Meir (Ish Shalom) Friedmann (10 July 1831 in Kraszna ( sk, Kružná), district of Kashau (Košice Region), Kingdom of Hungary, Austrian Empire – 1908 in Vienna, Austria-Hungary) was an Austrian-Hungarian Jewish scholar. His editions of the '' Midrash'' are the standard texts. His chief editions were the '' Sifre'' (1864), the ''

Mekhilta Mekhilta ( arc, מְכִילְתָּא דְּרַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל IPA /məˈχiltɑ/, "a collection of rules of interpretation"; corresponding to the Mishnaic Hebrew ' 'measure', 'rule'), is used to denote a compilation of scriptural ...

'' (1870), ''

Pesiqta Rabbathi ''Pesikta Rabbati'' (Hebrew: פסיקתא רבתי ''P'siqta Rabbita'', "The Larger P'siqta") is a collection of aggadic midrash (homilies) on the Pentateuchal and prophetic readings, the special Sabbaths, and so on. It was composed around 845 C ...

'' (1880). At the time of his death he was editing the '' Sifra''. Friedmann, while inspired with regard for tradition, dealt with the Rabbinic texts with modern scientific methods, and rendered conspicuous service to the critical investigation of the Midrash and to the history of early homilies.

Biography

In 1844, at the age of 13, he entered the yeshiva at

Ungvar Uzhhorod ( uk, У́жгород, , ; ) is a city and municipality on the river Uzh in western Ukraine, at the border with Slovakia and near the border with Hungary. The city is approximately equidistant from the Baltic, the Adriatic and the B ...

, Carpathian Ruthenia region (now part of Ukraine) where he was attracted to Chasidism and Kabbalah. At the age of sixteen, he was led by the "Bi'ur" of Moses Mendelssohn to the study of the Bible, and became deeply interested in

Hebrew poetry Hebrew poetry is poetry written in the Hebrew language. It encompasses such things as: * Biblical poetry, the poetry found in the poetic books of the Hebrew Bible * Piyyut, religious Jewish liturgical poetry in Hebrew or Aramaic * Medieval Hebrew ...

, especially in

Wessely Wessely is the German variant of the Czech surname ''Veselý''. Notable people with the surname include: * Clare Gerada, Lady Wessely (born 1959), British medical doctor * Josephine Wessely (1860–1887), Austrian actress * Karl Wessely (1860–19 ...

's "Shire Tife'ret". At twenty, while living at Miskolc, where he earned his livelihood by giving '' Talmud'' instruction, he took up secular studies. In 1858 he entered the University of Vienna. In 1864, when the Vienna bet ha-midrash was founded, he was chosen as teacher of the Bible and Midrash. Later he was hired as a professor in the Israelitisch-Theologische Lehranstalt. Among his students there was Solomon Schechter.

Works

Friedmann has devoted himself chiefly to the editing of old

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

, to which he has added critical notes and valuable introductions. These notes, written in classical

rabbi A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as '' semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form o ...

nical style, are models of precision and are of great value. * Friedmann has published the following works in Hebrew: :* ''The Sifre'', Vienna, 1864 :* ''The Mekilta'', ib. 1870 :* ''Eshet Chayil'', a commentary on Proverbs, ib. 1878 :* ''The

Pesikta Rabbati ''Pesikta Rabbati'' (Hebrew: פסיקתא רבתי ''P'siqta Rabbita'', "The Larger P'siqta") is a collection of aggadic midrash (homilies) on the Pentateuchal and prophetic readings, the special Sabbaths, and so on. It was composed around 845 ...

'', ib. 1880 :* ''Ha-Tziyyon,'' a rational interpretation of

Ezekiel Ezekiel (; he, יְחֶזְקֵאל ''Yəḥezqēʾl'' ; in the Septuagint written in grc-koi, Ἰεζεκιήλ ) is the central protagonist of the Book of Ezekiel in the Hebrew Bible. In Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, Ezekiel is acknow ...

, ib. 1882 :* ''Dabar 'al Odot ha-Talmud'', on the question whether the Talmud can be accurately translated, ib. 1885 :* ''Masseket Makkot,'' a critical edition of the Talmudical treatise '' Makkot,'' with a commentary, ib. 1888 :* ''Sefer Shofetim'', notes to

Judges A judge is an official who presides over a court. Judge or Judges may also refer to: Roles *Judge, an alternative name for an adjudicator in a competition in theatre, music, sport, etc. *Judge, an alternative name/aviator call sign for a membe ...

, ib. 1891 :* ''Me'ir 'Ayin'', a commentary on the Passover Haggadah, ib. 1895 :* ''

Tanna debe Eliyahu ''Tanna Devei Eliyahu'' (Hebrew: תנא דבי אליהו; alternate transliterations include ''Tana D'vei Eliyahu'' and ''Tana D'vei Eliahu'') is the composite name of a midrash, consisting of two parts, whose final redaction took place at the en ...

,'' ib. 1900 *Friedmann's

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 **Ger ...

publications are: :* ''Worte der Erinnerung an Isaac Noa Mannheimer'', ib. 1873 :* ''Die Juden ein Ackerbautreibender Stamm'', ib. 1878 :* ''T. G. Stern, Gedenkrede'', ib. 1883 :* ''Zerubabel,'' German explanation of Isaiah, ib. 1890 :* ''"Worte zur Feier des 100 Jahrigen Geburtstages des Seligen Predigers'' Isaac Noa Mannheimer", 1893 :* ''" Onkelos und 'Akylos''," ib. 1896 *From 1881 to 1886 Friedmann published, together with

Isaac Hirsh Weiss Isaac (Isaak) Hirsch Weiss, also Eisik Hirsch Weiss () (9 February 1815 – 1 June 1905), was an Austrian Talmudist and historian of literature born at Groß Meseritsch, Habsburg Moravia. After having received elementary instruction in Hebrew ...

, the monthly ''Bet Talmud'', devoted to rabbinical studies. To this periodical Friedmann contributed, under the signature "Ish Shalom", many valuable essays, of which the most noteworthy are on the arrangement of the Pentateuch and on

Samuel Samuel ''Šəmūʾēl'', Tiberian: ''Šămūʾēl''; ar, شموئيل or صموئيل '; el, Σαμουήλ ''Samouḗl''; la, Samūēl is a figure who, in the narratives of the Hebrew Bible, plays a key role in the transition from the bibl ...

Bibliography

''Jewish Encyclopedia'' Bibliography

* Brainin, in ''Luach Ahiasaf'', pp. 343 et seq., 1901 * '' Ha-Shiloach'', p. 573, 1901 * Solomon Schechter, in Jew. Chron. p. 17, June 28, 1901

Additional bibliography

* An MA on his works by Rabbi

Binyamin Zeev Benedict Benjamin ( he, ''Bīnyāmīn''; "Son of (the) right") blue letter bible: https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h3225/kjv/wlc/0-1/ H3225 - yāmîn - Strong's Hebrew Lexicon (kjv) was the last of the two sons of Jacob and Rachel (Jacob's thir ...

References

Goldman, Yosef Yosef Goldman (1942 – August 4, 2015) was a scholar of American Jewish history and the co-author of the two-volume reference work, '' Hebrew Printing in America 1735-1926: A History and Annotated Bibliography'' (2006). This work is usually cited b ...

. ''

Hebrew Printing in America, 1735-1926, A History and Annotated Bibliography ''Hebrew Printing in America, 1735-1926, A History and Annotated Bibliography'' () is a history and bibliography of Hebrew books printed in America between 1735 and 1926 by Ari Kinsberg. It records 1208 items, annotated with bibliographical inform ...

'' (YGBooks 2006). .

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Friedmann, Meir 1831 births 1908 deaths People from Rožňava District People from the Kingdom of Hungary Slovak Jews Austro-Hungarian Jews 19th-century Jews 19th-century Hungarian people Hungarian theologians 19th-century Jewish biblical scholars Talmudists 20th-century Jewish theologians 19th-century Jewish theologians