Judah ben Asher (30 June 1270 – 4 July 1349) was a
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
** Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
Talmudist
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 center ...
and later rabbi of
Toledo, Spain
Toledo ( , ) is a city and municipality of Spain, capital of the province of Toledo and the ''de jure'' seat of the government and parliament of the autonomous community of Castilla–La Mancha. Toledo was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESC ...
, son of
Rabbenu Asher and brother of
Jacob ben Asher
Jacob ben Asher (c. 1269 - c. 1343), also known as Ba'al ha-Turim as well as Rabbi Yaakov ben Raash (Rabbeinu Asher), was an influential Medieval rabbinic authority. He is often referred to as the Ba'al ha-Turim ("Master of the Columns"), after ...
("Ba'al haTurim").
Biography
At the age of thirteen, according to the custom of the German Talmudists of that epoch, Judah began to travel. He set out for
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
July 18, 1283, and arrived at Toledo April 7, 1285, consuming almost two years in his journey. He does not appear to have stayed long in Toledo, for in 1286 he married the daughter of his oldest brother, Jehiel, who is not known to have left
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
before 1305. After her death he married the daughter of Solomon, another brother of his. In 1305 his father, who was then obliged to leave Germany, sent Judah before him into Spain in order to arrange for his settling there.
Judah says in his testament that when he first came to Toledo he could not profit much by the
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Can ...
Talmudists, as he understood neither their writing nor their language; and as he had sore eyes he could not even occupy himself with writing. After his father's death (1321 or 1328) Judah was chosen by the Toledo community as his successor in the rabbinate. He was held in great esteem by the members of his congregation, and when, on account of some disagreement, he manifested a desire to remove to
Seville
Seville (; es, Sevilla, ) is the capital and largest city of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the River Guadalquivir, in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula ...
, they urged him to remain and doubled his salary. Still, he was not favorably inclined toward Spain; for he recommended his five sons to emigrate to Germany, his native country.
Asher, Judah's father, had ordained that every member of his family should give for charitable purposes a tithe of his earnings, and that three-fourths of the amount of such tithe should be confided to two trustees for distribution among the poor. In the agreement signed by Asher and his sons on October 20, 1314, Judah and his brother Jacob were appointed trustees. Judah approved heartily of this charitable institution, and at his request, on September 18, 1346, his sons signed an agreement making a similar arrangement in regard to the disposition of their own earnings.
[''Bet Talmud'', iv. 377] Judah died at Toledo July 4, 1349.
Works
Judah was a recognized authority on
Halakha
''Halakha'' (; he, הֲלָכָה, ), also transliterated as ''halacha'', ''halakhah'', and ''halocho'' ( ), is the collective body of Jewish religious laws which is derived from the written and Oral Torah. Halakha is based on biblical commandm ...
, and his responsa, together with a fragment of his commentary on
Shabbat, were published, under the title of ''Zikron Yehudah,'' by
David Cassel (Berlin, 1846).
References
Its bibliography:
* Cassel, introduction to Zikron Yehudah;
*
Grätz, Gesch. 3d ed., vii. 301-302;
*
Steinschneider
Moritz Steinschneider (30 March 1816, Prostějov, Moravia, Austrian Empire – 24 January 1907, Berlin) was a Moravian bibliographer and Orientalist. He received his early instruction in Hebrew from his father, Jacob Steinschneider ( 1782; ...
, Cat. Bodl. col. 1291.
Further reading
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Asher, Judah Ben
1270 births
1349 deaths
14th-century German rabbis
14th-century Castilian rabbis
People from Toledo, Spain
13th-century German rabbis
Clergy from Cologne