Simhah Pinsker
Encyclopedia
Simhah Pinsker (Hebrew: שמחה פינסקר) was a Polish-Jewish scholar and archeologist born at Tarnopol, Galicia. He received his early Hebrew education in the cheider and from his father, Shebaḥ ha-Levi, a noted preacher, who instructed him in mathematics and German language
also.
, but soon forsook them. He at first engaged in business, but, having no aptitude therefor, was obliged to abandon it. He then went to Odessa
, and, owing to his calligraphic skill, became secretary to the rabbi. Here, in conjunction with Isaac Horowitz of Brody and Littenfeld, Pinsker succeeded in establishing a public school for Jewish children, of which he himself served as principal until 1840.
, a Karaite scholar, brought to Odessa a number of ancient manuscripts, unearthed in the Crimea
. Among these was one of the Later Prophets which had a singular punctuation, differing widely in the form of the vowels and singing-accents from the one then in use. This manuscript gave ample opportunity to Pinsker to satisfy his propensity for research. He at once set himself to the task of deciphering the system of punctuation, and satisfactorily accomplished it. He had already become known as an archaeologist of merit through his contributions to the Orient, but with this discovery his fame was established. He was thereupon honored by the Russian government with two gold medals and with the title "Honorable Citizen", and the community of Odessa bestowed upon him a life-pension of 300 rubles a year.
in order to devote the rest of his life to his researches and to the arrangement and publication of his works. Of these the first and most important one was Liḳḳuṭe Ḳadmoniyyot (Vienna, 1860), in which he describes the different periods of development in the history of Karaism. He maintains that the term "Karaite" is derived from the Hebrew "ḳara" (קרא) = "to call," "to invite," and that its use dates from the first period of the schism, when the members of this sect sent messengers throughout Jewry "to invite" the people to join their ranks (Liḳḳuṭe Ḳadmoniyyot, p.16). Pinsker moreover attempts to show throughout the whole work that to the scholars of this sect who preceded the orthodox Biblical scholars and grammarians is due the correct system of Biblical orthography, grammar, and lexicography; and that even in their poetry the Karaites were models for the Hebrew poets of the Middle Ages
, such as Ibn Gabirol and Judah ha-Levi. (ib. p. 107). The Liḳḳuṭe Ḳadmoniyyot made such an impression upon the scholarly world that Jost and H. Graetz publicly avowed their indebtedness to the author, the former even changing, in consequence, some of the views expressed in his history of the Jewish sects.
, on the Hebrew numerals.
Pinsker left, besides, a considerable number of manuscripts on the Hebrew language and literature. At Vienna, Pinsker lectured for some time at the bet ha-midrash; but, his health soon failing, he was brought back by his children to Odessa, where he died on October 29, 1864.
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....
also.
Early years
In his youth Pinsker was an enthusiastic admirer of the ḤasidimHasidim
Hasidim/Chasidim is the plural of Hasid , meaning "pious". The honorific "Hasid" was frequently used as a term of exceptional respect in the Talmudic and early medieval periods. In classic Rabbinic literature it differs from "Tzadik"-"righteous", by instead denoting one who goes beyond the legal...
, but soon forsook them. He at first engaged in business, but, having no aptitude therefor, was obliged to abandon it. He then went to Odessa
Odessa
Odessa or Odesa is the administrative center of the Odessa Oblast located in southern Ukraine. The city is a major seaport located on the northwest shore of the Black Sea and the fourth largest city in Ukraine with a population of 1,029,000 .The predecessor of Odessa, a small Tatar settlement,...
, and, owing to his calligraphic skill, became secretary to the rabbi. Here, in conjunction with Isaac Horowitz of Brody and Littenfeld, Pinsker succeeded in establishing a public school for Jewish children, of which he himself served as principal until 1840.
His researches
At that time Abraham FirkovichAbraham Firkovich
Abraham ben Samuel Firkovich was a famous leader of the Qarays . He was born in Lutsk, Volhynia, then lived in Lithuania, and finally settled in Çufut Qale, Crimea. Firkovich was a communal leader and hakham...
, a Karaite scholar, brought to Odessa a number of ancient manuscripts, unearthed in the Crimea
Crimea
Crimea , or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea , is a sub-national unit, an autonomous republic, of Ukraine. It is located on the northern coast of the Black Sea, occupying a peninsula of the same name...
. Among these was one of the Later Prophets which had a singular punctuation, differing widely in the form of the vowels and singing-accents from the one then in use. This manuscript gave ample opportunity to Pinsker to satisfy his propensity for research. He at once set himself to the task of deciphering the system of punctuation, and satisfactorily accomplished it. He had already become known as an archaeologist of merit through his contributions to the Orient, but with this discovery his fame was established. He was thereupon honored by the Russian government with two gold medals and with the title "Honorable Citizen", and the community of Odessa bestowed upon him a life-pension of 300 rubles a year.
Likkute Kadmoniyyot (ליקוטי קדמוניות)
Pinsker then retired from communal work, and repaired to 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...
in order to devote the rest of his life to his researches and to the arrangement and publication of his works. Of these the first and most important one was Liḳḳuṭe Ḳadmoniyyot (Vienna, 1860), in which he describes the different periods of development in the history of Karaism. He maintains that the term "Karaite" is derived from the Hebrew "ḳara" (קרא) = "to call," "to invite," and that its use dates from the first period of the schism, when the members of this sect sent messengers throughout Jewry "to invite" the people to join their ranks (Liḳḳuṭe Ḳadmoniyyot, p.16). Pinsker moreover attempts to show throughout the whole work that to the scholars of this sect who preceded the orthodox Biblical scholars and grammarians is due the correct system of Biblical orthography, grammar, and lexicography; and that even in their poetry the Karaites were models for the Hebrew poets of the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
, such as Ibn Gabirol and Judah ha-Levi. (ib. p. 107). The Liḳḳuṭe Ḳadmoniyyot made such an impression upon the scholarly world that Jost and H. Graetz publicly avowed their indebtedness to the author, the former even changing, in consequence, some of the views expressed in his history of the Jewish sects.
Mabo el ha-Nikkud ha-Ashshuri veha-Babli
The other great work of Pinsker, published in his lifetime, was Mabo el ha-Niḳḳud ha-Ashshuri weha-Babli (Vienna, 1863), an introduction to the Babylonian-Hebraic system of punctuation; it contains the results of his examination of the manuscripts in the Odessa library. As an appendix to it is printed the Yesod Mispar, by Abraham ibn EzraAbraham ibn Ezra
Rabbi Abraham ben Meir Ibn Ezra was born at Tudela, Navarre in 1089, and died c. 1167, apparently in Calahorra....
, on the Hebrew numerals.
Other works
Pinsker's other works are:- an edition of the Miklol (Lyck, 1862), Hebrew grammar by D. Ḳimḥi, with emendations by Pinsker and others
- Sefer ha-Eḥad (Odessa, 1867), on the nine cardinal numbers, by Abraham ibn EzraAbraham ibn EzraRabbi Abraham ben Meir Ibn Ezra was born at Tudela, Navarre in 1089, and died c. 1167, apparently in Calahorra....
, with commentary - Mishle ha-Gezerah weha-Binyan (Vienna, 1887), on the Hebrew verb.
Pinsker left, besides, a considerable number of manuscripts on the Hebrew language and literature. At Vienna, Pinsker lectured for some time at the bet ha-midrash; but, his health soon failing, he was brought back by his children to Odessa, where he died on October 29, 1864.
Jewish Encyclopedia bibliography
- ZederbaumZederbaumZederbaum, Cederbaum are surnames of:* Aleksander Zederbaum* Yuliy Tsederbaum- Cederbaum :* Henryk Cederbaum , a Polish lawyer* Lorenz S. Cederbaum , a German physical chemist- See also :* Daniel Cederman...
, in Miẓpah, iv. 13-14; - idem, in Ha-MeliẓHa-MelizHa-Meliẓ was the first Hebrew newspaper in Russia. It was founded by Alexander Zederbaum, in Odessa, in 1860, as a weekly, and was transferred to St. Petersburg in 1871....
, 1864, No. 42; - Ha-Maggid, 1865, Nos. 7-10;
- Monatsschrift, x. 176 et seq.;
- He-Ḥaluẓ, v. 56 et seq.;
- Mazkir li-Bene Reshef, in Ha-Shahar, i. 46 et seq.;
- H. S. Morais, Eminent Israelites of the Nineteenth Century, pp. 279 et seq., Philadelphia, 1880.
External links
- Jewish Encyclopedia article for Simhah Pinsker by Herman RosenthalHerman RosenthalHerman Rosenthal was an American author, editor, and librarian.-Biography:Rosenthal was born in Friedrichstadt , Courland. He was educated at Bauske and Jakobstadt , graduating in 1859. In that year he translated into German several of Nekrasov's poems...
and A. S. Waldstein.