Wolf Heidenheim
Encyclopedia
Wolf ben Samson Heidenheim (1757 – February 23, 1832) was a German exegete and grammarian born at Heidenheim am Hahnenkamm At an early age Heidenheim was sent to Fürth
, where he studied Talmud
under Joseph Steinhardt
, author of Zikron Yosef, and, from 1777, under Hirsch Janow
. Besides Talmudic literature, Heidenheim devoted himself to the study of Hebrew grammar, and particularly of the Masorah
. In 1782 he left Fürth, probably on account of Janow's opposition to Mendelssohn
's translation of the Pentateuch, of which Heidenheim was an admirer. He went to Frankfort-on-the-Main, where he made the acquaintance of the most prominent scholars, among them Wolf Breidenbach and Solomon Dubno
. There began his literary activity, which lasted fifty years. He died at Rödelheim.
's Moznayim, to which he added a critical commentary (Offenbach, 1791). Seven years later Heidenheim began his critical edition of the Pentateuch, which he titled Sefer Torat Elohim. It contained the Targum
, the commentaries of Rashi
and Rashbam
, the Minḥat Shay of Solomon Norzi (commentary), his own glosses and Masoretic references, and his supercommentary on Rashi, Habanat ha-Miḳra. He based his commentary chiefly on the accents, adding numerous grammatical notes. But the undertaking, on the business side, was too difficult for him alone, and he was compelled to stop at Gen. xliii. 16.
, with a Hebrew commentary by himself and a German translation by himself and Breidenbach (1800). In order to give a correct text, Heidenheim had secured the most ancient manuscripts, among them being one of 1258, as well as the earliest Italian and German editions. At the end of the Maḥzor to Shemini Aẓeret there is printed Heidenheim's Ha-Piyyuṭim veha-Payeṭanim, an essay on the liturgists.
In 1806, Baschwitz having withdrawn, Heidenheim became sole proprietor. In that year he published his Mebo ha-Lashon, a treatise on Hebrew grammar
, and in 1808 his Sefer Mishpete ha-Ta'amim, a treatise on the accents according to the ancient grammarians.
He also added valuable notes to various works which issued from his press, among them being the Mebo ha-Mishnah of Maimonides
, and Solomon Papenheim's Yeri'ot Shelomoh. He left more than a dozen unpublished works, mostly on Hebrew grammar.
Fürth
The city of Fürth is located in northern Bavaria, Germany in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. It is now contiguous with the larger city of Nuremberg, the centres of the two cities being only 7 km apart....
, where he studied Talmud
Talmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
under Joseph Steinhardt
Joseph Steinhardt
Joseph ben Menahem Mendel Steinhardt was a German rabbi who lived in his early year in Schwabach, Bavaria. His first position as rabbi was as the rabbi of Rixheim, and shortly afterward he was elected chief rabbi of Upper Alsace...
, author of Zikron Yosef, and, from 1777, under 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...
. Besides Talmudic literature, Heidenheim devoted himself to the study of Hebrew grammar, and particularly of the Masorah
Masoretic Text
The Masoretic Text is the authoritative Hebrew text of the Jewish Bible and is regarded as Judaism's official version of the Tanakh. While the Masoretic Text defines the books of the Jewish canon, it also defines the precise letter-text of these biblical books, with their vocalization and...
. In 1782 he left Fürth, probably on account of Janow's opposition to Mendelssohn
Moses Mendelssohn
Moses Mendelssohn was a German Jewish philosopher to whose ideas the renaissance of European Jews, Haskalah is indebted...
's translation of the Pentateuch, of which Heidenheim was an admirer. He went to Frankfort-on-the-Main, where he made the acquaintance of the most prominent scholars, among them Wolf Breidenbach and 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...
. There began his literary activity, which lasted fifty years. He died at Rödelheim.
Works
Heidenheim, encouraged by Dubno, conceived the idea of issuing a revised edition of the Pentateuch, with a commentary of his own. The first work edited by him was Abraham ibn EzraAbraham ibn Ezra
Rabbi Abraham ben Meir Ibn Ezra was born at Tudela, Navarre in 1089, and died c. 1167, apparently in Calahorra....
's Moznayim, to which he added a critical commentary (Offenbach, 1791). Seven years later Heidenheim began his critical edition of the Pentateuch, which he titled Sefer Torat Elohim. It contained the Targum
Targum
Taekwondo is a Korean martial art and the national sport of South Korea. In Korean, tae means "to strike or break with foot"; kwon means "to strike or break with fist"; and do means "way", "method", or "path"...
, the commentaries of Rashi
Rashi
Shlomo Yitzhaki , or in Latin Salomon Isaacides, and today generally known by the acronym Rashi , was a medieval French rabbi famed as the author of a comprehensive commentary on the Talmud, as well as a comprehensive commentary on the Tanakh...
and Rashbam
Rashbam
Samuel ben Meir after his death known as "Rashbam", a Hebrew acronym for: RAbbi SHmuel Ben Meir, was a leading French Tosafist and grandson of Shlomo Yitzhaki, "Rashi."-Biography:...
, the Minḥat Shay of Solomon Norzi (commentary), his own glosses and Masoretic references, and his supercommentary on Rashi, Habanat ha-Miḳra. He based his commentary chiefly on the accents, adding numerous grammatical notes. But the undertaking, on the business side, was too difficult for him alone, and he was compelled to stop at Gen. xliii. 16.
His Mahzor
He next entered into partnership with Baruch Baschwitz, an energetic business man; through the assistance of Breidenbach they obtained from the Count of Solms-Rödelheim, under favorable conditions, a license to establish a printing-press at Rödelheim, whither they removed in 1799. Heidenheim immediately began an edition of the MaḥzorMahzor
The mahzor is the prayer book used by Jews on the High Holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Many Jews also make use of specialized mahzorim on the three "pilgrimage festivals" of Passover, Shavuot, and Sukkot...
, with a Hebrew commentary by himself and a German translation by himself and Breidenbach (1800). In order to give a correct text, Heidenheim had secured the most ancient manuscripts, among them being one of 1258, as well as the earliest Italian and German editions. At the end of the Maḥzor to Shemini Aẓeret there is printed Heidenheim's Ha-Piyyuṭim veha-Payeṭanim, an essay on the liturgists.
In 1806, Baschwitz having withdrawn, Heidenheim became sole proprietor. In that year he published his Mebo ha-Lashon, a treatise on Hebrew grammar
Hebrew grammar
-History of studies in Hebrew grammar:The Masoretes in the 7th to 11th centuries laid the foundation for grammatical analysis of Hebrew. As early as the 9th century Judah ibn Kuraish discussed the relationship between Arabic and Hebrew...
, and in 1808 his Sefer Mishpete ha-Ta'amim, a treatise on the accents according to the ancient grammarians.
His Pentateuch editions
Ten years later Heidenheim recommenced his edition of the Pentateuch, but with a larger scope. It was published in four separate editions in 1818-21:- One edition,Me'or 'Enayim, contains the text, the commentary En ha-Ḳore, and the author's treatise (En ha-Sofer) on the square charactersHebrew alphabetThe Hebrew alphabet , known variously by scholars as the Jewish script, square script, block script, or more historically, the Assyrian script, is used in the writing of the Hebrew language, as well as other Jewish languages, most notably Yiddish, Ladino, and Judeo-Arabic. There have been two...
- Another edition, Moda' la-Binah, contains the text, the commentary of RashiRashiShlomo Yitzhaki , or in Latin Salomon Isaacides, and today generally known by the acronym Rashi , was a medieval French rabbi famed as the author of a comprehensive commentary on the Talmud, as well as a comprehensive commentary on the Tanakh...
, and the author's supercommentary; - The third edition, Tiḳḳun Sofer, is an unvocalized text for scribes;
- The fourth contains the text, with a German translation, and a commentary titled Minḥah Ḥadashah.
Other publications
Heidenheim also published:- The Pesaḥ HaggadahHaggadah of PesachThe Haggadah is a Jewish text that sets forth the order of the Passover Seder. Reading the Haggadah at the Seder table is a fulfillment of the Scriptural commandment to each Jew to "tell your son" of the Jewish liberation from slavery in Egypt as described in the Book of Exodus in the Torah...
(German transl.; 1822) - The Pirḳe Abot (German transl.; 1823)
- Siddur Safah Berurah, the daily prayers with a German translation (before 1800)
- Ma'aseh Ta'tu'im, a polemic against the KabbalistKabbalahKabbalah/Kabala is a discipline and school of thought concerned with the esoteric aspect of Rabbinic Judaism. It was systematized in 11th-13th century Hachmei Provence and Spain, and again after the Expulsion from Spain, in 16th century Ottoman Palestine...
Nathan AdlerNathan AdlerNathan HaKohen Adler was a German kabbalist born in Frankfurt, December 16, 1741. As a precocious child he won the admiration of Chaim Joseph David Azulai , who, in 1752, came to Frankfurt to solicit contributions for the poor of Palestine...
(anonymous, but ascribed to Heidenheim) - Seder Tish'ah be-Ab (German transl., with notes; 1826)
- Seliḥdot (German transl., with a Hebrew commentary; 1834)
He also added valuable notes to various works which issued from his press, among them being the Mebo ha-Mishnah of Maimonides
Maimonides
Moses ben-Maimon, called Maimonides and also known as Mūsā ibn Maymūn in Arabic, or Rambam , was a preeminent medieval Jewish philosopher and one of the greatest Torah scholars and physicians of the Middle Ages...
, and Solomon Papenheim's Yeri'ot Shelomoh. He left more than a dozen unpublished works, mostly on Hebrew grammar.
Jewish Encyclopedia bibliography
- S. Baer, in Allg. Deutsche Biog.;
- Eliakim CarmolyEliakim CarmolyEliakim Carmoly was a French-Jewish scholar. He was born at Soultz-Haut-Rhin, then in the French department of Haut-Rhin. His real name was Goschel David Behr ; the name Carmoly, borne by his family in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, was adopted by him when quite young...
, in Revue Orientale, iii. 303 et seq.; - Louis LewinLouis LewinLouis Lewin was a German pharmacologist. In 1886, he published the first methodical analysis of the Peyote cactus, which was originally named in his honor Anhalonium lewinii.He received his education at the gymnasium and the University of Berlin...
, in Monatsschrift, xliv. 127-128; xlv. 422-432, 549-558; - Berliner's Magazin, v. 41 et seq.
See also
- Full scans of Heidenheim's publications
- Heidenheim's edition of the Torah (full scan at the Jewish National and University Library)
- Heidenheim (disambiguation)