BOTON, ABRAHAM BEN MOSES DE
- BOTON, ABRAHAM BEN MOSES DE
- BOTON, ABRAHAM BEN MOSES DE (154?–after 1592), rabbi and
halakhist. De Boton was born in Salonika, the son of the rabbinic
scholar moses de boton (d. 1570). He and mordecai kalai
studied at R. Samuel de Medina's yeshivah; the latter later intimated
that many of Abraham's ideas were really his, but this claim was never
proved. De Boton served as rabbi of the large and wealthy Apulia
congregation in Salonika; while this congregation was established by
Italian Jews (and retained the Italian liturgy), it eventually had both
Sephardi members and rabbinic leaders (of Italian ancestry) in its
midst.
De Boton was not noted for one particular field of expertise but
considered to be capable of judging disputes in all areas. As a result,
he was consulted throughout the Sephardi Diaspora. Among his writings is
a commentary to portions of the Talmud tractate Bava Kamma
which appears in Me-Hararei Nemarim (Venice, 1599) as well as
a collection of numerous responsa he wrote entitled Leḥem Rav
(Smyrna, 1660). The latter was published and financed by his grandson
and grandson's brother-in-law. Leḥem Rav contains decisions
that were frequently quoted throughout the Jewish world and set halakhic
precedents. They deal with a broad range of topics, including
international trade, taxation, public leadership, and congregational
regulations as well as issues of property, inheritance, business,
marriage, etc. A great deal can be learned from them about the Ottoman
Empire and particularly about Salonika of the 16th century.
The author's style here is precise and reflects erudition and a mastery
of Hebrew.
His best-known work is Leḥem Mishneh (Venice, 1604), a
commentary to Maimonides' Mishneh Torah. The Salonikan rabbi
was not aware that joseph caro was simultaneously preparing a
similar study, and when Caro's Kesef Mishneh appeared in
1575, he was careful only to include his own innovations and even
pointed out differences and agreements of opinion. De Boton had a
sophisticated critical eye, for he examined different versions of the
Talmud and editions of manuscripts while preparing his own work.
Abraham de Boton fell victim to a plague some time after 1592.
-BIBLIOGRAPHY:
M. Ben-Sasson, W.Z. Harvey, Y. Ben-Naeh, and Z. Zohar (eds.),
Studies in a Rabbinic Family: the de Botons (1998); H.
Gerber, "Entrepreneurship and International Trade in the Economic
Activities of the Jews of the Ottoman Empire in the Sixteenth and
Seventeenth Centuries," in: Zion, 43:3–4 (1978), 38–67
(Heb.); A. Shochet, "Taxation and Communal Leadership in the Communities
of Greece in the Sixteenth Century," in: Sefunot, 11
(1971–77), 299–341 (Heb.).
(Renée Levine Melammed (2nd ed.)
Encyclopedia Judaica.
1971.
Look at other dictionaries:
BOTON, ḤIYYA ABRAHAM BEN AARON DI — (17th century), rabbi and Ereẓ Israel emissary. Ḥiyya di Boton was a grandson of abraham b. moses di boton , and apparently studied in Gallipoli under his uncle, meir di boton . In 1648 he was in Smyrna, where he was a member of the bet din of… … Encyclopedia of Judaism
BOTON, JACOB BEN ABRAHAM DI — (1635?–1687), halakhist. Jacob was born in Salonika and was a disciple of Ḥasdai ha Kohen Peraḥyah. His father, Abraham b. Jacob (b. c. 1610), grandson of abraham b. moses di boton , was also a disciple of Ḥasdai ha Kohen Peraḥyah and was… … Encyclopedia of Judaism
BOTON, MEIR BEN ABRAHAM DI — (c. 1575–1649), rabbi and halakhist. Born in Salonika, he studied under his father, . In his introduction to his father s Leḥem Mishneh, he describes the trials and the expulsions he had experienced from his youth. He was appointed rabbi of… … Encyclopedia of Judaism
MEDINA, SAMUEL BEN MOSES DE — (known by the acronym Maharashdam; 1506–1589), rabbi, halakhic authority, and communal leader of salonika . Medina was descended from a distinguished family of scholars which originated from Spain. He was one of the three outstanding posekim of… … Encyclopedia of Judaism
ALGAZI, (Nissim) SOLOMON BEN ABRAHAM — (1610?– c. 1683), rabbi. Algazi, the grandson of joseph de segovia benveniste , was born in Borsa. He studied under his father and the poet Joseph Ganso, as well as Joseph Sasson and meir de boton at their yeshivah in Gallipoli. Algazi settled in … Encyclopedia of Judaism
ALMOSNINO, MOSES BEN BARUCH — (c. 1515–c. 1580), Salonika rabbi, scholar, and preacher. His numerous publications show his extensive knowledge of science, philosophy, history, and rhetoric. His rabbinic scholarship was widely respected. Although his responsa were never… … Encyclopedia of Judaism
BENVENISTE (or Benvenist), ḤAYYIM BEN ISRAEL — (1603–1673), Sephardi rabbinic scholar and codifier. Benveniste studied in his native Constantinople mainly under Joseph b. Moses of Trani, and also under joseph samegah . In 1624, when he was only 21, he began to write his detailed commentary on … Encyclopedia of Judaism
SASSON, AARON BEN JOSEPH — (1550/5–1626), rabbinic scholar in the ottoman Empire. Aaron was educated in salonika , where he lived until 1600, and died in Constantinople. He was a pupil of Mordecai Matalon and a pupil and colleague of his father in law, Solomon II of the… … Encyclopedia of Judaism
Jüdische Literatur — Jüdische Literatur, im weitern Sinne das gesamte Schrifttum der Juden vom Abschluß der Bibel bis zur Gegenwart. Sie wurzelt in der hebräischen Literatur, deren Pflege und Weiterbildung sie übernimmt. Zu der überkommenen eignen Gelehrsamkeit tritt … Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon
RESPONSA — (Heb. שְׁאֵלוֹת וּתְשׁוּבוֹת; lit. queries and replies ), a rabbinic term denoting an exchange of letters in which one party consults another on a halakhic matter. Such responsa are already mentioned in the Talmud, which tells of an inquiry… … Encyclopedia of Judaism
