Aaron ben Meshullam ben Jacob of Lunel was a French Jewish ritualist who flourished about the end of the twelfth century in Lunel and died in about 1210 (according to the " Scepter of Judah"). He was one of the five sons of

Meshullam ben Jacob ''Rabbeinu'' Meshullam son of Jacob (or ''Meshullam HaKohen ben Ya'akov'') also known as ''Rabbeinu Meshullam hagodol'' (Rabbi Meshullem the great) was a Franco-Jewish Talmudist of the twelfth century CE.Heinrich Graetz History of the Jews - Page ...

and seems to have written a book on Dinim, from which the author of the "

Sefer Asufot Sefer ha-Asuppot (Hebrew: ספר האסופות; lit. "Book of the collections") is the name of a compilation of medieval German Jewish Halakha and Minhagim, the manuscript of which is privately held by David H. Feinberg of New York (fragments fr ...

" (MS. in the

Montefiore College Judith Lady Montefiore College () is a Jewish theological seminary founded in 1869 by Sir Moses Montefiore in memory of his late wife, Lady Judith Montefiore, at Ramsgate, Kent. Though closed in 1985, the College re-opened in London in 2005. E ...

Library) quotes several passages. His decisions and interpretations are also referred to in the "Sefer ha-Hashlamah" of his nephew, Rabbi Meshullam, who calls him "ḥakam" for his general knowledge.

Teachings and controversies

Judah ibn Tibbon Judah ben Saul ibn Tibbon (1120 – after 1190) was a translator and physician. Born in Granada, he left Spain in 1150, probably on account of persecution by the Almohades, and went to Lunel in southern France. Benjamin of Tudela mentions him ...

, in his ethical will, recommends his son Samuel to seek in all things the advice of Rabbis Aaron and Asher, these being trusted friends; and he refers to Aaron's skill in computation of the calendar and in other branches of

rabbinic Rabbinic Judaism ( he, יהדות רבנית, Yahadut Rabanit), also called Rabbinism, Rabbinicism, or Judaism espoused by the Rabbanites, has been the mainstream form of Judaism since the 6th century CE, after the codification of the Babylonian ...

knowledge. In the literary controversy about certain theories and decisions of

Moses Maimonides Musa ibn Maimon (1138–1204), commonly known as Maimonides (); la, Moses Maimonides and also referred to by the acronym Rambam ( he, רמב״ם), was a Sephardic Jewish philosopher who became one of the most prolific and influential Torah s ...

, carried on at the time by the

Maimonist Musa ibn Maimon (1138–1204), commonly known as Maimonides (); la, Moses Maimonides and also referred to by the acronym Rambam ( he, רמב״ם), was a Sephardic Jewish philosopher who became one of the most prolific and influential Torah ...

s and Anti-maimonists, Rabbi Aaron sided with the former. Rabbi Meir ha-Levi Abulafia informed Rabbi Aaron of his criticisms on the works of Maimonides. The reply of R. Aaron,"Responsa of Maimonides," ed. A. Lichtenberg, part iii. 11 et seq. in defense of Maimonides, is distinguished by its elegance of style, its appropriate use of Biblical and

Talmudic The Talmud (; he, , Talmūḏ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law ('' halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the ce ...

phrases, and its skill in literary criticism. After a long panegyric on the greatness of Maimonides, R. Aaron places him above ordinary criticism. He says that if R. Abulafia discovered in the works of Maimonides passages that appeared strange and unintelligible, he should have expressed his doubts in moderate terms, like a disciple who seeks information, and not like a master who corrects his pupil.

References

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Lunel, Aaron ben Meshullam ben Jacob of 12th-century French writers 13th-century French writers Medieval Jewish scholars Year of birth unknown 1210 deaths People from Lunel 12th-century French Jews 13th-century French Jews 12th-century scholars 13th-century scholars Exponents of Jewish law