ZECHARIAH BEN SOLOMON-ROFE
- ZECHARIAH BEN SOLOMON-ROFE
- ZECHARIAH BEN SOLOMON-ROFE (RaZaH; known in Arabic
as Yahya ibn Suleiman al-Tabib, first half of
15th century),
Yemenite scholar and physician. Zechariah lived in Sanʿa ,
yemen . His midrashic anthology of the Torah and haftarot,
Midrash ha-Ḥefeẓ, compiled in 1428, is considered one of the most
important Yemenite Midrashim. The midrash ha-gadol is the main
source of his work. He was also influenced by Maimonides'
philosophical opinions. All the sources are in Hebrew and Aramaic; he
enlarges upon the ideas and comments on them in Arabic.
Zechariah also wrote a commentary, al-Durrah al-Muntakhabah
("The Choicest Pearl"), on the Midrash ha-Gadol. His
admiration for Maimonides is also expressed in several works which he
wrote on Maimonides' books: (1) Sharḥ al-Ḥigbur, comments in
Arabic on the unknown sources of Yad ha-Ḥazakah and
Sefer ha-Mitzvot; (2) an explanation for Maimonides'
commentary on the Mishnah, set out in the form of questions and answers;
(3) a commentary in Arabic on Moreh Nevukhim. His own medical
work, al-Wājiz ("the Compendium"), consists of three parts
and includes the anatomy of the human body, a detailed list of various
diseases, and a description of their cures by the use of herbs and other
remedies. Two of his works, which were written at the request of his
pupils, indicate that he taught in public. Of his works, only the
commentary on the haftarot (1950) and the Midrash on Song of
Songs (1962) have been published.
-BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Steinschneider, Arab Lit, 249–50, no. 198; idem, in: JQR,
9 (1896/97), 626.
(Yehuda Ratzaby)
Encyclopedia Judaica.
1971.
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