A Jerusalem publisher has brought out new editions of two early works on tractate Yoma for the benefit of Daf Yomi students who this week embarked on the study of the tractate.
The two works are the commentary of Rabbi Elyakim Ben R. Meshullam and the Tosafot of Rabbi Yitzhak HaLavan.
Rabbi Elyakim was a contemporary of Rashi and studied under the same teachers as the Sage of Troyes. He lived in Worms, Mayence and Speyer, serving in the latter city as Rabbi and Rosh Yeshiva and is reported to have written commentaries on all Sedarim (orders) of the Talmud, with the exception of Zeraim and Toharot. However, of all his commentaries only that on Yoma has survived. Of the others only fragments and quotations, preserved in the writings of others, have come down to us.
The commentary on Yoma, included in a manuscript of early rabbinic works found in the Royal Library of Munich, was edited and annotated by Dov Genachovski and published for the first time in 1964 by Mekize Nirdamim, the more than one hundred year old scholarly society for the publication of Hebrew manuscripts.
In his introduction in which he discusses at length the commentary, Genachovski has collected all the available information about Rabbi Elyakim and has assembled all the quotations from the lost commentaries, found throughout rabbinic literature. He also lists all the La’azim (French and German) mentioned in the commentary and states their Hebrew equivalents.
Genachovski also edited and annotated the second work: Tossefot Rabbenu Yitzchak Halavan on Yoma. First printed in the scholarly periodical Sinai, it was later (1956) published by Mossad HaRav Kook as a separate volume, with a preface by the late Y. L. Maimon and an extensive introduction by the editor.
Rabbi Yitzhak HaLavan (the byname HaLavan has been variously explained) who was also called Rabbi Yitzhak of Prague or Rabbi Yitzhak of Regensburg seemingly was born in Bohemia. He studied in Germany as well as in France, where he was apparently a disciple of Rabbenu Tam. Late in life he settled in Regensburg, occupying there the post of head of the Beth Din. In addition to his Tossafot on Yoma, we are in the possession of his Tossafot on Kethubot. They were published by the late Rabbi Pinhas Yaakov Kohn of London.
Rabbi Yitzhak who was a brother of the famous Jewish traveler Rabbi Petahya of Regensburg, died towards the end of the 12th century.
Dov Genachovskiy who resides in Jerusalem, is not only a Torah scholar, but also writes on economic affairs. His father, whom I knew very well, was a leader of Mizrachi, a member of the first Knesset and a prominent businessman. He put out the Israeli Talmud edition with punctuated text and published other important Sifrei Kodesh.
Moznaim publishers who have now reproduced both works on Yoma in a single handsome volume, have recently published tractate Rosh Hashana, Yoma and Sukka (in one folio volume) with improvements designed to help the student. The text of Rashi was freed of printing errors and completely reset with the initial words (Dibbur HaMatkhil) printed in square letters. The Hebrew meanings of Rashi’s La’azim had been added on the margins of the pages.
The Jewish Press, Friday August 9, 1991