 he moved to the Holy Land. He established a synagogue in the Old City of Jerusalem that still exists and is known as the “Ramban Synagogue.” He then moved to the city of Acre where he founded a yeshiva. In the Holy Land he wrote his commentary to the Torah. He is known for the stress he puts on living in the Land of Israel and the ongoing obligation of every Jew to conquer the Land and settle therein.
In his "Book of Redemption" Nachmanides writes about the Lost Ten Tribes. He says they are still in Exile and did not return to join Judah. They are at the edges of the far north, in Tserafath (Obadiah 1:18). In the End Times they will defeat the forces of Esau and return.
NATIVOT SHALOM (Rabbi Sholom Noach Berezovsky 1911-2007), served as Rebbe (charismatic leader) of the Slonimer Chasidim (in the Land of Israel) from 1981 until his death. The Rabbis of Slonim tended to combined the Lithuanian non-Hasidic Talmudic style with the Hasidic approach. A prolific writer, He is widely known for his teachings which are published as a series of books entitled "Nesivos Sholom" ("Nativot Shalom" in Modern Hebrew). Through his writings he was among the most influential of contemporary Chasidic rebbes, among Chasidim and non-Chasidim alike. [adapted from Wikipedia].
NOVARDOK. Rabbi Yosef Yozel Horowitz (also known as the "Alter (Elder) of Novardok" 1847-1919. He was a student of Rabbi Yisroel Salanter, the founder of the Musar movement (Learning and practical application of Jewish Ethics). The "Alter of Novardok" established the Novardok yeshiva and a network of other yeshivas in eastern Europe. The most basic and important theme in his main book is Trust in God.
PINCUS, Rabbi Shimshon Dovid (1944/45- 2001) was an Israeli Haredi Rabbi of American origin, who served in Ofakim, in the south of Israel.
PRI TSADIK, Rabbi Zadok ha-Kohen Rabinowitz of Lublin (1823-1900) was a significant Jewish thinker and Hasidic leader. He was born into a Lithuanian Rabbinic family and then became a follower of the Hasidic Rebbe, Rabbi Mordechai Yosef Leiner of Izbica, and of Yehudah Leib Eiger. He was the author of "Pri Tzadik," "Machshavot Charutz" ("Thoughts of the Industrious"), and other works. Like the Malbim, the Pri Tsadik says that in the End Times the Ten Tribes will be led by the Messiah son of Joseph whereas the Jews of Judah will headed by the Messiah son of David.
Pri Tsadik. Rabbi Tsadok - "Resisi Lielah,"
# The Ten Tribes according to the Sages became so assimilated among the Gentiles in the Assyrian Exile that they did not know themselves whether or not they discerned from Israel.Pri Tsadik, Balak D:
# The number 12 is parallel to the 12 Tribes. Each Tribe has its own particular transgression that if it transgresses will result in it being sent out of the Camp of Israel on a temporary basis.... in the future when a Great Shofar will be blown those who were exiled to the Land of Assyria even if they were totally assimilated among the Non-Israelite Peoples and transgressed all major transgressions ... Despite this the Great Shofar will cause their hearts to be aroused to return and repent...Isaiah 27:13 It will come about also on that day that a great SHOFAR will be blown, and those who were LOST in the land of Assyria and who were scattered in the land of Egypt will come and worship the LORD on the Holy Mountain in Jerusalem.
RABAD (also pronounced "RIEBAD," or as Ravad), Rabbi Abraham ibn Daud, ca. 1110 (Cordoba. Spain) - 1180 (Toledo), a Spanish-Jewish astronomer, historian, and philosopher. [Extracts from Wikipedia]: Author of "Sefer ha-Qabbalah" (Book of Tradition), in which he fiercely attacked the contentions of Karaism and justified Rabbinic Judaism by the establishment of a chain of traditions from Moses to his own time.
Ibn Daud (whom Maimonides follows in many ways in his conception of prophecy) argues that the gift of prophecy must not be considered as a phenomenon, interrupting the continuity of the development of the human mind, but in a certain sense as the final stage of a natural evolution whose lower phases, though they must be distinguished from prophecy proper, are nevertheless connected with the same faculty through a certain identity of nature. And even if the true stage of prophecy is reached, this gift is, nevertheless, still capable of progressive development, although it may exceptionally at once reach the highest perfection in particularly gifted individuals. The connection between the mind of the prophet and the higher intellects, principally with the Active Intelligence, furnishes a sufficient explanation of the higher cognitive faculty of the prophet, as well as of his power of transcending natural law. ... an intermediary between God and man, the prophet is elevated almost to the plane of the separated intelligences, or angels.
RADAK, Rabbi David Kimhi (1160-1235), was born in Narbonne, a city in southern France medieval rabbi, biblical commentator, philosopher, and grammarian. He wrote a commentary on the Book of Genesis and on each of the Prophets, and on the Psalms, as well as a polemic work against Christianity, and a valuable linguistic work. His literary style was of a very high standard. He had a highly original, rational, approach combined with appreciation of Talmudic sources. The RADAK understands Jeremiah 31:20 as describing a pathway of dolmens or something like it. Abarbanel, who came later, accepted this understanding. It speaks of the Migratory Path of Ephraim (cf. Jeremiah 31:17).
RALBAG, Levi ben Gershon (1288-1344), better known as Gersonides, Medieval French Jewish philosopher, Talmudist, mathematician, physician and astronomer/astrologer. He wrote a commentary on the Torah.
RAMCHAL: Moshe Chaim Luzzatto (1707 - 1746), also known by the Hebrew acronym RaMCHaL (or "RaMHaL" ), was a prominent Italian Jewish rabbi, kabbalist, and philosopher. Born in the Jewish ghetto of Padua, Republic of Venice. Possessed vast knowledge in religious lore, the arts, and science. His writings demonstrate mastery of the Tanakh (Bible), the Talmud, and the rabbinical commentaries and codes of Jewish law. Author of the "Mesillat Yesharim" ("Way of the Just," 1740) which today could be considered the primary Jewish work of Spiritual Correction and Self-Improvement by Stages; also "Derekh Hashem" (The Way of God) - a concise work on the core theology of Judaism. It is probably the most widely accepted strai\ght-forward outline of basic Jewish Theology as now accepted in Rabbinical circles. These are the works the RAMCHAL is best known for but he also authored numerous others. From Italy he moved to Amsterdam, Netherlands. Rabbi Luzzatto left Amsterdam for the Holy Land in 1743, settling in Acre, near present-day Haifa. Three years later, he and his family died in a plague. See also: VALLEY.
RASHBAM. Rabbi Samuel ben Meir (Troyes, north-central France c. 1085 - c. 1158),a grandson (through his mother) of "Rashi," brother of RIVAM and RABBEINU TAM. Live in Rouen, Normandy, for a while. Wrote a commentary on Genesis (stresses the simple meaning), on different portions of the Talmud, and other works.
RASHI, Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki (1040-1105), North France, author of a comprehensive commentary on the Talmud and commentary on the Torah and other parts of the Tanakh. Rashi identifies Tsarafat (Obadiah 1:18) with France and says that the Lost Ten Tribes went there.
SAADIA GAON, born in Egypt, died in Tiberias, in Israel (882/892- 942). Rabbi Saadia was a prominent Rabbi, Gaon (supreme halachic authority), Jewish philosopher, and exegete who was active in the Abbasid Caliphate based on Bagdad . He is known for his opposition to the Karaites, for his book on "Beliefs and Opinions," and his commentary to the Torah.
SEFAT EMET. Rabbi Yehudah Aryeh Leib Alter ("SEFAS EMES," also pronounced as "Sefat Emet") 1847-1905, was a Hasidic Rebbe (i.e. Rabbi) of the Gerrer Hasidim in Poland. Rabbi Yehudah Aryeh Leib was one of the greatest Torah scholars of his generation. His output was prodigious, and his works deal with the Talmud, the ethics of the Midrash, and mysticism of the Zohar. He also wrote a Commentary on the Torah with valuable insights that we found useful for Brit-Am studies.
SEFORNO, Ovadia ben Jacob Sforno (1475-1550) was an Italian Rabbi, Biblical commentator, philosopher and physician.
SCHECHTER, Solomon (1847 1915) was a Moldavian-born British-American rabbi, academic scholar and educator, most famous for his roles as founder and President of the United Synagogue of America, President of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, and architect of American Conservative Judaism. His father, Rabbi Yitzchok Hakohen, had been a shochet ("ritual slaughterer") and member of Chabad Hasidim. His greatest academic fame came from his excavation in 1896 of the papers of the Cairo Geniza, an extraordinary collection of over 100,000 pages (around 300,000 documents) of rare Hebrew religious manuscripts and medieval Jewish texts that were preserved at an Egyptian synagogue. The find revolutionized the study of Medieval Judaism. Schechter was an early advocate of Zionism. He was the chairman of the committee that edited the Jewish Publication Society of America Version of the Hebrew Bible. Personal Note by Yair Davidiy: Schecter was one of the heads of the Conservative Movement. This may be described as a more traditionalist version of the Reform Movement. Nevertheless, Schecter himself in some ways was loyal to traditional Judaism. When I was young I read one of his works, “Aspects of Rabbinic Theology. Major Concepts of the Talmud.” Despite its forbidding title, I found it to be well-written and of value to myself at that time.
SHEM ME-SHMUEL. Shmuel Bornsztain (1855-1926), also spelled Borenstein or Bernstein. His family and ideology were linked to the famous Hasidic Rabbi of Kotsk (Rabbi Menachem Mendel Morgenstern,1787–1859). Rabbi Shmuel was the second Rebbe of the Sochatchov (pronounced "Sok-atchov) Hasidic dynasty. He was known as the "Shem Me-Shmuel" after the title of his nine-volume work of Torah and Hasidic thought. He was a Rebbe (Rabbinical Hasidic Leader) to thousands of Hasidim in the Polish cities of Sochaczew and Lodz. His father was the author of the important work "Avnei Nezer" and Rabbi Shmuel arranged for its publication. Some see Rabbi Shmuel as more of an interpreter of his father's teachings rather than an innovator in his own right. In1891, he had tried to set up a Hasidic colony in Palestine which was then controlled by the Ottoman Turkeys and the Turks prevented it from happening.
SHLANGER, Rabbi Rafael Menachem. Orthodox Rabbi and educator, author of several works on Jewish Law and Philosophy including "Shiftei Nachalatecha" ("The Tribes of Your Heritage," Hebrew), Jerusalem, 5766 -2006.
TALMUD after the Hebrew Bible, the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law (halakha) and Jewish theology.
The term Talmud normally refers to the Babylonian Talmud (Talmud Bavli), compiled in the 400s CE by Rav Ashi and Ravina II. There is also an earlier collection known as the Jerusalem Talmud (Talmud Yerushalmi).
The Tamud may also traditionally be called Shas , a Hebrew abbreviation of shisha sedarim, or the "six orders" of the Mishnah. The Talmud has two components: the Mishnah (c. 200 CE), a written compendium of the Oral Torah; and the Gemara (c. 500 CE), an elucidation of the Mishnah and related Tannaitic writings that often ventures onto other subjects and expounds broadly on the Hebrew Bible. The entire Talmud consists of 63 tractates, and in the standard print, called the Vilna Shas, there are 2,711 double-sided folios.
TARGUM ONKELOS. Targum Onkelos is the primary Jewish Aramaic Targum ("translation") of the Torah, accepted as an authoritative translated text of the Five Books of Moses and thought to have been written in the early 100s CE. Onkelos, was a convert to Judaism and said to have been the nephew of Roman Emperor, Hadrian (reigned 117-138 CE), who was an enemy of the Jews. Onkelos is also identified with Aquila of Sinope who translated the Bible into Greek. According to Epiphanius, the Greek translation was made by Aquilas before he converted to Judaism, while the Aramaic translation was made after his conversion. This is said to have been under the direct guidance and instruction of Rabbi Yehoshua and Rabbi Eliezer. A.E. Silverstone (“Aquila and Onkelos,” 1931:73) has shown that Aquilas wrote both the Greek and the Aramaic versions, insofar that "both versions betray the same outstanding characteristics."
In Talmudic times, readings from the Torah within the synagogues were rendered, verse-by-verse, into an Aramaic translation. To this day, the oldest surviving custom with respect to the Yemenite Jewish prayer-rite is the reading of the Torah and the Haftara with the Aramaic translation (in this case, Targum Onkelos for the Torah and Targum Jonathan ben 'Uzziel for the Haftarah).
TARGUM YEHONATAN. Targum Jonathan, is the official eastern Aramaic translation to the Nevi'im (Prophets). It is actually a paraphrase rather than a direct translation and contains much exegetical material. The Talmud (Megilla 3a) attributes its authorship to Yehonathan ben Uzziel, a pupil of Hillel the Elder. According to this source, it was composed "from the mouths of Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi." These were all Prophets, members of the Great Assembly. On the other hand there are those who attribute its authorship to a later date, e.g. Hai Gaon (939-1038 CE) the head of the Yeshivah and Rabbinical settlement in Pumbetitha (Medieval Babylon) is understood as attributing Targum Yehonathan to "Joseph" the head of his academy.
TARGUM YERUSHALEM. This seems to be a supplementary version of Targum Yehonatan with some changes.
Teichtal see Aim HaBanim
TSROR HA-MOR by Rabbi Avraham Sabba, 1440-1510, was born in Castile. He was forced into exile to Portugal in 1492, and to North Africa in 1497 after being persecuted and seeing many members of his family die for refusing to renege on their beliefs. He died on board a ship on the way to Italy and was buried in Verona in 1510.
VALLEY (also spelt "VALI"). Rabbi Moshe David (1697- 1776), Padua, Republic of Venice, Italy. Rabbi Vali learned Medicine and Philosophy at the University of Padua. At the age of twenty-five Vali wrote a polemical work in Italian against Christianity. He was a rabbinical scholar of repute, known for his insights and mysticism. He gave lectures that were attended by Rabbi Mosheh Chaim Luzatto (see RAMCHAL), 1707-1746, with whom he was associated. [The RAMCHAL is considered one of the really great luminaries of his age. He authored "The Way of God," "Path of the Righteous," and numerous other works]. Between 1721 and 1767 Rabbi Vali wrote eight large volumes in Hebrew the greater part of them consisting of a commentary upon the entire Bible. His writings mostly remained in manuscript form until they were published by Rabbi Yosef Spiner, in Jerusalem, Israel, in the 1970s. These works are now available and are gradually becoming more and more referred to. In some parts of them he uses obscure difficult-to-understand Kabalistic terminology while elsewhere he is quite clear.
Numbers 24:
21 And he looked at the Kenite, and took up his discourse and said,
Your dwelling place is enduring,
And your nest is set in the cliff.
22 Nevertheless Kain will suffer devastation;
How long will Asshur keep you captive?
Rabbi Moshe David Vali ("Shivtei-Ya") comments:
# They [the Kenites of Jethro] were destined to be exiled with the Ten Tribes who were exiled by the King of Assyria... he [Jethro] should not mourn over this . The Exile merely involves moving from one place to another...it does not involve extinction. In the same way as the Ten Tribes are destined to return so are they [the people of Jethro] to come back with them....
#... There will be Realization and Complete Comprehension given to Israel. This had been taken away when they were exiled.
VILNA GAON or HAGAON ME-VILNA. The word "Gaon" means genius. Rabbi Elijah ben Solomon Zalman, aka Elijah of Vilna, aka HaGra ("HaGaon Rabbenu Eliyahu": "The sage, our teacher, Elijah") 1720-1797), was a Talmudist, halakhist, kabbalist, and the foremost leader of misnagdic (non-hasidic) Jewry of the past few centuries. He encouraged his students to study natural sciences, and even translated geometry books to Yiddish and Hebrew. Rabbi Eliyahu was probably the most influential Jewish leader in modern history. One of the most famous of the Gaon's students was Rabbi CHAIM OF VOLOZHIN, founder of the Volozhiner Yeshiva. This yeshiva (Talmudical academy) was the premier center of Torah study for about 100 years and is the ancestor of most of the yeshivas that exist today.
Yalkut Shimeoni (or simply Yalkut), is an aggadic (non-legalistic) compilation on the books of the Hebrew Bible. It is a compilation of older interpretations and explanations of Biblical passages, arranged according to the sequence of those portions of the Bible to which they referred. Sources used date from ancient times to ca. 1100s CE.
YOSIPHON, Josippon (Hebrew: "Sefer Yosipon") is a chronicle of Jewish history from Adam to the age of Titus. It is named after its supposed author, Josephus Flavius, though it was actually composed in the 900s CE in South Italy. It consists of ancient sources mixed in with more recent ones. Yosiphon in Jewish sources is sometimes confused with the original JOSEPHUS FLAVIUS.
Zohar by Moses de Leon (c. 1240 - 1305 CE) it uses much older material. A mixture of Midrashic Exegesis and Mystical Symbolic interpretations of Biblical Passages. This work is greatly revered among many Religious Jews.