Famous people Flashcards
Moses Maimonides
Moses ben Maimon (1138–1204), commonly known as Maimonides and also referred to by the acronym Rambam was a medieval Sephardic Jewish philosopher who became one of the most prolific and influential Torah scholars of the Middle Ages. In his time, he was also a preeminent astronomer and physician, serving as the personal physician of Saladin.Born in Córdoba, present-day Spain he worked as a rabbi, physician and philosopher in Morocco and Egypt. He died in Egypt on 12 December 1204, whence his body was taken to the lower Galilee and buried in Tiberias.
Rashi
Shlomo Yitzchaki (22 February 1040 – 13 July 1105), today generally known by the acronym Rashi, was a medieval French rabbi and author of a comprehensive commentary on the Talmud and commentary on the Hebrew Bible (the Tanakh). Acclaimed for his ability to present the basic meaning of the text in a concise and lucid fashion, Rashi appeals to both learned scholars and beginner students, and his works remain a centerpiece of contemporary Jewish study. His commentary on the Talmud, which covers nearly all of the Babylonian Talmud (a total of 30 out of 39 tractates, due to his death), has been included in every edition of the Talmud since its first printing by Daniel Bomberg in the 1520s. His commentary on Tanakh—especially on the Chumash (“Five Books of Moses”)—serves as the basis for more than 300 “supercommentaries” which analyze Rashi’s choice of language and citations, penned by some of the greatest names in rabbinic literature.[
Moses Mendelssohn
Moses Mendelssohn, (born September 26, 1729, Dessau, Anhalt [Germany]—died January 4, 1786, Berlin, Prussia), German Jewish philosopher, critic, and Bible translator and commentator who greatly contributed to the efforts of Jews to assimilate to the German bourgeoisie.
Joseph Karo
Author of the Shulchan Aruch 1567. A new code of Jewish law, intended as a concise and popular guide to Jewish law.
Shabati Zevi 1626-76
Responding to the dire conditions in which many Jews lived, Zevi declares himself to be the messiah. His claim is rejected and he converts to Islam in despair.
Baruch Spinoza, excommunicated 1636
Spinoza’s philosophy is considered part of the rationalist school of thought, which means that at its heart is the assumption that ideas correspond to reality perfectly, in the same way that mathematics is supposed to be an exact representation of the world. Following René Descartes, he aimed to understand truth through logical deductions from ‘clear and distinct ideas’, a process which always begins from the ‘self-evident truths’ of axioms.
Ba’al Shem Tov, 1700-1760
Founder of Chasidism. In response to the oppressive living conditions for Jews in much of Europe, Israel ben Eliezer, taking on the name Baal Shem Tov founds Chasidism as a way to approach God spiritually with both contemplative meditation and fervent joy.
