Asher ben Meshullam

Nowadays, Asher ben Meshullam is a topic that has gained more and more relevance in today's society. For years, it has become a matter of interest to both experts and the general public. Its impact manifests itself in different ways, from the personal to the global level, and has generated debates and reflections on its implications. In this article, we will explore various facets of Asher ben Meshullam and analyze its importance in different contexts, with the aim of offering a complete and enlightening vision of this topic that is so relevant today.

Asher ben Meshullam was a Jewish theologian and Talmudic scholar who lived at Lunel in the second half of the 12th century CE.[1] A renowned Talmudist, he was a son of the well-known Meshullam ben Jacob, and a pupil of Joseph ibn Plat and the Raavad.

He shared Raavad's ascetic tendencies. Benjamin of Tudela, in the first part of his "Travels," says that Asher lived in complete seclusion, wholly devoted to the study of the Torah, and that he never tasted meat. At the same time Asher was not hostile to philosophy. Yehudah Ibn Tibbon, in a letter to Asher, praised his fondness for science, and in his testament exhorted his son to cultivate Asher's friendship.

Works

Asher was the author of several Talmudic works, including:

  • Hilkhot Yom Tov, ("Rules for the Holidays")
  • Sefer haMatanot, ("The Book of Gifts") a work referring perhaps to the tithes payable to the kohanim.

Neither of these writings seems to have been preserved.

According to an entry in the manuscript of the small Midrash Aseret ha-Dibberot, Asher was its author, but the statement is not verifiable.

References

  1. ^ Oxford Dictionary of the Jewish Religion, p.74

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Kohler, Kaufmann; Louis Ginzberg (1901–1906). "Asher b. Meshullam". In Singer, Isidore; et al. (eds.). The Jewish Encyclopedia. New York: Funk & Wagnalls. Its bibliography: