Hai Goan
Rav Hai ben Sherira, better known as Hai Gaon (939 - March 28, 1038), was a medieval Jewish theologian, rabbi, scholar, and judge who served as the head (Gaon) of the important yeshiva Pumbedita (modern Fallujah) during the early eleventh century. It was said of him that "he was the last of the geonim in time, but the first in importance."
Rav Hai received his Talmudic education from his father, Sherira ben Hanina, and acted as his assistant in teaching. At 44, he joined his father as ab bet din—head of the rabbinical court—and with him delivered many joint decisions. As a consequence of the accusations of disloyalty Hai and his aged father were briefly imprisoned together, and their property was confiscated, by the caliph al-Qadir in 997. Shortly thereafter Rav Sherira appointed his son to the position of gaon.
As the judge of Pumpedita's rabbinical court, Hai Gaon issued numerous decisions regarding the practice of Judaism in the diaspora, which impacted not only local tradition, but the Jewish culture throughout the Middle East, Africa, India, and the fledgling Jewish communities of Europe.
Works
Responsa
Hai Gaon is most remembered his numerous responsa, in which he gives decisions affecting the social and religious life of the diaspora. Questions reached him from Germany, France, Spain, Anatolia, the Maghreb, and even India and Ethiopia. His responsa, more than 800 in number, deal with the civil law, especially the laws concerning women, ritual, holidays, and other topics. Many of his rulings may have been written in Arabic. Unfortunately, only a few of them have been preserved.
Complicating matters is the fact that some of the responsa attributed to him are apparently forgeries. Others were affected by later additions and interpolations, such as attacks upon Aristotle and his philosophy, thought to have been inserted against the arguments of Jewish scholastics such as Maimonides.
Legal Treatises
Rav Hai codified various branches of Talmudic law. He wrote a treatise in Arabic on purchases, translated into Hebrew by Isaac Albargeloni with the title Ha-Meqah weha-Mimkar (1078). Another work, Sefer ha-Mashkon, is a treatise on mortgages. Mishpete ha-Tanna'im, a work on conditions. These three treatises were published together in Venice, in 1604). Later editions include commentaries by Eleazar ben Aryeh (Vienna, 1800) and Hananiah Isaac Michael Aryeh (Salonica, 1814). Another translation of them exists in manuscript under the title "Dine Mamonot." Hai also reportedly wrote a treatise on oaths called either Sha'are Shebu'ot or Kitab al-Aiman. The Sha'are Shebu'ot were later arranged metrically by an anonymous writer. Hai's treatise on boundary litigations, "Metzranut," is known only through quotations. The works titled Hilkot Tefillin, Siddur Tefillah and Metibot are also quoted as belonging to Hai.
Commentaries on the Mishnah
Hai Gaon's abilities were also directed to the expounding of the Mishnah. Of this work only the portion on Seder Tohorot is extant. Tt was published by T. Rosenberg in "Qobetz Ma'aseh" (Berlin, 1856). This commentary contains especially interesting linguistic notes, in which Hai compares Arabic and Aramaic renditions. He quotes the Mishnah, the two Talmuds (Babylonian and Jerusalem), the Tosefta, the Sifra, the Septuagint, the works of Saadia Gaon, the Sifre Refu'ah, and other sources. He also quotes his own commentary on Zera'im (p. 34) and on Baba Batra. The commentary extended to the whole Mishnah, containing both historical and archeological notes. Some passages of the commentary are quoted by later rabbinical authorities.
Hai also wrote commentaries in Arabic on the Bible, although it is not known whether these covered the whole of the scripture or only parts of it. Abraham ibn Ezra quotes several of Hai's explanations in his commentary on the Book of Job.
Hai also compiled a dictionary of especially difficult words in the Bible],the Talmud, and other Jewish works, the Arabic title of which was al-Hawi, known in Hebrew as either Ha-Me'assef or Ha-Kolel. Fragments of this dictionary were discovered by Harkavy, and published by him (St. Petersburg, 1886). Judah ibn Balaam is the earliest Jewish author who expressly quotes this dictionary. Moses ibn Ezra and some North African rabbis of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries also mention it.
Poetry
Of Hai's poetical writings few have been preserved, and even of these the genuineness is doubted. The didactic poem "Musar Haskel" is generally regarded as authentic. The first edition appeared about 1505; others were published in Constantinople (1531), in Paris (1559), and elsewhere. Several modern editions were also published. The "Musar Haskel" consists of 189 double verses in Arabic meter rajaz, and it is said to have therefore received the title of "Arjuzah." If it really belongs to Hai, then he was the first known Eastern writer to use an Arabic meter in Hebrew poetry.
Some piyyutim (Jewish liturgical poems) are also ascribed to him, including one beginning with the words "Shema' qoli," which is preserved in the Sephardic liturgy for the evening of Yom Kippur.
Many spurious writings have been ascribed to Hai, especially by the kabalists of later centuries.
Legacy
An old tradition[1] says that on the Sabbath after Sherira's death, at the end of the reading of the weekly lesson, the passage[2] in which Moses asks for an able follower was read in honor of Hai. Thereupon, as haftarah, the story of Solomon's accession to the throne was read,[3] Hai's installation was greeted with great enthusiasm by the Jewish population. the last verse being modified as follows: "And Hai sat on the throne of Sherira his father, and his government was firmly established." Hai remained gaon until his death in 1038.[4]. He was celebrated by the Spanish poet Solomon ibn Gabirol and by Samuel ha-Nagid.[5]
Hai's students included Rabbeinu Chananel and Rav Nissim, the head of the academy at Kairouan.
Notes
ReferencesISBN links support NWE through referral fees
- "Hai Ben Sherira". Jewish Encyclopedia. Funk and Wagnalls, 1901-1906; citing:
Bibliography: In addition to the works quoted above: Steinschneider, Die Arabische Literatur, § 57;
- Grätz, Gesch. v. 320, vi. 1 et seq., note 2;
- Weiss, Dor, iv. 174 et seq.;
- idem, Liqqute Qadmoniyyot, 1873, Introduction;
- idem, in Ha-Asif, iii. 151;
- Winter and Wünsche, Die Jüdische Litteratur, ii. 54 et seq.;
- Schechter, Saadyana, p. 113;
- idem, Genizah MS. offprint from Festschrift zum 70 Geburtstage A. Berliners, pp. 2 et seq.;
- idem, Studies in Judaism, pp. 94, 254, 255, 330, 421;
- Jewish Quarterly Review: xiii. 52 et seq.E. C. M.
External links
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