History:

10 - 15th Centuries CE 

Collections: Rabbi Schachter: Jewish Heritage Tour of France

Description

Lecture given on a bus in Nice, France. Rabbi Schachter discusses the chachmei Provence and Narbonne. (1) The Meiri, author of Magen Avos, which defended the minhagim of Provence against the attacks by the students of the Ramban. (2) The Eshkol (Rabeinu Avraham ben Yitzchak from Narbonne). His son in law was the Ra'avad. Sometimes the Eshkol was also called the Ra'avad, leading rabbis to be confused. (3) The Ba'al Hamaor( Rabeinu Zerachia Halevi). Learned with the Ra'avad bechavrusa. (4) The Ra'avad, from Posquieres, the first rabbi to write a commentary on an existing sefer, and not just an independent sefer. During the Napoleonic wars, rabbis disagreed whether to support Napoleon or not.