Menahem ben Saruq facts for kids

Menahem ben Saruq (also known as Menahem ben Jacob ibn Saruq, Hebrew: מנחם בן סרוק) was a smart Jewish scholar from Spain who lived in the 900s. He was a philologist, which means he studied languages and words. Menahem was also a talented poet and a polyglot, meaning he could speak many languages.

He was born in Tortosa around the year 920 CE and passed away in Cordoba around 970 CE. Menahem created one of the first dictionaries for the Hebrew language. For a while, he worked for a powerful Jewish leader named Hasdai ibn Shaprut. Menahem helped with writing and even with important diplomatic tasks. However, a disagreement with another scholar, Dunash ben Labrat, eventually led to problems for Menahem.

Menahem's Early Life and Work

Menahem grew up in Tortosa in a family that wasn't rich. He was likely born around 920 CE, but some think it might have been as early as 910 CE. People believe his father was a teacher who taught him a lot.

When he was young, Menahem moved to Cordoba. He was invited by Hasdai ibn Shaprut, who was a very important minister in the court of the Caliph. In Cordoba, Menahem found a supporter in Hasdai's father, Isaac ben Ezra. When Isaac passed away, Menahem wrote a special speech praising him. This speech was placed in the synagogue Isaac had built in Cordoba. Menahem also wrote sad poems about Isaac, which were recited during the mourning period. After this, Menahem went back to his hometown to work in business.

However, Hasdai ibn Shaprut soon called Menahem back to Cordoba. Hasdai encouraged him to finish his big project: a dictionary of the Hebrew language. Hasdai also used Menahem's writing skills for other things. When Hasdai's mother died, he asked Menahem to write a sad poem. Menahem was also chosen to write a very important letter from Hasdai to the king of the Khazars. This letter is now a significant historical document. Menahem even cleverly included both his patron's name and his own name in the letter using an acrostic (where the first letter of each line spells out a name). Despite all his hard work, Menahem faced many difficulties because Hasdai was not very generous with money.

Disagreement with Dunash

Soon after Menahem finished his dictionary, a new challenge appeared. A scholar named Dunash ben Labrat arrived in Spain from Fez, Morocco. Dunash wrote a critique of Menahem's dictionary. He started his critique with a dedication praising Hasdai.

Dunash's actions stirred up Menahem's enemies. These enemies began to complain to Hasdai about Menahem, making false accusations. It seems these personal attacks made Hasdai very angry with Menahem. Because of this, Menahem was treated very unfairly. He was forced out of his house on the Sabbath day, shamed, and put in prison.

Menahem wrote a powerful and brave letter to Hasdai, complaining about the injustice. This letter is a valuable source of information about what happened. Menahem likely died not long after this event. It is also said that Menahem wrote another work to answer Dunash's criticisms, but only a small part of it still exists today.

Menahem's students also stood up for their teacher. They wrote a detailed response to Dunash's criticism. Their defense showed great skill in arguments and deep knowledge of grammar. This work is still kept in a library in Parma. Two of these young scholars became very famous. Judah ben David Hayyuj became known as the founder of scientific Hebrew grammar. Another student, Isaac ibn Gikatilla, later taught Jonah ibn Janah. So, Menahem's work and teachings helped start a very successful period for Hebrew language studies.

What Was Special About His Dictionary?

Menahem's dictionary was influenced by earlier language scholars like Judah ibn Kuraish, the Karaites, and Saadia Gaon. However, Menahem avoided directly comparing the language of the Bible with the language of the Quran. Other scholars like Saadia and Judah ibn Kuraish had done this, and Menahem even quoted them in his dictionary. He probably avoided such comparisons because of the religious feelings at the time, which made it difficult for Spanish Jews to do so.

Menahem called his dictionary the Mahberet. It was the first complete dictionary of words from the Biblical Hebrew language. In this book, Menahem organized and explained the idea that Hebrew words came from roots with one or two letters. Later, Menahem's own student, Hayyuj, correctly showed that Hebrew roots actually have three letters.

However, because Menahem's dictionary was written in Hebrew, it was very important for Jews in Christian countries of Europe who didn't know Arabic. For a long time, it was their main source for learning about Hebrew language. For example, Rashi, a famous scholar in the 1000s, used Menahem as an expert on language. Rashi's grandson, Jacob b. Meïr Tam, even wrote a book to defend Menahem against Dunash's attacks. Around 1140, Menahem ben Solomon in Italy wrote a dictionary that was mostly based on Menahem's Mahberet.

Menahem ben Saruq's work was important for grammar. Even though he didn't have a perfect system for understanding language forms, he realized that language follows strict rules. He saw that words and how they are used follow definite patterns. This understanding, which you can see in the terms he used, connects his work to his student Hayyuj's more advanced ideas. Since Menahem wrote his book in Hebrew, he couldn't use the terms from Arabic grammarians. But he quietly adopted some of their ideas, translating them into Hebrew. He also explained some words by comparing them to similar Arabic words, even without saying so directly.

Where to Find His Work

Menahem ben Saruq's dictionary was put together and published by Filipowski in London in 1854. More parts of the "Mahberet" from a manuscript in Bern were published by D. Kaufmann. The defense written by Menahem's students was published by S. G. Stern in "Liber Responsionum" in Vienna in 1870. This book also includes Menahem's letter to Hasdai ibn Shaprut.

See also

In Spanish: Menahem ben Saruq para niños