Joseph ben Samuel Bonfils
Joseph ben Samuel Bonfils was a French rabbi, Talmudist, Bible commentator, and payyetan (author of piyyutim) of the mid-eleventh century. He is also known by the Hebrew name Yosef Tov Elem (יוסף טוב עלם), a Hebrew translation from the French name "Bonfils."[1]
Of his life nothing is known but that he came from Narbonne, and was rabbi of Limoges in the province of Anjou.[2]
Samson of Coucy was one of his descendants.[3]
Joseph Bonfils must not be confused, as he is by Azulai, with another scholar of the same name, who lived in 1200 and corresponded with Simḥah of Speyer.[4]
Teachings
The activity of Bonfils was many-sided. A number of his decisions which earned the high esteem of his contemporaries and of posterity are to be found in "The Mordechai."[5] Among his numerous legal decisions one deserving mention is that pronouncing money won in play an illegal possession, and compelling the winner to return it.[6] Another important decision ordered a lighter tax on the Jewish farmer than on the merchant, for the reason that agriculture was less profitable than trade.[7] Little is known of the collections of his responsa mentioned in Moses Alashkar's Responsa,[8] or of his collection of the responsa of the Geonim. His Bible commentaries, mentioned by some of the old writers, have also disappeared.
Bonfils devoted himself to restoring the correct texts of older works, especially the Masorah—works of the Geonim. His critical notes upon Judah's Halakot Gedolot and the Seder Tannaim ve-Amoraim show marked departures from the current text.
The ability and activity of Bonfils are best judged from his contributions to the poetry of the synagogue. No less than 62 of his piyyuṭim occupying prominent places in the French, German, and Polish liturgies. These compositions show that he was more than an ordinary poet[9] among the Franco-German payyeṭanim of his time. Few equaled him in beauty of imagery and facility of expression. The poetry of the synagogue is furthermore deeply indebted to Bonfils for the introduction of the piyyuṭim into the prayers, in face of great opposition. Of his many piyyuṭim, the best-known is that written for "Shabbat HaGadol" (the Sabbath before Passover), beginning with the words "Elohei haruchot," and containing the rules for the Passover-cleaning ("bi'ur") and the narrative service for the evening. Its concluding lines, beginning with "Hasal seder pesach", appear near the end of the Passover Haggadah.
Bonfils' importance is shown by the fact that the Tosafists in many places occupy themselves with the explanation of obscure points in this piyyuṭ. Samuel ben Solomon of Falaise, a French Tosafist, composed a commentary upon it.
References
- ^ Jon Douglas Levenson (1993). The Hebrew Bible, the Old Testament, and Historical Criticism: Jews and Christians in Biblical Studies. Westminster John Knox Press. p. 67. ISBN 978-0-664-25407-0.
- ^ See Jacob Tam's "Sefer ha-Yashar," ed. Rosenthal, p. 90, and ed. Vienna, p. 74b; the passage is badly corrupted.
- ^ Gotthard Deutsch; S. Mannheimer (1905). "SAMSON BEN SAMSON". In Singer, Isidore; et al. (eds.). The Jewish Encyclopedia. Vol. 11. New York: Funk & Wagnalls. p. 4. Retrieved Jan 3, 2021.
- ^ Responsa of Meir of Rothenburg, ed. Cremona, No. 148
- ^ These passages are enumerated by Samuel Kohn's Mordecai ben Hillel (1878), p. 137; in Maḥzor Vitry, and in many other codices and compendiums.
- ^ "Haggahot Mordechai," Sanhedrin pp. 722, 723
- ^ "Mordechai," Bava Batra 1 481
- ^ ed. Sabbionetta, No. 60, p. 121a; No. 100, p. 162a
- ^ Leopold Zunz
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Singer, Isidore; et al., eds. (1901–1906). "BONFILS (Tov Elem), JOSEPH BEN SAMUEL". The Jewish Encyclopedia. New York: Funk & Wagnalls. Its bibliography:
- Azulai. Shem ha-Gedolim, i. 40a:
- Fuenn, Keneset Yisrael, pp. 472, 473;
- Gross, Gallia Judaica, pp. 308, 309;
- Leser Landshuth, 'Ammude ha-'Abodah, pp. 96–98;
- Luzzatto, Bet ha-Oẓar, pp. 46b, 55b;
- Rapoport, Introduction to Cassell's ed. of the Responsa of the Geonim, pp. 4b, 6a, 7b;
- Leopold Zunz, Literaturgesch. pp. 129–138;
- idem, Z. G. p. 61;
- idem, G. V., 2d ed., p. 403;
- idem, S. P. pp. 179–180 (translation of a seliḥah);
- Moses Schorr, in He-Ḥaluẓ, viii. 139;
- Adolf Neubauer, Cat. Bodl. Hebr. MSS. No. 1208, 3, containing a halakhic treatise by Joseph Tov Elem, who is probably identical with this Bonfils.
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- Maimonides
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- Abraham ibn Ezra
- Yom Tov Asevilli (Ritva)
- Joseph ibn Migash (Ri Migash)
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- Vidal of Tolosa (Maggid Mishneh)
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- Isaac ben Abba Mari (HaIttur)
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- List of Tosafists
- Rabbeinu Tam
- Rashbam
- Solomon ben Meir
- Samson ben Joseph of Falaise
- Yom Tov 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
- Judah ben Yom Tov
- Haim ben Hananel HaCohen
- Yechiel of Paris
- Rivam
- Peretz ben Elijah
- Eliezer of Toul
- Chaim Paltiel
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- Jacob of Chinon
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- 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
- Meshullam ben Kalonymus
- Gershom ben Judah (Rabbeinu Gershom)
- Simeon bar Isaac of Mainz
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- 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
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- Eliezer ben Isaac ha-Gadol
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- Jacob ben Judah Landau
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- Alexander Suslin
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- Simha of Speyer
- Isaac Asir HaTikvah
- Israel Isserlein (Terumat HaDeshen)
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- 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