The Rabbi of Rothenberg-13th Century Martyr
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ADVANCE GLOVE
MFG. CO .
BY DR. BLANCHE KATZEN
(Copyright 1964 JTA)
teacher in Paris was the re-
nowned Yechiel Ben Moses who
defended the Talmud during
the reign of the cruel King
Louis IX. While in Paris, Rabbi
Mier was a shuddering eyewit-
ness to the public burning of
24 carloads of valuable Tal-
mudic manuscripts, on June 17,
1244. Lamenting this barbaric
act of desecration, Rabbi Meir
wrote a moving eulogy:
The great Talmudist and
901 W. Lafayette
poet, Rabbi Meir Ben Baruch
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of Rothenburg, was born in
Worms, Germany, about 1220
and died in the fortress of Ensi-
oI
a
a
sheim, where he was a prisoner
HOLIDAY GREETINGS
for seven long years.
In his youth, he studied at
Wuerzburg under Isaac ben
Moses of Vienna and at May-
Canvas - Metal - Fiberglas
ence. In his later years, he
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studied in France at the famous "Lo, I weep for thee until the
M18326 John R
TO 9-6000N Yeshiva of Samuel Ben Solo-
tears
01.--=-111 mon of Falaise and Paris. His Swell
0
as a stream and flow
Unto the graves where thy two
princely seers
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HAPPY PASSOVER
Sleep calmly below;
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HAPPY PASSOVER
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and
Albert Wolgin, R.E.
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Moses and Aaron in the
Mountain Hor;
I will of them inquire;
Is there another to replace the
Law devoured by fire!"
Rabbi Meir's responsa, of
which about 1500 have been
preserved, are of paramount
importance in the study of the
spiritual life of the German
Jews. He wrote no large work,
but displayed great edudition
in his exegetic notes, responsa
and commentaries. (Responsa
are answers by Rabbis to ques-
tions of ethics, history, chron-
ology in Jewish laws, and as
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Because of repeated perse-
cutions, Rabbi Meir and his
family prepared to leave for
Palestine in 1286. But when
they went through Lombardy,
he was recognized by an
apostate Jew, who was ac-
companying the Archbishop
of Mayence. Seized upon the
archbishop's order, Rabbi
Meir was brought back to
Germany and upon Emperor
Rudolph's command confined
to the fortress of Ensisheim.
The rabbi's friends offered
the emperor 20,000 marks in
silver for the rabbi's release.
Rabbi Meir, however, refused
the freedom thus offered,
fearing to create a precedent
for the extortion of money
from the Jew by imprison-
ment of their rabbi. His
faithful disciples were al-
lowed to meet with him.
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later, when a heavy ransom was
paid by Alexander Susskind
Wimpfen, a generous Jew of
Frankfort, who, in r e t u r n,
asked that after his death, his
Rabbi Meir wrote comments own body be lain to rest at the
on the Talmud, a collection of side of the saintly rabbi.
directions on ritual slaughter-
ing, on the duties of a husband
Passover Greetings
and wife and liturgical poetry.
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not surrendered until 14 years
In 1245, the rabbi returned
203 E. Adams
to Germany and held various
rabbinical positions. The cen-
WO 3-6811
ter of his activities was Rothen-
L OMMOMMIWill.1 ■421■0■ *•••••11.M.0
burg ob der Tauber, where he
maintained, at his own cost, a
it]
01—=-1D
Talmudic academy and gath-
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GREETINGS
ered about him many disciples,
who later carried his teachings
rij
to Spain and Portugal. His
Distributors of
authority was universally ack-
U. S. Tires and Batteries
nowledged, his lucid teachings
Rabbi Meir completed some of
1931 East Jefferson
were greatly admired. Great his works within the prison
LO 8-3055
Jewish communities in France walls. After seven years, the
and elsewhere frequently sought rabbi died, but his body was
CI
OL
his opinion addressing him as
"Gaon" — "Light of Exile," the
latter title having been con-
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ferred only to a few outstand-
HOLIDAY GREETINGS
ing rabbis like Rashi.
•
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such laws cover almost all hu-
man actions, these responsa are
valuable sources for a knowlege
of the social, economic and po-
litical conditions of the Jews
in various countries.)
WO 2-7118
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DAVIS
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INC.
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We wish to take this oppor-
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Happy Passover
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100 Years of Service