Nissim ben Jacob
Nissim ben Jacob (Hebrew: ניסים בן יעקב), also known as Nissim Gaon (Hebrew: רבנו נסים גאון, lit. 'Our teacher Nissim the Gaon'; 990–1062), was a rabbi and Gaon best known today for his Talmudic commentary ha-Mafteach, by which title he is also known.
Biography
Rav Nissim studied at the Kairouan Yeshiva, initially under his father, Jacob ben Nissim, who had studied under Hai ben Sherira and then Chushiel, who succeeded as head of the yeshiva. Nissim himself later became head of the yeshiva; in this capacity he is closely associated with Chananel ben Chushiel. His most famous student is probably Isaac Alfasi. Nissim maintained an active correspondence with Hai ben Sharira and with Samuel ibn Naghrillah, whose son Joseph married Nissim's only daughter in 1049.[1]: xix
Chushiel | Jacob ben Nissim | ||||||||||||
Nissim | |||||||||||||
Isaac Alfasi | |||||||||||||
Works
The commentary Sefer mafteaḥ le-manʻ ūlei ha-talmūd (Hebrew: "The book of the key to unlocking the Talmud"; often, simply ha-Mafteach, (The Key), linked here) is essentially a Talmudic cross-reference. In it Rav Nissim identifies the sources for Mishnaic quotes, identifying obscure allusions to other places in Talmudic literature. He quotes from the Tosefta, Mekhilta, Sifre, Sifra, and from the Jerusalem Talmud, the explanations of which he sometimes prefers to those of the Babylonian Talmud. Nissim did not confine himself to quoting references, he also discusses these in connection with the text; this work is thus also a commentary. The work was written on several tractates, and is printed, in many editions, on the page itself.
Nissim also wrote other works, some of which have been lost, but which are quoted by later sages:
- "Siddur Tefillah", a siddur (prayerbook)
- A commentary on the Torah (now lost)
- A "Sefer ha-Mitzvot" on the commandments (now lost)
- "Hilkhot Lulav" a polemic against the Karaites (now lost)
- "Megillat Setarim": a collection of notes concerning halakhic decisions, explanations, and midrashim, primarily a note-book for the author's private use, and published by his pupils probably not until after his death.
- A collection of tales, "Sefer Ma'asiyyot ha-Hakhamim wehu Ḥibbur Yafeh meha-Yeshu'ah": about sixty tales, based upon the Mishnah, Baraita, the two Talmuds, and the midrashic writings; and written at the request of Nissim's father-in-law, Dunash, on the loss of his son. This is translated into English as "An Elegant Compilation concerning Relief after Adversity" (Bibliography, below)
Literary portrayals
R. Nissim appears as a character in A Delightful Compendium of Consolation: A Fabulous Tale of Romance, Adventure and Faith in the Medieval Mediterranean, a novel by Burton Visotzky. The novel expands on the few known biographical facts (including the marriage of his daughter). Its title, A Delightful Compendium, derives from "Ḥibbur Yafeh".
See also
References
- ^ Davidson, Israel (1924). Selected Religious Poems of Solomon ibn Gabirol. Schiff Library of Jewish Classics. Translated by Zangwill, Israel. Philadelphia: JPS. p. 247. ISBN 0-8276-0060-7. LCCN 73-2210.
Bibliography
- Nissim ben Jacob ibn Shahin, tr. William M. Brinner, An Elegant Composition concerning Relief after Adversity: Yale 1977 (Yale Judaica Series vol 20) ISBN 0-300-01952-1
External links
- Nissim ben Jacob ben Nissim ibn Shahin, jewishencyclopedia.com
- Nissim ben Jacob, jewishhistory.org
- Sefer ha-Mafteah, Prof. Eliezer Segal
- R' Nissim ben Yaakov z"l, torah.org
Rosh Yeshiva | ||
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Preceded by | Rosh Yeshiva of Kairouan With: Chananel ben Chushiel | Succeeded by None |
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- t
- e
- Isaac Alfasi (Rif)
- Chananel ben Chushiel
- Dunash ben Labrat
- Zechariah Aghmati
- Nissim ben Jacob
- Samuel ben Jacob ibn Jam
- Shemariah ben Elhanan
- Maimonides
- Judah Halevi
- Abraham ibn Ezra
- Yom Tov Asevilli (Ritva)
- Joseph ibn Migash (Ri Migash)
- Meir Abulafia (Ramah)
- Bahya ibn Paquda
- Bahya ben Asher
- David Abudirham
- Joseph Albo
- Isaac ben Moses Arama (Akeidat Yitzchak)
- Rabbenu Yerucham
- Shem Tov ben Abraham ibn Gaon (Migdal Oz)
- Meir ben Solomon Abi-Sahula
- Isaac ibn Ghiyyat
- Maimon ben Joseph
- Isaac Aboab I
- Abraham ibn Daud
- Moses ibn Ezra
- Jonah ibn Janah
- Abraham Saba
- Nachmanides
- Menachem Meiri
- Nissim of Gerona (Ran)
- Shlomo ibn Aderet (Rashba)
- Yonah Gerondi (Rabbeinu Yonah)
- Zerachiah ha-Levi of Girona (Baal HaMaor)
- Hasdai Crescas
- Aharon HaLevi (Ra'ah)
- Isaac ben Sheshet (Rivash)
- Simeon ben Zemah Duran (Tashbatz)
- Vidal of Tolosa (Maggid Mishneh)
- Joseph ibn Habib (Nimmukei Yosef)
- Azriel of Gerona
- Moshe Chalava
- Judah ben Yakar
- Judah ben Barzillai
- Hachmei Provence
- Abraham ben David (Raavad)
- Gersonides (Ralbag)
- David Kimhi (Radak)
- Abba Mari
- Isaac ben Abba Mari (HaIttur)
- Abraham ben Nathan (HaManhig)
- David ben Levi of Narbonne (HaMichtam)
- Moses ben Joseph (Rambi)
- Abraham ben Isaac of Narbonne (Raavad II, HaEshkol)
- Moshe ha-Darshan
- Meshullam ben Jacob
- Asher ben Meshullam
- Abraham of Montpellier
- Joseph Caspi
- Isaac the Blind
- Samuel ibn Tibbon
- Isaac of Narbonne
- Aaron ben Jacob ha-Kohen
- Jonathan of Lunel
- Rashi
- List of Tosafists
- Rabbeinu Tam
- Rashbam
- Solomon ben Meir
- Samson ben Joseph of Falaise
- Eliezer ben Samuel (Yereim)
- Isaac ben Samuel (Ri HaZaken)
- Moses ben Jacob of Coucy (Semag)
- Judah ben Nathan (Rivan)
- Bechor Shor
- Abraham ben Joseph of Orleans
- Elijah of Paris
- Yechiel of Paris
- Rivam
- Peretz ben Elijah
- Eliezer of Toul
- Chaim Paltiel
- Jacob of Orléans
- Samson of Chinon
- Jacob of Chinon
- Eliezer of Touques
- Isaac ben Abraham of Dampierre
- Elhanan ben Isaac of Dampierre
- Baruch ben Isaac
- Samson ben Abraham of Sens
- Isaac ben Eliezer Halevi
- Meir ben Samuel
- Moses of Évreux
- Samuel of Évreux
- Samuel ben Solomon of Falaise
- Judah ben Isaac Messer Leon
- Joseph ben Samuel Bonfils
- Menahem ben Helbo
- Simeon Kara
- Shemaiah of Soissons
- Elijah ben Menahem HaZaken
- Ephraim ben Samson
- Gershom ben Judah (Rabbeinu Gershom)
- Simeon bar Isaac of Mainz
- Asher ben Jehiel (Rosh)
- Jacob ben Asher (Baal HaTurim)
- Mordechai ben Hillel (Mordechai)
- Meir of Rothenburg (Maharam MeRotenberg)
- Yaakov ben Moshe Levi Moelin (Maharil)
- Eliezer ben Nathan (Ra'aven)
- Eliezer ben Joel HaLevi (Raavyah)
- Eleazar of Worms (Rokeach)
- Meir HaKohen (Hagahot Maimuniot)
- Judah ben Samuel of Regensburg (Yehudah haHasid)
- Yaakov ben Yakar
- Isaac ben Mordecai of Regensburg
- Ephraim ben Isaac of Regensburg
- Eliezer ben Isaac ha-Gadol
- Judah ben Kalonymus
- Yehuda HaKohen ben Meir
- Meir ben Baruch Halevi
- Israel Bruna
- Israel of Bamberg
- Ephraim of Bonn
- Judah ben Asher
- Joel ben Isaac ha-Levi
- Jacob ben Judah Landau
- Samuel ben Natronai
- Alexander Suslin
- Jacob Weil
- Isaac ben Asher ha-Levi
- Simha of Speyer
- Isaac Asir HaTikvah
- Israel Isserlein (Terumat HaDeshen)
- Isaac of Vienna (Or Zarua)
- Avigdor Cohen of Vienna
- Isaac Tyrnau
- Nathan ben Jehiel (the Aruch)
- Isaiah di Trani (Rid)
- Isaiah di Trani the Younger (Riaz)
- Obadiah of Bertinoro
- Menahem Recanati
- Zedekiah Anaw (Shibbolei HaLeket)
- Benjamin Anaw
- Judah Anav
- Moses ben Meir of Ferrara
- Eliezer ben Samuel of Verona
- Hillel ben Samuel
- Joseph Colon Trabotto
- Isaac ben Melchizedek
- Judah Messer Leon