Meir of Rothenburg

Rabbi Meir of Rothenburg (actually Meir ben Baruch of Rothenburg, Hebrew מאיר בן ברוך מרוטנבורג, also Maharam of Rothenburg, Hebrew מהר"ם מרוטנבורג; * 1215 in Worms, † May 2, 1293 in Wasserburg am Inn ) was a famous rabbi and Talmudic scholar.

Life

Meir, who came from a family of important Talmudic scholar who studied in Würzburg, Mainz and Paris. In Paris he witnessed in 1242, public burning of Jewish writings, the " Paris Talmud combustion ". His funeral song about it until today, sung in the synagogues on Tisha Beav, Memorial for the destruction of the Jerusalem temple. After his studies Meir lived more than 40 years in Rothenburg ob der Tauber, where he. Yeshivah with 21 rooms, a training room and other facilities set up near the chapel space, attracting students from all over Europe During his time in Rothenburg Meir became one of the most important Jewish authorities in halachic law questions, more than 1,500 responsa have been preserved. Only after the death of his father he returned to in 1276 back to Worms.

When in 1286 King Rudolf I, the Jewish communities again as serfs ( servi camerae ) finished with high taxes, there was a wave of emigration to Palestine. Meir, who saw emigration as essentially spiritual experience, wanted to connect this with his family, but was denounced by an apostate as the instigator of emigration even before crossing the Alps, was arrested by Count Meinhard of Gorizia, delivered to Rudolf I and initially incarcerated in Ensisheim and later in Wasserburg am Inn.

To compensate for the tax losses due to emigration, called Rudolf I of the Jewish communities of a ransom. Negotiations for a release have been led by Meir Asher ben Jehiel students, but were unsuccessful, despite the high purchase rates, as Meir a payment even refused to create a precedent for the arrest of other rabbis. Meir died in 1293 in captivity. Only in 1307 was Meir's corpse by the Frankfurt merchant Alexander ben Salomon Wimpfen for more than 20,000 pounds of silver are triggered.

Meir was buried in the Jewish cemetery in Worms Heiliger Sand. Was buried next to him still 1307 deceased Alexander ben Salomon Wimpfen.

Commemoration

The grave stones of Meir of Rothenburg and Alexander ben Salomon Wimpfen on the Holy Sand Worms are visited by Jewish visitors from all over the world.

In memory of him is in Rothenburg ob der Tauber, the " Rabbi Meir ben Baruch - garden " created when Jews Dance House with the following table:

There is a private museum, which is ben Baruch, the history of medieval Jewish community and Rabbi Meir At the corner Galgengasse / Jewish street.