ALASHKAR, JOSEPH BEN MOSES — (c. 1500), rabbinical author and Hebrew poet. A victim of the expulsion from Spain in 1492, Alashkar settled in Tlemcen (Algeria) where he became the head of a yeshivah. He was a fertile writer, but none of his works was published. They include… … Encyclopedia of Judaism
LEVY-BACRAT, ABRAHAM BEN SOLOMON — (late 15th–16th century), poet of Spanish origin. Bacrat took refuge in North Africa in 1492. In his native town of Malaga he had been a disciple of Judah Gabbai, to whom he dedicated several poems. At first he settled in tlemcen , together with… … Encyclopedia of Judaism
OTTOMAN EMPIRE — OTTOMAN EMPIRE, Balkan and Middle Eastern empire started by a Turkish tribe, led by ʿUthmān (1288–1326), at the beginning of the 14th century. This entry is arranged according to the following outline: sources … Encyclopedia of Judaism
KABBALAH — This entry is arranged according to the following outline: introduction general notes terms used for kabbalah the historical development of the kabbalah the early beginnings of mysticism and esotericism apocalyptic esotericism and merkabah… … Encyclopedia of Judaism
EGYPT — EGYPT, country in N.E. Africa, centering along the banks of the River Nile from the Mediterranean coast southward beyond the first cataract at Aswan. The ancient Egyptians named their land Kemi, the Black Land, while the neighboring Asiatic… … Encyclopedia of Judaism
History of responsa — in Judaism spans a period of 1,700 years. Responsa constitute a special class of rabbinic literature, differing in form , but not necessarily in content, from Rabbinic commentaries devoted to the exegesis of the Bible, the Mishnah, the Talmud,… … Wikipedia
AGUNAH — (Heb. עֲגוּנָה; lit. tied, cf. Ruth 1:13), married woman who for whatsoever reason is separated from her husband and cannot remarry, either because she cannot obtain a divorce from him (see divorce ), or because it is unknown whether he is still… … Encyclopedia of Judaism
TAKKANOT HA-KAHAL — (Heb. תַּקָּנוֹת הַקָּהָל). Legal Aspects THE CONCEPT The Takkanot ha Kahal embrace that part of legislation in Jewish law which is enacted by the public or its representatives in contradistinction to the takkanot enacted by a halakhic authority … Encyclopedia of Judaism
PIYYUT — (Heb. פִּיּוּט; plural: piyyutim; from the Greek ποιητής), a lyrical composition intended to embellish an obligatory prayer or any other religious ceremony, communal or private. In a wider sense, piyyut is the totality of compositions composed in … Encyclopedia of Judaism
LITERATURE, JEWISH — Literature on Jewish themes and in languages regarded as Jewish has been written continuously for the past 3,000 years. What the term Jewish literature encompasses, however, demands definition, since Jews have lived in so many countries and have… … Encyclopedia of Judaism
