Solomon Aaron Wertheimer
Encyclopedia
Rabbi Solomon Aaron Wertheimer (November 18, 1866-1935), was a Hungarian
rabbi
, scholar, and seller of rare books.
, Egypt
, where he made a living as a rare bookseller and a collector and seller of Cairo Genizah documents. According to Arabist
S.D. Goitein, he also published papers on them, but "in a somewhat unscientific way." For five years starting in 1893, he tried to sell the British Library
Geniza documents for pennies on the dollar, but many were declined.
He is best known for his midrashic scholarship, his work is one of the two standard midrash compilations from the period (the other is Adolph Jellinek's Bet Ha-Midrasch).
He died in Jerusalem in 1935.
Today, his midrashim are normally printed in a combined two volume set edited by his grandson A. J. Wertheimer. Also entitled Batei Midrashot (Jerusalem: 1967), the work brings together midrashim from Batei Midrashot and Leket Midrash with notes and commentary.
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
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...
, scholar, and seller of rare books.
Life
He was born in Bösing in 1866. In 1871 he went with his parents to Jerusalem, where he was educated. By 1890, he was residing in CairoCairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, where he made a living as a rare bookseller and a collector and seller of Cairo Genizah documents. According to Arabist
Arabist
This is an article about the western scholars known as Arabists, not the political movement Pan-Arabism.An Arabist is someone normally from outside the Arab World who specialises in the study of the Arabic language and Arab culture, and often Arabic literature.-Origins:Arabists began in medieval...
S.D. Goitein, he also published papers on them, but "in a somewhat unscientific way." For five years starting in 1893, he tried to sell the British Library
British Library
The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom, and is the world's largest library in terms of total number of items. The library is a major research library, holding over 150 million items from every country in the world, in virtually all known languages and in many formats,...
Geniza documents for pennies on the dollar, but many were declined.
He is best known for his midrashic scholarship, his work is one of the two standard midrash compilations from the period (the other is Adolph Jellinek's Bet Ha-Midrasch).
He died in Jerusalem in 1935.
Publications
- Ebel Mosheh (1885), sermonSermonA sermon is an oration by a prophet or member of the clergy. Sermons address a Biblical, theological, religious, or moral topic, usually expounding on a type of belief, law or behavior within both past and present contexts...
delivered on the death of Sir Moses MontefioreMoses MontefioreSir Moses Haim Montefiore, 1st Baronet, Kt was one of the most famous British Jews of the 19th century. Montefiore was a financier, banker, philanthropist and Sheriff of London... - Ḥiddushe Rabbi Nissim (1888)
- Pirḳe Hekalot and Ẓawwa'at Naftali (1889)
- Darke shel TorahTorahTorah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five books of the bible—Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers and Deuteronomy Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five...
(1891), guide to the theory of the TalmudTalmudThe 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 to the fundamental principles of the Halakah and Haggadah - Ḥatam Sofer (1891), Talmudic studies, with notes; Batte Midrashot (4 parts, 1893-97), a collection of short midrashMidrashThe Hebrew term Midrash is a homiletic method of biblical exegesis. The term also refers to the whole compilation of homiletic teachings on the Bible....
im from manuscripts, with glosses, notes, and introduction - Ginze Yerushalayim (3 parts, 1896-1902), a collection of scientific, literary, and poetic treatises, from rare manuscripts, with notes and introduction
- Midrash Ḥaserot wi-Yeterot (1898), from the Parma manuscript, collated with three Egyptian manuscripts
- Leshon Ḥasidim (1898), notes and introduction to the Sefer Ḥasidim
- Ḳohelet Shelomoh (1899), a collection of geonGeonGeon is a term employed in several areas of knowledge:*In geology, geons are numerically specified geologic time intervals 100 million years long, counted backward from the present....
ic responsaResponsaResponsa comprise a body of written decisions and rulings given by legal scholars in response to questions addressed to them.-In the Roman Empire:Roman law recognised responsa prudentium, i.e...
, with notes and introduction, and with Hebrew translations of the Arabic responsa - 'Abodat Ḥaleb (1902), a commentary on the Jewish prayers; and Leket Midrashim (1903).
Today, his midrashim are normally printed in a combined two volume set edited by his grandson A. J. Wertheimer. Also entitled Batei Midrashot (Jerusalem: 1967), the work brings together midrashim from Batei Midrashot and Leket Midrash with notes and commentary.