Solomon Dubno
Encyclopedia
Solomon ben Joel Dubno (Hebrew: שלמה בן יואל דובנה) was a Russian poet, grammarian, and student of the Masorah
born at Dubno
, Volhynia
. When he was 14 years old his parents married him to the daughter of the Talmudist Simhah ben Joshua of Volozhin. Having exhausted the knowledge of his Volhynian instructors, Dubno went to Galicia, studying there for several years Biblical exegesis and grammar under the direction of Rabbi Solomon of Cholm. Dubno soon became proficient in these branches of Jewish science, and was charged by his master with the revision and publication of his work on the Hebrew accents, Sha'are Ne'imah (Frankfort-on-the-Main, 1766).
From 1767 to 1772 Dubno lived at Amsterdam
, attracted by its rich collections of Hebrew books. On leaving Amsterdam he settled in Berlin
, earning a livelihood by teaching. Among his pupils was the son of Moses Mendelssohn
, who, highly appreciating Dubno's scholarship, became his patron and friend. Dubno wrote a commentary for Mendelssohn's translation of the Bible
, of which only a portion—the Alim li-Terufah (Amsterdam, 1778)—was published. See Jew. Encyc. iii. 192, s.v. Bible Translations.
In 1782-3, he spent about six months in Wilna, living with the wealthy Jewish financier Joseph Pesseles. (He alludes to this in his work Birkath Yosef, published at Dyhernfurth, 1783.) After the death of Mendelssohn, Dubno stopped for a short time in Frankfort-on-the-Main, and then returned to Amsterdam. There, at first fêted, and later ignored, deriving a scanty income from the loan of the books from his rich library, he remained until his death on June 26, 1813.
Masoretic Text
The Masoretic Text is the authoritative Hebrew text of the Jewish Bible and is regarded as Judaism's official version of the Tanakh. While the Masoretic Text defines the books of the Jewish canon, it also defines the precise letter-text of these biblical books, with their vocalization and...
born at Dubno
Dubno
Dubno is a city located on the Ikva River in the Rivne Oblast of western Ukraine. Serving as the administrative center of Dubno Raion , the city itself is also designated as a separate raion within the oblast...
, Volhynia
Volhynia
Volhynia, Volynia, or Volyn is a historic region in western Ukraine located between the rivers Prypiat and Southern Bug River, to the north of Galicia and Podolia; the region is named for the former city of Volyn or Velyn, said to have been located on the Southern Bug River, whose name may come...
. When he was 14 years old his parents married him to the daughter of the Talmudist Simhah ben Joshua of Volozhin. Having exhausted the knowledge of his Volhynian instructors, Dubno went to Galicia, studying there for several years Biblical exegesis and grammar under the direction of Rabbi Solomon of Cholm. Dubno soon became proficient in these branches of Jewish science, and was charged by his master with the revision and publication of his work on the Hebrew accents, Sha'are Ne'imah (Frankfort-on-the-Main, 1766).
From 1767 to 1772 Dubno lived at Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, attracted by its rich collections of Hebrew books. On leaving Amsterdam he settled in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, earning a livelihood by teaching. Among his pupils was the son of Moses Mendelssohn
Moses Mendelssohn
Moses Mendelssohn was a German Jewish philosopher to whose ideas the renaissance of European Jews, Haskalah is indebted...
, who, highly appreciating Dubno's scholarship, became his patron and friend. Dubno wrote a commentary for Mendelssohn's translation of 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...
, of which only a portion—the Alim li-Terufah (Amsterdam, 1778)—was published. See Jew. Encyc. iii. 192, s.v. Bible Translations.
In 1782-3, he spent about six months in Wilna, living with the wealthy Jewish financier Joseph Pesseles. (He alludes to this in his work Birkath Yosef, published at Dyhernfurth, 1783.) After the death of Mendelssohn, Dubno stopped for a short time in Frankfort-on-the-Main, and then returned to Amsterdam. There, at first fêted, and later ignored, deriving a scanty income from the loan of the books from his rich library, he remained until his death on June 26, 1813.
Other works
In addition to the works mentioned above, Dubno wrote the following:- Poems, appearing (p. 34) among those of Immanuel, published by Löb Wolf at Berlin, 1776; in the Bikkure To'elet (pp. 4, 114), published by the Anshe To'elet Society of Amsterdam; and in HeidenheimWolf HeidenheimWolf ben Samson Heidenheim was a German exegete and grammarian born at Heidenheim am Hahnenkamm At an early age Heidenheim was sent to Fürth, where he studied Talmud under Joseph Steinhardt, author of Zikron Yosef, and, from 1777, under Hirsch Janow...
's Sefer Ḳerobot. - Ebel Yaḥid, an elegy on the death of Jacob EmdenJacob EmdenJacob Emden also known as Ya'avetz, , was a leading German rabbi and talmudist who championed Orthodox Judaism in the face of the growing influence of the Sabbatean movement...
, published at Berlin, 1776. - A preface to Moses Ḥayyim Luzzatto's poem La-Yesharim Tehillah, ib. 1780.
- A work on the geography of PalestinePalestinePalestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
, promised by him in his commentary on Genesis, where he displayed a profound knowledge of the subject. Luncz (Jerusalem, 1892, pp. 137 et seq.) identifies this work with the Ahabat Ẓiyyon of Dubno's father-in-law, Simḥah ben Joshua, but as this is a mere plagiarism from the Karaite Samuel ben David's story of his voyage to Palestine, published in Gurland's Ginze Yisrael, it is probable that LehrenAkiba LehrenAkiba Mozes Lehren was a Dutch banker and communal worker, younger brother of Ẓebi Hirsch Lehren and Jacob Meïr Lehren....
(Catalogue, p. 247) is right in doubting the identification. - Reshimah (Register), catalogue of his library, published at Amsterdam, 1814. It contains 2,076 printed works and 106 manuscripts.
- Dubno left a great number of essays, poems, etc., which are still extant in manuscript.
Jewish Encyclopedia bibliography
- Giovanni Bernardo De RossiGiovanni Bernardo De RossiGiovanni Bernardo De Rossi was an Italian Christian Hebraist. He studied in Ivrea and Turin. In October 1769, he was appointed professor of Oriental languages at the University of Parma, where he spent the rest of his life...
, Dizionario, p. 92; - ZunzZunzZunz, Zuntz is a Yiddish surname: , Belgian pharmacologist* Leopold Zunz , German Reform rabbi* Gerhard Jack Zunz , British civil engineer- Zuntz :* Nathan Zuntz , German physiologist...
, Z.G. p. 241; - idem, The Itinerary of Rabbi Benjamin of Tudela, ii. 291;
- CarmolyCarmolyCarmoly:* Isaachar Bär ben Judah Carmoly* Eliakim Carmoly...
, Revue Orientale, ii. 310 et seq.; - DelitzschDelitzschDelitzsch is a large district and also an important regional center in Saxony. With over 26,300 inhabitants Delitzsch is the largest city in the northern district of Saxony...
, Zur Gesch. der Hebr. Poesie, p. 118; - Moritz SteinschneiderMoritz SteinschneiderMoritz Steinschneider was a Bohemian bibliographer and Orientalist. He received his early instruction in Hebrew from his father, Jacob Steinschneider , who was not only an expert Talmudist, but was also well versed in secular science...
, Cat. Bodl. col. 2303; - Benjamin Hirsch AuerbachBenjamin Hirsch AuerbachBenjamin Hirsch Auerbach was a German rabbi and one of the most prominent leaders of modern Orthodox Judaism....
, Geschichte der Israelischen Gemeinde Halberstadt, p. 179; - Meyer KayserlingMeyer KayserlingMeyer Kayserling was a German rabbi and historian.-Life:He was educated at Halberstadt, Nikolsburg , Prague, Würzburg, and Berlin. He devoted himself to history and philosophy...
, Moses Mendelssohn, pp. 287–289, 301-304.