- Samson of Chinon
Samson ben Isaac of Chinon (c. 1260 – c. 1330) (
Hebrew : שמשון מקינון) was a FrenchTalmudist who lived atChinon . In Talmudic literature he is generally called after his native place, Chinon (Hebr. קינון), and sometimes by the abbreviation MaHaRShaḲ. He was a contemporary of Perez Kohen Gerondi, who, as reported byIsaac ben Sheshet , declared Samson to be the greatest rabbinical authority of his time (Responsa , No. 157).Works
Samson was the author of the following works:
* "Sefer Keritut" (Constantinople, 1515), a methodology of the Talmud divided into five parts:
** "Bet Middot," treating of the thirteen rules ofR. Ishmael
** "Bet ha-Miḳdash," on the rules for deductions by analogy and conclusions a fortiori
** "Netibot 'Olam," containing explanations of the 32 rules of R.Eliezer ben Jose ha-Gelili
** "Yemot 'Olam," giving the names of theTannaim andAmoraim , and setting forth a method for deciding between the contrary opinions of two doctors
** "Leshon Limmudim," explanations of certainhalakic decisions. The "Sefer Keritut," owing to its easy style and its author's great authority, became a classic. * "Ḳonṭres," a commentary on the Talmudic treatisesErubin andAbodah Zarah ; mentioned in the "Sefer Keritut."
* "Bi'ur ha-Geṭ" (Vienna MS. No. 48), on the laws concerning divorce.Samson wrote also
responsa , several of which are quoted byJoseph Colon (Responsa, No. 187) andSolomon ben Adret (Responsa, iii., No. 1; iv., No. 152). According to Gross, Samson was the author of the supercommentary onIbn Ezra 's commentary on thePentateuch found byJudah Mosconi atPerpignan between 1363 and 1375 (Halberstam MS.). As regards the word (ממרשילאה = "of Marseilles"), which appears in the manuscript after the name Samson of Chinon, Gross believes that Samson settled atMarseilles after the banishment of the Jews from France.Jewish Encyclopedia bibliography
*
Azulai , Shem ha-Gedolim, i. 182;
*Leopold Zunz , Z. G. p. 44;
*S.D. Luzzatto , Halikot Kedem, p. 46;
*Halberstam, in Jeshurun, 1866, pp. 167-168; Magazin, iii. 47;
*Ernest Renan -Adolf Neubauer , "Les Rabbins Français", p. 461;
*Henri Gross , "Gallia Judaica", pp. 581 et seq.External links
* [http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=126&letter=S&search=Samson%20of%20Chinon Jewish Encyclopedia article for Samson of Chinon] , by
Wilhelm Bacher andIsaac Broydé .References
*JewishEncyclopedia
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