R. Eliezer Ashkenazi (Ma'asei Hashem)

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R. Eliezer Ashkenazi
Name
R. Eliezer Ashkenazi
ר' אליעזר אשכנזי בן ר' אליה הרופא, מעשי ה'
Dates1513-1586
LocationItaly / Turkey / Egypt / Poland
WorksMa'asei Hashem, Yosef Lekach
Exegetical Characteristics
Influenced byR. Yosef Taitazak
Impacted onVilna Gaon

Background1

Life

  • Name – ר' אליעזר בן אליה אשכנזי הרופא
  • Dates – 1513 – 1586
  • Location – R. Eliezer wandered widely throughout his life,2 spending time in Egypt, Cyprus, Italy, Crimea, Cracow, and Prague.
  • Occupation – R. Eliezer served in many different rabbinic positions,3 notably for 22 years in Egypt. His many travels gave him extensive knowledge of the politics, culture, and realia of different societies, knowledge which impacted his commentaries.4
  • Family – R. Eliezer's father was R. Eliyah HaRofe, and his mother was the daughter of R. Yosef Colon (Maharik). He and his wife Rachel had two sons5 and a daughter.
  • Teachers – R. Eliezer studied Talmud under R. Yosef Taitazak in Salonica.
  • Contemporaries – R. Meir Padua, R. Shemuel Yehudah Katzenellenbogen,6 R. David Ibn Zimra (Radbaz), R. Betzalel Ashkenazi,7 R. Yosef Karo,8 R. Moshe Isserles, Maharal.
  • Students
  • Time period – R. Eliezer was raised in Renaissance Italy, which may have impacted on his thought.9

Works

  • Biblical commentaries – Ma'asei Hashem,10 Yosef Lekach11
  • Rabbinics
    • Talmudic novellae – Novellae on Gittin12 and Kiddushin13 are attributed to R. Eliezer.
    • Responsa – There are many responsa of R. Eliezer recorded in the works of other scholars of his day.14

Torah Commentary

Characteristics

  • Verse by verse / Topical
  • Genre
  • Structure
  • Language

Methods

Themes

Textual Issues

  • Manuscripts
  • Printings
  • Textual layers

Sources

Significant Influences

  • Earlier Sources
  • Teachers
  • Foils

Occasional Usage

Possible Relationship

Impact

Later exegetes

Supercommentaries

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