- Joseph ibn Migash
Joseph ben Meir ibn Migash or Migas (1077 - 1141) ( _he. יוסף בן מאיר הלוי אבן מיגאש) was a
Rabbi ,Posek , andRosh Yeshiva inLucena . He is also known as Ri Migash (ר"י מיגאש), the Hebrewacronym for "Rabbi Joseph Migash".Biography
Ibn Migash was born in
Seville (someWho|date=July 2007 sayGranada ). He moved toLucena at the age of 12 to study under the renownedTalmud istIsaac Alfasi . He studied under Alfasi at Lucena for fourteen years. Shortly before his death (1103), Alfasi ordained Ri Migash as a rabbi, and - passing over his own son - also appointed him, then 26, to be his successor asRosh Yeshiva (seminary head). Ibn Migash held this position for 38 years.It is clear that ibn Migash was a great scholar:
Maimonides in the introduction to his Mishnah commentary says "the Talmudic learning of this man amazes every one who understands his words and the depth of his speculative spirit; so that it might almost be said of him that his equal has never existed."Judah ha-Levi eulogizes him in six poems which are full of his praise. Ri Migash's best known student is probably Maimon, the father and teacher ofMaimonides . (Maimonides was only six years old at the time of Ri Migash's death and it is therefore unlikely that he was actually a teacher of Maimonides).Works
Ibn Migash authored over 200
Responsa , "She'elot uTeshuvot Ri MiGash" - originally in Arabic - many of which are quoted in Bezalel Ashkenazi's "Shittah Mekubetzet". He specifiedChananel Ben Chushiel and Alfasi as his authorities.He also authored a Talmudic commentary - "chiddushim" (novellae) on tractates "Baba Batra" and "Shevuot" - which is quoted by various
Rishonim . His other works have been lost.External links and references
[http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=32&letter=I Ibn Migas, Joseph (Jehosef) Ben Meïr Ha-Levi] , jewishencyclopedia.com
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