Heimann Joseph Michael
Encyclopedia
Heimann Joseph Michael (April 12, 1792–June 10, 1846, Hamburg) was a Hebrew bibliographer
born at Hamburg
. He showed great acuteness of mind in early childhood, had a phenomenal memory, and was an indefatigable student. He studied Talmudics and received also private instruction in all the branches of a regular school education. He was a born bibliophile, and began to collect valuable works when still a boy of twelve. With his progress in Hebrew literature
his love for books increased also, the result of which was his magnificent library of 860 manuscripts and 5,471 printed works, covering all branches of Hebrew literature. There were few books in his collection which he had not read, and he undertook the preparation of a full catalog of it. As far as he accomplished this task, it was the foundation of the Ozerot Hayyim, Katalog der Michael'schen Bibliothek, Hamburg, 1848.
Michael took an interest not only in Jewish literature
, but in all the intellectual movements of the day, as is shown by the large number of contemporary books and leaflets found in his library. He never wrote directly for publication, but many scholars applied to him for information, and this he never withheld. His correspondence with Leopold Dukes
, Franz Delitzsch
, Wolf Heidenheim
, J.L. Rapoport, Luzzatto
, Gesenius, Lebrecht, Akiba Eiger, and Leopold Zunz
is of great literary interest. Michael's only independent work was Or ha-Ḥayyim (Frankfort-on-the-Main, 1891), a comprehensive bibliographical and literary-historical dictionary of rabbinical literature, edited by his son, with preface by A. Berliner; it covers, however, only a few letters of the alphabet.
Bibliographer
"A bibliographer is a person who describes and lists books and other publications, with particular attention to such characteristics as authorship, publication date, edition, typography, etc. The result of this endeavor is a bibliography...
born at Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
. He showed great acuteness of mind in early childhood, had a phenomenal memory, and was an indefatigable student. He studied Talmudics and received also private instruction in all the branches of a regular school education. He was a born bibliophile, and began to collect valuable works when still a boy of twelve. With his progress in Hebrew literature
Hebrew literature
Hebrew literature consists of ancient, medieval, and modern writings in the Hebrew language. It is one of the primary forms of Jewish literature, though there have been cases of literature written in Hebrew by non-Jews...
his love for books increased also, the result of which was his magnificent library of 860 manuscripts and 5,471 printed works, covering all branches of Hebrew literature. There were few books in his collection which he had not read, and he undertook the preparation of a full catalog of it. As far as he accomplished this task, it was the foundation of the Ozerot Hayyim, Katalog der Michael'schen Bibliothek, Hamburg, 1848.
Michael took an interest not only in Jewish literature
Jewish literature
Jewish Literature refers to works written by Jews on Jewish themes, literary works of various themes written in Jewish languages, or literary works in other languages written by Jewish writers. Ancient Jewish literature includes Biblical literature and rabbinic literature...
, but in all the intellectual movements of the day, as is shown by the large number of contemporary books and leaflets found in his library. He never wrote directly for publication, but many scholars applied to him for information, and this he never withheld. His correspondence with Leopold Dukes
Leopold Dukes
Leopold Dukes was a Hungarian critic of Jewish literature.-Biography:Dukes spent about 20 years in England, and from his researches in the Bodleian library and the British Museum Dukes was able to complete the work of Leopold Zunz...
, Franz Delitzsch
Franz Delitzsch
Franz Delitzsch was a German Lutheran theologian and Hebraist. Born in Leipzig, he held the professorship of theology at the University of Rostock from 1846 to 1850, at the University of Erlangen until 1867, and after that at the University of Leipzig until his death...
, Wolf Heidenheim
Wolf Heidenheim
Wolf ben Samson Heidenheim was a German exegete and grammarian born at Heidenheim am Hahnenkamm At an early age Heidenheim was sent to Fürth, where he studied Talmud under Joseph Steinhardt, author of Zikron Yosef, and, from 1777, under Hirsch Janow...
, J.L. Rapoport, Luzzatto
Samuel David Luzzatto
Samuel David Luzzatto was an Italian Jewish scholar, poet, and a member of the Wissenschaft des Judentums movement. He is also known by his Hebrew acronym, Shadal ....
, Gesenius, Lebrecht, Akiba Eiger, and Leopold Zunz
Leopold Zunz
Leopold Zunz was a German Reform rabbi and writer, the founder of what has been termed "Jewish Studies" or "Judaic Studies" , the critical investigation of Jewish literature, hymnology and ritual...
is of great literary interest. Michael's only independent work was Or ha-Ḥayyim (Frankfort-on-the-Main, 1891), a comprehensive bibliographical and literary-historical dictionary of rabbinical literature, edited by his son, with preface by A. Berliner; it covers, however, only a few letters of the alphabet.
Jewish Encyclopedia bibliography
- ZunzZunzZunz, Zuntz is a Yiddish surname: , Belgian pharmacologist* Leopold Zunz , German Reform rabbi* Gerhard Jack Zunz , British civil engineer- Zuntz :* Nathan Zuntz , German physiologist...
, Z. G. p. 244, Berlin, 2010; - Oẓerot Ḥayyim, Preface, Hamburg, 1848;
- Allg. Zeit. des Jud. 1846, p. 224.