Rabbeinu Tam

Rabbeinu Tam (* 1100 in Ramerupt, † June 9, 1171 in Troyes; actually Jacob ben Meir Tam ) was a French Jewish scholar and author of Tosafot, ie commentaries on the Talmud. He is a grandson of Rashi and brother of Samuel ben Meir.

Little is known of his personal life. He lived in the northern French village Ramerupt, where he earned his living by lending money and viticulture. These activities were typical of the Jews there at that time, and he was wealthy. During the Second Crusade, he was attacked by passing crusaders and escaped in 1146 almost to death. After this experience he left Ramerupt.

Tam was regarded by all his contemporaries as the greatest scholar of his generation. From Southern him halakhic problems were presented, and of Bohemia and Russia were students in his Bet Midrash ( house of study ). He himself, however, made ​​no travel outside of his native northern France. In cases where his halachic authority was not accepted, Tam wrote aggressive reactions; the followers of Meshullam ben Nathan from Melun he threatened with excommunication. A similar correspondence he had with his former pupil of Ephraim ben Isaac of Regensburg.

The Tosafot of the Babylonian Talmud is based on the statements, commentaries and decisions of Tam and contain numerous statements by him. He also wrote numerous and diverse works. Best known is his book Sefer ha - Yashar ( "Book of the Righteous" ), which was published in 1811 in Vienna. It consists of two parts: responsa and amendments to the Talmud. However, this book contains only a small part of his responsa, and others are scattered throughout the halachic literature and in numerous manuscripts.

As the first French Jew wrote Tam numerous rhymed poems in Hebrew, in which he was undoubtedly influenced by the Spanish and Provencal scholar, with whom he was in correspondence. With Abraham ibn Ezra he exchanged poems. His Pijjutim are written in French and German style of the period.