Solomon ben Judah ha-Bavli was a 10th-century

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

liturgist.

Biography

In spite of the title "ha-Bavli" ("the Babylonian") given him by

Rashi Shlomo Yitzchaki (; ; ; 13 July 1105) was a French rabbi who authored comprehensive commentaries on the Talmud and Hebrew Bible. He is commonly known by the List of rabbis known by acronyms, Rabbinic acronym Rashi (). Born in Troyes, Rashi stud ...

and others, he was not a native of any Muslim country. Rapoport held that the ancient rabbis included Rome under the designation "Babylon"; this being so, Solomon may have been a native of Rome. He is even so termed by M. Sachs in his translation of the Maḥzor (vii. 89), though without any further justification. Solomon was the teacher of Meshullam ben Kalonymus, and, with Simeon the Great of Mayence and Kalonymus (Meshullam's father), was declared to have been of the generation which preceded Rabbeinu Gershon.

Works

Solomon was the author of numerous

piyyutim A piyyuṭ (plural piyyuṭim, ; from ) is a Jewish liturgical poem, usually designated to be sung, chanted, or recited during religious services. Most piyyuṭim are in Mishnaic Hebrew or Jewish Palestinian Aramaic, and most follow some p ...

and

selichot Selichot (, singular: , ''səliḥā'') are Jewish penitential poems and prayers, especially those said in the period leading up to the High Holidays, and on fast days. The Thirteen Attributes of Mercy are a central theme throughout these pra ...

, including: * An "'avodah," commencing "Adderet tilboshet" * An unrhymed piyyuṭ, arranged in alphabetical order, consisting of combinations of אבגד and תשרק, each letter being repeated from eight to twenty times * A "yotzer" for the first day of

Passover Passover, also called Pesach (; ), is a major Jewish holidays, Jewish holiday and one of the Three Pilgrimage Festivals. It celebrates the Exodus of the Israelites from slavery in Biblical Egypt, Egypt. According to the Book of Exodus, God in ...

, beginning "Or yesha'" (mentioned by Rashi,

Rabbeinu Tam Jacob ben Meir (1100 – 9 June 1171 (4 Tammuz)), best known as Rabbeinu Tam (), was one of the most renowned Ashkenazi Jewish rabbis and leading French Tosafists, a leading '' halakhic'' authority in his generation, and a grandson of Rashi. K ...

, and many others) * A yotzer beginning "Omeẓ dar ḥazaḳim," an aggadic cosmogony. He also wrote several "ofanim" and "zulatot," which are recited on certain Sabbaths. His

are of the kind termed "shalmoniyyot," and consist of four-line strophes, without any Biblical verse. Many piyyuṭim signed "Solomon" may be Solomon ha-Bavli's. It has been noticed that in several instances piyyuṭim, or seliḥot, by Solomon ha-Bavli stand side by side with those of

Solomon ibn Gabirol Solomon ibn Gabirol or Solomon ben Judah (, ; , ) was an 11th-century Jews, Jewish poet and Jewish philosopher, philosopher in the Neoplatonism, Neo-Platonic tradition in Al-Andalus. He published over a hundred poems, as well as works of biblical ...

. Both bear the signature "Solomon ben Judah," and only upon a close examination can they be assigned to the proper author. Indeed, errors are sometimes made, as in the case of the yotzer "Or yesha'" mentioned above, which is ascribed by a certain commentator to Ibn Gabirol. It appears that Solomon ha-Bavli was the first to add to his signature words, and sometimes sentences, of an invocative nature, such as "Hazak," or "Yigdal be-Torah." According to Conforte"Kore ha-Dorot," p. 18b Solomon was the author of a prayer-book; but Conforte seems to have confused him with Rashi.

References

Bibliography

* S. D. Luzzatto, in Orient, Lit. vi. 680; * idem, Luaḥ ha-Payyeṭanim, pp. 66 et seq., in Berliner's Oẓar Ṭob, 1880; * Steinschneider, Cat. Bodl. cols. 2318–2319; * Zunz, S. P. p. 167; * idem, Literaturgesch. pp. 100–104, 232–235. {{Authority control Year of birth missing Year of death missing Liturgists 10th-century Jews Jewish liturgical poets