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sponsa called Tanna de-Vei Eliyahu, comprising 451 responsa
(in manuscript), 221 of which were edited by Benjamin b.
Abraham *Motal and published by Aaron Galimidi, one of
his descendants, under the title Zekan Aharon (Constantinople,
1734). Some of his responsa were published in the works
of his contemporaries, in the responsa Oholei Tam (in Tummat
Yesharim) of *Tam ibn Yaḥya, and in the Avkat Rokhel of
Joseph *Caro. Benjamin Motal published Elijah’s article “Kol
De’i,” on the laws of *asmakhta, in his collection Tummat
Yesharim. Elijah edited and published the Maḥzor Romania,
the liturgy in use in Greece and the neighboring countries,
adding to it bakkashot, teḥinot, and other piyyutim. Benjamin
Motal states that Elijah wrote thousands of poems, and
the following books of poetry are known to be by him: Beit
ha-Levi, Tokheḥah Megullah, Shevet ha-Musar, and Mei Zahav.
The book Zekan Aharon mentions his Livyat Ḥen, which deals
with ethical conduct. It is divided into three parts: Maḥaneh
Leviyyah (of which one chapter was published as no. 148 of
Zekan Aharon), Maḥaneh Yisrael, and Maḥaneh Shekhinah. He
also prepared for publication Jacob b. Asher’s Arba’ah Turim
(Constantinople, 1494 or 1504) and Alfasi’s code (Constantinople,
1509).
Bibliography: Motal, in: Elijah b. Binyamin ha-Levi, Zekan
Aharon (Constantinople, 1734), introduction; Zunz, Poesie, 388–90;
A. Berliner, Aus meiner Bibliothek (1898), 3–5; S. Wiener, Kohelet
Moshe, 4 (1902), 441, no. 3665; Rosanes, Togarmah, 1 (19302), 206–9; 2
(19382), 8f.; Davidson, Oẓar, 4 (1933), 363, S.V. Eliyahu ha-Levi; Goldschmidt,
in: Sefunot, 8 (1964), 205–36.
[Abraham David]
ELIJAH BEN ELIEZER PHILOSOPH HA-YERUSHALMI
(fl. 15th century), scholar and Hebrew poet who lived in Crete.
Elijah wrote a book on logic, Sefer Higgayon al Derekh She’elot
u-Teshuvot (manuscripts in Leiden, Paris, and Parma), which
is based entirely on Aristotelian logic, omitting the categories.
He also wrote Perush Pirkei ha-Merkavah, a commentary on
Maimonides’ interpretation of Ezekiel’s vision in his Guide
(manuscript in Paris). In this work Elijah cites his commentary
on the book of *Bahir. He is also the author of a number
of poems written in Hebrew and Aramaic and of prayers in
prose (Mss. Parma 997; Paris 707).
Bibliography: G.B. De Rossi, Manuscripti Codices Hebraici,
2 (1803), 163, no. 772, 3; M. Steinschneider, Catalogue Leyden
(1858), 239ff.; Steinschneider, Uebersetzungen, 499, 523; idem,
in: HB, 19 (1879), 63; 21 (1881), 27; Zunz, Lit Poesie, 518, 711; Zunz,
in: ZHB, 19 (1916), 61, no. 3, 63, no. 18; S. Munk, Manuscrits hébreux
de l’Oratoire (1911), 54–56; Davidson, Oẓar, 4 (1933), 364. Add. Bibliography:
C. Sirat, A History of Jewish Philosophy in the Middle
Ages (1985), 344; Sh. Rosenberg, in: Daat, 1 (1978), 63–71; 2–3 (1979),
127–38; 7 (1981), 73–92.
[Jefim (Hayyim) Schirmann]
ELIJAH BEN ḤAYYIM (1530?–1610?), rabbi and halakhist,
known as Maharanaḥ or Morenu ha-Rav ibn Ḥayyim. Elijah
was born in Adrianople and in about 1575 was appointed
chief rabbi of Constantinople. His writings – including no-
elijah ben loeb of fulda
vellae, discussions on most of the tractates of the Talmud,
and responsa – were stolen, but some were recovered and
published. They comprise Teshuvot ha-Ranaḥ (Constantinople,
18102), responsa, with an appendix consisting of novellae
on tractate Ketubbot published by his disciple, Isaac di Leon;
Mayim Amukim (Venice, 1647), responsa, together with others
by Elijah *Mizraḥi; Ha-Noten Imrei Shefer (Venice, 1630),
homilies on the Pentateuch (the first edition entitled Mikhtav
me-Eliyahu (Constantinople, 1624) was probably incomplete).
He was highly regarded by later rabbis, among them Akiva
*Eger, who praised his Teshuvot ha-Ranaḥ, which he used as
a source for his decisions.
Bibliography: Conforte, Kore, 42a–b, 48b; Beer, in: Literaturblatt
des Orients, 9 (1848), 805f.; Rosanes, Togarmah, 3 (1938),
32f.; Habermann, in: Sefer Assaf (1953), 217–22.
[Jacob Haberman]
ELIJAH BEN JUDAH OF PARIS (first half of the 12th century),
French talmudist, commentator, and halakhist. Elijah
is quoted in the tosafot and in the works of *Eliezer b. Nathan
of Mainz, *Eliezer b. Joel ha-Levi of Bonn, *Moses of Coucy,
*Mordecai b. Hillel, *Meir b. Baruch of Rothenburg, and others.
He was considered one of the leading scholars of his time,
together with R. *Tam and *Meshullam b. Nathan of Melun,
who held him in great esteem. Eliezer b. Nathan of Mainz
directed his question on Ḥezkat ha-Ḥallonot to these three
scholars (Raban, 153:3); and questions were also addressed to
Elijah by Isaac b. Samuel ha-Zaken (Tos. to Ket. 54b). *Moses
b. Abraham of Pontoise, in a responsum to R. Tam (Sefer ha-
Yashar, Resp. 51), refers to Elijah as “our teacher and our light.”
The Jews of Paris followed his customs, even in opposition to
the views of R. Tam. His ruling (Tos. to Eruv. 97a) that the
tefillin knot must be tied every day is well-known. Zunz attributes
to Elijah a number of liturgical poems.
Bibliography: Zunz, Gesch, 458; Gross, Gal Jud, 515f., no.
9; Michael, Or, no. 381; V. Aptowitzer, Mavo le-Sefer Ravyah (1938),
310–1; Urbach, Tosafot, index.
ELIJAH BEN KALONYMUS OF LUBLIN (second half of
17th century), preacher and rabbi. Little is known about Elijah,
whose only extant work, Adderet Eliyahu (Frankfurt on the
Oder, 1696), contains sermons commenting on each weekly
Torah portion. They resemble short fables, each of which can
stand independently, while together they form an intricate
whole. In these derashot, written in a pleasant style, Elijah
employs much kabbalistic terminology, quoting from such
works as the Zohar, Zohar Ḥadash, and Sefer ha-Peli’ah, and
makes use of talmudic-midrashic literature as well as Rashi.
At the end of the book is appended a prayer from Ereẓ Israel,
the recitation of which could ensure forgiveness for sins connected
with the destruction of the Temple and the resultant
Diaspora.
ELIJAH BEN LOEB OF FULDA (c. 1650/60–c. 1720), rabbi
and halakhic author. Elijah was born in Wiznica (Poland),
ENCYCLOPAEDIA JUDAICA, Second Edition, Volume 6 339