Biurists
Encyclopedia
The Biurists were a class of Jewish Biblical exegetes, of the school of Moses Mendelssohn
. The Biurists laid the foundation of a critical historical study of the Bible among the modern Jews.
Most of the Biblical commentators immediately preceding Mendelssohn had interpreted the Biblical passages from an individual point of view. They failed to make clear the actual meaning. Mendelssohn compiled for his children a literal German translation of the Pentateuch; and to this Solomon Dubno
, a grammarian and Hebraist, undertook to write a biur or commentary.
As soon as a portion of this translation was published, it was criticized by rabbis of the old school, including Raphael ha-Kohen of Hamburg, Ezekiel Landau of Prague, Hirsch Janow
of Posen, and Phineas Levi Horwitz of Frankfort-on-the-Main. Fearing that the charm of the German language would lead young Jews to study the translation rather than the Torah
itself, and believing that they would thus be led away from orthodox Judaism, the rabbis united forces, and in June, 1779, issued a ban against "the German Pentateuch of Moses of Dessau."
This act led Solomon Dubno to give up his work after having finished Genesis; but, in order that the undertaking might be completed, Mendelssohn himself undertook the commentary. Finding, however, that the work was beyond his strength, he committed to Naphtali Herz Wesel (Hartwig Wessely) the biur to Leviticus, to Aaron Jaroslav that to Numbers, and to Hertz Homberg that to twenty-two of the middle chapters of Deuteronomy.
The work was completed in March, 1783, under the title Netibot ha-Shalom (The Paths of Peace). It is preceded by an introduction in Hebrew, written by Mendelssohn, in which he discusses the history of the work and the rules of idiom and syntax followed in his translation. Mendelssohn wrote, also, a German translation of the Psalms
, with a Hebrew introduction ("mebo") on Biblical poetry, for which Joel Löwe
(Joel Bril), conjointly with Aaron Wolfsohn (Aaron of Halle, a translator of the Song of Solomon), wrote the biur. The biur to Kaplan Rabe's translation of Ecclesiastes was written by Mendelssohn.
In the nature of the biurist movement was the undertaking of Moses Landau, who in 1806 published a biuristic Bible. Mendelssohn's biuristic school extended from Poland to Alsace, from Italy to Amsterdam, London, and Copenhagen; and it had many imitators, such as:
Isaac Samuel Reggio
also followed in the footsteps of the Biurists with an Italian translation and Hebrew commentary to the Pentateuch, and an Italian translation of Isaiah; Samuel David Luzzatto
translated the Bible into Italian, and wrote biurim to Job, Isaiah, and the Pentateuch, and some glosses to Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Proverbs, and Job; and M. Rosenthal, J. Mannheimer, and M. Stern translated the Psalms into Hungarian.
The movement later crossed the Atlantic, and Isaac Leeser
of Philadelphia translated the Bible into English according to the interpretations of the Biurists; while in Europe steps were taken toward the perpetuation of the movement, in the foundation of the Ḥebra Doreshe Leshon 'Eber (Society of Investigators of the Hebrew Language) by Isaac Abraham Euchel
and Mendel Breslau, and in the establishment of the periodical "Ha-Meassef" (The Gleaner).
In Ludwig Philippson
's German Commentary, 1827, the commentator groups and examines critically the most important exegetical explanations of the Bible expounders; penetrating into the actual import of the Holy Scripture and searching the spiritual context, so as to explain the Bible by the Bible itself. As regards grammar and lexicography, Philippson touches these only in so far as is necessary to the comprehension of the text.
Moses Mendelssohn
Moses Mendelssohn was a German Jewish philosopher to whose ideas the renaissance of European Jews, Haskalah is indebted...
. The Biurists laid the foundation of a critical historical study of the Bible among the modern Jews.
Most of the Biblical commentators immediately preceding Mendelssohn had interpreted the Biblical passages from an individual point of view. They failed to make clear the actual meaning. Mendelssohn compiled for his children a literal German translation of the Pentateuch; and to this Solomon Dubno
Solomon Dubno
Solomon ben Joel Dubno was a Russian poet, grammarian, and student of the Masorah born at Dubno, Volhynia. When he was 14 years old his parents married him to the daughter of the Talmudist Simhah ben Joshua of Volozhin...
, a grammarian and Hebraist, undertook to write a biur or commentary.
As soon as a portion of this translation was published, it was criticized by rabbis of the old school, including Raphael ha-Kohen of Hamburg, Ezekiel Landau of Prague, Hirsch Janow
Hirsch Janow
Hirsch Janow was a Polish rabbi, who, on account of his great keenness in Talmudical discussions, was commonly called "Hirsch Ḥarif" . When in 1776 his father-in-law, Raphael Kohn, was elected rabbi of the 3 congregations Hamburg, Altona, and Wandsbeck, he succeeded him as rabbi of Posen...
of Posen, and Phineas Levi Horwitz of Frankfort-on-the-Main. Fearing that the charm of the German language would lead young Jews to study the translation rather than the Torah
Torah
Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five books of the bible—Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers and Deuteronomy Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five...
itself, and believing that they would thus be led away from orthodox Judaism, the rabbis united forces, and in June, 1779, issued a ban against "the German Pentateuch of Moses of Dessau."
This act led Solomon Dubno to give up his work after having finished Genesis; but, in order that the undertaking might be completed, Mendelssohn himself undertook the commentary. Finding, however, that the work was beyond his strength, he committed to Naphtali Herz Wesel (Hartwig Wessely) the biur to Leviticus, to Aaron Jaroslav that to Numbers, and to Hertz Homberg that to twenty-two of the middle chapters of Deuteronomy.
The work was completed in March, 1783, under the title Netibot ha-Shalom (The Paths of Peace). It is preceded by an introduction in Hebrew, written by Mendelssohn, in which he discusses the history of the work and the rules of idiom and syntax followed in his translation. Mendelssohn wrote, also, a German translation of the Psalms
Psalms
The Book of Psalms , commonly referred to simply as Psalms, is a book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Bible...
, with a Hebrew introduction ("mebo") on Biblical poetry, for which Joel Löwe
Joel Löwe
Joel Löwe was a German-Jewish Biblical commentator. He signed his name in Hebrew writings as Joel Bril, Bril being an acronym for "son of R. Judah Löb"....
(Joel Bril), conjointly with Aaron Wolfsohn (Aaron of Halle, a translator of the Song of Solomon), wrote the biur. The biur to Kaplan Rabe's translation of Ecclesiastes was written by Mendelssohn.
In the nature of the biurist movement was the undertaking of Moses Landau, who in 1806 published a biuristic Bible. Mendelssohn's biuristic school extended from Poland to Alsace, from Italy to Amsterdam, London, and Copenhagen; and it had many imitators, such as:
- Samuel Israel MulderSamuel Israel MulderSamuel Israel Mulder was a Dutch-Jewish educationalist.He was educated by his father and by David Friedrichsfeld, and then studied with his brother-in-law H. A. Wagenaar. His friends were Lehmans, Somerhausen, and Ullman, all of them members of the circle Tongeleth, who applied themselves to the...
, who translated into Dutch the Pentateuch, five Megillot, and the former Prophets - G. A. Parsen, who translated and commented in Hebrew on the Book of Isaiah
- I. Neufeld, who translated the Bible into Polish
- J. L. Mandelstamm, who translated the Bible into Russian.
Isaac Samuel Reggio
Isaac Samuel Reggio
Isaac Samuel Reggio was an Austro-Italian scholar and rabbi born at Gorizia. Reggio studied Hebrew and rabbinics under his father, Abraham Vita, later rabbi of Gorizia, acquiring at the same time in the gymnasium a knowledge of secular science and languages...
also followed in the footsteps of the Biurists with an Italian translation and Hebrew commentary to the Pentateuch, and an Italian translation of Isaiah; Samuel David Luzzatto
Samuel David Luzzatto
Samuel David Luzzatto was an Italian Jewish scholar, poet, and a member of the Wissenschaft des Judentums movement. He is also known by his Hebrew acronym, Shadal ....
translated the Bible into Italian, and wrote biurim to Job, Isaiah, and the Pentateuch, and some glosses to Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Proverbs, and Job; and M. Rosenthal, J. Mannheimer, and M. Stern translated the Psalms into Hungarian.
The movement later crossed the Atlantic, and Isaac Leeser
Isaac Leeser
Isaac Leeser was an American, Ashkenazi Jewish lay minister of religion, author, translator, editor, and publisher; pioneer of the Jewish pulpit in the United States, and founder of the Jewish press of America. He produced the first Jewish translation of the Bible into English to be published in...
of Philadelphia translated the Bible into English according to the interpretations of the Biurists; while in Europe steps were taken toward the perpetuation of the movement, in the foundation of the Ḥebra Doreshe Leshon 'Eber (Society of Investigators of the Hebrew Language) by Isaac Abraham Euchel
Isaac Abraham Euchel
Isaac Abraham Euchel was a Hebrew author and founder of the "Haskalah-movement".He was born in Copenhagen on October 17, 1756. After his bar mitzvah he was sent, as a young prodigy, to Berlin, where he studied the Talmud with his uncle, Rabbi Masos Rintel, from 1769-73...
and Mendel Breslau, and in the establishment of the periodical "Ha-Meassef" (The Gleaner).
In Ludwig Philippson
Ludwig Philippson
Ludwig Philippson was a German rabbi and author, the son of Moses Philippson.He was educated at the gymanasium of Halle and at the University of Berlin, and maintained himself by tutoring and by doing literary work...
's German Commentary, 1827, the commentator groups and examines critically the most important exegetical explanations of the Bible expounders; penetrating into the actual import of the Holy Scripture and searching the spiritual context, so as to explain the Bible by the Bible itself. As regards grammar and lexicography, Philippson touches these only in so far as is necessary to the comprehension of the text.