Simḥah Of Rome

Scholar and rabbi of the Roman community in the last quarter of the thirteenth century. He was given an open letter by the community and sent out to find Maimonides' commentary on the Mishnah and bring it back with him. He traveled through Provence and Catalonia without meeting with any success. At Barcelona he applied for assistance to Solomon ben Adret, who gave him a further letter of recommendation. After a prolonged search he found in Huesca the commentary on the first three orders, and shortly afterward the Arabic original of the commentary on the first five orders. The latter was thereupon translated into Hebrew by several scholars (1296-98), and Simḥah returned with it to Rome, after having encountered various dangers on his journey. He appears to have written some books also, although,with the exception of certain fragments in "Shibbole ha-Leḳeṭ," nothing written by him has been preserved.

Bibliography:

  * Vogelstein and Rieger, Gesch. der Juden in Rom, pp. 154, 265.



J. S. O.