Jacob ben Judah of London facts for kids
Jacob ben Judah Hazzan was an important Jewish scholar from the 1200s. He lived in London, England. His grandfather was named Jacob he-Aruk.
Contents
Who Was Jacob ben Judah Hazzan?
Jacob ben Judah Hazzan was a Jewish legal codifier. This means he wrote down and organized Jewish laws. He lived in the 13th century, which was the 1200s. He was based in London, England.
His Important Book: Etz Chaim
In 1287, Jacob wrote a very important book called Etz Chaim. This book was about Jewish laws and traditions, called Halakah. It had two main parts and 646 sections.
Jacob used ideas from many other great Jewish scholars. He followed the teachings of Maimonides from his book Mishneh Torah. He also used ideas from books like Halakot Gedolot and the Siddur of Amram Gaon. Other scholars he learned from included Moses of Coucy, Alfasi, and the tosafists. He also mentioned other scholars like Isaac ben Abraham, Moses of London, and Berechiah de Nicole from Lincoln.
Why Etz Chaim is Special
The Etz Chaim is a very important book. It is the main work written by an English Jew before 1290. In that year, Jews were forced to leave England. The book helps us understand the Jewish traditions and rules followed in England at that time.
Where is the Book Now?
A copy of the Etz Chaim still exists today. It used to belong to a person named Johann Christoph Wagenseil. Now, it is kept in the Rathsbibliothek in Leipzig, Germany. A part of the book was published by Hermann Adler in 1896.
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