Samson ben Abraham of Sens

French Jewish rabbi (c. 1150 – c. 1230)

Samson ben Abraham of Sens (שמשון בן אברהם משאנץ; c. 1150 – c. 1230),was one of the leading French Tosafists in the second half of the 12th and the beginning of the 13th centuries. He was the most outstanding student and the spiritual heir of Rabbi Isaac ben Samuel ha-Zaken (the Ri). He is referred also known as "the Rash" ( הר"ש; an acronym of his name) or "the Prince of Sens", and within Tosafot as "Rashba".

## Biography

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He was probably born in Falaise, Calvados, where his grandfather, the tosafist Samson ben Joseph, called "the Elder", lived. He studied under Rabbeinu Tam at Troyes and David ben Kalonymus of Münzenberg, and for ten years, together with his older brother R. Yitzhak (known as the "Ritzba"), attended the Yeshiva of Rabbi Isaac ben Samuel ha-Zaken (the Ri) of Dampierre, after whose death he took charge of the yeshiva of Sens. The Rosh said of him that only Rabbeinu Tam and Rabbi Isaac ben Samuel exercised greater influence upon Talmudical studies in France and in Germany during the 13th century. [1]

The Rash sided with the opponents of Maimonides in their disputes. He kept up a lively correspondence with Rabbi Meïr Abulafia, and like him, condemned Maimonides' rationalistic views on bodily resurrection and Talmudic haggadah. He also sided with Rabbi Abulafia in his objection to some of Maimonides' halachic views, and reproached Maimonides for not having indicated the Talmudic sources in his Mishneh Torah. However, he did express his great admiration for Maimonides saying, "I have heard that the gates of wisdom have been revealed to him".[2] Later on he quarreled with Rabbi Abulafia because Abulafia was offended by some of his remarks.

Due to persecution of the Jews by Pope Innocent III, the Rash joined 300 English and French rabbis in emigrating to Palestine about 1211. For some years he lived in Jerusalem, hence he is designated "the Jerusalemite" or "Rabbi Samson of the Land of Israel". He died in Acre around 1230 and he was buried at the foot of Mount Carmel. Just before his death, he was the founder of the Talmudic School of Acre. This allowed Yehiel of Paris, among others, to settle in Haifa after the trial of the Talmud in 1240 and a new expulsion of the Jews of France.

## Works

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He authored many tosafot, abridged by Eliezer of Touques. They are fundamentally important, the principal sources for the interpretation of the Talmud. In addition to the many tosafot he composed, he also authored a commentary on two of the Mishnaic orders, Zeraim and Tohorot.

He frequently refers therein to the Jerusalem Talmud, to which he devoted more attention than any of his predecessors or contemporaries, and to the older compilations Tosefta, Mechilta, Sifra, and Sifre, and he tries to reconcile the discrepancies between them and the Mishnah. He refers to Nathan ben Jehiel, to Rashi, to Rabbi Isaac ben Melchizedek of Siponto,[3] and other authorities, but never mentions Rambam's commentary, which he probably did not know.

According to Jacob ben Aksai, Rabbi Samson also wrote commentaries on Shekalim, Eduyot, Middot, and Dinnim, but none are extant.

He also wrote a commentary on the Sifra; for this, besides other older works, he utilized the commentary of Abraham ben David of Posquières (Rabad), which he quotes under the designation "Hachmei Lunel" or "Hachmei Provence", without mentioning the author's name.

Rabbi Meïr Abulafia speaks of Rabbi Samson's father, Abraham, as a pious, saintly, and noble man. Rabbi Samson's brother, Isaac of Dampierre (Riba), also known as Isaac the Younger to distinguish him from his teacher Isaac the Elder (Isaac ben Samuel), whom he succeeded as principal of the school of Dampierre, is also one of the prominent tosafists. He wrote some liturgical poems (piyutim) and a commentary on the Pentateuch. He died about 1210, and Rabbi Samson attended his funeral. Both brothers are frequently mentioned in works such as Or Zarua, The Mordechai, Orchot Chaim, SeMaG, Semak (authored by a student of the Rash), Kol Bo, Sha'are Dura, Haggahot Maimuniyyot, Terumat HaDeshen and similar works, and by Asher ben Jehiel and Meir of Rothenburg.

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Rashi family tree

| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Isaac Hatzarfati|

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| | | | | Samuel| | | | | | | | | | | Rashi| | | | |
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| | | | | Meir| | Jochebed| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Rachel| | Eliezer| Miriam| | Judah ben Nathan|
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| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Samuel ben Meir| | | Rabbeinu Tam| | Miriam| | Samson ben Yosef| | Rivam| | Solomon ben Meir| | Miriam| | Samuel of Vitry| | Yom Tov| | Eliezer?| |
| | | |
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| | | | | | | | | | |
Isaac| | Joseph| | Solomon| | Abraham of Sens| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Judah ben Yom Tov| | Joseph| |

| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Isaac ben Samuel| | | |
| | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | Isaac of Dampierre| | Samson ben Abraham| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Isaac|
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Rabbeinu Elhanan| | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | Rabbi Jacob| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Judah ben Isaac Messer Leon|
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Samuel ben Elhanan|
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | Samuel of Acre|
Notes:

* Rashi's daughters

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Responsa of the Rosh 84:3
2. ^ The Rishonim, The Artscroll history series pg. 137
3. ^ e.g. Mishnah Kelim 1:1, Ohalot 1:2, Parah 2:1

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Singer, Isidore; et al., eds. (1901–1906). "Samson ben Abraham of Sens". The Jewish Encyclopedia. New York: Funk & Wagnalls.

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Rishonim

North Africa|

* Isaac Alfasi (Rif)
* Chananel ben Chushiel
* Dunash ben Labrat
* Zechariah Aghmati
* Nissim ben Jacob
* Samuel ben Jacob ibn Jam
* Shemariah ben Elhanan

Spain (except Catalonia)|

* Maimonides
* Judah Halevi
* Abraham ibn Ezra
* Yom Tov Asevilli (Ritva)
* Joseph ibn Migash (Ri Migash)
* Meir Abulafia (Ramah)
* Bahya ibn Paquda
* Bahya ben Asher
* David Abudirham
* Joseph Albo
* Isaac ben Moses Arama (Akeidat Yitzchak)
* Rabbenu Yerucham
* Shem Tov ben Abraham ibn Gaon (Migdal Oz)
* Meir ben Solomon Abi-Sahula
* Isaac ibn Ghiyyat
* Maimon ben Joseph
* Isaac Aboab I
* Abraham ibn Daud
* Moses ibn Ezra
* Jonah ibn Janah
* Abraham Saba

Catalonia|

* Nachmanides
* Menachem HaMeiri
* Nissim of Gerona (Ran)
* Shlomo ibn Aderet (Rashba)
* Yonah Gerondi (Rabbeinu Yonah)
* Zerachiah ha-Levi of Girona (Baal HaMaor)
* Hasdai Crescas
* Aharon HaLevi (Ra'ah)
* Isaac ben Sheshet (Rivash)
* Simeon ben Zemah Duran (Tashbatz)
* Vidal of Tolosa (Maggid Mishneh)
* Joseph ibn Habib (Nimmukei Yosef)
* Azriel of Gerona
* Judah ben Yakar
* Judah ben Barzillai

Provence|

* Hachmei Provence
* Abraham ben David (Raavad)
* Gersonides (Ralbag)
* David Kimhi (Radak)
* Abba Mari
* Isaac ben Abba Mari (HaIttur)
* Abraham ben Nathan (HaManhig)
* David ben Levi of Narbonne (HaMichtam)
* Moses ben Joseph (Rambi)
* Abraham ben Isaac of Narbonne (Raavad II, HaEshkol)
* Levi ben Abraham ben Hayyim
* Moshe ha-Darshan
* Meshullam ben Jacob
* Asher ben Meshullam
* Abraham of Montpellier
* Joseph Caspi
* Isaac the Blind
* Samuel ibn Tibbon
* Isaac of Narbonne
* Aaron ben Jacob ha-Kohen
* Jonathan of Lunel

France (except Provence)|

* Rabbi Abin ha-Gadol
* Rashi
* List of Tosafists
* Rabbeinu Tam
* Rashbam
* Solomon ben Meir
* Samson ben Joseph of Falaise
* Yom Tov of Falaise
* Eliezer ben Samuel (Yereim)
* Isaac ben Samuel (Ri HaZaken)
* Moses ben Jacob of Coucy (Semag)
* Judah ben Nathan (Rivan)
* Bechor Shor
* Abraham ben Joseph of Orleans
* Elijah of Paris
* Judah ben Yom Tov
* Haim ben Hananel HaCohen
* Yechiel of Paris
* Rivam
* Peretz ben Elijah
* Eliezer of Toul
* Chaim Paltiel
* Jacob of Orléans
* Samson of Chinon
* Jacob of Chinon
* Eliezer of Touques
* Isaac ben Abraham of Dampierre
* Elhanan ben Isaac of Dampierre
* Baruch ben Isaac
* Samson ben Abraham of Sens
* Isaac ben Eliezer Halevi
* Meir ben Samuel
* Moses of Évreux
* Samuel of Évreux
* Samuel ben Solomon of Falaise
* Judah ben Isaac Messer Leon
* Joseph ben Samuel Bonfils
* Menahem ben Helbo
* Simeon Kara
* Shemaiah of Soissons
* Elijah ben Menahem HaZaken
* Ephraim ben Samson

Germany|

* Meshullam ben Kalonymus
* Gershom ben Judah (Rabbeinu Gershom)
* Simeon bar Isaac of Mainz
* Asher ben Jehiel (Rosh)
* Jacob ben Asher (Baal HaTurim)
* Mordechai ben Hillel (Mordechai)
* Meir of Rothenburg (Maharam MeRotenberg)
* Yaakov ben Moshe Levi Moelin (Maharil)
* Eliezer ben Nathan (Ra'aven)
* Eliezer ben Joel HaLevi (Raavyah)
* Eleazar of Worms (Rokeach)
* Meir HaKohen (Hagahot Maimuniot)
* Judah ben Samuel of Regensburg (Yehudah haHasid)
* Yaakov ben Yakar
* Isaac ben Mordecai of Regensburg
* Ephraim ben Isaac of Regensburg
* Samson ben Eliezer
* Eliezer ben Isaac ha-Gadol
* Judah ben Kalonymus
* Yehuda HaKohen ben Meir
* Meir ben Baruch Halevi
* Israel Bruna
* Israel of Bamberg
* Ephraim of Bonn
* Judah ben Asher
* Joel ben Isaac ha-Levi
* Jacob ben Judah Landau
* Samuel ben Natronai
* Alexander Suslin
* Jacob Weil
* Isaac ben Asher ha-Levi
* Simha of Speyer
* Isaac Asir HaTikvah

England|

* Aaron of Canterbury
* Aaron of York
* Elias of London
* Eliyahu Menachem of London
* Hagin Deulacres
* Jacob ben Judah of London
* Josce of London
* Moses ben Isaac ben ha-Nessiah
* Moses of London
* Yom Tov of Joigny
* Berechiah de Nicole

Austria|

* Israel Isserlein (Terumat HaDeshen)
* Isaac of Vienna (Or Zarua)
* Avigdor Cohen of Vienna
* Isaac Tyrnau

Italy|

* Nathan ben Jehiel (the Aruch)
* Isaiah di Trani (Rid)
* Isaiah di Trani the Younger (Riaz)
* Obadiah of Bertinoro
* Menahem Recanati
* Zedekiah Anaw (Shibbolei HaLeket)
* Benjamin Anaw
* Judah Anav
* Moses ben Meir of Ferrara
* Eliezer ben Samuel of Verona
* Hillel ben Samuel
* Joseph Colon Trabotto
* Isaac ben Melchizedek
* Judah Messer Leon

Elsewhere|

* Isaac Abarbanel
* Elijah Mizrachi
* Tobiah ben Eliezer (Lekach Tov)
* Zerahiah the Greek
* Isaac ben Dorbolo
* Isaac ben Samuel of Acre
* Moses Taku
* Isaac ben Jacob ha-Lavan
* Nathan ben Abraham I
* Hillel ben Eliakim
* Judah Leon ben Moses Mosconi
* Nethanel ben Isaiah‎

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