Elhanan Ben Isaac Of Dampierre

Tosafist and liturgist; martyred in 1184 (Solomon Luria, Responsa, No. 29; see Azriel). He was on his grandmother's side a grand-nephew of R. Jacob Tam. One of his pupils was Judah Sir Leon of Paris. It has been suggested that Elhanan is identical with the Deodatus Episcopus of the English record (see Jacobs, "The Jews of Angevin England," p. 412). He has left numerous tosafot, to which his father, who outlived him, added glosses. Luzzatto speaks of his tosafot to 'Abodah Zarah up to folio 61 of that tractate, and then makes the following remark: "Here terminate the tosafot of R. Elhanan b. Isaac of Dampierre; from here onward are those of Judah b. Isaac of Brina."

The great authority of Elhanan is attested by Joseph Colon (Responsa, No. 52). Elhanan also wrote: "Tiḳḳun Tefillin," a casuistic treatise on the phylacteries, mentioned in Tos. to Ber. (60b) and in Mordecai ("Halakot Ḳeṭannot," § 932); "Sod ha-'Ib-bur," on the intercalary days, mentioned in the "Minḥat Yehudah," section "Wayera"; Responsa, some of which are quoted in "Shibbole ha-Leḳeṭ," ch. i, and in Maimonides' "Hafla'ah," ch. 4; several "pizmonim" for the eighth evening of Passover, which give the acrostic of his name; a commentary to the Pentateuch.

Bibliography:

  * Gross, Gallia Judaica, pp. 165-168;
  * idem, in Berliner's Magazin, iv. 191;
  * Kaufmann, in Rev. Et. Juives. iv. 210-212, 221;
  * Conforte, Ḳore ha-Dorot, 14a, 15b, 18a;
  * Azulai, Shem ha-Gedolim, i., s.v.;
  * S. D. Luzzatto, in Polak's Halikot Ḳedem, pp. 45, 46;
  * Zunz, Z. G. pp. 34, 80;
  * idem, Literaturgesch, pp. 287-288;
  * idem, S. P. p. 249;
  * Landshuth, 'Ammude, ha-'Abodah, p. 13;
  * Michael, Or ha-Ḥayyim, pp. 157-158;
  * Graetz, Hist. iii. 404;
  * Fuenn, Keneset Yisrael, p. 99.



G. M. Sel.