| Elijah of Paris | |
|---|---|
| Era | Medieval |
| Children | Rabbi Meir |
| Father | Rabbi Yehuda |
Rabbi Elijah of Paris (12th century. Also called Rabbi Eliyahu HaTzarfati and Rabbeinu HaTishbi Hebrew: אליהו מפריז) was one of the early Ba'alei Tosafot in France. He lived in Paris and taught Torah there during the times of Rabbeinu Tam and Rashbam.
Contemporaries and students
Rabbi Eliyahu's father was Rabbi Yehuda, and his son was Rabbi Meir.
Ephraim Urbach wrote that in Paris, Rabbi Eliyahu was a colleague of Rabbi Yom Tov bar Yehudah of Paris, son of the Judah ben Nathan, and perhaps they both served together on the Paris Beth din. Towards the end of his life, Rabbeinu Haim Kohen, a student of Rabbeinu Tam, lived in Paris, and Rabbi Eliyahu would ask him about Rabbeinu Tam's opinions.
Among his students were Rabbi Moses ben Abraham of Pontoise and likely also the Isaac ben Abraham of Dampierre, who later became one of the great sages of the next generation.
Rabbi Eliyahu was renowned for his piety and kabbalistic knowledge. An anonymous treatise describes how he called up the spirit of a young man who died suddenly so his father could speak his final words to him.
Eliezer ben Nathan called Rabbi Eliyahu, "My companion, and my familiar friend," (Psalms 55:14). And Rabbi Meshullam of Milano wrote about him "The Temple courtyard is never locked for any man in Israel who was equal to him in humility or fear of sin," (based on Eduyot 5:6).
Rulings
Rabbi Eliyahu ruled that if he has no money, a husband must hire himself out to support his wife.
He would tie Tzitzit to his bedsheets.
A legend, cited in Seder HaDoroth describes an incident when Elijah was giving a lesson to a group of Tosafists, and they referred to the dispute between Rabbi Eliyahu and Rabbeinu Tam about whether the tefillin knot must be retied every day or not. They asked the deceased Rabbi Eliyahu to descend and give his ruling, but he was unable because he was offering sacrifices in Heaven. Instead, Moses came and said the law was in accordance with Rabbi Eliyahu's opinion, that tefillin must be tied anew each day.
Works
His interpretations and responses are brought in Tosafot to many tractates, as well as in Machzor Vitry, by Simhah ben Samuel of Vitry, Sefer HaItur by Isaac ben Abba Mari, Sefer Yereim by Eliezer ben Samuel, Sefer HaRokeach by Eleazar of Worms, Sefer HaManhig by Abraham ben Nathan, Sefer HaRa'avan by Eliezer ben Nathan, Sefer Ra'avyah by Eliezer ben Joel HaLevi, Responsa of Meir of Rothenburg, and in the Mordechai.
In addition to his halachic rulings and responses, Rabbi Eliyahu also composed Piyyutim. including two for Shavuot, "Ometz Yom HaBikkurim" and "Berov Am Azuzecha."
References
- Tosefot on Sotah (Talmud) 17b, Tosefot R'I on Berachot 7a
- Machzor Vitry siman 504
- Responsa of Maharshal siman 29
- ^ Urbach, Ephraim Elimelech (2020). The Tosaphists: Their History, Writings and Methods (in Hebrew) (9th ed.). Bialik Institute. p. 124.
- Schur, Yechiel Y. (2014-08-27), "When the Grave was Searched, the Bones of the Deceased were not Found': Corporeal Revenants in Medieval Ashkenaz", When the Grave was Searched, the Bones of the Deceased were not Found’: Corporeal Revenants in Medieval Ashkenaz, De Gruyter, pp. 171–186, doi:10.1515/9783110339185.171/html?lang=en, ISBN 978-3-11-033918-5, retrieved 2024-04-01
- Ra'avan siman 861
- Sefer HaYashar, responsa 51
- Tosafot (Ketuvot 63a., sv. be-omer)
- see Hagahot Maimuniyot to Tzitzit 3 7-8
- Seder Hadoros 4,930
- see Tosafot on Menachot 35b s.v. misha'at where Rabbi Eliyahu says the tefillin must be retied each day, and Rabbeinu Tam says they only need to be tightened when wrapped on the arm and head each day
- "ELIJAH BEN JUDAH OF PARIS - JewishEncyclopedia.com". www.jewishencyclopedia.com. Retrieved 2024-04-01.