Jehiel ben Solomon Heilprin
Encyclopedia
Jehiel ben Solomon Heilprin (ca. 1660–ca. 1746) was a Lithuanian rabbi, kabalist, and chronicler. He was a descendant of Solomon Luria
, and traced his genealogy back through Rashi
to the tanna
Johanan ha-Sandlar. He was rabbi of Glusk, government of Minsk
, until 1711, when he was called to the rabbinate of Minsk, where he officiated also as head of the yeshibah until his death. Heilprin was one of the most eminent Talmudists of his time. He was opposed to casuistry
, and on this account succeeded in grouping around him a great number of liberal-minded pupils. For a long time he had to sustain a hard struggle with Aryeh Löb ben Asher, who, while still a young man, had founded a yeshibah at Minsk, which at first was very flourishing. Aryeh Löb attacked Heilprin's method of teaching, and the antagonism between them spread to their pupils. Later, Aryeh Löb, being obliged to assist his father in the district rabbinate, neglected his yeshibah, which was ultimately closed, and Heilprin was no longer molested.
Heilprin devoted a part of his time to the study of Kabala
, on which subject he wrote a work. He was opposed to giving approbations to new books, deviating, as he himself says, only twice from his general principle in this regard. The two works so favored were the Ir Ḥomah of Abraham Judah Elijah and the Magen ha-Elef of Aryeh Löb of Plock.
The whole work is followed by notes on the Talmud, also arranged in alphabetical order. It was published for the first time by Heilprin's grandson, Judah Löb Heilprin, at Carlsruhe
in 1769. There exist several other editions, the latest being the revised one of Naphtali Maskileison, son of Abraham Maskileison
Warsaw, 1882.
Of Heilprin's numerous other works mentioned in the Seder ha-Dorot, the only one which has been published is Erke ha-Kinnuyim, a dictionary of synonyms and homonyms occurring in the Bible
, Talmud
, and other works, chiefly cabalistic (Dyhernfurth, 1806).
Solomon Luria
Solomon Luria was one of the great Ashkenazic poskim and teachers of his time. He is known for his work of Halakha, Yam Shel Shlomo, and his Talmudic commentary Chochmat Shlomo...
, and traced his genealogy back through Rashi
Rashi
Shlomo Yitzhaki , or in Latin Salomon Isaacides, and today generally known by the acronym Rashi , was a medieval French rabbi famed as the author of a comprehensive commentary on the Talmud, as well as a comprehensive commentary on the Tanakh...
to the tanna
Tannaim
The Tannaim were the Rabbinic sages whose views are recorded in the Mishnah, from approximately 70-200 CE. The period of the Tannaim, also referred to as the Mishnaic period, lasted about 130 years...
Johanan ha-Sandlar. He was rabbi of Glusk, government of Minsk
Minsk
- Ecological situation :The ecological situation is monitored by Republican Center of Radioactive and Environmental Control .During 2003–2008 the overall weight of contaminants increased from 186,000 to 247,400 tons. The change of gas as industrial fuel to mazut for financial reasons has worsened...
, until 1711, when he was called to the rabbinate of Minsk, where he officiated also as head of the yeshibah until his death. Heilprin was one of the most eminent Talmudists of his time. He was opposed to casuistry
Casuistry
In applied ethics, casuistry is case-based reasoning. Casuistry is used in juridical and ethical discussions of law and ethics, and often is a critique of principle- or rule-based reasoning...
, and on this account succeeded in grouping around him a great number of liberal-minded pupils. For a long time he had to sustain a hard struggle with Aryeh Löb ben Asher, who, while still a young man, had founded a yeshibah at Minsk, which at first was very flourishing. Aryeh Löb attacked Heilprin's method of teaching, and the antagonism between them spread to their pupils. Later, Aryeh Löb, being obliged to assist his father in the district rabbinate, neglected his yeshibah, which was ultimately closed, and Heilprin was no longer molested.
Heilprin devoted a part of his time to the study of Kabala
Kabala
Kabala can refer to:*Kabbalah, system of Jewish mysticism*Kabala, Sierra Leone, town in Sierra Leone*Kabala, Estonia, village in Türi Parish, Järva County, Estonia*Kabala, Mardin a town in Mardin Province of Turkey*Ka-Bala, 1967 fortune telling board game...
, on which subject he wrote a work. He was opposed to giving approbations to new books, deviating, as he himself says, only twice from his general principle in this regard. The two works so favored were the Ir Ḥomah of Abraham Judah Elijah and the Magen ha-Elef of Aryeh Löb of Plock.
Seder ha-Dorot
Heilprin is especially known through his Seder ha-Dorot. This work consists of three independent volumes or parts:- The first of these, entitled Yemot 'Olam, is a history from the Creation down to his own time. The author always endeavors to give, by means of calculation, the dates of Biblical personages. He bases his work on the Yuḥasin of Abraham ZacutoAbraham ZacutoAbraham Zacuto was a Sephardi Jewish astronomer, astrologer, mathematician and historian who served as Royal Astronomer in the 15th century to King John II of Portugal. The crater Zagut on the Moon is named after him....
, on the Shalshelet ha-Ḳabbalah of Gedaliah ibn Yaḥya, and on the Ẓemaḥ Dawid of David GansDavid Gans----David ben Solomon ben Seligman Gans was a Jewish mathematician, historian, astronomer, astrologer, and is best known for the works Tzemach David and Nechmad ve'naim.- Early life :...
. It seems that this first part was written when the author was still young, for the last event which he registered was one occurring in 1697. - The second part, Seder ha-Tanna'im weha-Amora'im, contains lists of the TannaimTannaimThe Tannaim were the Rabbinic sages whose views are recorded in the Mishnah, from approximately 70-200 CE. The period of the Tannaim, also referred to as the Mishnaic period, lasted about 130 years...
and Amoraim in alphabetical order with their dates. - The third part is a kind of catalogue containing first the names of all the authors, then those of their works, both arranged in alphabetical order. Heilprin based this part on the Sifte Yeshenim of Shabbethai BassShabbethai BassShabbethai ben Joseph Bass , born at Kalisz, was the father of Jewish bibliography, and author of the Sifsei Chachamim supercommentary on Rashi's commentary on the Pentateuch.-Life:...
, but added a great number of other titles. He states in the preface the many advantages of a knowledge of the chronological order of the Talmudists, which indeed in certain cases is absolutely necessary.
The whole work is followed by notes on the Talmud, also arranged in alphabetical order. It was published for the first time by Heilprin's grandson, Judah Löb Heilprin, at Carlsruhe
Carlsruhe
Carlsruhe is the name of several locations:*Karlsruhe, a city in Germany *Carlsruhe, Victoria, a town in Australia*Carlsruhe O/S and Bad Carlsruhe, German names of the village Pokój in Poland...
in 1769. There exist several other editions, the latest being the revised one of Naphtali Maskileison, son of Abraham Maskileison
Abraham Maskileison
Abraham Maskileison was a Jewish scholar, rabbi and author active in Russia during the first half of the 19th century.Rabbi Maskileison was a descendant of another Talmudic scholar, Israel Jaffe of Shklov, author of "Or Yisrael"...
Warsaw, 1882.
Of Heilprin's numerous other works mentioned in the Seder ha-Dorot, the only one which has been published is Erke ha-Kinnuyim, a dictionary of synonyms and homonyms occurring in the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
, Talmud
Talmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
, and other works, chiefly cabalistic (Dyhernfurth, 1806).
Jewish Encyclopedia bibliography
- De Rossi, Dizionario, i.166;
- Naphtali Maskileison in the preface to his edition of the Seder ha-Dörot, as above;
- Benzion Eisenstadt, Rabbane Minsk, pp. 14–16, Wilna, 1898.