Moses Ben Samuel Ben Asher

French Talmudist; flourished at Perpignan in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. Both Moses and his father possessed great influence in Perpignan, and obtained from James I., King of Majorca, permission for the Jews who had been expelled from France in 1306 to settle at Perpignan. Moses was a close friend of Abba Mari of Lunel, to whose son Meshullam he gave his daughter in marriage; he corresponded with Abba Mari during the Montpellier controversy (1303-6). Moses, being more liberal than his friend and of a conciliatory nature, did not share his views. He informed Abba Mari that Solomon ben Adret's letters had divided the Jews of Perpignan into three different groups, two of which blamed Abba Mari for the whole disagreement. Moses had defended him as well as he could, but requested from him more information concerning the letters he had sent to Solomon b. Adret. After Abba Mari had given him the necessary explanation, Moses endeavored to calm the opposing parties. He wrote to the same effect to Don Profiat Gracian of Barcelona, who, instigated by Solomon ben Adret, attempted to win Moses over to their side.

Bibliography:

  * Minḥat Ḳena'ot, pp. 57, 81, 83 et seq., 179;
  * Renan-Neubauer, Les Rabbins Français, pp. 661, 671-672, 690;
  * Gross, Gallia Judaica, p. 466.



G. M. Sel.