Isaac Tyrnau
Encyclopedia
Isaac Tyrnau, aka Isaak Tyrnau was an Austrian
(or Hungarian
) rabbi
, active in the late 14th century; he is most famous for his Sefer haMinhagim (Book of Customs).
and later moved to "Tyrnau
" in Austria
, although some suggest Trnava
, in modern day Slovakia
.
He studied
under Abraham Klausner (Vienna) of Vienna
and Sar Shalom of "Neustadt
". It is possible that he later served as rabbi in Pressburg, although this is debated by scholars. His correspondence with Jacob Moellin
regarding a divorce (1420) is recorded.
Gabriel Polak and Israel Böhmer published (Königsberg
, 1857) an anonymous story entitled "Ezba' Elohim," the heroes of which are Isaac Tyrnau and his beautiful daughter. According to legend, a Hungarian prince fell in love with Tyrnau's daughter, converted to Judaism, renounced the throne and married Tyrnau's daughter.
("Jewish laws") and minhag
im ("customs") of Ashkenazi Jews
, arranged according to the calendar. The work is significantly influenced by those of Tyrnau's teachers. It also contains notes from a Hungarian rabbi, which were already attached with the first printed edition of Tyrnau's work (1566). It is quoted by Mordechai Jaffe
at the end of his "Lebush" on Orah Hayyim.
Tyrnau's work is noted as the first to discuss in detail the idea of the Yahrzeit (the commemoration of the anniversary of a death). It was translated into German
in 1590, and often reprinted. It also contains a treatise on morals entitled "Orhot Hayyim," in 132 sections, which is appended to the Sefer haMinhagim.
This work was to some extent superseded by Minhagei Maharil by Rabbi Yaakov ben Moshe Levi Moelin
(Maharil), 1556.
Archduchy of Austria
The Archduchy of Austria , one of the most important states within the Holy Roman Empire, was the nucleus of the Habsburg Monarchy and the predecessor of the Austrian Empire...
(or Hungarian
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary comprised present-day Hungary, Slovakia and Croatia , Transylvania , Carpatho Ruthenia , Vojvodina , Burgenland , and other smaller territories surrounding present-day Hungary's borders...
) rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
, active in the late 14th century; he is most famous for his Sefer haMinhagim (Book of Customs).
Biography
Little is known about his life. He was born in ViennaVienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
and later moved to "Tyrnau
Tyrnau
Tyrnau is a town in the district of Graz-Umgebung in Styria in Austria....
" in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, although some suggest Trnava
Trnava
Trnava is a city in western Slovakia, 47 km to the north-east of Bratislava, on the Trnávka river. It is the capital of a kraj and of an okres . It was the seat of a Roman Catholic archbishopric . The city has a historic center...
, in modern day Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
.
He studied
Torah study
Torah study is the study by Jewish people of the Torah, Hebrew Bible, Talmud, responsa, rabbinic literature and similar works, all of which are Judaism's religious texts...
under Abraham Klausner (Vienna) of Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
and Sar Shalom of "Neustadt
Wiener Neustadt
-Main sights:* The Late-Romanesque Dom, consecrated in 1279 and cathedral from 1469 to 1785. The choir and transept, in Gothic style, are from the 14th century. In the late 15th century 12 statues of the Apostles were added in the apse, while the bust of Cardinal Melchior Klesl is attributed to...
". It is possible that he later served as rabbi in Pressburg, although this is debated by scholars. His correspondence with Jacob Moellin
Yaakov ben Moshe Levi Moelin
Jacob b. Moses Moelin was a Talmudist and posek best known for his codification of the customs of the German Jews. He is also known as Maharil - the Hebrew acronym for "Our Teacher, the Rabbi, Yaakov Levi" - as well as Mahari Segal or Mahari Moelin...
regarding a divorce (1420) is recorded.
Gabriel Polak and Israel Böhmer published (Königsberg
Königsberg
Königsberg was the capital of East Prussia from the Late Middle Ages until 1945 as well as the northernmost and easternmost German city with 286,666 inhabitants . Due to the multicultural society in and around the city, there are several local names for it...
, 1857) an anonymous story entitled "Ezba' Elohim," the heroes of which are Isaac Tyrnau and his beautiful daughter. According to legend, a Hungarian prince fell in love with Tyrnau's daughter, converted to Judaism, renounced the throne and married Tyrnau's daughter.
Works
Sefer haMinhagim (Book of Customs) is a compendium of halachotHalakha
Halakha — also transliterated Halocho , or Halacha — is the collective body of Jewish law, including biblical law and later talmudic and rabbinic law, as well as customs and traditions.Judaism classically draws no distinction in its laws between religious and ostensibly non-religious life; Jewish...
("Jewish laws") and minhag
Minhag
Minhag is an accepted tradition or group of traditions in Judaism. A related concept, Nusach , refers to the traditional order and form of the prayers...
im ("customs") of Ashkenazi Jews
Ashkenazi Jews
Ashkenazi Jews, also known as Ashkenazic Jews or Ashkenazim , are the Jews descended from the medieval Jewish communities along the Rhine in Germany from Alsace in the south to the Rhineland in the north. Ashkenaz is the medieval Hebrew name for this region and thus for Germany...
, arranged according to the calendar. The work is significantly influenced by those of Tyrnau's teachers. It also contains notes from a Hungarian rabbi, which were already attached with the first printed edition of Tyrnau's work (1566). It is quoted by Mordechai Jaffe
Mordecai Yoffe
Mordecai ben Avraham Yoffe was a Rabbi, Rosh yeshiva and posek. He is best known as author of Levush Malkhut, a ten-volume codification of Jewish law that particularly stressed the customs of the Jews of Eastern Europe...
at the end of his "Lebush" on Orah Hayyim.
Tyrnau's work is noted as the first to discuss in detail the idea of the Yahrzeit (the commemoration of the anniversary of a death). It was translated into German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
in 1590, and often reprinted. It also contains a treatise on morals entitled "Orhot Hayyim," in 132 sections, which is appended to the Sefer haMinhagim.
This work was to some extent superseded by Minhagei Maharil by Rabbi Yaakov ben Moshe Levi Moelin
Yaakov ben Moshe Levi Moelin
Jacob b. Moses Moelin was a Talmudist and posek best known for his codification of the customs of the German Jews. He is also known as Maharil - the Hebrew acronym for "Our Teacher, the Rabbi, Yaakov Levi" - as well as Mahari Segal or Mahari Moelin...
(Maharil), 1556.
External links
- References
- Isaac Tyrnau, jewishencyclopedia.com
- Sefer Minhagim, seforimonline.org
- Resources
- Sefer HaMinhagim (HebrewHebrew languageHebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
Fulltext, PDF)
- Sefer HaMinhagim (Hebrew