View source for Samson ben Abraham of Sens

{{Short description|French Jewish rabbi (c. 1150 – c. 1230)}}
'''Samson ben Abraham''' of [[Sens]] (שמשון בן אברהם משאנץ; c. 1150 &ndash; c. 1230),was one of the leading French [[Tosafists]] in the second half of the 12th and the beginning of the 13th centuries. He was the most outstanding student and the spiritual heir of Rabbi [[Isaac ben Samuel]] ha-Zaken (the ''Ri''). He is referred also known as "the '''Rash'''" ( הר"ש; an [[acronym]] of his name) or "the Prince of Sens", and within [[Tosafot]] as "''Rashba''".
==Biography==
He was probably born in [[Falaise, Calvados]], where his grandfather, the tosafist Samson ben Joseph, called "the Elder", lived. He studied under [[Rabbeinu Tam]] at [[Troyes]] and [[David ben Kalonymus]] of Münzenberg, and for ten years, together with his older brother R. Yitzhak (known as the "Ritzba"), attended the [[Yeshiva]] of Rabbi Isaac ben Samuel ha-Zaken (the ''Ri'') of [[Dampierre, Calvados|Dampierre]], after whose death he took charge of the yeshiva of Sens. The [[Asher ben Jehiel|Rosh]] said of him that only Rabbeinu Tam and Rabbi Isaac ben Samuel exercised greater influence upon Talmudical studies in [[France]] and in [[Germany]] during the 13th century. <ref> Responsa of the Rosh 84:3</ref>
The Rash sided with the opponents of [[Maimonides]] in their disputes. He kept up a lively correspondence with Rabbi [[Meïr Abulafia]], and like him, condemned Maimonides' rationalistic views on bodily resurrection and Talmudic ''[[haggadah]]''. He also sided with Rabbi Abulafia in his objection to some of Maimonides' [[halachic]] views, and reproached Maimonides for not having indicated the Talmudic sources in his ''[[Mishneh Torah]].'' However, he did express his great admiration for Maimonides saying, "I have heard that the gates of wisdom have been revealed to him".<ref>The Rishonim, The Artscroll history series pg. 137</ref> Later on he quarreled with Rabbi Abulafia because Abulafia was offended by some of his remarks.
Due to persecution of the Jews by [[Pope Innocent III]], the Rash joined 300 English and French rabbis in emigrating to [[Palestine (region)|Palestine]] about 1211. For some years he lived in [[Jerusalem]], hence he is designated "the Jerusalemite" or "Rabbi Samson of the [[Land of Israel]]". He died in [[Acre, Israel|Acre]] around 1230 and he was buried at the foot of [[Mount Carmel]].
Just before his death, he was the founder of the Talmudic School of Acre. This allowed [[Yehiel of Paris]], among others, to settle in [[Haifa]] after the trial of the Talmud in 1240 and a new expulsion of the Jews of France.
==Works==
He authored many ''tosafot'', abridged by [[Eliezer of Touques]]. They are fundamentally important, the principal sources for the interpretation of the [[Talmud]]. In addition to the many ''tosafot'' he composed, he also authored a commentary on two of the [[Mishnaic]] orders, ''[[Zeraim]]'' and ''[[Tohorot]].''
He frequently refers therein to the ''[[Jerusalem Talmud]],'' to which he devoted more attention than any of his predecessors or contemporaries, and to the older compilations ''[[Tosefta]],'' ''[[Mekhilta of Rabbi Ishmael|Mechilta]],'' ''[[Sifra]],'' and ''[[Sifre]],'' and he tries to reconcile the discrepancies between them and the ''[[Mishnah]].'' He refers to [[Nathan ben Jehiel]], to [[Rashi]], to Rabbi [[Isaac ben Melchizedek]] of [[Siponto]],<ref>e.g. [[Mishnah]] ''[[Keilim|Kelim]]'' 1:1, ''[[Ohalot]]'' 1:2, ''[[Parah]]'' 2:1</ref> and other authorities, but never mentions Rambam's commentary, which he probably did not know.
According to [[Jacob ben Aksai]], Rabbi Samson also wrote commentaries on ''[[Shekalim]],'' ''[[Eduyot]],'' ''[[Middot]],'' and ''[[Halacha|Dinnim]]'', but none are extant.
He also wrote a commentary on the ''Sifra''; for this, besides other older works, he utilized the commentary of [[Abraham ben David]] of Posquières (Rabad), which he quotes under the designation "[[Hachmei Provence#Lunel|Hachmei Lunel]]" or "[[Hachmei Provence]]", without mentioning the author's name.
Rabbi [[Meïr Abulafia]] speaks of Rabbi Samson's father, Abraham, as a pious, saintly, and noble man. Rabbi Samson's brother, [[Isaac of Dampierre]] (Riba), also known as Isaac the Younger to distinguish him from his teacher Isaac the Elder (Isaac ben Samuel), whom he succeeded as principal of the school of Dampierre, is also one of the prominent tosafists. He wrote some liturgical poems (''[[piyutim]]'') and a commentary on the [[Pentateuch]]. He died about 1210, and Rabbi Samson attended his funeral. Both brothers are frequently mentioned in works such as ''[[Or Zarua]],'' ''[[The Mordechai]],'' ''[[Orchot Chaim]]'', ''[[SeMaG]]'', ''[[Semak]]'' (authored by a student of the Rash), ''[[Kol Bo]]'', ''[[Sha'are Dura]]'', ''[[Haggahot Maimuniyyot]]'', ''[[Terumat HaDeshen]]'' and similar works, and by Asher ben Jehiel and [[Meir of Rothenburg]].
{{Rashi family tree}}
== References ==
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{{JewishEncyclopedia|url=http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?letter=S&artid=124|article=Samson ben Abraham of Sens}}
{{Rishonim}}
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[[Category:12th-century  French rabbis]]
[[Category:13th-century French  rabbis]]
[[Category:Commentaries on the Mishnah]]
[[Category:Rabbis in Jerusalem]]
[[Category:French Tosafists]]
[[Category:Jews in the Land of Israel]]
[[Category:Exponents of Jewish law]]
[[Category:Authors of books on Jewish law]]