Meïr Ben Eleazar

French liturgical poet of the first half of the thirteenth century. He wrote: (1) a series of poems to be recited on the seventh evening of Passover, some of which are arranged in alphabetical order; (2) a dirge beginning "Ẓiyyon ẓefirat pe'er," giving at the end in an acrostic "Meïr Ḥazaḳ"; (3) an alphabetical introduction to the Targum of Ex. xiii. 21, a passage which is read on the seventh day of Passover. The last-named poem is composed of six strophes, of four verses each, beginning with "It ḥazuta we-dugma." According to Landshuth ("'Ammude ha-'Abodah," p. 159), Meïr was the author of the dirge beginning "Aḥbirah millin," which is recited on the Ninth of Ab; but Zunz ("Literaturgesch." p. 360; Supplement, p. 38) ascribes it to Meïr of Rothenburg (comp. ib. p. 469).

G. M. Sel.