Samson ben Abraham of Sens
Encyclopedia
Samson ben Abraham also known as the Rash of Sens
(an acronym of his name) or "the Prince of Sens", was one of the leading French Tosafists
in the second half of the 12th and the beginning of the 13th centuries. He was the most outstanding student and the spiritual heir of the Ri.
He was probably born in Falaise, Calvados
, where his grandfather, the tosafist Samson ben Joseph, called "the Elder", lived. He studied under Rabbeinu Tam
at Troyes
and David ben Kalonymus of Münzenberg, and for ten years attended the Yeshiva
of Rabbi Isaac ben Samuel
ha-Zaken (the Ri) of Dampierre, after whose death he took charge of the yeshiva of Sens. The Rosh
said of him that only Rabbeinu Tam and Rabbi Isaac ben Samuel exercised greater influence upon Talmudical studies in France
and in Germany
during the 13th century.
The Rash sided with the opponents of the Rambam in their disputes. He kept up a lively correspondence with Rabbi Meïr Abulafia
, and like him, condemned Rambams' rationalistic views on bodily resurrection and Talmudic haggadah. He also sided with Rabbi Abulafia in his objection to some of Rambam's halachic views, and reproached Rambam for not having indicated the Talmudic sources in his Mishneh Torah
. However, later on he quarreled with Rabbi Abulafia because Abulafia was offended by some of his remarks.
Due to persecution of the Jews by Pope Innocent III
, the Rash joined 300 English and French rabbis in emigrating to Palestine
about 1211. For some years he lived in Jerusalem, hence he is designated "the Jerusalemite" or "Rabbi Samson of the Land of Israel
". He died in Acre
around 1230 and he was buried at the foot of Mount Carmel
.
. They are fundamentally important, the principal sources for the interpretation of the Talmud
. In addition to the many tosafot he composed, he also authored a commentary on two of the Mishnaic orders, Zeraim
and Tohorot
.
He frequently refers therein to the Jerusalem Talmud
, to which he devoted more attention than any of his predecessors or contemporaries, and to the older compilations Tosefta
, Mechilta, Sifra
, and Sifre
, and he tries to reconcile the discrepancies between them and the Mishnah
. He refers to Nathan ben Jehiel
, to Rashi
, and other authorities, but never mentions Rambam's commentary, which he probably did not know.
According to Jacob ben Aksai, Rabbi Samson also wrote commentaries on Shekalim, Eduyot, Middot, and Dinnim, but none are extant.
He also wrote a commentary on the Sifra; for this, besides other older works, he utilized the commentary of Abraham ben David
of Posquières (Rabad), which he quotes under the designation "Hachmei Lunel" or "Hachmei Provence
", without mentioning the author's name.
Rabbi Meïr Abulafia
speaks of Rabbi Samson's father, Abraham, as a pious, saintly, and noble man. Rabbi Samson's brother, Isaac of Dampierre (Riba), also known as Isaac the Younger to distinguish him from his teacher Isaac the Elder (Isaac ben Samuel), whom he succeeded as principal of the school of Dampierre, is also one of the prominent tosafists. He wrote some liturgical poems (piyutim) and a commentary on the Pentateuch. He died about 1210, and Rabbi Samson attended his funeral. Both brothers are frequently mentioned in works such as Or Zarua, The Mordechai, Orchot Chaim, SeMaG, Semak (authored by a student of the Rash), Sefer ha-Yashar, Kol Bo
, Sha'are Dura, Haggahot Maimuniyyot, Terumat HaDeshen and similar works, and by Asher ben Jehiel and Meir of Rothenburg
.
Sens
Sens is a commune in the Yonne department in Burgundy in north-central France.Sens is a sub-prefecture of the department. It is crossed by the Yonne and the Vanne, which empties into the Yonne here.-History:...
(an acronym of his name) or "the Prince of Sens", was one of the leading French Tosafists
Tosafists
Tosafists were medieval rabbis from France and Germany who are among those known in Talmudical scholarship as Rishonim who created critical and explanatory glosses on the Talmud. These were collectively called Tosafot , because they were additions on the commentary of Rashi...
in the second half of the 12th and the beginning of the 13th centuries. He was the most outstanding student and the spiritual heir of the Ri.
He was probably born in Falaise, Calvados
Falaise, Calvados
Falaise is a commune in the Calvados department in the Basse-Normandie region in northwestern France.-History:The town was the birthplace of William I the Conqueror, first of the Norman Kings of England. The Château de Falaise , which overlooks the town from a high crag, was formerly the seat of...
, where his grandfather, the tosafist Samson ben Joseph, called "the Elder", lived. He studied under Rabbeinu Tam
Rabbeinu Tam
Rabbeinu Tam , born Jacob ben Meir, was one of the most renowned French Tosafists and a foremost halachic authority of his generation...
at Troyes
Troyes
Troyes is a commune and the capital of the Aube department in north-central France. It is located on the Seine river about southeast of Paris. Many half-timbered houses survive in the old town...
and David ben Kalonymus of Münzenberg, and for ten years attended the Yeshiva
Yeshiva
Yeshiva is a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primarily the Talmud and Torah study. Study is usually done through daily shiurim and in study pairs called chavrutas...
of Rabbi Isaac ben Samuel
Isaac ben Samuel
Isaac ben Samuel the Elder, also known as the Ri ha-Zaken, was a French tosafist and Biblical commentator. He flourished at Ramerupt and Dampierre, France in the twelfth century.- Biography :On his father's side Isaac was a grandson of R...
ha-Zaken (the Ri) of Dampierre, after whose death he took charge of the yeshiva of Sens. The Rosh
Asher ben Jehiel
Asher ben Jehiel- Ashkenazi was an eminent rabbi and Talmudist best known for his abstract of Talmudic law. He is often referred to as Rabbenu Asher, “our Rabbi Asher” or by the Hebrew acronym for this title, the ROSH...
said of him that only Rabbeinu Tam and Rabbi Isaac ben Samuel exercised greater influence upon Talmudical studies in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
during the 13th century.
The Rash sided with the opponents of the Rambam in their disputes. He kept up a lively correspondence with Rabbi Meïr Abulafia
Meir Abulafia
Meir ben Todros HaLevi Abulafia , also known as the Ramah , was a major Sephardic Talmudist and Halachic authority in medieval Spain...
, and like him, condemned Rambams' rationalistic views on bodily resurrection and Talmudic haggadah. He also sided with Rabbi Abulafia in his objection to some of Rambam's halachic views, and reproached Rambam for not having indicated the Talmudic sources in his Mishneh Torah
Mishneh Torah
The Mishneh Torah subtitled Sefer Yad ha-Hazaka is a code of Jewish religious law authored by Maimonides , one of history's foremost rabbis...
. However, later on he quarreled with Rabbi Abulafia because Abulafia was offended by some of his remarks.
Due to persecution of the Jews by Pope Innocent III
Pope Innocent III
Pope Innocent III was Pope from 8 January 1198 until his death. His birth name was Lotario dei Conti di Segni, sometimes anglicised to Lothar of Segni....
, the Rash joined 300 English and French rabbis in emigrating to Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
about 1211. For some years he lived in Jerusalem, hence he is designated "the Jerusalemite" or "Rabbi Samson of the Land of Israel
Land of Israel
The Land of Israel is the Biblical name for the territory roughly corresponding to the area encompassed by the Southern Levant, also known as Canaan and Palestine, Promised Land and Holy Land. The belief that the area is a God-given homeland of the Jewish people is based on the narrative of the...
". He died in Acre
Acre, Israel
Acre , is a city in the Western Galilee region of northern Israel at the northern extremity of Haifa Bay. Acre is one of the oldest continuously inhabited sites in the country....
around 1230 and he was buried at the foot of Mount Carmel
Mount Carmel
Mount Carmel ; , Kármēlos; , Kurmul or جبل مار إلياس Jabal Mar Elyas 'Mount Saint Elias') is a coastal mountain range in northern Israel stretching from the Mediterranean Sea towards the southeast. Archaeologists have discovered ancient wine and oil presses at various locations on Mt. Carmel...
.
Works
He authored many tosafot, abridged by Eliezer of TouquesEliezer of Touques
Eliezer of Touques was a French tosafist, who lived at Touques in the second half of the thirteenth century. He abridged the tosafot of Samson of Sens, Samuel of Évreux, and many others, and added thereto marginal notes of his own, entitled "Gilyon Tosafot," or "Tosafot Gillayon"...
. They are fundamentally important, the principal sources for the interpretation of the 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....
. In addition to the many tosafot he composed, he also authored a commentary on two of the Mishnaic orders, Zeraim
Zeraim
Seder Zeraim is the first and shortest Seder of the Mishnah, the first major work of Jewish law. The section of mishnah was written by the rabbis to inform all Jews what must be done to fulfill their biblical obligations of prayer and commandments about food.Observers of Jewish law are bound with...
and Tohorot
Tohorot
Tohorot is the sixth order of the Mishnah . This order deals with the clean/unclean distinction and family purity. This is the longest of the orders in the Mishnah. There are 12 tractates:...
.
He frequently refers therein to the Jerusalem Talmud
Jerusalem Talmud
The Jerusalem Talmud, talmud meaning "instruction", "learning", , is a collection of Rabbinic notes on the 2nd-century Mishnah which was compiled in the Land of Israel during the 4th-5th century. The voluminous text is also known as the Palestinian Talmud or Talmud de-Eretz Yisrael...
, to which he devoted more attention than any of his predecessors or contemporaries, and to the older compilations Tosefta
Tosefta
The Tosefta is a compilation of the Jewish oral law from the period of the Mishnah.-Overview:...
, Mechilta, Sifra
Sifra
Sifra is the Halakic midrash to Leviticus. It is frequently quoted in the Talmud, and the study of it followed that of the Mishnah, as appears from Tanḥuma, quoted in Or Zarua, i. 7b. Like Leviticus itself, the midrash is occasionally called "Torat Kohanim" , and in two passages also "Sifra debe...
, and Sifre
Sifre
Sifre refers to either of two works of Midrash halakhah, or classical Jewish legal Biblical exegesis, based on the biblical books of Bamidbar and Devarim .- The Talmudic-Era Sifre :The title "Sifre debe Rab" is used by R. Hananeel on Sheb. 37b, Alfasi on Pes...
, and he tries to reconcile the discrepancies between them and the Mishnah
Mishnah
The Mishnah or Mishna is the first major written redaction of the Jewish oral traditions called the "Oral Torah". It is also the first major work of Rabbinic Judaism. It was redacted c...
. He refers to Nathan ben Jehiel
Nathan ben Jehiel
Nathan ben Jehiel of Rome was a Jewish Italian lexicographer. He was born in Rome not later than 1035 to one of the most notable Roman families of Jewish scholars. Owing to an error propagated by Azulai, he has been regarded as a scion of the house of De Pomis...
, to 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...
, and other authorities, but never mentions Rambam's commentary, which he probably did not know.
According to Jacob ben Aksai, Rabbi Samson also wrote commentaries on Shekalim, Eduyot, Middot, and Dinnim, but none are extant.
He also wrote a commentary on the Sifra; for this, besides other older works, he utilized the commentary of Abraham ben David
Abraham ben David
Rabbeinu Abraham ben David was a Provençal rabbi, a great commentator on the Talmud, Sefer Halachot of Rabbi Yitzhak Alfasi and Mishne Torah of Maimonides, and is regarded as a father of Kabbalah and one of the key and important links in the chain of Jewish mystics...
of Posquières (Rabad), which he quotes under the designation "Hachmei Lunel" or "Hachmei Provence
Hachmei Provence
The term Hachmei Provence refers to the Jewish rabbis of Provence, a province in southern France, which was a great Torah center in the times of the Tosafists...
", without mentioning the author's name.
Rabbi Meïr Abulafia
Meir Abulafia
Meir ben Todros HaLevi Abulafia , also known as the Ramah , was a major Sephardic Talmudist and Halachic authority in medieval Spain...
speaks of Rabbi Samson's father, Abraham, as a pious, saintly, and noble man. Rabbi Samson's brother, Isaac of Dampierre (Riba), also known as Isaac the Younger to distinguish him from his teacher Isaac the Elder (Isaac ben Samuel), whom he succeeded as principal of the school of Dampierre, is also one of the prominent tosafists. He wrote some liturgical poems (piyutim) and a commentary on the Pentateuch. He died about 1210, and Rabbi Samson attended his funeral. Both brothers are frequently mentioned in works such as Or Zarua, The Mordechai, Orchot Chaim, SeMaG, Semak (authored by a student of the Rash), Sefer ha-Yashar, Kol Bo
Kol Bo
Kol Bo is a collection of Jewish ritual and civil laws, the meaning of the title being "all is in it"; who its author was has not yet been ascertained...
, Sha'are Dura, Haggahot Maimuniyyot, Terumat HaDeshen and similar works, and by Asher ben Jehiel and Meir of Rothenburg
Meir of Rothenburg
Meir of Rothenburg was a German Rabbi and poet, a major author of the tosafot on Rashi's commentary on the Talmud...
.