Editing Asher ben Jehiel

{{Short description|Rabbi and Talmudist (1250/1259–1327)}}
{{Redirect|The Rosh|other uses of Rosh|Rosh (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox Jewish leader
| honorific-prefix = Rabbi
| name = Asher ben Jehiel
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| image = Postcard portrait of Asher ben Jehiel by Meir Kunstadt, early 1900s (cropped).jpg
| caption = Portrait by {{ill|Meir Kunstadt|nl}}, early 1900s
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| birth_date = {{abbr|c.|circa}} 1250
| birth_place = probably [[Cologne]], [[Holy Roman Empire]]
| death_date = {{death date |1327|10|24|df=y}}
| death_place = [[Toledo, Spain|Toledo]], [[Kingdom of Castile|Castile]]
| yahrtzeit = 9 [[Cheshvan]]
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| children = [[Judah ben Asher]]<br/>[[Jacob ben Asher]]<br/>[[Jehiel Ben Asher]]
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'''Asher ben Jehiel''' ({{langx|he|אשר בן יחיאל}}, or Asher ben Yechiel, sometimes '''Asheri''') (1250 or 1259 – 1327) was an eminent [[rabbi]] and [[Talmud]]ist best known for his abstract of Talmudic law. He is often referred to as '''Rabbenu Asher''', “our Rabbi Asher” or by the [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]] acronym for this title, the '''Rosh''' ({{Script/Hebrew|רא"ש}}). His [[yahrzeit]] is on 9 Cheshvan.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Asher ben Jehiel |url=https://he.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/3327269}}</ref>

==Biography==
The Rosh was probably born in [[Cologne]], [[Holy Roman Empire]],<ref>{{Cite book|url=http://catalogue.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/cb12351146t|title = ʼAšer Ben Yeḥîʼel}}</ref> and died in [[Toledo, Spain|Toledo]]. His family was prominent for learning and piety, his father Yechiel was a Talmudist, and one of his ancestors was Rabbi [[Eliezer ben Nathan]] (the ''RaABaN''). Asher had eight sons, the most prominent of whom were [[Jacob ben Asher|Jacob]] (author of the ''[[Arba'ah Turim]]'') and [[Judah ben Asher|Judah]].

In 1286, King [[Rudolf I of Germany|Rudolf I]] had instituted a new persecution of the Jews, and the great teacher of the Rosh, Rabbi [[Meir of Rothenburg]], left Germany but was captured and imprisoned. The Rosh raised a ransom for his release, but Rabbi Meir refused it, for fear of encouraging the imprisonment of other rabbis. Thereafter the Rosh assumed Rabbi Meir's position in Worms. He was, however, forced to emigrate (in all likelihood, a victim of blackmail by the government, aimed at acquiring his fortune). After leaving Germany, he first settled in southern [[France]], and then in [[Toledo, Spain|Toledo]], [[Spain]], where he became [[rabbi]] on the recommendation of [[Solomon ben Aderet|Rabbi Solomon ben Abraham Aderet]] (''RaShBA''). Rabbenu Asher's son Judah testified to the fact that he died in poverty. Rabbeinu Asher died in Toledo on 9 [[Cheshvan]] 5088 (1327 CE). His known surviving children were said to have been killed in the ensuing persecutions that affected Spain in 1392.<ref>Gedaliah ibn Jechia the Spaniard, ''Shalshelet Ha-Kabbalah'', Jerusalem 1962, p. 268 (Hebrew)</ref>

Rabbenu Asher possessed "methodical and systematic" Talmudic knowledge, and was distinguished for his ability to analyze and thereby clarify long [[gemara|Talmudic discussions]]. The Rosh was known for his independent legal reasoning: "We must not be guided in our decisions by the admiration of great men, and in the event of a [[halakha|law]] not being clearly stated in the Talmud, we are not bound to accept it, even if it be based on the works of the [[Geonim]]."  (For instance, the Rosh ruled that the [[siddur|liturgy]] of the Geonim was not subject to the Talmudic rule against change in the [[prayer]]s.)

Rabbenu Asher was opposed to the study of secular knowledge, especially [[philosophy]]. He held that philosophy is based on [[Critical theory|critical]] research, whereas religion is based on [[Oral law#Oral law in Judaism|tradition]] and the two are thus "incapable of harmonization". He said that "none that go unto her may return"—in fact, he thanked [[God]] for having saved him from its influence, and boasted of possessing no knowledge outside the [[Torah]]. He attempted to issue a decree against the study of non-Jewish learning. One effect of this attitude was to limit his influence on [[Secular#Secularity as relative worldliness|secular]] Spanish Jewry. At the same time, within rabbinic circles, "he transplanted the strict and narrow Talmudic spirit from Germany to [[Spain]]", and this, in some measure, turned Spanish Jews from secular research to the study of the Talmud.

==Works==
Rabbenu Asher's best known work is his abstract of [[halakha|Talmudic law]]. This work [[posek|specifies]] the final, practical ''[[halakha]]'', leaving out the [[gemara|intermediate discussion]] and concisely stating the [[posek|final decision]]. It omits areas of law limited to ''[[Eretz Yisrael]]'' (such as agricultural and sacrificial laws) as well as the ''[[aggada|aggadic]]'' portions of the Talmud. Asher's son [[Jacob ben Asher|Jacob]] compiled a list of the decisions found in the work, under the title ''Piskei Ha-Rosh'' (decisions of the Rosh). Commentaries on his ''Halachot'' were written by a number of later Talmudists. In ''[[yeshivot]],'' this work is studied as a regular part of the daily [[Torah study|Talmud study]].

This work resembles the ''Hilchot'' of the Rif (Rabbi [[Isaac Alfasi]])—also an adumbration—but differs in quoting later authorities: [[Maimonides]], the [[tosafot|Tosafists]] and Alfasi himself. One theory states that the work is actually not a commentary on the ''Talmud'' but is rather a commentary on the ''Rif'', given that it always starts with the text of the ''Rif''.<ref>See ''[[Shabbatai ha-Kohen|Shach]]'', as quoted in ''Kelalei HaRif, Rabbeinu Asher VeTur'' printed before the ''Rosh'' on ''[[Shabbat (Talmud)|Shabbat]]'', ''Klal'' 2</ref> Some however dispute this.<ref>See ''[[Chaim Hezekiah Medini|Sdei Chemed]]'', Klalei HaPoskim, s.v. "Rosh"</ref>

Rabbenu Asher's work has been printed with almost every edition of the Talmud since its publication. This work was so important in [[halakha|Jewish law]] that [[Yosef Karo]] included the Rosh together with [[Maimonides]] and [[Isaac Alfasi]] as one of the three major ''[[posek|poskim]]'' (decisors) considered in determining the final ruling in his ''[[Shulchan Arukh]].''

Rabbi Asher also wrote:
*''Orchot Chaim'', an essay on [[ethics]], written for his sons. It begins with the comment, “Distance yourself from haughtiness, with the essence of distancing.” ''Orchot Chaim'' is today an important work of [[musar literature]].
*A [[Close reading|commentary]] on ''[[Zeraim]]'' (the first order of the ''[[Mishnah]]'')—with the exception of Tractate ''[[Berakhot (Talmud)|Berachot]].''
*A commentary on ''[[Tohorot]]'' (the sixth order of the ''Mishnah'').
*The ''Tosefot ha-Rosh'', [[Tosafot]]-like glosses on the Talmud.
*A volume of ''[[responsa]]''; see [[History of Responsa#Fourteenth century|History of Responsa: Fourteenth century]].
* There is a volume of responsa entitled 'Besamim Rosh' which is falsely attributed to the Rosh. In fact it has been shown to be a forgery from the 18th century, and contains controversial decisions which contradict what the Rosh wrote in his (genuine) responsa. This collection was published by [[Saul Berlin]], [[Hirschel Levin|Tzvi Hirsch Levin]]'s son. It was exposed as a forgery by [[Mordecai Benet]] (amongst others)
*A commentary on the [[Torah]] which often uses mystical interpretations such as using [[gematria]] and acronyms similar to his son [[Jacob ben Asher]] more famous work Rimzei Ba'al ha-Turim.

== Influence ==
During the Toledo era of [[History of the Jews in Spain|Spanish Jewish history]], the influence of R. Asher ben Jehiel and his followers, who maintained a distinctly [[Talmud|Talmudic]] rabbinic approach, was significant. However, the wider intellectual Jewish culture was deeply drawn to philosophy, with [[Zaragoza]] emerging as a prominent center where philosophy was studied alongside Talmudic scholarship within the local ''[[Yeshiva|yeshivas]]''.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Marciano |first=Yoel |title=Sages of Spain in the Eye of the Storm: Jewish Scholars of Late Medieval Spain |publisher=Bialik |year=2019 |isbn=978-965-536-266-4 |location=Jerusalem |pages=231 |language=he}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Jewish Encyclopedia |title=Asher ben Jehiel |url=http://jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/1930-asher-ben-jehiel }}

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20050204025802/https://www.ou.org/about/judaism/rabbis/rosh.htm Rabbi Asher ben Yechiel – The “Rosh”], ou.org
*[https://www.daat.ac.il/daat/mahshevt/mekorot/orhot-2.htm Orchot Chaim] [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]] Fulltext, daat.ac.il
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Asher Ben Jehiel}}
[[Category:1250s births]]
[[Category:1327 deaths]]
[[Category:13th-century German rabbis]]
[[Category:13th-century Castilian rabbis]]
[[Category:14th-century Castilian rabbis]]
[[Category:Rabbis from Worms, Germany]]
[[Category:Authors of books on Jewish law]]
[[Category:Writers of Musar literature]]