Ḳara, Menahem Ben Jacob

Bohemian scholar; flourished at Prague in the first half of the fifteenth century. He was a near relative, perhaps a half-brother, of Abigdor ben Isaac Ḳara, whom he quotes in his writings as "my brother." Ḳara was the author of the following works, which are extant in manuscript: a commentary on Prov. xxx., written at the request of Abigdor Ḳara, whothought he recognized in  the initials of his own name (Neubauer, "Cat. Bodl. Hebr. MSS." No. 1649, 7); a commentary on the "Mar'ot Elohim" of Enoch al-Ḳusṭantini (ib. 1649, 1); a commentary on Ghazali's "Kawwanot ha-Pilusufim" and on various parts of the "Moreh Nebukim." The author quotes in the last-named commentary Samuel and Moses ibn Tibbon, Moses of Narbonne, Levi ben Gershon, and his own contemporary Moses . On fol. 13 he mentions his imprisonment during eighteen months (ib. 1649, 2).

Bibliography:

  * Zunz, Z. G. p. 165;
  * Steinschneider, Jewish Literature, pp. 99, 115.



K. I. Br.