SEFER IGERET DE-RABENU SHERIRA GAON : KEFI HA-NUSAH HA-NIDPAS BE-YUHASIN DEFUS, KUSHTANDINA, BI-SHENAT 326 BE-HASHVAAH IM YETER HA-NUSHAOT ASHER NIDPASU AD HA-YOM A. P. KITVE YAD SHONIM
London; Bi-Defus “ha-Express”, 1910. Item #35162
Original Cloth. 8vo. 109 pages. 24 cm. First edition. In Hebrew. The letter of R. Sherira, gaon. Sherira ben Hanina Gaon (c. 906–1006) , “gaon of Pumbedita from 968–1006. … Sherira was among the most prolific writers of responsa. One inquiry addressed to him by Jacob b. Nissim b. Shahin in the name of the community of Kairouan led to the writing in 987 of his famous epistle, Iggeret Rav Sherira Ga'on, a classic of Jewish historiography. Jacob sought information as to when and how the Mishnah, the Tosefta, the beraitot, and the Talmud had been compiled. He inquired 'whether the men of the Great Synagogue had really begun the writing of the Mishnah, and the Sages of each generation had written [more] parts of it until Rabbi [Judah] ha-Nasi came and compiled it. ' Sherira deals with the question in a scholarly manner, revealing himself a practical and accurate historian (with the possible reservation that his opinions on the exilarchs, descended from Bustanai , from whom he claimed descent, may be colored) . He discusses the activity of the savoraim in revising and compiling the Talmud, and continues the sequence of tradition to the geonic authorities. ”- 2008 EJ. R. Sherira Gaon's "Epistle" with a commentary, an addenda to Toledot Tanna'im ve-Amora'im (3 vols. , 1901–11) by Aaron Hyman (1862–1937) , “Russian-born London rabbi and scholar. Hyman, born in Slutsk, Belorussia, studied at various yeshivot and in 1885 he settled in London. There he officiated as rabbinical supervisor and head shohet of the London community. He also served as an unsalaried rabbi of a congregation. Active in communal life, he helped found the Mizrachi organization of Great Britain and in 1909, the Etz Chaim Yeshivah of London. In 1933 he moved to Tel Aviv. ” - 2008 EJ. Subjects: Tannaim. Amoraim. Geonim. Mishnah - History. Talmud - History. OCLC lists 17 copies. Some notes in pen and pencil in margins and blank front end paper from previous owner, otherwise clean and fresh. Very good condition. (SEF-52-50).
Price: $125.00