Rav Leibowitz
Note: This post has been incorporated into a pamphlet on the Early Rishonim. It can be purchased on Amazon by clicking here.
The Ba’alei Tosafos
After Rashi, Torah in France and Germany is dominated by the
Tosafists. The Tosafists are known for
their dialectic analysis of the Talmud.
This means that they approached each sugyah from the perspective
of the entire Talmud. They did not simply
read the local discussion, but attempted to understand every passage in light
of the entire Talmud. If a relevant
passage elsewhere could shed light on the current passage, or if it posed a
difficulty, it was analyzed and applied to the passage at hand. The Tosafist also produced new works of pesak
Halacha, based on their dialectic analysis of the Talmud.
The works
that have survived from France are more of the first nature, i.e. “Tosafos” style
commentaries on the Talmud. The works
that have survived from Germany are more of the second nature, i.e. halachic
codes.
Ba’alei Tosafos of France
Rashbam
R. Shmuel b.
Meir (d. 1158) of Troyes was Rashi’s grandson, and he even saw Rashi in his
youth. He is well known for his commentary on the Torah that focused on the
straight forward explanation of the pasukim.
He also was an accomplished Talmudist.
His commentary on Bava Basra and the tenth chapter of Pesachim appears
in printed editions of the Talmud. His
commentary is much longer winded than that of his grandfather Rashi. He appears in Tosafos throughout the Talmud
and is referred to as “Rabbenu Shmuel.”
R. Tam
R. Yaakov b.
Meir, known as R. Tam (d.1171) was Rashbam’s younger brother. He never had the merit to meet his
grandfather Rashi. He studied with his
father and older brother, Rashbam. R.
Tam was born in Ramerupt, a city on the Seine River, and died in Rashi’s city
of Troyes.[1]
R. Tam was known
all over the Jewish world as a scholar and influential communal leader.[2] He instituted a number of gezerios
when he presided over synods of the French Rabbinical leaders.
The teachings
of Rabbenu Tam serve as the foundation of our Tosafos. In fact, many anonymous passages that appear
in our printed Tosafos contain his teachings.
He also was a major posek, and dealt with many of the pressing issues of
his day, such as the increase in commercial interaction with gentiles and the
situations that arose regarding martyrdom and persecution.
The only
remaining work we have from Rabbenu Tam is Sefer Ha-Yashar.[3] The work has two sections: (1) Teshuvos, (2) Chiddushim. Sefer
Ha-Yashar is very useful for finding R. Tam’s original verbal formulation. However, the extant versions of the text are
in poor condition and contain many scribal errors.
[1] R. Tam left Ramrupt, perhaps in response to a near death experience. On the second day of Shevuos (1147) Rabbenu
Tam was dragged out of his house by Crusaders, and beat in a field. On the verge of death, R. Tam was saved by a
passing noble who responded to R. Tam’s pleas.
See Sefer Gezeriot Ashkenaz V’Zarfat, p. 121
[2] In the introduction to Yam shel Shlomo, it is quoted in the name
of Rosh that of all the Rishonim, no one, not even the Rambam, was a greater
scholar than Rabbenu Tam (or his nephew,
Ri).
[3] R. Tam also authored a commentary on
Iyov and another work on Hebrew graamar.
It should be noted that there is a mussar work ascribed to R.
Tam, also called Sefer Ha-Yashar.
But he is apparently not the true author.
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