Shlomo ben Aderet

Solomon ben Abraham Adret, also Aderet, after his initials Raschba also called (* 1235 in Barcelona, † 1310 in Barcelona) was a Spanish rabbi and one of the greatest Jewish scholars of his time.

Life and work

His most important teacher was Jonah ben Abraham Gerondi, he always referred to as " my teacher ". He also studied with Nachmanides and was considered one of its most outstanding students.

As a young man ADRET was involved in numerous financial transactions, and the King of Aragon was one of his debtors. After a few years he retired from business and took the place of a rabbi in Barcelona, ​​which he held for over 40 years. Before he was 40 years old, was ADRET as a leading figure in Spanish Judaism, and his expressions of opinion were respected far beyond the Spanish borders. From all parts of the Jewish world issues were brought to him from Germany, France, Bohemia, Sicily, Crete, Morocco, Algeria, Palestine and Portugal. Pedro III. of Aragón entrusted him with the solution of some complicated issues that had emerged between Jews from different communities. He wrote over 11,000 responsa, many of which still exist in manuscript form.

In the course of Maimonidesstreits he took an intermediate position. In response to the extreme positions of representatives from the South of France, who wanted to prohibit the study of the natural sciences throughout and a ban proposed in a letter to ADRET until the age of 30 years, announced ADRET a spell letter on July 26, 1305 in Barcelona, ​​that the study of physics and metaphysics from the age of 25 years to be permitted, raised for the study of astronomy and medicine to all restrictions and allowed reading the works of Maimonides.

ADRET was a fierce opponent of the kabbalist Abraham Abulafia. According to Gershom Scholem ADRET even opened a campaign of destruction against Abulafia.

ADRET was head of a yeshiva whose students from far away, from Germany and other countries, came. According to his own testimony, there was in this yeshiva valuable manuscripts of the Talmud, which were of Babylonian origin or had been controlled in the academies of Kairouan. His short stories to 17 tractates of the Talmud have been published between the 16th and 20th centuries. In addition ADRET also wrote a book on the Aggadot, ie Legends from the Talmud, as well as two legal manuals.