Issachar Berman Ben Naphtali Ha-kohen ( he, יששכר ב(ע)ר בן נפתלי הכהן/כץ) was a 16th-century Polish commentator on

Midrash ''Midrash'' (;"midrash"
''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary''. he, מִדְרָשׁ; ...

(and the Bible), considered by some to be "the foremost of all Midrash commentators", best known for his work ''Mat(te)not Kehun(n)ah'' (מתנות כהונה) on the '' Midrash Rabbah''. He was born in Szczebrzeszyn, Poland, where he also died (after 1608). According to some, he was a student of

Moses Isserles ). He is not to be confused with Meir Abulafia, known as "Ramah" ( he, רמ״ה, italic=no, links=no), nor with Menahem Azariah da Fano, known as "Rema MiPano" ( he, רמ״ע מפאנו, italic=no, links=no). Rabbi Moses Isserles ( he, משה � ...

. His ''Mattenot Kehunnah'' (completed in 1584, printed in 1587–88) was a critical edition of the ''Midrash Rabbah'' with commentary. It became among the most influential works on the ''Midrash Rabbah'', and has been included in almost every edition on account of its textual accuracy and the clear, concise manner in which it explains the simple/straightforward meaning of the text. He put great effort into determining and preserving the correct wording of the text, making use of multiple texts, both printed and manuscript, to determine the most accurate wording, and insisting that the printers take care not to introduce new errors. He also sought out individuals familiar with other languages such as Arabic and Latin to clarify certain points where foreign words were used; however, it appears that the information he received was not always so accurate. He also seems to have had some familiarity with medicine and astronomy/physics. He also wrote a lesser-known work called ''Mar'eh Kohen'' (מראה כהן), composed of two parts: one on theology, and the other an index to verses found in the

Zohar The ''Zohar'' ( he, , ''Zōhar'', lit. "Splendor" or "Radiance") is a foundational work in the literature of Jewish mystical thought known as Kabbalah. It is a group of books including commentary on the mystical aspects of the Torah (the five ...

; (subjects and non-pentateuchal), as well as a commentary on the Bible which has been lost. The ''Mareh Kohen'' is notable for being one of the earliest published indexes of a Hebrew work. We do not know much about his family other than that he had a brother Isaac (Ben Naphtali Ha-)Cohen of Ostrog who wrote a work called ''Ḳiẓẓur MizraḦi'', and a great-grandson named Abraham b. Eliezer ha-Kohen.

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External links

Issachar Berman ben Naphtali Ha-Kohen on Sefaria (includes links to Matnot Kehunah)
* Mar'eh Kohen
(Krakow 1589)(Amsterdam, 1673)
o
Otzar Hahochma

Ohel Yissaschar (Hebrew biography)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ha-Kohen, Issachar Berman Ben Naphtali 16th-century Polish writers 16th-century male writers 16th-century births 17th-century deaths Year of birth unknown Year of death unknown People from Szczebrzeszyn 16th-century Polish rabbis Polish male writers Polish Ashkenazi Jews